By Cindy Hadish High-tech means of selling fresh produce and other farm products aren’t necessarily at odds with the “old school” method of face-to-face sales at farmers markets, according to local foods advocates. That perception will undergo a test as the winter farmers market season gets underway, at the same time two online sales platforms […]
By Cindy Hadish/for Radish Magazine IOWA CITY — In the hands of children, sticks create walls for fairy houses, oversized zucchini turn into canoes and wooly bear caterpillars become pets for an afternoon. That imagination, and freedom, are what Iowa City-based Taproot Nature Experience taps into and fosters during its outings for area youths. Zac and […]
No more procrastinating. If you’ve been lucky enough to escape the frost so far, you might have delayed those last-minute harvests of tomatoes, peppers and other veggies, but the clock is ticking. According to the National Weather Service, frost is likely in the Cedar Rapids area Thursday night and a hard freeze – with temperatures […]
I don’t recall ever buying pumpkins from a grocery store, as I’d rather see that money go directly to the farmers who haul those heavy loads to a farmers market, or right on the farm, as I found at a stop this weekend near Chelsea. Still, I can see that many people rely on their […]
The final outdoor farmers markets of the season are fast-approaching. Many markets ended their seasons last month, but nearly 20 in Eastern Iowa will continue for another week or so. You can still find potatoes, cabbage, fall root crops such as beets, tomatoes, winter squash and more, along with locally raised meat, eggs, honey and […]
I must admit, I was taken aback when I first saw the “keep off the grass” sign at Brucemore, and to be fair, it was actually the more polite “please stay off the grass.” Closer inspection revealed it wasn’t a landscaping company dumping chemicals on the lawn, but a much more palatable reason: a historic […]
CEDAR RAPIDS – Two farmers market vendors are moving into year-round spots at NewBo City Market. The market has seen a few changes since opening in October 2012 and not all have been popular. But Kristie Wetjen, the market’s executive director, noted that moving temporary vendors into anchor slots validates the “incubator” system on which […]
Two upcoming dinners the last weekend of October will benefit two worthwhile organizations in Eastern Iowa. Fortunately, the events are on separate days, so you can indulge your gastronomic desires and attend both. The Local Food Banquet, with silent and live auctions, is set for Oct. 25, 2014, to benefit the Iowa Valley RC&D. The […]
We’ve long read reports about the increased spring rains, elevated chances for flooding and other issues that accompany climate change. A new statement by scientists in Iowa now spells out the human health effects. Iowa scientists investigating climate change are concerned about new infectious diseases arising in the Midwest, as the organisms that carry them, […]
CEDAR RAPIDS – New Pioneer Food Co-op’s new store in Cedar Rapids might open sooner than expected. Store leaders recently said the new location should be open by the holiday season, before the end of 2014. See more here: New Pioneer and other stores to open in CR But “holiday” could also refer to another […]