A feature on The Authentic Storytelling Project today about Homegrown Iowan offered an opportunity for me to reflect on the future of the website as we approach our anniversary. Homegrown Iowan is an extension of what I’ve been doing for years as a journalist: spreading the word about local foods, farmers markets, gardening and events […]
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Tag: Cindy Hadish
Photo gallery: Last gasp of autumn
I feel somewhat cheated. After enduring an especially hot Iowa summer, it seems we’ve jumped straight into winter. It’s rare that we would get a full three months of fall, as the calendar dictates, but it would have been nice to have more than a week or two, (or was it just a day or […]
Community grows in Czech heritage garden
CEDAR RAPIDS – I’ve never seen kids so excited about vegetables as I did earlier this month on a visit to our community garden in southeast Cedar Rapids. Several neighborhood children picked tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, with one of the boys vowing to make a salad for his dad’s birthday that day. They rode their […]
Farmers market season continues in Easte...
As our own Iowa gardens near their end, it’s comforting to know that local foods fans can still get their fill at area farmers markets. Markets in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Iowa City and other towns continue to operate, with some running through the end of October. If your travels take you to Belle Plaine, Independence […]
Homegrown Harvest contest reminder
We finally received some much-needed rain in Iowa, but even before that, I was hearing about this year’s abundant harvest season. Tomatoes and other vegetables are productive and gardeners who want to show off the season’s bounty can do so in the Homegrown Harvest contest. Entering is simple. Just post a photo or describe your […]
Book Review: Gaining Ground: A story of ...
My sister just read Gaining Ground this week, finishing it with tears streaming down her face. It’s no wonder, though I tend to more readily recall the book’s amusing passages from my reading of the memoir earlier this summer. While we both identify with author Forrest Pritchard’s attempts to save the family farm, our emotional […]
Saving the family farm, phase two: the m...
CHELSEA – As a reporter, you’re often thrust into unfamiliar territory. Whether it’s covering a shooting in a dark alley or stem cell research at a medical institute, you’re expected to know enough to ask the right questions to make sense of the situation. I’m hoping that experience serves me well as we embark on […]
Saving the family farm: next step, the a...
CHELSEA – These past several weeks have been exhausting, heartrending, gut wrenching and occasionally, enlightening. Anyone who has had to prepare an estate auction for a close relative can probably relate. In this case, my uncle, Craig Musel, should be out on his farm, doing what he loves. In past years, that would mean getting […]
Wapsipinicon State Park: a historic trea...
It’s not a bad day when an editor asks if you’d like to spend an afternoon at the park, shoot some photos and write about your experience. Throw in idyllic weather and a friend to serve as my own personal tour guide and how could I say no?
A flood of memories: looking back at Iow...
Maybe people are tired of looking back and even I have been cringing whenever I hear the words “flood anniversary.” Still, it’s remarkable to think five years have passed since my hometown of Cedar Rapids, and much of Eastern Iowa, were inundated with unprecedented flooding. I keep a