Morning Harvest farm

Embrace change, don’t fear it; Mother Nature survives on change and adapting … but never forget and respect the old ways. - Jeff Hafner, Owner of Early Morning Harvest As a recreational thinker, Jeff is always coming up with new and innovative ways to do things, often while operating some kind of farm equipment. Over the years Early Morning Harvest was always a hobby; however, in late 2021, Jeff decided to move forward and transition into business full-time. When asked, Jeff will tell you his hobby now is “a hot shower and bed.” When time allows, Jeff reads books. One of his favorites is a book by Colin Powell,It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. Jeff also collects quotes that capture his eye or as a recreational thinker, he comes up with his own. Some of his favorites are: "The healthier the soil is, the healthier the plants—and the livestock and humans that consume them or their products—will be." — Jeff Hafner “The land and soil are not for us—we borrow it from our kids and their futures.” — Jeff Hafner “Embrace change, don’t fear it; Mother Nature survives on change and adapting … but never forget and respect the old ways.” – Jeff Hafner “Believe in people. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Respect all opinions, ideas, cultures, and people, especially if you disagree with them.” – Jeff Hafner Early Morning Harvest In the early 1980s, Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) bought the farm with the intent to construct a coal-fired electrical plant with railroad turnaround, but the plans were never developed. Instead, Jeff bought the land back and has been farming with his father, Earl, since 1993. The two transitioned their farmland to organic in 2000. Stone MillThe stone mill was bought and built in 2011.  Earl was making his cereal from the organic grains grown on the farm. His cereal contained buckwheat, rye, corn, and wheat. After a couple of years at farmers’ markets and several requests for his cereal blends and flour, Earl moved forward with the stone mill and now we offer more than fifteen different products from those grains. Aquaponics GreenhouseIn 2010, the aquaponics greenhouse expanded from an idea to reality when the first tilapia arrived. Jeff “planned the greenhouse in his head while cutting hay” and soon after went to work repurposing existing structures to complete the greenhouse. The greenhouse has been home to growing experiments like mandarin orange trees and avocado trees (still in progress) to consistent favorites like kale and cherry tomatoes. The aquaponics greenhouse fluctuates with various growers working to keep the system in balance. When touring you may also catch a glimpse of the grain that is grown on the farm throughout the greenhouse. GrowthOn March 15, 2020, the world came to a halt as SARS-CoV-2 started to spread. Our mill went from an average of one order per week to 150 overnight. It seemed that everyone was starting to bake bread at home! We adjusted along with growing demand to keep the mill going. Change is constant at the farm; in early 2022 Jeff and his wife Shannon purchased the distribution company That Iowa Girl and moved operations to the farm. That Iowa Girl carries over 150+ mainly Iowa-made products and runs several routes a week to places such as: Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, and South Dakota. Plans are well underway for growth as Early Morning Harvest products are finding their way into