In mid-November, her farm’s CSA season over for the year, Carly McAndrews still had more greens and root veggies growing than she knew what to do with. “We are constantly surprised when we go out in the field,” she said. McAndrews and her partner, Bryant Mann, were wrapping up their second season at Trowel & […]
Join Farmer Susan on a virtual tour of Lucky Star Farm in Iowa City, Iowa to learn about the many animals her family raises! In this video version of her regular Farmer Fair presentation she introduces us to her chickens, turkeys, goats and llamas. Learn more about Lucky Star Farm at http://www.theluckystarfarm.com/. This project […]
Kalona farmer James Nisly’s passions for healthy eating and local food production are so great, his influence has extended into area schools, shaping cafeteria menus for over a decade. His farm, Organic Greens LLC, has been producing organic sprouts, greens and field crops since 1998. About 15 years ago, with his own daughters in Iowa […]
At Country View Dairy in Hawkeye, Iowa, About 275 cows are milked three times daily just 50 feet from the creamery. “Within hours, it’s turned into yogurt, and the next morning, it’s ready to ship out,” said the dairy’s director of sales and marketing Bob Howard. Country View Dairy keeps it’s yogurt–traditional, Greek or frozen– […]
For Wilson’s Orchard’s Paul Rasch, apples have always been a way of life. He grew up in the commercial apple business and Michigan, and today owns the Solon, Iowa orchard with his wife, Sara Goering. Rasch said the appeal of growing apples comes from their versatility and health benefits, but also from the power of […]
When COVID-19 first had people panic shopping and stockpiling meat earlier this year, farmer T.D. Hollub started getting emails. His farm’s current CSA customers were glad they had a secure source of food coming their way, and others wanted in, too. “It’s so nice to know where your food comes from, and it’s really nice […]
Though Mary and Vernon Zahradnik raised livestock for decades, they always dreamed of direct marketing their products. Hence, they “retired” into apples, planting the first trees in their orchard in 2003 and racing to get veggies in the ground when a spot in the Iowa City Farmers Market suddenly opened to them the next spring. […]
Rick Lopata of Lopata Farms says people who buy his sweet corn often tell him it’s the best they’ve ever had. But if those shoppers ever buy from his parents at Betty’s Fresh Produce, they might have a hard time picking a winner. Lopata Farms and Betty’s Fresh Produce are essentially the same farm by […]
For Friendly Farm’s David Braverman, growing tomatoes is a lifetime labor of love. “I grew up growing heirloom tomatoes, actually,” the Iowa City farmer said. “As far as I recall, we have sold some kind of tomatoes my whole life.” Braverman’s father started the farm in the late 1960s, and though David didn’t always expect […]
It’s a busy time to be a Stout! Multigenerational southeastern Iowa farm Stout’s Market mainly deals in sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon– all of which are in abundance right about now. With 100+ acres in produce and 11 roadside stands in operation daily, it takes the whole family to run the show. “It’s kind of […]