(Editor’s note: Check with the establishments on updated hours/closures when planning your trip.) By Cindy Hadish Three distinct cultures intertwine among the quaint towns and picturesque hills of the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway. The 70-mile route meanders through Tama, Benton and Iowa counties across its namesake, the Iowa River valley, in east-central Iowa. At one […]
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Year: 2017
Deadline announced for Iowa’s Heritage a
Last year, our family was honored with Heritage Farm recognition for the family farm near Chelsea, Iowa. The state’s Heritage and Century Farm program offers a wonderful opportunity to research the past while celebrating the present and looking forward to the future of Iowa’s family farms. A June 1 deadline was announced today for this […]
Houby Days festival to celebrate 40 year...
Back in the day, mushroom hunters would bring coolers full of morels to sell on street corners during Houby Days, an annual Czech Village celebration in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Laws in recent years have restricted those sales, but Houby Days (Houby is the Czech word for mushroom) continues its annual tribute to the beloved morel […]
Farmers market season set to begin in Io...
The weather might not feel quite right just yet, but this weekend marks the official kick-off to Iowa’s farmers market season. Hiawatha traditionally leads the pack, starting on the last Sunday in April, followed by markets in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and more. Every spring, I spend weeks reaching out to market managers to compile […]
Czech legend offers Three Kings frost wa...
It’s easy to become complacent during springtime in Iowa, when temperatures are moderate and the last frost seems to be long gone. Forecasts in the coming days, however, show that Iowa’s weather is never a sure thing, as some parts of the state could see overnight lows in the 30s. The Three Kings frost warning, […]
Spring plant sales offer taste of Iowa s...
It’s the time of year Iowa gardeners eagerly anticipate. Spring plant sales provide a taste of what’s to come and a promise of the potential offered in the coming growing season. Following are upcoming plant sales in Eastern Iowa. Leave a message if your group has a plant sale to add to the list. Edible […]
Photo gallery: March for Science and Eco...
Cedar Rapids was among more than 600 cities around the world to host a March for Science on Earth Day, coinciding with the long-running EcoFest that marks the annual celebration. Organizer of the local march, Courtney Rowe, noted that reliable scientific data is needed to ensure that our children have clean air, clean water and […]
EcoFest celebrates Earth Day in Cedar Ra...
An Earth Day celebration that began in 2010 returns this Saturday, April 22, with EcoFest 2017 scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Cedar Rapids. The event features live music, local vendors, artists, educational programs and more. Most activities take place in and around the NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE, with the […]
No luck at mushroom hunting? Learn how t...
Rumor has it that the soil temperatures are warm enough to start finding morel mushrooms in some parts of Iowa. For mushroom lovers who can’t find morels, or anyone else with an interest in fungi, Prairiewoods is offering a workshop on growing mushrooms. Read on for details from Prairiewoods: Joyful Gardening: Grow Your Own Mushrooms […]
Easter Showcase happening this weekend a...
CEDAR RAPIDS – An annual tradition returns this weekend, with an open house at the Noelridge Greenhouse, known as the Easter Showcase. The event will be Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Noelridge Greenhouse, 4900 Council Street NE. Admission is free. The first 500 children age 12 […]