About Us
Who We Are
Emma Barber (she/her) is a Midwest-based herbalist & farmer committed to growing vibrant botanicals for community health & well-being. She was born and raised in rural southeastern Minnesota with a big rhubarb patch and lived in Minneapolis for the last twelve years before moving to Iowa with her partner Jeremy. Emma's work revolves around the intersections of health & wellness, food & farming, and art & creative expression. After receiving her BFA in Dance at the University of Minnesota, Emma's interest in organic food and farming practices grew as she worked at various farm-to-table restaurants, the Seward Community Co-op, Keepsake Cidery's organic orchard, & Northerly Flora's flower farm. In 2019 Emma completed the Terra Sylva School of Botanical Medicine’s Community Herbalism program, a 400-hour immersive Western Herbalism education grounded in a Vitalist perspective and based in the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina. During this program it became clear that herbal medicine was the path that best integrates many of her passions - working directly with plants, helping others on their healing journey, and creatively transforming plants into healing remedies. Emma is grateful to steward the land that she & Jeremy now live on in east central Iowa and is honored to be your farmer.
Our Farm
We steward 40 acres of rolling land just north of Mount Vernon, Iowa. 2024 will be our third season farming on this property. We grow over 150 varieties medicinal and culinary herbs, flowers, and perennial shrubs on our Certified Naturally Grown herb farm. For a full list of the plants we grow, click here.
Our farm is registered as Certified Naturally Grown, and we are in the transitional years to become Certified Organic. We utilize organic practices and low-till systems that encourage robust soil biology, sequester carbon, and protect our soils from erosion all while producing beautiful and resilient crops.
In addition to growing botanicals, we raise 100% pastured lamb. Raising ruminant animals on pasture is a beautiful pairing - the sheep eat nutritionally-dense forage while offering fertility directly back to the land. When plants and grasses are grazed, it stimulates deeper root growth which leads to increased levels of organic matter in the soil, less soil compaction, and more resilience to the effects of drought as the roots can access water deeper in the earth. Protecting & restoring our soil is the main goal for this operation. Raising sheep on pasture offers the opportunity for mutual flourishing of both land and animal, while also producing a high-quality, nutrient-dense, & sustainable source of meat. To learn more about our pastured lamb operation, visit lambsquarter.com.
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