Local foods and gardening have come into their own across the nation and in our own backyard. Besides area farmers markets (see tab, above) the upcoming weekend offers learning opportunities, as well. Mount Vernon, Iowa City and Anamosa all have workshops scheduled for Saturday, March 2, 2013. Here is information about each event:
(Feb. 28, 2013) This week’s snow has led to numerous cancellations and school delays, but one event that is still on-schedule is tonight’s public forum on Greene Square Park. Changes are in store for the park, a longtime mainstay for events and a central gathering spot in downtown Cedar Rapids.
Congratulations to the Eastern Iowa Orchid Society, winners of the prestigious American Orchid Society Show Trophy for the best Orchid Exhibit Display at the Batavia Orchid Show in Chicago! Look for information on the group’s next meeting March 5 in Iowa City, on the events calendar, above, plus more activities in the coming year, including […]
Season 3 of “Downton Abbey” was rather, well, grim at times, but this exchange between Lady Edith and her grandmother made me laugh. Some gardeners may take offense, but I found it quite hilarious.
CEDAR RAPIDS – Organizers hoped to attract 15 to 20 people when the Indian Creek Nature Center first offered a maple syrup workshop. More than 50 people attended that initial demonstration in 1979. Several years later, Rich Patterson was seeking a replacement for one of the Nature Center’s major fundraisers when he hit upon the […]
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources released this today: (Feb. 25, 2013) – Elevated fine particle pollution levels were recorded across eastern Iowa this morning. Fine particle levels above EPA health standards are likely to persist in Black Hawk and Linn Counties until early Tuesday morning, when northeast winds are expected to clear the air.
I’m adding these to the events calendar, but wanted to provide this overview of Coe College’s upcoming Thursday Forum classes. The focus of the March lecture series will be on contemporary energy issues, including topics such as solar and wind energy, fracking, climate change and oil reserves.
CEDAR RAPIDS – Hope has been growing in the northwest Cedar Rapids Time Check neighborhood that was ravaged by floods nearly five years ago. Matthew 25 began planting seeds for the idea of an urban farm shortly after floodwaters receded and now the 2-acre gardens near Ellis Boulevard and F Avenue NW have become a […]
Besides an awesome name, I’ve heard good things about Iowa State University Extension’s Homegrown Lifestyle course. Homegrown Lifestyle is a 12-week spring short course for folks who want to reconnect with the land, grow food for their own use and create a sustainable landscape. Find out more about the program and how you can get […]
My late grandmother – an avid birdwatcher – had a somewhat elaborate system rigged up to deter squirrels from her bird feeders. She could pull a wire strung through her kitchen window that attached a line to the feeder. The pulled wire would shake the bird feeder and scare off the little critters, at least […]