It’s a busy time to be a Stout! Multigenerational southeastern Iowa farm Stout’s Market mainly deals in sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon– all of which are in abundance right about now. With 100+ acres in produce and 11 roadside stands in operation daily, it takes the whole family to run the show.
“It’s kind of special to be in Iowa and have a short season,” Shannon Stout said. “It makes summer very exciting.”
Shannon and her husband, Ryan, joined the farm 12 years ago, teaming up with Ryan’s parents to expand the operation. Neither intended to farm (Shannon studied science in college, while Ryan studied and worked with computers for years), but the family business called to them. Today, their children are involved in the operation, too, which Shannon believes has helped them learn the value of hard work and understand the effort that goes into raising food. 
Stout’s watermelon is a staple of Iowa City Community School District lunches, and is available to other Food Hub customers, too. With over 15,000 watermelon plants in the ground, the Stout family has plenty to go around! The seeds are started in trays indoors (with help from Shannon’s kiddos) and transplanted outdoors to raised, mulched beds once they’re big and ready. Right about now, the family is harvesting so much melon, they need forklifts to move it all.
Shannon is proud to be a local farmer and loves sharing her family’s products with community members who get just as excited about local sweet corn and melon as she does.
Visit https://www.stoutsmarket.com/pages/about-us to learn more about Stout’s Market.
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This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organization imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.