5 Acre Farm Daylillies LLC | Join us to explore our new agriculture outreach initiatives and see how we're supporting the daylily community and promoting environmental conservation programs in 2027!
5 Acre Farm Daylillies LLC | Join us to explore our new agriculture outreach initiatives and see how we're supporting the daylily community and promoting environmental conservation programs in 2027!
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This timeline offers a brief look at the important moments that shaped the 5 Acre Farm Daylilies: how it began, where it came from, and where it may be headed. It is not meant to cover every detail, but to gather the highlights that help tell the larger story of the history of daylilies in our region in some semblance of chronology. Because much of the farm’s history—as a Maine potato farm—was not formally recorded in the past, this timeline is based on recollections, conversations, and the ongoing work of collecting the stories that define who we are. As more is learned and as the farm continues to grow, the timeline will continue to evolve. It reflects both where we have been and where we are now, while leaving room for a clearer understanding of where we may be going together. For more in-depth information about the farm, our history, and what is happening at the farm, be sure to check out our resources.
Our 'Relevant Links' section is where we share links to some of the articles written about us, obituaries to past hybridizers of ours, if such links exist, and anything else historic that we feel is relevant to the information here. As always, be sure to sign up for our blog and newsletter for more depth and more information. You won't paint a whole picture from our timeline, but you will get the gist.
Rodney Spencer Kroemer was raised in Milo, Maine, a small town situated in the heart of the state, on a vast 2,000-acre potato farm. Growing up on a working Maine potato farm instilled in Rod an appreciation for all of nature’s offerings. Every summer, Rod managed to bring his partner Jim back to Southern Maine for a well-deserved vacation, which always included visits to various farms and gardens along their journey. One garden that holds a special place in their hearts is Valente Gardens in North Berwick, Maine, which they first visited in 1985. This charming garden was lovingly owned and operated by Ron and Cindy Valente, and over the next 14 years, the two couples became good friends, forming a close bond rooted in their shared passion for gardening.
Tragically, in January 2001, Ron was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away by mid-July. In the wake of this loss, Cindy attempted to maintain the garden for two additional seasons. However, overwhelmed by the responsibility of managing everything alone, she ultimately decided to close Valente Gardens. During this time, Rod and Jim were living on five acres of remarkable Illinois soil, much of which remained underutilized.
An agreement was reached between the couples. In the latter part of summer 2004, Cindy and her son Jesse carefully dug up the plants from Valente Gardens and packed them into shipping cartons. After a labor-intensive process that resulted in 169 boxes, the essence of Valente Gardens was transplanted to the Midwest. This collaboration of “green-minded” individuals would eventually lead to the establishment of the 5-Acre Farm Daylilies, which flourished as a tribute to their friendship and shared history of daylilies.
Picture provided by Jody Ann, daughter of Ron Valente, capturing Ron in the midst of hybridizing when this photo was taken.
For the next few months at their 5 acre farm daylilies, Jim Wuersch and Rod Kroemer allowed the garden to grow while they learned their way forward. Neither of them was entirely sure what they were doing, but both were determined to honor what had been entrusted to them. After purchasing Valente Gardens following Ron Valente’s passing, they inherited seedlings from his hybridizing program and began contemplating how best to introduce his later work. Seeking a clearer understanding of the history of daylilies and Valente’s direction, the couple traveled to Avon, Ohio, to meet Steve Moldovan, the hybridizer who had trained Ron Valente and who favored him as a student.
During their three-day stay in Ohio, Jim and Rod gained more than just practical knowledge. Meeting Moldovan and his partner inspired the two of them, especially as another gay couple deeply involved in daylilies. Moldovan and Woodhall encouraged them to start by introducing Valente’s late work, but also to carve out their own path and develop a hybridizing program of their own instead of trying to replicate Valente. Rod focused primarily on the introductions of Valente’s work, while Jim took on the work of hybridizing. His curiosity soon led him toward tetraploid unusual forms, whose unexpected shapes challenged his previous understanding of daylilies and helped define the next direction of their farm, which was reminiscent of his roots on a Maine potato farm. Lori Jones of Knollcottage assisted Jim in this new hybridizing direction.
The picture depicts Jim Wuersch talking with Steve Moldovan at Moldovan Gardens. The photo was taken by Rodney Kroemer.
After returning from Ohio, Rod and Jim carried home more than thoughts and plans—they carried the next chapter of 5 Acre Farm Daylilies itself. In the wake of Valente’s passing, the torch had collected dust as the two questioned what they were doing. Now, quietly, it was being picked up, and with the roadside 5 Acre Farm sign finally standing, the place began to feel less like a dream waiting for permission and more like an official business with a future. Jim Wuersch’s first hybridizing program became the heartbeat of that new beginning, centered on tetraploid unusual forms at a time when their sculptural possibilities still felt wide open. He began working deliberately with plants that stretched the accepted shape of a daylily: narrow petals, twisting sepals, open forms, movement, and character that refused to sit politely in the round-flowered mold. The program was not simply about making larger or stranger flowers; it was about building vigor, branching, fertility, and garden presence into unusual forms so they could stand as serious tetraploid breeding material. With Rod beside him and the farm newly breathing under its own name, Jim’s seedlings became proof that the place had life in it and that Valente Gardens would live on in rows of possibility rising from grief, grit, and the decision to keep going under the name 5 Acre Farm Daylilies. This picture was taken by a friend in Maine during one of the many trips there, a nod to the rich history of daylilies that connect gardens from places like Maine to the heart of their newly established farm.
Rodney Kroemer and Jim Wuersch became friends with Dr. Wesley Whiteside of Whiteside Gardens during a period when Whiteside had begun hybridizing daylilies of his own. Although he enjoyed the hybridizing work, especially the 5 Acre Farm Daylilies he was developing, Whiteside was not interested in retail sales or the public-facing side of introducing new flowers. To ensure that his work could still reach gardeners interested in the history of daylilies, he arranged with Rod and Jim: they would introduce and register his creations under the name Whiteside-Kroemer-Wuersch. This partnership continued until 2015 when Dr. Whiteside passed away at the age of 87. After his passing, some of his remaining seedlings, which had the potential to thrive like the famed Maine potato farm crops, were given to Rod and Jim and were introduced through their work. Five seedlings, however, were later introduced by the Douglas-Heart Foundation, which took over the estate after Whiteside’s death and still maintains a public garden on the very land Whiteside devoted years of labor into. A memorial bench for Rodney Kroemer sits at Whiteside Gardens in Charleston, IL.
Jim and Rod maintained a consistent approach for several years at their 5 Acre Farm, which specializes in daylilies, before launching a new hybridizing program. Jim’s second hybridizing effort marked a shift towards creating patterned eyes, transforming the farm’s work from a focus on overall color and form to the intricate details found in the center of the bloom. In this phase, the flower’s throat, eyezone, and petal surface became the main focus, with rings, layers, shadows, and contrast painting a sense of depth that could draw viewers inward before they even noticed the flower's outer edge. This direction was as demanding as it was beautiful. The patterned-eye traits in daylilies act recessively, meaning that the genetic potential for such patterns might exist in a parent plant without being clearly visible in its bloom. For Jim, this added an element of uncertainty to each cross: the desired trait might be absent, hidden, weakly expressed, or simply waiting for the right pairing to come to life. This dedication to the history of daylilies echoes the same care and precision that he applied when working on the Maine potato farm, further enriching his expertise in hybridization.
This picture was taken by Rodney Kroemer. It depicts Jim Wuersch hybridizing daylilies.
Jim’s third hybridizing program at his 5 Acre Farm Daylilies has become the direction he continues to follow into the present day. After working with patterned eyes, he shifted his focus to what he calls “reds with character”—red daylilies that provide more than just strong color. His objective is to cultivate reds with a flatter, more open form and a defined edge, giving the blooms presence, structure, and distinction in the garden. These red daylilies need to hold the viewer’s attention while also exhibiting refinement: a broad face, a clean presentation, and an edge that adds contrast without detracting from the flower's depth. This long-term pursuit, rooted in the rich history of daylilies, aims to enhance the shape, finish, and personality of red daylilies while ensuring their color remains bold and memorable.
This photo of 'Arrogant Bastard' hemorcallis was taken by Aaron Slayton (they/them). Though it is not the result of this program, it represents a step towards that direction, reminiscent of the vibrant spirit found even amidst a Maine potato farm.
After Rodney Kromer’s passing, Jim entered one of the hardest seasons of his life on the 5 Acre Farm Daylilies. He was grieving the loss of Rod, who passed away digging daylilies in the summer of 2024, while also facing the practical weight of keeping the Maine potato farm moving forward. The original website was no longer accessible to him, and in the midst of that loss, some of the farm work had fallen behind. Eventually, Jim met Aaron Slayton, a non-binary person from Tennessee who uses they/them pronouns. Jim needed help with his grief, and Aaron was figuring out their next steps in life after recovering from some rather serious health problems. The two came together at a time when they needed each other most, and their relationship grew alongside a renewed sense of purpose for the farm, particularly in the history of daylilies. Aaron stepped in with energy, care, and determination, helping breathe new life into work that had become difficult for Jim to carry alone. Aaron began their own hybridizing program, focusing on tall daylilies in a wide range of colors and flower forms to diversify what is available for daylilies of that height. They also rebuilt the farm’s website from scratch, set up payment systems so the farm could accept credit cards, and helped launch new programs through both the farm and the church. Aaron also established an altar for venerating Rod, which sits beneath the very tree Rod passed away under. What began in grief became a chapter of rebuilding, partnership, and new growth.
More exciting information about our 5 Acre Farm Daylilies is on the way, so please be patient as we delve into the fascinating history of daylilies, just like our Maine potato farm continues to thrive!
5 Acre Farm Daylilies LLC
1578 County Rd 300 N Tolono IL 61880
Jim (217)649-6711 | Aaron (217)552-3964