CEDAR RAPIDS – Ray Archuleta and David Brandt could hold the keys to solving both drought and flooding issues and even climate change. Their sessions during the June 6 soil seminar at Coe College in Cedar Rapids were nothing short of jaw-dropping. It’s probably not often that ‘soil seminar’ and ‘jaw-dropping’ are used in the […]
Parallels seen between flooding in Iowa ...
I remember interviewing Petr Kolar, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to the United States, just a few months after floods devastated Cedar Rapids and other parts of Eastern Iowa in 2008. It was remarkable, I thought, that Kolar noted that good could somehow come out of something as tragic as the epic flood that inundated 10 […]
Find out on June 6 why Iowa soils are “n
CEDAR RAPIDS – You might think that unless you’re a farmer, this seminar does not pertain to you, but I’m told gardeners and anyone who could be affected by flooding or drought and basically everybody who eats would benefit from the information that will be presented June 6 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.
Uptown Marion Market kicks off Saturday,...
The Marion Chamber of Commerce sent the following about the first Uptown Marion Market of the season, this Saturday, June 8, 2013: Uptown Marion Market kicks off this Saturday, June 8 in City Square Park. This year’s market will feature over 50 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, honey, organic meat, eggs, Iowa wines, […]
Awesome mushroom photos
My good buddy, Dave DeWitte, is at it again. Dave wrote a “reely” excellent review of reel lawn mowers and now is offering his expertise in fungi. Here is what he has to say about his mushroom finds: Morel season was almost a washout this year at my homestead, but the recent soggy weather has […]
More Pi: Members of New Pioneer Co-op vo...
CEDAR RAPIDS – New Pioneer Food Co-op members in the Cedar Rapids area need to vote if they’d like to bring a store to the city. At a meeting Sunday at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, about 50 members were told that some of the membership might prefer not to expand outside of Coralville […]
Reel lawnmowers: How “reelistic?”
My good buddy and fellow freelance journalist, Dave DeWitte, recently bought a new reel mower to reduce his carbon footprint. Find Dave’s candid impressions and assessment of his new mower here: By: Dave DeWitte My knees and shoulders are sore in ways I haven’t felt for years. I’m surprisingly comfortable with this discomfort. That’s […]
Weekend photo gallery: Cedar Rapids Down...
Flood worries were set aside Saturday, June 1, as incessant rains let up in time for the first Downtown Farmers Market of the season and the Mount Vernon Chocolate Stroll. I missed out on the chocolate-covered bacon, but was able to feed my addiction for Mickey Miller’s handmade truffles at Mount Vernon Confections during the […]
Iris garden open for viewing Sunday in C...
I first visited Wanda Lunn’s garden back in 2008, when she invited me to see her iris in bloom in one of only two display gardens in Iowa for the Historic Iris Preservation Society. Anyone in this area who enjoys viewing beautiful gardens is in luck. Wanda hosts periodical open gardens at her home in […]
Iowa sets record with rainfall; most pre...
Just a month ago, we worried about another drought in Iowa. Now the concern is too much water. Earlier today, I traveled to Tama County and saw the flooding up close, a reminder of what we experienced in Cedar Rapids in 2008. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources noted in its water summary of May […]