Hillcrest Garden Market in Marengo, Iowa

Hillcrest Garden Market in Marengo, Iowa, provides east central Iowa with fresh homegrown produce from late April to November 1. Owners Dick and Karen Olson have been in business for a couple of decades and know how to run a friendly and successful farm.

On Iowa County Road V77, the Hillcrest Garden Market has freshly picked Iowa produce every morning. Vegetable and fruit crops include asparagus, red rhubarb, radishes, onions, spinach, lettuce, kohlrabi, zucchini, peas, sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, beans and cucumbers, as well as peaches, pumpkins, melons and apples. The fruits and vegetables change throughout the months due to their growing seasons. In May call dibs on the always coveted asparagus, and in June you can look forward to kohlrabi, peas, and zucchini. Sale of extra-sweet sweet corn starts selling in July and goes through September. In August make sure you grab some melons, and toward the September and October months you can count on apples, fall squash, pumpkins, and decorative items like gourds, Indian corn, broom corn, and bittersweet.

While you are at the market, stock up on yummy preserves, chunky salsa, local honey, and/or sorghum as well.

October is a special time at the Hillcrest Garden Market. Hay Rides are available as well as all sorts of different - what they advertise as - "super freak" pumpkins. Creative fall decorations are also on site. If you are looking for a fun learning experience for your child or classroom, or want to celebrate a family Halloween holiday, schedule a hayride and a tour of the farm.

When at Hillcrest Garden Market, check out their newest addition of handcrafted metal yard art for sale. The lawn ornaments are unique and reasonably priced. Also, make sure to ask about their cookbook, Iowa's Garden Market Cookbook. It has five hundred recipes.

Supporting the Hillcrest Garden Market is easy. It is a local business that takes pride in their fresh homegrown products, as well as their community and the surrounding areas. The market grows their own produce and picks their store's inventory each morning.

Hillcrest Garden Market is located at 1580 P. Avenue in Marengo, Iowa. It is six miles north of I-80 (exit 220). Hours of operation are from 10 am to 6 pm on Monday through Saturday. The market is closed on Sundays. Feel free to call 319-642-3445 ahead of your visit to see what has been freshly picked that morning.