By LaRayne Topp

    Imagine this. You’re a hummingbird, fluttering over the countryside, anxious to alight and extract nectar from a tasty flower, a tulip perhaps. As you hover near Valley, Nebraska, you see an astonishing sight: four acres of brightly-colored tulips, the rows planted in the shape of, well, yourself.
    If you’re this light-hearted hummingbird, you have now landed at Nelson Produce Farms with blooms planted in swirling rows to outline a giant hummingbird. Later in the year, you’ll see bright red strawberries; yellow ears of corn; dark green watermelons, all waiting to be cracked open and sampled; and sunflowers, bowing to the day’s sun. Interspersed between the plants and garden patches are all sorts of things for humans to spend their time, from the petting zoo, barrel train rides and a giant hay pyramid for the kids to a Front Porch Café, Indoor Market and outdoor games—like corn hole, of course.
    Nelson Produce Farms, under the ownership of Tyler and Pamela Nelson, had its beginnings in 2006 as A&T Farms. The wholesale produce operation has and continues to supply Omaha and the surrounding area with farm fresh vegetables and fruits: onions and potatoes, various kinds of peppers, squash, tomatoes and melons, along with green beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, pumpkins, strawberries, peaches and other fruits. 
    Theirs has been a business strategy copied from Tyler’s grandparents, the late Larry and Norma Heldt of Yutan. Today, the Nelsons plus their four daughters, market products raised on more than 400 acres, at local grocery stores and roadside stands. However, the millions of watermelons they raise each year on 200 acres are trucked across the country.
    But it all hasn’t been peaches and cream for A&T Farms. Struggling with the worrisome effects of adverse weather and disease that wiped out their 2018 cucumber crop, the Nelsons looked at various business options. And they adapted. The result was Nelson Produce Farms, established on land located right across the road, an agricultural showcase.
    Nelson Produce Farms not only gives its visitors a chance to enjoy the look of a farm, it also gives them a variety of experiences, ones that many visitors may have enjoyed as youngsters. Things like sampling strawberries freshly picked from the vine, reaching out a handful of hay to feed a farm animal, digging ones’ toes into the cool recesses of a pile of corn, or listening to the friendly putt-putt sound of a two-cylinder John Deere tractor.
    “As first-generation farmers,” the Nelsons say, “we are dedicated to bridging the gap between rural and urban Nebraska, sharing our love for agriculture, and creating lasting memories for visitors of all ages.”
    They do that through festivals, attracting customers seasonally, from early spring through summer. The first of the year is the Tulip Festival. Although it’s new to Nelson Produce Farms, just as surely as a hummingbird is drawn to nectar, it has attracted as many as 4,000 visitors a day. Its 400,000 tulips, yes, that’s correct, were planted in the fall of 2024, largely by hand. The 39 tulip varieties, from Ad Rem and Adeldoorn to White Valley and World Peace, were planted in distinct sections, its varieties indicated on a map given to visitors. Planted in the center is a wooden Dutch windmill.
    LaVonne Johnson of Wisner, Nebraska, noticed the similarity immediately between the carefully manicured rows of tulip blossoms to a visit to Holland. She spent the day visiting the garden with friends. They were ferried around the Farm by Andrew Miskey, one of more than 110 part-time employees who assist with customers, keep grounds tidy, manage the gift shop, and add plants to the you-pick-it spots of flowers, strawberries, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, herbs and more.
    Farm Camps for kids take place in June, giving youngsters a chance to explore nature. They garner hands-on farm life experiences along with lasting memories while harvesting produce, feeding animals in the petting zoo, enjoying hayrack rides, crafting and playing farm games. 
    Also in June is Nelson Produce Farm’s annual Strawberry Festival designed for all ages, with strawberry-themed crafts and games, treats and drinks.
    On June 27 of 2025, a patriotic celebration of summer and the spirit of freedom will be topped off with a fireworks display. 
    Corn—a Nebraska staple in the Cornhusker State—is celebrated in the month of July, with corn-themed games and activities, and of course, corn-inspired food.
    Six varieties of watermelon are featured from July through August at Nelson Produce Farms, known to be one of the largest watermelon farms in the Midwest. Along with watermelon slushies and watermelon-eating contests, watermelon skiing is also a “thing” which Festival goers can enjoy.
    For two weeks in late summer/early fall, sunflowers are in bloom at Nelson Produce Farmers. Corresponding with the change of seasons, the three-week long Sunflower Festival is the largest of the Farm’s festivals. With more than 300,000 sunflowers in 15 unique varieties, the corresponding Sunflower maze plus butterfly release ceremony offers something for everyone. In addition, a Rise and Bloom sunrise session is a limited ticket event.
    Later in the fall, antique tractors are on display at September’s Tractor Days. Rides on farm machinery are offered, as well as a kiddie tractor pulling contest and tractor parade. Homemade ice cream is churned by a vintage John Deere tractor.
    Those are all outdoor activities. The Nelson Produce Indoor Market also offers a variety of farm fresh produce indoors, plus a place to enjoy lunch, a cup of gourmet coffee or a sweet treat. Nelson Farms peach cider and Blood Mary drink mix, candles in scents of Strawberry Fields and Fresh Lilac, pickles and olives, preserves and butters, salsa and applesauce all can be found there, and even Nelson Produce Farms t-shirts and farm-raised beef. 
    To learn more, check out the website Nelsonproducefarm.com, or stop by at 10505 N 234 Street, Valley, Nebraska.