Caring Farms is a nonprofit organization. Its mission is to prepare and deliver care packages for people who might be struggling for one reason or another.

But almost anyone could find themselves receiving a care package, Bobenmoyer said.

“It’s to help people that have health issues, have been in a car accident, have lost their job, the elderly, or someone just having a bad day,” she said.

The care packages include things like bread, fruit, and vegetables. The food for the care packages mostly come from gardens on the Bobenmoyer family’s land in Sac County.

-Submitted photo
Beth Bobenmoyer, of Lake View, works in her garden where she grows produce as part of her Caring Farms nonprofit business. The food goes to people in need.

She also gets some help from her parents (Walt and Kathy Grote), who have gardens on their Wall Lake property.

The whole family chips in, which includes her husband Jay, and sons, Tyler, 21, and Brandon, 17, she said.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without my family,” Bobenmoyer said. “They are so supportive in it.”

Bobenmoyer’s kindness was recently on display in Fort Dodge when she visited a convenience store and saw a Webster County sheriff’s deputy.

She didn’t have a full care package with her, but she did have some of her family’s homemade jam.

-Submitted photo
Some of the produce grown by Beth Bobenmoyer, of Lake View, as part of her Caring Farms nonprofit business, is shown at a market.

“I stopped and gave him a jam — just as a thank you,” Bobenmoyer said.

Bobenmoyer and her family were inspired to help others when the family experienced health and financial challenges themselves.

“We have health and dental insurance, and in five years we had $100,000 in medical expenses,” she said.

Bobenmoyer has battled fibromyalgia, which is widespread musculoskeletal pain, and vasomotor rhinitis, a condition that can cause chronic sneezing or congestion.

She’s also had liver problems and vitamin D deficiency.

-Submitted photo
Walt Grote and his wife, Kathy Grote, stand in their garden near Wall Lake. The Grotes are the parents of Beth Bobenmoyer. They help her out by growing vegetables for Caring Farms.

The family began Caring Farms in 2018.

They go to vendor shows throughout the Fort Dodge region to sell produce.

Once a month, Caring Farms is at the Webster County Fairgrounds on the east side for the Hillbilly Sales.

And through shows like the Hillbilly Sales, Caring Farms is able to keep producing care packages.

“We will sell an onion and a tomato for 25 cents,” Bobenmoyer said. “Basically, we use the money to be able to pay for our canning expenses. Last year we were negative $400 that we used of our own money. All of our proceeds go to families with health care expenses.”

In terms of how many care packages the family prepares, Bobenmoyer said that can vary.

“We do anywhere from three to five care packages a week, where we sit down as a family and decide who is having hard times,” Bobenmoyer said. “We pick the produce and deliver it to them.”

To date, Caring Farms has given out hundreds of care packages.

And some of the care packages have included pies.

Bobenmoyer said her mom makes those.

“My mom is a baker,” Bobenmoyer said. “She will bake a pie or make banana bread for our care packages.”

Bobenmoyer said although Caring Farms has become quite popular, it’s not how most families know them.

“For 14 years, we ran a youth baseball league in our community and also ran the concession stands along with setting up games and ordering shirts,” Bobenmoyer said.

But Bobenmoyer said once her children got more involved in 4-H and she began having health issues, they decided to give up the league.

Caring Farms has been a way for everyone to stay active.

“I figured out that after taking a break from the league, that I needed to keep myself moving and motivated,” Bobenmoyer said.

There are seven gardens on the Bobenmoyer property.

“We keep our beans and peas together,” she said. “We have 100 tomato plants, 30 pepper plants, and we started into squash this year.”

Bobenmoyer added, “Both of our moms have had cancer, so we have done a lot of studies on fruits and vegetables that help fight cancer. Squash is one of them.”

The jams that the family makes have become popular.

“We have made 300 jams since January,” she said. “We did plant some more berry bushes, but it takes time for them to get going.”

Bobenmoyer said all of the family’s work is well worth it when the care packages bring a smile to someone’s face.

“It helps a person stay positive on a day they are having bad day,” she said. “Especially when you go to the doctor and find out something’s wrong. It’s rewarding to help. In the long run, it makes you feel really good.”

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