Iowa Goods

Providing custom handcrafted goods from Iowa and Midwestern artists partnered to support businesses. After selling a family business and exiting my corporate and sales position, and deciding to leave the corporate workplace entirely last year, I joined the Hiawatha Farmers Market and found partnerships in selling items from little known but very talented artists who love to create but don’t like to be salespeople.

My business model stems from two visions, one, to join great products and those places I found others generally are not aware of from the area with originally being from a small town in Northeast Iowa. Second, after working in the Athletic Development team at the University of Iowa, I was inspired to find great items to fill what I saw as a void when looking for gifts for donors who passionately support the college and athletic programs.

While supporting (mostly) Iowa-based artists, I also create custom wood signs with having former corporate laser-cutting and design experience on my resume, having sold over 200 during the 2024 holiday season. I support a fantastic line of candles made by hand with Iowa-based premium soy wax, designed with elements for each scent and designed to appear like cupcakes (which developed almost a cult-following at the market)! I carry a line of clay jewelry made in Minnesota, custom-made wood cutting boards and birdhouses from a gentleman in Cedar Rapids, and adding another intricate line from NE Iowa. I rotate these items in weekly within my partnership line of candles and my custom wood signs as my mainstay lines to keep interest and variety.

It has been a fantastic experience to support small business owners and artists along with making customers truly happy with items and gifts for themselves and family while growing my portfolio and business which has grown greatly in the past year. I hope to join the Cedar Rapids Farmers Market to further grow my business and continue to support small business owners while bringing heartfelt handcrafted items to a larger marketplace, and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be included if so.