Thirteen years ago, Donna Wisnousky ended her career as a nursing manager but wasn’t ready to relax just yet. She had a very specific goal for her second act: she wanted to grow blueberries. The ambitious new retiree planted 360 blueberry plants on her property outside of Swisher, Iowa. Sadly, none survived into the following season, but determined Donna wasn’t ready to give up.
Today she and her husband, Joe, run Skyline Farm, a one-acre berry growing operation. They cultivate a more manageable 53 blueberry plants, as well as raspberries, gooseberries, currants, grapes and more.
“People say there is a huge difference between these berries and what you buy in the store,” Donna said.
She said the key to a productive crop (and blueberries that survive!) is to acidify the soil twice a year with an organic mix. The couple also uses fencing and netting to protect their delicious fruit from birds and other wildlife.
Their small plot is so productive that Donna and Joe cannot sell all they grow year to year at local farmers markets. When one year there was a “tremendous excess” of raspberries, Donna decided to make jam. Skyline Farm now makes and sells a wide variety of preserves, with the vast majority of produce coming from their own harvest and other local farms.
Needless to say, Donna loves what she does!
“It’s rewarding to have a product that other people desire,” she said.
Contact Skyline Farm at [email protected] to learn more!