Key Takeaways
- Phelps Farm transitioned from IT careers into greenhouse farming through incremental investment and systems-based planning.
- Year-round production is enabled by greenhouses, high tunnels, and automated climate control.
- Continuous celery production has become a defining niche crop for the farm.
- Direct-to-consumer sales through CSA programs and farmers markets underpin the business model.
- Education, public grants, and family involvement support long-term resilience.
An episode of the Greenhouse Success Stories series features Phelps Farm, offering a detailed look at how the Iowa-based operation has developed a year-round greenhouse business through controlled environment agriculture (CEA), diversified sales channels, and incremental infrastructure investments. Hosted by Trina Semenchuk, the episode includes an in-depth conversation with co-owner Andrew Phelps, who outlines the farm’s operational choices and long-term strategy.
The discussion focuses on practical decision-making rather than rapid scale, illustrating how smaller operations can adapt greenhouse technologies to local conditions and market demand.
From IT Careers to Commercial Greenhouse Production
Andrew Phelps explains that Phelps Farm was not built on a traditional farming background. Both owners previously worked in information technology, bringing a structured, systems-oriented mindset into greenhouse planning and daily operations. Early investments prioritized learning and experimentation over expansion, allowing the farm to understand crop performance, labor needs, and customer demand before increasing production.
