Big Time Herb Grower Also Offers Basil Baths
Holly and Barry Mawby, along with son Adam, are not only the biggest herb growers in North Dakota, they may be the only herb growers anywhere to offer basil baths. Their Gardendwellers Farm grows and markets more than 16 different herbs and herb blends. The basil baths were an accidental sideline that has grown along with farm-to-table dinners, farm tours, and educational classes.
“Growing herbs has been a passion of mine since I was 12,” says Holly Mawby. “When we moved back to North Dakota in 1999, growing herbs was a way to keep my fingers in the soil. We decided to make it a sideline business to our full-time jobs.”
The Mawbys started out growing rhubarb for North Dakota wineries. When that no longer paid, they switched to herbs. The herb business started in 2002 with sales in local farmers markets and soon expanded to restaurants and food service. While others grew a few herbs with their vegetables, the Mawbys grew only herbs.
“It was a niche that we had the equipment and vehicles for,” says Mawby. “I would watch as other growers brought in totes and tubs of heavy vegetables. Our tubs weigh just 5 to 7 lbs. each.”
In 2011 they moved their operation to their current location with more acres. This gave them room to rotate their herb crops, using cover crops for fallow years.
“The move lets us maintain healthy and tillable soils,” says Mawby.
It also has let them expand what they grow for themselves, adding fruit trees and shrubs, as well as grass-fed livestock. Their son Adam raises and sells grass-finished lamb and pastured chicken under the Gardendwellers Ranch label.
Initially, specializing in herbs allowed them to concentrate on growing very high quality herbs. As their reputation grew, so did demand. At one point, they were also supplying 15 grocery stores a week with fresh herbs. This affected what they grew and when.
“With grocery stores, you have to have your entire line of herbs ready all the time,” says Mawby. “You don’t start selling until everything is ready to pick and you have to stop when 1 or 2 herbs stop producing.”
In 2018 they decided to make another change. They investigated and then purchased a Harvest Right commercial grade freeze-drier (Vol. 38, No. 6). Instead of season-long sales of all herbs to the grocery stores, they schedule production for the best time to harvest. In addition to fresh sales in quantities from an ounce to pounds, they also freeze-dry herbs at their highest quality.
“We are able to schedule harvest, starting with dill and cilantro that are cool weather crops, then harvesting and freeze-drying parsley, and then warmer weather crops like basil,” say Mawby. “With freeze-drying we have expanded sales to 5 or 6 states and can offer herbs year round.”
Large-scale basil production involves tearing out harvested plants, which led to the basil baths. “A friend of ours was helping harvest basil, and at the end of the day, splashed the basil rinse water on her face,” recalls Mawby. “She said how wonderful it felt. A year later her mother was helping tear basil out of our high tunnel, and it was very hot, hard work. I suggested we give ourselves a treat.”
Mawby filled a stock tank with water and let the sun heat it. She then tossed in a few bundles of basil. Late in the day, they climbed in.
“We loved it,” says Mawby. “The warm water released the essential oils, and basil is known to be stress relieving and healthful.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gardendwellers Farm, 5143 37th Ave. NE, Esmond, N. Dak. 58332 (ph 701 351-2520; bhmawby@gmail.com; www.gardendwellersfarm.com).
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Big Time Herb Grower Also Offers Basil Baths CROPS Miscellaneous Holly and Barry Mawby along with son Adam are not only the biggest herb growers in North Dakota they may be the only herb growers anywhere to offer basil baths Their Gardendwellers Farm grows and markets more than 16 different herbs and herb blends The basil baths were an accidental sideline that has grown along with farm-to-table dinners farm tours and educational classes “Growing herbs has been a passion of mine since I was 12 ” says Holly Mawby “When we moved back to North Dakota in 1999 growing herbs was a way to keep my fingers in the soil We decided to make it a sideline business to our full-time jobs ” The Mawbys started out growing rhubarb for North Dakota wineries When that no longer paid they switched to herbs The herb business started in 2002 with sales in local farmers markets and soon expanded to restaurants and food service While others grew a few herbs with their vegetables the Mawbys grew only herbs “It was a niche that we had the equipment and vehicles for ” says Mawby “I would watch as other growers brought in totes and tubs of heavy vegetables Our tubs weigh just 5 to 7 lbs each ” In 2011 they moved their operation to their current location with more acres This gave them room to rotate their herb crops using cover crops for fallow years “The move lets us maintain healthy and tillable soils ” says Mawby It also has let them expand what they grow for themselves adding fruit trees and shrubs as well as grass-fed livestock Their son Adam raises and sells grass-finished lamb and pastured chicken under the Gardendwellers Ranch label Initially specializing in herbs allowed them to concentrate on growing very high quality herbs As their reputation grew so did demand At one point they were also supplying 15 grocery stores a week with fresh herbs This affected what they grew and when “With grocery stores you have to have your entire line of herbs ready all the time ” says Mawby “You don’t start selling until everything is ready to pick and you have to stop when 1 or 2 herbs stop producing ” In 2018 they decided to make another change They investigated and then purchased a Harvest Right commercial grade freeze-drier Vol 38 No 6 Instead of season-long sales of all herbs to the grocery stores they schedule production for the best time to harvest In addition to fresh sales in quantities from an ounce to pounds they also freeze-dry herbs at their highest quality “We are able to schedule harvest starting with dill and cilantro that are cool weather crops then harvesting and freeze-drying parsley and then warmer weather crops like basil ” say Mawby “With freeze-drying we have expanded sales to 5 or 6 states and can offer herbs year round ” Large-scale basil production involves tearing out harvested plants which led to the basil baths “A friend of ours was helping harvest basil and at the end of the day splashed the basil rinse water on her face ” recalls Mawby “She said how wonderful it felt A year later her mother was helping tear basil out of our high tunnel and it was very hot hard work I suggested we give ourselves a treat ” Mawby filled a stock tank with water and let the sun heat it She then tossed in a few bundles of basil Late in the day they climbed in “We loved it ” says Mawby “The warm water released the essential oils and basil is known to be stress relieving and healthful ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Gardendwellers Farm 5143 37th Ave NE Esmond N Dak 58332 ph 701 351-2520; bhmawby@gmail com; www gardendwellersfarm com
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