This upcoming event has a special connection for me. My cousin, Judy Beuter, has been raising chickens in a sustainable way for years at her farm in rural Solon. I’ve visited during her “Baby Chicks Day,” and am sure that “Meet the Meat Chickens” will be just as educational. New Pioneer Food Co-op is helping […]
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Tag: organic
Not New Pi, but new specialty grocer to ...
CEDAR RAPIDS – The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer, intends to open its first Iowa store next year in the Kmart location in northeast Cedar Rapids. A news release from the North Carolina-based chain notes that the new store is expected to open in 2014 at 180 Collins Rd. NE, offering selections of local, […]
A rare wine in Iowa: Cascade’s Crimson S
CASCADE – Visitors seek out one of Iowa’s newest wineries for the rural ambiance and flavorful wines, but owners Kevin and Lisa Miller believe it’s only a matter of time before connoisseurs discover the organic nature of their business. The Millers’ Crimson Sunset Vineyards & Winery, near Cascade, produces Iowa’s only wine created entirely from […]
Diatomaceous earth vs. the ants
Fellow journalist, Dave DeWitte, who brought you his review of reel lawnmowers and awesome mushroom photos, now shares his battle strategy with ants, using non-toxic diatomaceous earth. By Dave DeWitte A long time ago when I bought my first house, I was in for a surprise.
Japanese beetle watch ends in Cedar Rapi...
They’re heeere… As much as I held out hope that the Japanese beetle population had been wiped out by an unusually fortuitous twist of fate, my watch for the invasive insect ended today with the discovery of several beetles on my raspberry bushes. If you have rose bushes, grapes, hollyhock, linden trees, pin oak, willows […]
Viticulture: the most awesome garden too...
I can’t believe I’ve never seen a “Tapener” before now. At our most recent viticulture class at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, we used this handy tool to position young grapevines onto trellis wires. A combination staple gun/tape dispenser, the Tapener is ingenious, and as long as it doesn’t get jammed, is fairly simple […]
Norway, Iowa’s Frontier Natural Products
Frontier Natural Products Co-op, based in Norway, Iowa, achieved a high honor this month, while also marking a milestone in sales. The homegrown business offers a growing number of organic and natural products, including bulk spices and herbs. Those can be found at the Iowa Valley Food Co-op and other outlets. See more about these […]
Viticulture: Playing with fire
The past two weeks have been busy ones for the Vineyard Management class at the Kirkwood Vineyard in Cedar Rapids. We’ve planted more than 30 grapevines, learned to string trellis wire, attached grow tubes to the new vines and tonight, had our chance to play with fire.