Located in the Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines, Heart of Iowa Market Place offers opportunities to sample, share and remember Iowa with distinctly Iowa gift items and products.
As much as the products themselves, it is the experience we deliver that keeps our customers coming back and leads them to tell their friends and family about us. The Heart of Iowa is a place where customers can refresh and explore; a place reminiscent of a time when the pace was slower, the family were near and neighbors were friends.
We specialize in Iowa gift baskets, gourmet foods, souvenirs, John Deere, Iowa Hawkeye and Iowa State gifts. We are a key resource for gift items that are “All Things Iowa”.
We take great pride in designing every gift box or gift basket with personal attention to detail, creating each one to convey the special message or sentiment you wish to share. As a family owned business, we are small enough to meet our customer’s special requests, yet large enough to accommodate any company’s large corporate gift needs.
We offer shipping to U.S. recipients through UPS, USPS, and SpeeDee Delivery. International shipping is also available – please contact us for more information.
TESTIMONIALS
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Abby Sharp – Owner
#businessowner #entrepreneur #awfulspeller #notgoodatmath #pawparent #wisconsinnative
Abby Sharp, an Iowa transplant from Wisconsin fell in love with the Iowa culture while attending Iowa State University and while being involved with the community upon graduation via the Young Professionals Connection and other community organizations. Abby’s background in design and project management lends itself to the retail business and the longstanding mission.
“I love being able to create innovative custom gifts and develop a retail experience that ensures customer satisfaction in the store, online and while working with us one-on-one”, says Abby.
In her spare time, she loves to remodel homes with her husband, Cory. They’ve rehabbed a handful of properties in the Des Moines area. When they aren’t swinging hammers, they love camping, traveling, biking, and playing with their dog, Emma.
Fun Fact: She has a white lab named Emma!
Favorite food at Heart of Iowa: Abby simply could not live without the Bacon Aioli. Tacos, enchiladas, grilled veggies, potatoes, sandwiches, burgers, you name it; she puts it on everything!
Meghan Rodewald – Manager
#crazydoglady #meghannotmegan #gingerpride
Originally from Hudson, Wisconsin, Meghan moved to Iowa in 2015 to spend time with her sister, Abby, and never left! Meghan studied elementary education and psychology at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. As the manager of Heart of Iowa Market Place, Meghan wears many hats. Not only is she manager and human resources department, but she coordinates corporate orders, and oversees corporate order production.
In her free time, Meghan likes to play fetch with her white lab, Nala. She also enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family. A volunteer for the Puppy Jake Foundation, she is usually training a service dog or puppy!
Fun Fact: Meghan has two ginger nieces!
Favorite food at Heart of Iowa: She absolutely loves Juan’s Hot Salsa, it’s a must try!
Rest of the Team
Daisee – Master Gift Maker
#obsessedwithenglishcreamretrievers #potterheadforever #mastergiftmaker #ilovecrinklepaper
Daisee is a West Des Moines native who still resides in West Des Moines with her husband Cole and her English Cream Retriever, Hogan! She graduated from Iowa State University where she attained a degree in Family Consumer Science.
Her many roles include assisting customers, creating gift baskets and boxes for walk ins, fulfilling over-the-phone and online orders, communicating with corporate clients about what gifts best suit their needs and making those gifts come to life.
When she isn’t making gift baskets, you can find her outside on long walks, exploring a new park, or going camping with Cole and Hogan. Daisee also loves to bake and learn new recipes! When she is at home, she is usually making banana or sourdough bread.
Fun Fact: Daisee loves volunteering with the Puppy Jake Foundation. She is currently fostering a cute pup named Seneca!
Favorite trinket at Heart of Iowa: Without question, the new Harmony Pottery Mini Crocks (she has four and counting).
Madison – Master of First Impressions
#somethingcountry #foodie
Madison grew up on the farm milking hogs and tipping cows in Adel, IA. She attended Iowa State University where she studied interior design. After that, she moved back to Des Moines to be closer to friends and family.
Maddie loves to make gift baskets and boxes, and to assist customers. As the Master of First Impressions, she is also in charge of Heart of Iowa Market Place’s visual aesthetic and window displays. Ordering and purchasing products are just some more of her countless roles!
Outside of work, Maddie loves to travel and cook! To relax, Maddie binge watches Yellowstone and likes to read mystery thriller books.
Fun fact: Madison recycles thrifted clothing on Instagram @lazysundaythriftco!
Favorite food from Heart of Iowa: Maddie loves Randol Lemon Honey and Obrien’s peanut butter cookie granola!
Tim – Master of Lightbulb Moments
#Mullets #RightTwix #Hashtag #BiiigHockeyGuy #LiveLoveLaugh
Born at a very young age, Tim was adopted and grew up in the Des Moines area and attended the University of Northern Iowa. After university, he moved up to Minneapolis for a couple years but came back to be closer with family.
His roles within Heart of Iowa Market Place include social media marketing and designing marketing materials such as flyers, inserts, and the yearly catalog. He sends out monthly newsletters to keep subscribers informed of what’s new and happening at Heart of Iowa. He is also in charge of managing the backend of the website!
You can find Tim shredding that fresh powder during the winter time, and nailing gnarly kickflips during the summer time. He likes to watch Happy Gilmore and read books. Really, he’s an all-round decent guy.
Fun Fact: Tim went skydiving once and fortunately lived.
Favorite food from Heart of Iowa: Tim likes to consume anything from the Amana Meatshop and Smokehouse!
Seneca – Master of Good Boys
#Treats #Woof #BePawsitive
Seneca is a service dog in training! Our employees foster Seneca for the Puppy Jake Foundation, who provides veterans with trained service dogs. Seneca’s favorite activities include: chewing on carrots, trying to rip of paper, getting lots of pets and playing tug-a-war.
Fun Fact: Seneca loves to play fetch, but not return the ball!
Favorite food from Heart of Iowa: Seneca loves Wallie’s Woofles!