Heman Gibbs was a market gardener. With the help of his family and hired men, he grew a variety of produce to sell at the markets near Saint Paul. He grew potatoes, beets, turnips, sweet corn, carrots, tomatoes, and strawberries.

 After Heman suffered a stroke, Frank helped his family run the farm. Later, he moved across Larpenteur Avenue and started his own market farm. The Gibbs family had good land for farming and they were close enough to the city to bring fresh vegtables to the market. When the automobile came into common use, Frank and a number of other market gardeners on Larpenteur lost their sources of cheap fertilizer (horse manure). They turned to nurseries and greenhouses which did not require as much fertilizer. Larpenteur Avenue became known as the “Avenue of Flowers” because of this change in gardening. Today, some of the greenhouses are still in operation along Larpenteur Avenue.