Connecting people to God, the land and each other is the mission of Nelson Produce Farm. Founded by Pam and Tyler Nelson in Valley, Nebraska, after their marriage in 2007, the farm has grown beyond their original dreams.
In the beginning, the Nelsons planned to sell their produce wholesale while continuing sales at their roadside stand at 120th and I streets—the same location where Tyler’s grandparents began selling produce in 1983. At just 12, Tyler sold cucumbers he grew himself at the stand. Today, the Nelsons still rent the space and operate a second stand at 204th and Wirt streets in Elkhorn. Both locations are open from Memorial Day weekend through Oct. 30.
Pam’s natural creativity made the farm stands both aesthetically appealing and enjoyable for shoppers. Her love of hosting, combined with a few challenging years in wholesale, ultimately led the Nelsons to expand their direct interactions with the public. In 2019, Pam and Tyler opened their 500-acre farm to visitors daily from June through October. A variety of farm-focused activities and events help them fulfill their mission.
“When I was growing up on a dairy farm in South Dakota in the 1980s and ’90s, nearly everyone had a connection to farming—whether through an uncle, grandparents or other relatives,” Nelson recalls. “The world is changing, and that connection is no longer as common, so we wanted to help people reconnect with where their food comes from.”
Conscious Choices
The Nelsons initially opened their farm by inviting visitors to pick their own strawberries. Today, they host a strawberry festival each June. Following the growing seasons, they also hold a sweet corn festival in July, a watermelon festival in August, a sunflower festival in September and a pumpkin festival in October. Visitors can also pick a wide variety of produce from the Nelsons' U-pick garden during any visit. In addition, the farm offers a variety of activities for kids, including a corn pit, hay bale slides, pedal bikes, a barrel train and the opportunity to engage with barnyard animals.
This April, they hosted their first tulip festival, featuring more than 400,000 tulips in 35 varieties, planted in the shape of a hummingbird across four acres. Tulips sprawled across the farm, welcoming visitors with the colors and sounds of spring.
The Nelsons’ passion for connecting people to their food goes beyond their farming backgrounds. In 2017, Pam was diagnosed with melanoma, which made her more mindful of what she eats.
“I still enjoy an ice cream cone and the occasional French fry, but I work hard to make choices that are good for my body—just as we make intentional, informed decisions about what we put into the soil to grow our produce,” Nelson says. “We follow many natural practices, such as using fish fertilizer and composting extensively. We also prioritize working with like-minded companies and farms.”
Ingredients from these like-minded businesses are used in the farm’s full kitchen, where they make homemade ice cream, pizza, strawberry slushies and fresh doughnuts. Last year, the Nelsons added a coffee bar to the farm, partnering with local roaster Hardy Coffee.
In addition, Nelson Produce Farm’s farm-to-table dinners showcase local chefs, the Nelsons’ own produce and ingredients from other local farmers for a well-rounded meal. Each 21-and-over dinner follows a theme—down to the napkins—with the Nelsons dressing up to match. Live music and a photographer add to the experience. During the dinners, the Nelsons not only enjoy connecting with guests but also provide food education.
“We share simple tips, like not refrigerating tomatoes, and explain that the fresher your produce is, the more nutrients it contains,” Pam says. “For example, when we pick strawberries for wholesale, we harvest them differently than when we pick them for our roadside markets. For our stands, we pick produce at peak ripeness—when it has the highest nutrient content and sugar. This makes a big difference in flavor, especially with watermelons and strawberries.”
Unlike row-crop farming, nearly everything on the Nelsons' farm is hand-planted and hand-picked, except for sweet corn. The labor-intensive process reflects the couple's passion for their work. Seasonal workers help with all aspects of the farm, farm stands and events.
Pam and Tyler feel blessed to support their family through their passion for farming and plan to continue connecting the local community with their farm during each growing season.
“We get so much pleasure from growing a product and literally handing it to someone who will share it at a family reunion or enjoy it on their deck,” Nelson said. “We love having our customers visit the farm to see where their produce comes from. It’s an honor to run this business and meet people in our community by inviting them into our home.”
Follow Nelson Produce Farm on social media to learn more about events, or sign up for the farm’s newsletter at nelsonproducefarm.com.
Fun on the Farm
Pam and Tyler Nelson have four daughters: Naomi, 15; Tessa, 13; Jadyn, 10; and Callie, 8. The couple enjoys seeing their girls have the same experiences they had growing up on farms and wanted to create similar memories for other kids by inviting them to their farm.
Farm Camp, for children ages 5 to 10, runs throughout June. The four-day camps offer hands-on experiences with farm life, including gardening and caring for animals, along with fun activities to keep children engaged. Nelson Produce Farm also hosts school and day care field trips in the fall.
Each Tuesday at 10 a.m., from June through October, Nelson Produce Farm hosts Farm Tales, a children's story time featuring local authors and storytellers who connect their stories to farm life. Farm Tales is interactive, with activities such as petting animals or crafting projects related to the stories.
“I get so much joy from talking to children about farming, watching them jump bales and do things I grew up doing,” Pam said. “We want children to see that even if they didn’t come from a farm, they can still be a farmer.”
Nelson Produce Farm is located at 10505 234th St., Valley, Neb.
Farm hours (June through October):
Monday through Thursday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Pizza night, 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday)
“We love having our customers visit the farm to see where their produce comes from. It’s an honor to run this business and meet people in our community by inviting them into our home.”
“I get so much joy from talking to kids about farming, watching them jump bales and do things I grew up doing,” Pam says. “We want kids to see that even if they didn’t come from a farm, they can still be a farmer.”