Public health officials announced Tuesday, May 4, 2021, that a new COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Iowa. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, two cases of the COVID-19 variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617, were confirmed in adults in Jefferson County, in southeastern Iowa. The variant is referred to as the “India variant” because it […]
Czech Three Kings lore warns gardeners o...
Temperatures that soared into the upper 80s in Iowa and elsewhere in the Midwest this weekend are giving way to overnight lows in the 30s. While a hard freeze isn’t predicted, at least for now, it’s not unheard of to have a late-season frost in Iowa. Czech lore, brought to the United States by immigrants, […]
Spring plant sales a mix of online and i...
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many plant sales went online or were suspended for the season. At least one of those returns to an in-person sale in 2021, with the Linn County Master Gardeners annual plant sale set for 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 8, at the American Legion Post 298, 625 […]
Fresh start for Iowa farmers markets in ...
By Cindy Hadish/for the Corridor Business Journal After a socially distanced season last year, farmers market managers hope to return to the more socially interactive markets of the past. Both Iowa City and Cedar Rapids plan on holding in-person markets, though changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue in some cases. “We are cautiously […]
Giant mushroom appears in Czech Village ...
By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Czech Village has found a silver lining from last year’s derecho. The hurricane-strength windstorm uprooted trees and created havoc throughout Iowa, hitting the Cedar Rapids area particularly hard. Trees that toppled in Czech Village damaged restrooms next to the Kosek Bandstand, but one of those is now serving […]
Cedar Rapids celebrates Earth Day while ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — City leaders probably didn’t intend to offer an ironic Earth Day message. But even as City Manager Jeff Pomeranz touted April as Earth Month in a videotaped message, in another corner of the city, a 28-acre Prairie Pollinator Zone was being prepared for destruction. “As all of you know, a healthy […]
City Council dashes last hopes to save p...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids City Council dashed any remaining hopes that residents and nature lovers held to save a Prairie Pollinator Zone from destruction. Council members unanimously passed a number of resolutions related to an agreement with multinational corporation Cargill to build a 200-car, 12-track railyard on a 28-acre property on Stewart […]
City Council to consider further agreeme...
UPDATE Monday, April 12, 2021: Cargill posted recordings of two meetings with neighbors to YouTube today. From Jan. 20, 2021: https://youtu.be/O1cKqFYhqp4 From March 31, 2021: https://youtu.be/1F5eOmrpzaA CEDAR RAPIDS — Residents of a neighborhood where Cargill plans to build an industrial railyard hold out hope for one last chance to stop the destruction of a prairie […]
Morel mushroom search tips
Morel mushrooms, the elusive delicacies found during springtime in wooded areas, are already being discovered in Iowa, as well as neighboring Nebraska and other states. The proper amount of moisture and soil temperature allows the spongelike mushrooms to “pop,” and that combination appears to be just right as of early April in some areas. Learn […]
Connecting Good Friday planting to potat...
Gardening folklore that calls for planting potatoes on Good Friday could create issues with the crop-devouring Colorado potato beetle, according to at least one Iowa gardener. The organic gardener said he has successfully avoided the voracious beetle by waiting until around June 1 to plant his potatoes. Planting early almost ensures that the Colorado potato […]