On a chilly spring morning just outside Fairfield, Tiffany April Raines, owner of Wild Spirits Farm, carries trays of seedlings from the bright glow of the grow room into a heated hoop house for transplanting. Flats of kale, broccoli, cabbage, and cilantro sit in rows, ready to be transplanted into larger pots. Blustery winds pick up outside, but the hoop house is calm, filled with warmth from the morning sun.
Raines runs a small plant nursery specializing in sustainably grown garden seedlings. Each year she grows thousands of plants ranging from heirloom tomatoes to culinary and medicinal herbs. Many of the plants find their way into local gardens after being purchased at Everybody’s Whole Foods or the Fairfield Farmers Market.
The nursery is only one part of the farm. In addition to the production greenhouse where fresh greens are sprouting, raised garden beds cover about an acre of land. The beds are full of berries, vegetables, herbs, and an abundance of flowers. On Sundays during the summer, the farm opens to the public for a “U-pick” day, although Raines jokingly calls it something different. “Most people aren’t totally comfortable harvesting from the plants out here,” she says. “So I started calling it a ‘U-point.’ People point to what they want and I pick it for them.”
Founded in 2021, Wild Spirits Farm is a two-acre micro-farm built around a simple goal: helping people reconnect with community and the process of growing and harvesting vegetables and herbs.
Before establishing the farm, Raines was already well known in Fairfield as an avid local gardener, growing backyard gardens and small food forests at rented apartments. When COVID hit in 2020, people suddenly found themselves interested in gardening and increasingly concerned about food security. Raines began receiving a steady stream of phone calls and questions about soil, seeds, and how to start growing food at home. Unable to help everyone individually, she started the Fairfield Gardeners Coalition, a Facebook group where local residents can ask questions and share advice and resources. The group quickly became a hub for gardeners of all experience levels and now has nearly 2,000 members who continue to support one another.
As Fairfield’s interest in gardening continued to grow, Raines established Wild Spirits Farm as a way to support the community on a larger scale. Starting in May each year, Wild Spirits Farm not only sells garden seedlings but also imports certified organic compost and raised-garden-bed mix by the semi-truckload through a regional supplier, making it easier for local gardeners to access these amendments in bulk quantities.
Since those early efforts began, food costs have continued to rise, and many families throughout Jefferson County have struggled to afford fresh produce.
In response, the Fairfield Garden Initiative was launched in 2022, a two-year program supported by grant funding that expanded access to free gardening education, resources, and healthy vegetable seedlings for low-income families in the community. Raines grew more than 8,000 vegetable plants for the initiative over the course of those two growing seasons.
Seeing a continued need for the program, she established the Fairfield Garden Initiative as a nonprofit organization in 2025. Wild Spirits Farm donated 100 percent of its profits during the first year to get if off to a strong start, but community donations are still needed to cover the cost of seeds, soil, supplies, and seedlings provided to participating families.
Raines says participants consistently make the most of the resources they receive. In addition to growing fresh produce for their households, many families describe unexpected benefits from the experience.
“It makes me really happy to see people step away from their phone screens and into the fresh air and sunshine,” she says. “People report as many mental health benefits from this program as they do from the food harvests. When families are outside growing food together, they bond and connect in a wholesome way. People also say how much they appreciate the sense of independence and empowerment that comes from being able to grow good food themselves.”
Raines believes small-scale agriculture and community gardens play an important role in both physical and mental well-being. She also grows seedlings for the Fairfield Community Garden at discounted costs.
“I believe that it’s critically important that we bring sovereignty back into our local food systems,” she says. “Supporting local gardeners is one of the most important ways to strengthen our community. It builds resilience at a time when corporate food systems are becoming less healthy and more fragile, costs keep rising, and many people feel disconnected from where their food comes from. This work is the clearest way I can demonstrate my values within our community.”
Wild Spirits Farm continues to expand its role in the local food system. In May, the farm will open a small farm shop on the property. Roughly half the cost of building the shop was supported by an economic development grant.
The shop will sell products made at the farm, along with goods produced by other small growers and home producers. Under Iowa’s cottage food law, small-scale producers can create certain foods such as baked goods or jams from their homes, though many struggle to find places to sell them. Raines hopes the shop will give small-scale producers another outlet.
“A lot of people make wonderful things but don’t have the scale for grocery stores or the ability to attend Saturday farmers markets,” she said. “The farm shop gives them another place to share what they’re making.”
Back in the hoop house, the morning’s transplanting work continues. Spring has only just begun, but at Wild Spirits Farm, the season is already in motion.
While Raines volunteers her time and efforts for the Fairfield Garden Initiative, the cost of materials and supplies is entirely donation based and help is always needed. Those interested in making a tax-deductible donation can do so at WildSpiritsFarm.com/fairfield-garden-initiative.