The Sweet Way Jennifer Garner Revitalized Her Mother's Childhood Home

Jennifer Garner has gained her share of notoriety over the course of her 30-year, transformative career in entertainment. Whether it's her work in superhero blockbusters, or her three-year marriage to Scott Foley or her relationship with Ben Affleck — which had signs of trouble from the start – she's known for quite a bit. But beyond the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, Garner also has her own line of organic baby food. And now, she's using it to revitalize her mother's childhood home.

The latest product from Garner's baby food brand, called Once Upon a Farm, is the "Farmer Jen & the Giant Squash" pouch, utilizing a recipe created by the "Deadpool & Wolverine" actor herself. What's more, the organic squash needed for the recipe is grown at Garner's family farm in Locust Grove, Oklahoma — where her mother, Patricia, spent her youth. These days, Garner's uncle Robert and aunt Janet reside on the farm and tend to the squash.

But the farm's rebirth didn't happen overnight. When Garner's mom lived there as a kid, it was more of a kitchen garden than anything else — and turning the place into a bigger squash-growing operation was a two-year process for the Once Upon a Farm team. "My sweet uncle Robert said that the day the boxes of squash left the barn, he teared up," Garner shared with People. The Hollywood A-lister also explained that while her mom isn't actively involved in the baby food business, she's happy to see her childhood farm "being brought back to life."

While Once Upon a Farm was initially founded by entrepreneur Cassandra Curtis in 2015, Jennifer Garner and John Foraker joined the mix as co-founders in 2017. Foraker went on to serve as the company's CEO, while Garner is its chief brand officer — meaning she's in charge of the company's public image. From the beginning of her partnership, Garner was focused on "bringing good nutrition to children everywhere," learning from her humanitarian work about the widespread food insecurity of children who live in poverty. "It's never been and will never be about just feeding children who have a socio-economic advantage," Garner explained to Forbes in 2019.

"We wanted to solve a problem for parents and that's making sure babies and kids get the best nutritious (and delicious!) food/snacks they deserve," Curtis said in an October 2023 interview with Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery. "While making a positive social impact on the communities that need it most." The company has made strides in its goal, and, in 2019, Once Upon a Farm became the first brand of refrigerated organic baby food available through the U.S. government's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

Garner opened up more about the food itself in her own October 2023 interview with Good Morning America. "It's just ... trying to be an ally to moms — help moms have no sugar added, organic, whole foods, whole fruits and vegetables — and we've aged up," she expressed. "So, we still are all about babies, but we serve big kids now. And my senior in high school takes a couple of Once Upon a Farms in her lunch every day."