So he grows those too now.“ I love working in the dirt,” Ken said.
He grows most of the fruits and vegetables he and his wife use: onions, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers and sweet corn. Not to mention the native grasses he’ s started growing.
How many plants does he tend? Ken can’ t answer that.
“ He’ s never sought to count, I don’ t think,” said his wife, Cindy.“ Just lots.”
Ken has been a master gardener through Iowa State University Extension for about 15 years. He attended three-hour classes at the Extension and Outreach office in Oskaloosa for 12 weeks, followed by a day of handson work at ISU, to get that title.
Cindy encouraged him to become a master gardener through Iowa State University Extension
“ He was already doing all kinds of gardening and beautiful things around our acreage,” Cindy said.“ I thought it would be a nice outlet for him, something that would be educational, something that would be fun, something that would give him ideas and interaction with other people.”
“ I just encouraged him to sign up because it sounded like something he would really enjoy,” she said.
As a master gardener, Ken helps out with the Extension’ s plant sale, and its public show at the Southern Iowa Fair. He and the other master gardeners are available to help people dig out plants from their gardens if they ' re getting too thick. He and the other master gardeners go on garden tours for continuing education.
When he’ s not gardening, you might catch Ken working at Fareway Stores in Oskaloosa. Before that, he worked at Theisen’ s Home Farm Auto in Pella. Before that, he worked at Precision Foods, south of New Sharon, making powdered ice cream. And that was all after he retired from North Mahaska Community School District, where he worked as a custodian.
Ken grew up on a farm in Waupon, Wisconsin. He also met his wife there. They moved to Iowa in 1980 and bought their acreage west of New Sharon.
Strangely, Broadway’ s love of gardening didn’ t start on the Wisconsin farm where he grew up. It started while he was working at what was then DeJong Greenhouse in Pella. There, he grew mums and helped with annuals, lilies, Christmas cacti and anything else he was asked to.
He left DeJong after 10 years.“ I wanted some change,” Broadway said.“ And it was work. It’ s a lot of work, and you’ re on your hands and knees on cement.”
Ken doesn’ t grow produce for the specific purpose of selling it, but he has on occasion. He’ ll sell sweet corn in the late summer. But you won’ t find him at a farmer’ s market or parked alongside the road. He only sells by word of mouth, and he only picks the ears of corn before the buyer comes to pick it up. To pick piles of ears and leave them laying in the hot sun only causes them to lose their sugar content, and thus their sweetness.
Cindy said they’ ll also donate excess produce to nursing homes and schools.
As much as Ken enjoys gardening— and as much time as he spends doing— he knows it won’ t last forever.
“ One of these days, I’ m going to have to quit. I won’ t be able to do it no more,” Ken said.“ I know that for a fact. I just don’ t have the mobility I used to have.”
And when that day comes? Ken answered matter-of-factly:“ You just quit.”
2025 Senior Lifestyles • 5