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Yikes! I’ve just been attacked, again, by some nasty gnats. The bugs – tiny black flies that are also called buffalo gnats – seem to have made an earlier appearance this year in Eastern Iowa. Black flies generally stick around until mid-June, but I’m hoping they will disappear as fast as they surround me in [...]
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I attended the Farm to School Farmer Fair when it was at Longfellow Elementary in Iowa City. It was great to see students eating local, healthy foods and hear information about composting and other insights into how food is grown. This spring – on Friday, May 25, 2012 – the fair will be at Horn [...]
continue »Homegrown friend, Dora Bopp, passed along info about this year’s Plant a Row for the Hungry program: Buds Community Garden, a program of the HACAP Food Reservoir, is excited to announce the start of the 2012 local ‘Plant a Row for the Hungry’ program on May 15th. The program invites farmers and gardeners to donate [...]
continue »This event is Wednesday, May 16 – sounds tasty! Taste of the Co-op Open House The Iowa Valley Food Co-op is proud to announce the Taste of the Co-op Open House May 16th from 4 – 6pm. Iowa Valley Food Co-op producer members will showcase their farms and their great products. We expect a good [...]
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Following are seasonal farmers markets in Eastern Iowa. If you know of others, send information in an email to: Cindy.Hadish@SourceMedia.net An updated list will be available throughout the season. Allamakee County — Waukon, 3:30-6 p.m. Mondays, June 4 through Sept. 24, City Park; Extension Office, (563) 568-6345. — Harpers Ferry, 5-7 p.m. Fridays, June [...]
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I divided a hosta plant this weekend for the following project at Franklin Middle School in Cedar Rapids. If you have hosta you’d like to donate to the cause, or have some extra time on May 19, 2012, here is the information from a Franklin student: My name is Austin Wu, and I am in [...]
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Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 13, 3012, signals the traditional start of warm-weather planting in Iowa. Linn County Master Gardener, Becki Lynch, says now is also prime time to plant containers, as the risk of frost should be past. Many moms will receive a gift of a hanging planter this Sunday (hint to [...]
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A new “locavore” index ranks Iowa second in the nation in numbers of farmers markets and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture programs) per person. Vermont came in first and Florida scored last in the rankings, based on U.S. government agricultural and population data. According to the index, Iowa, with a population of more than 3 million, [...]
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My mom used square-foot gardening decades ago and I’ve noticed it’s been making a comeback, especially in conjunction with the rise in popularity of raised garden beds. Linn County Master Gardener, Lisa Slattery, explains easy ways to incorporate the two: I’ve been gardening with raised beds for several years and have incorporated square foot gardening [...]
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The following, from Buchanan County Conservation, includes information on plant sales this Saturday, May 5, 2012 and next, May 12, 2012, where you can buy monarch-friendly plants: One of the signs that spring has fully arrived in Iowa is the return of the monarch butterfly. In late September and sometimes early October, we bid goodbye [...]
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