Paffenroth Gardens

What began as a small onion farm has grown into a spectacular show of the most fertile soil of America, under the care of Alex Paffenroth coined "The King of Black Dirt". This land was drained by Polish Immigrants around a century ago, resulting in the preservation of nutrients that are often times lsot during runoff. This farm benefits from some of the best soil in the country, with topsoil reaching depths of up to twenty feet. Known as "black dirt" for its rich, chocolate cake-like appearance, this soil is so soft that building structures on it isn’t feasible. Thankfully, that has helped preserve it from development, allowing it to remain home to some of the state’s most nutrient dense farms, just over an hour north of the city.