Catnip Farm

About Catnip Farm

Catnip Farm is a 14 acre farmstead in western Iowa County, owned by Rich and Ericka Dana since the fall of 1996. Now in our eighth season, we provide customers with a wide range of organic vegetables, culinary herbs, catnip & cat toys, cut flowers, fruit, eggs, honey and bedding plants & fine crafts (Wildgirl ceramics, jewelry, mosaics & ornaments). We use no herbicides and no chemical insecticides or fertilizers. We were Certified Organic by OCIA in the spring of 2000, are currently growing to federal organic standards, as always, but are not currently certified. Our growing techniques include raised & terraced bed & row planting, composting, crop rotation, companion and inter-planting, mulching & recycling. We grow salad greens and other cool weather crops year-round in our solar geodesic dome greenhouse. We sell produce and other goods at the Iowa City Farmers' Market (stalls # 72 and 73), located at the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, Lower Level at the corner of Washington and Gilbert Sts., from May to October on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. We sell to various grocery stores and restaurants in Iowa City. Catnip Farm also produces fresh and dried catnip, potted "kitty greens" & cat grass growing kits, catnip toys and furniture for cats. 'Mister Nipster' is our brand of fresh dried organic catnip - available at the Iowa City farmers' market, via mail-order through our Local Harvest Store (click on "Store"), at The Fun Zone, The Coralville Animal Clinic, Hy-Vee South & New Pioneer in the Iowa City area, and at veterinary offices & pet supply stores coast to coast. Proceeds from our kitty product sales help offset the food & veterinary costs for a number of rescued stray & feral cats. Visit our Kitty Gallery at http://www.catnipfarm.com to see some of our feline friends! Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program had 22 weekly member households in 1999. In the fall of 2000 we began our year-round Fresh Egg "E-mail CSA" program which provides blue, green & brown eggs from our free-range laying hens for weekly pick-up at an Iowa City member's home, usually on Saturdays. No money down, just pay at pick up, $3 per dozen, whenever you order eggs - EASY! .