July 24, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Arachnidan Trap, blooming, daylilies, daylily, dividing, fertilize, garden, image, Iowa, open, overgrown, perennial, photo, September, water, when, Zora Ronan
Arachnidan Trap daylily (Photo/Zora Ronan)
I’ve been receiving calls and emails about Zora Ronan’s upcoming open gardens this weekend and hearing from people who plan to make the trip to see her daylilies. For those of you who cannot attend, Zora sent some tips on dividing daylilies and other general advice:
When or if to divide a daylily is a decision to be made based on the plant’s health. If it is not looking unhealthy, is still blooming freely and has not outgrown its space, there is no reason to disturb it. I only divide when one or more of those problems occurs. Daylilies vary greatly in how fast they become crowded. I have some that get divided every 4 years or so and some that have been fine for more than that time. The biggest problem in waiting to divide until the plant is very overgrown is that it can become very large and hard to handle. When I do divide, I replenish the soil with lots of compost and a bit of peat.
Daylilies are considered the perfect perennial because they survive and thrive with very little care. However, good nutrition and adequate water is always going to improve daylily performance. I do fertilize lightly every year with lawn fertilizer (no herbicide). Daylilies can use a bit more nitrogen than other perennials to keep the foliage a nice healthy green. I apply a 3-month time released fertilizer in the early spring–never any fertilizer after August 1. If you have a good supply of compost, top-dressing with that every year is also beneficial and can probably take the place of artificial fertilizer.
Any dividing is best done in spring or after bloom has ended. I would not divide any later than early to mid-September – daylilies need about 6 weeks to settle in before winter arrives. We never know when that is going to happen.
July 22, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged Claire Smith, downspout, fertilizer, gutter, hatch, how much, Iowa, July, Linn County, master gardener, mosquitoes, pH, rain barrels, runoff, water, wet
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
He was correct. A climatologist said July was going to be wetter and colder than normal. Did you imagine we’d be wearing jackets and sweatshirts on mid-summer mornings? A couple of my houseplants living on the deck for the summer got relocated under the eaves. They were experiencing a little too much of a good (rain water) thing. It has been nice not having to drag hoses or fill the water wagon as much this year. The soaker hose has been pretty much dormant, too.
It does bother me letting all this precious water run off, though. Rain barrels have become a popular efficient way to retain that wonderful commodity that Mother Nature provides. Rain barrels don’t need to be plugged in or powered up. They’re good for the environment and save money.
Rain water is preferably to municipal water for gardens because it provides a beneficial pH balance, thus creating less of a need for fertilizer.
Rain barrels situated at the base of a gutter or downspout, are typically modified recycled 55 gallon food grade drums, and include a filter, spigot and with an overflow pipe usually directed on to a flower or vegetable bed. Commercial rain barrels are available with costs varying. Rain chains, water-funneling devices, can be used in place of down spouts for an esthetic effect. Maybe you would want a decorative rain barrel situated on either side of your patio door.
Rain barrels may provide a good source of water should we have a water restriction order. While the primary use is plant associated, rain water can be used to wash a car, scrub patio furniture or even flush a toilet.
Rain barrels do require minimal maintenance. Leaves and other debris have to be removed from the filter and the gutter supplying the water. Also, users need to guard against mosquito breeding and algae. All in all helping the environment far outweighs a bit of inconvenience.
And, speaking of mosquitoes, just a reminder with all of the moisture we’re experiencing, the most common floodwater mosquito will be laying eggs in any source of stagnant or muddy water. Remember to regularly empty and clean the kids’ wading pools, the pet’s water dishes and the bird bath. Tall weeds and grasses harbor mosquitoes during the day. Reduce the incidence of the problem and reduce the population of the annoying and possible disease carrying critters.
July 20, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged dinner, fund-raiser, gardens, heirloom, Heritage, historic, Iowa City, Johnson County, Lucas House, Master Gardeners, Plum Grove, Taste
The Johnson County Master Gardeners will host their 14th annual Taste of the Heritage Gardens on Wednesday, July 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Plum Grove Historic Site, 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City.
For a suggested donation of $5, attendees will receive a taste of 19th recipes for soups, salads, vegetable dishes, breads, drinks and desserts prepared by the Master Gardeners. In addition, the audience will be entertained by the Senior Center Horn band, and there will be guided tours of the gardens and 1844 Lucas house.
There will be a drawing for door prizes and recipe booklets will be available. Free parking is available on site.
The proceeds from this event go to garden maintenance and Kirkwood scholarships. In case of bad weather, the event will be held at Building C at the Johnson County Fair Grounds. Further information is available at 351-4903.
July 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged advice, Cedar Rapids, Central City, cold, daylily, experts, growing, Iowa, lillies, summer, Wanda Lunn, Zora Ronan
It seems too chilly to think this is prime summer and thus prime daylily season in Iowa. Might as well enjoy the cool while you can. Today (Saturday, July 18, 2009) Wanda Lunn of Cedar Rapids will have an open garden from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her home at 526 Bezdek Dr. NW. Wanda said this will be the height of daylily blooms & the larger lilliums, as well as many other summer perennials. She will be available to answer questions about all of these flowers.
Next weekend (Sat. and Sun., July 25 and 26) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, Linn County Master Gardener Zora Ronan will open her gardens for viewing at 5031 North Marion Road, Central City.
Lillies, daylillies and other flowers at Zora Ronan's garden (photo/Cindy Hadish)
I had the opportunity to visit Zora’s gardens last week and more will be available in Sunday’s (7/19/09) Gazette. Zora said her gardens are about one week behind those in Cedar Rapids, so they should be in their prime next weekend. Even a week ago, the beds were beautiful. Zora has the right touch with daylillies, which come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors. Both Zora and Wanda are open to questions and I think this is one of the best ways to learn about gardening, with an up-close view to see what both looks and works great. It’s really inspiring to have people like this in our community who are so willing to share and generous of them to offer their time and expertise, as well as open up their gardens to the public.
The sign says it all (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Here are directions to the home of Zora and Paul Ronan: From I-380: Exit at Toddville. Travel east on County Home Road to Alburnett Road. Turn north on Alburnett Road. Turn east on Justins Road (gravel). Justins Road dead ends at North Marion. Turn north and the garden is on the right. From: Highway 13: Travel north on Highway 13 to Central City. Turn west on E-16 (Center Point-Central City Road). Turn north on North Marion Road (gravel) and travel 1.6 miles. Garden is on the right. From Marion: Travel north on North Tenth Street. Tenth Street changes name to North Marion and becomes gravel when it crosses County Home Road. Since North Marion is gravel for quite a long way, it is better to travel north on either North Alburnett Road or Highway 13.
When I went last week, one of the roads from I-380 was closed, but it was easy to get there by going to Central City and taking a left on E-16.
July 16, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged bait, beer, damage, damp, dead, eat, holes, hosta, Iowa, ISU, kill, Laura Jesse, leaves, rocks, slugs, snails, trap
Laura Jesse, of Iowa State University Extension’s Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic, wrote the following about garden slugs:
Slug photo by Laura Jesse of ISU Extension
There seem to be plenty of slugs in my garden, but I hope not in yours. Slugs leave small, irregular holes all over the leaves of plants. They especially seem to like my hostas but they are not picky feeders. Slugs are difficult to detect because they feed only at night. Slugs look like snails without a shell. They vary in size from less than an inch up to 2 inches in length, grayish colored, and a bit slimy to the touch. In fact as they crawl along they leave a slime trail.
Slugs need moisture to survive and are found under mulch, rocks, logs, and other damp locations. My hostas tend to be eaten because they grow in a garden that is shaded and holds the moisture longer.
Reducing slug damage is not an easy task and nothing will fix holes already there, so your first question should be – how bad is this and can I live with the damage? If you do decide to try to reduce the slug population you should combine several tactics. First, remove mulch and reduce moisture from around the base of afflicted plants as much as possible. Remove slugs you find either by using a trap such as a board on the ground that slugs will gather under or pan traps with beer as a bait. I assume cheap beer works fine and would not waste expensive beer on this. Remove dead slugs daily or it will get pretty disgusting. Finally there are commercially available slug baits available containing a molluscicide, but they are best used in the spring or fall.
July 15, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged Claire Smith, fertilize, garden walk, gardening, goldfish, hosta, iris, July, Linn County, master gardener, pond
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
What a great idea, visiting other people’s gardens! Amazing! Awesome! (and, with planning) Affordable! If you were gadding around and missed the Master Gardeners’ Garden Walk or if you didn’t take the plunge for the Pond Society tour, do make a concerted effort to mark your 2010 calendar to attend both! One of the stops incorporated all manner of garden art, mostly primitive farm equipment and several unusual birdhouses. The other end of the spectrum was a beautiful English garden. Ponds fed by babbling brooks created mesmerizing atmospheres.
My neighbors have even planned a mini-garden walk involving just a few families. It’s an opportunity to get better acquainted with your neighbors and visit about something besides the weather. It’s too late for a vegetable garden this summer, but there’s still time to start a flower garden involving the whole family. My favorite daughter’s second garden is a family affair reaping benefits far out weighing the harvest of peas and pumpkins. Charlie has beans on his beanstalk (Two year old Charlie planted a good share of an envelope of beans in one hill.) Catie is planning on several jack-o-lanterns. Daddy grills home grown potatoes, tomatoes and onions.
The long range forecast for July is cooler and wetter weather so get in sync with Mother Nature and go for it. New beds do need to be religiously watered this time of the year to establish root systems. It’s okay to fertilize from now through the end of August. Your new garden needn’t be huge. It can be containers on the porch. If the kids are still bugging about a pet, put in a pond and get some goldfish. The fish we saw at the walks were huge and survived there through the winter. Your water feature could be a whiskey barrel size container adjacent to the deck.
Now is a good time, too, to do some rearranging. We didn’t get the new strawberry bed organized quite soon enough this summer so I’m going to remove the weeds that have sprouted and cover the bed with mulch. I’ll soon be transplanting several Iris and a few Hosta over to the seeder wagon area. Some of the Tiger Lilies are moving from the ditch there to surround the mailbox in the newest zeroscape area. A horse ate the top off the sapling in that bed. I’ll need to install a taller barrier than the garden gate that I thought was such a nifty idea. Oh, well, the garden gate can become home to a climber in another location. That’s the great thing about plants and gardens. Nearly everything is portable and/or potable.
July 14, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged aphids, Asian, beetle, beetles, bug, control, copper, eat, grapes, hollyhocks, homes, image, indoors, Japanese beetle, lady beetle, ladybug, leaves, linden, multicolored, orange, photo, raspberries, red, roses, spots, tree
Asian lady beetle - a good bug (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Their names are similar and they’re from the same region of the world, so I can see why some people are still confused about Asian lady beetles and Japanese beetles. But when it comes down to it, there’s really no comparison. The bug pictured here – the reddish/orange lady beetle, is a beneficial insect. It feeds on aphids and other plant pests and doesn’t destroy anything, though I realize some people resent their intrusion in homes in the fall. On the other hand, the copper-colored Japanese beetle, a recent foreign invader in Iowa, is known to devour at least 300 plants, including hollyhocks, roses, raspberries, linden trees and grapes. If you see your leaves turning to lace, the likely culprit is the Japanese beetle. Japanese beetles have no known predators here, other than me. So feel free to get rid of as many as you can. As mentioned previously, the most environmentally friendly method is to knock them into a bucket of soapy water when they’re sluggish – early evening seems to be the best time. If you have other suggestions – maybe from our East Coast readers and others who have learned to cope with Japanese beetles – please add your comments below.
Japanese beetles - not a good bug, or just plain evil? (photo/Cindy Hadish)
July 13, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Cheryl Hoech, demonstration, flower beds, friends, garden, greenhouse, Iowa, Noelridge Park, party, weeding, weeds
Cheryl Hoech, volunteer coordinator for Friends of Noelridge Park Greenhouse and Botanical Center, sent the following:
We are having a party and you are invited.
What:Weeding in prep for the Open Garden on Wednesday
Who: 40 volunteer hours needed
When: Monday July 13, 8 to noon come and go as you please
Where: At the demonstration flower beds at Noelridge
RSVP: Please let me know if you can come on Monday so I can have enough treats for all of you. Noelridge Friends can be reached at: noelridge@gmail.com
You can find more about Wednesday’s open gardens by clicking on the events category at the right.
July 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged BBQ, blades, Bob Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, farmers market, find, Iowa, John Moore, pork chops, recipe, rub, sweet corn, Tom Vittetoe, Washington, where
It’s a mixed bag on Iowa’s sweet corn season. Some of the farmers I spoke to today have it ready, but the crop is delayed in other areas. If you’re early, you might find sweet corn at Saturday’s farmers market in Cedar Rapids. Expect to see more sweet corn at area farmers markets in the next week.
You can find a list of many Eastern Iowa farmers markets on this blog by clicking on the farmers market category at the right.
Bob Shepherd, market manager for the Washington Farmers Market, said vendor Tom Vittetoe sold out of a pickup of sweet corn in 20 minutes at Thursday night’s market.
Bob sent the following report from the market in Washington:
Ears of succulent fresh picked sweetcorn are one of the special events at the Farmers’ Market; along with strawberries, vine ripened tomatoes, and the first tree fruit – nothing attracts attention like that first offering. Central Park will hum with the excitement generated by this Iowa treasure.
The selection improves with each Thursday Evening Market. Expect to see beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, kohlrabi, green beans, onions, lettuce, peas, turnips, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and chilies displayed by the local growers. Black raspberries and cherries have added their appeal as we anticipate the first apples shortly.
Farm fresh brown eggs have a definite ‘country’ appeal.
An exceptional selection of fresh baked breads, pies, cookies, cupcakes, sweet rolls, bars, and short breads add their aromatic, mouth watering presence.
The sound of a sharpening wheel means another fine tool has been keenly touched by John Moore, Bits ‘n’ Blades. Local artists display beautiful glazed ware, stitchery and jewelry.
A couple of Markets ago samples of BB-Q’ed pork chops were tasted by Market goers. The rub used was a new technique and so successful the recipe is following for all to try on their home BB-Q.
Cumin and Coriander spice-rubbed Pork Chops
Mix 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 2tsp. ground coriander, 2tsp. ground cumin, 1 1/2tsp. garlic powder, 1tsp sea salt, 3/4tsp. ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric in a small bowl. Preheat grill to medium high. Lightly coat both sides of 6 3/4in. thick boneless pork loin chops with olive oil, and rub with the spice rub. Grill (uncovered for charcoal; covered for gas)until the pork forms impressive grill marks on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until meat is just firm to touch and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
The thick style chops are a favorite to BB-Q and the rub makes them even more delectable.
The Washington Farmers’ Market starts at 5pm but the downtown square is home to entertainment until 9pm. Thursday Night Live at 6:30 and the Washington Municipal Band at 8pm extend the evening enjoyment under the lofty trees of Central Park. Join us downtown………..see you there!
March 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, City Council, demolish, Ellis, flood, flooded, gardens, Gazette, green, homes, Iowa, Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, Michael Richards, neighborhoods, Oakhill Jackson, preserve, rebuilding, Rod Scott, save, Squaw Creek, sustainability, Tom Podzimek
Michael Richards, president of the Oakhill/Jackson Neighborhood Association, has been working on a “Good Jobs/Green Garages” effort since the floods. Some of that is detailed in an article in the Sunday, March 8, 2009, issue of the Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/bdn94m
Here is more from Michael about those efforts:
“We have added a very important layer of innovation and action to Good Jobs/Green Garages:
As Neighborhood Assn. President, I have been approached by flooded residents in their 70s and 80s that do not have the time, energy or financing to Rehab/Rebuild. We are pairing these elderly residents with former Metro High students that are now in their mid twenties, energetic, employed and ready to engage limited money with “sweat equity” to gain first time home ownership by rehab and retrofit of these flooded homes they are purchasing from the above noted elderly flood victims. We have one rehab/retrofit Next Generation Home Ownership project already underway in Oakhill Jackson. We have also paired an elderly resident/ and a young new homeowner in Time Check to work with this model of community recovery.
My goal is this: Create the working model. Then, if the City Government wants to get on board, fine, if not, well, we’ll keep working away to rebuild this city one step at a time from the ground up.”
From Cindy, again: Rod Scott, who is also featured in the Gazette article, realizes not every flooded home can be saved. But he questions why so many that could be rebuilt are being torn down. He asks if it’s because the city is encouraging demolition, especially of homes in modest-income neighborhoods. Rod, who is president of the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, notes that many of the homes are structurally sound. “They’re just flooded buildings,” he said. “They can be cleaned up and rebuilt.”
Cedar Rapids City Council member Tom Podzimek added to the city’s discussion of sustainability when it comes to rebuilding from the floods in one area that hit home. For city gardeners, it might not be a popular idea, but a suggestion that has been proposed in the past would be to sell land that has city gardens – presumably the Squaw Creek gardens, as the Ellis area often floods – and allow developers to build private housing there. The tradeoff would be offering leased city gardens in the city’s new green zone, where flooded homes have been bought out and removed. “Why get in a car and drive five miles?” Podzimek asked, when the “greener” model would be having gardens located near the people who use them.
Other ideas for the green zone have included soccer and baseball fields and dog parks. Podzimek said some residents want those entities in areas not prone to flooding, but he said it makes more sense to have homes and structures built away from flood zones and use the 250 acres or so of new green space for those “flood resilient” projects, such as ball fields.
March 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged addiction, antidepressant, appetite, crave, craving, Elisa S. Na, grams, health, heart disease, high blood pressure, history, intake, Iowa City, kidneys, Kim Johnson, Michael J. Morris, mood, nature, processed food, Roman, salt, sodium chloride, soldiers, study, University of Iowa
Several people at last month’s Winter Gardening Fair mentioned they are trying to eat right by adding veggies to their diet and substituting herbs and other spices for salt. This study came today from University of Iowa researchers who try to answer why cutting back on salt might be difficult for some:
Most people consume far too much salt, and a University of Iowa researcher has discovered one potential reason we crave it: it might put us in a better mood.
UI psychologist Kim Johnson and colleagues found in their research that when rats are deficient in sodium chloride, common table salt, they shy away from activities they normally enjoy, like drinking a sugary substance or pressing a bar that stimulates a pleasant sensation in their brains.
“Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn’t elicit the same degree of relish, which leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression,” Johnson said.
The UI researchers can’t say it is full-blown depression because several criteria factor into such a diagnosis, but a loss of pleasure in normally pleasing activities is one of the most important features of psychological depression. And, the idea that salt is a natural mood-elevating substance could help explain why we’re so tempted to over-ingest it, even though it’s known to contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and other health problems.
Past research has shown that the worldwide average for salt intake per individual is about 10 grams per day, which is greater than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended intake by about 4 grams, and may exceed what the body actually needs by more than 8 grams.
Johnson, who holds appointments in psychology and integrative physiology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in pharmacology in the Carver College of Medicine, published a review of these findings in the July issue of the journal “Physiology & Behavior” with Michael J. Morris and Elisa S. Na, UI graduate students. In addition to reporting their own findings, the authors reviewed others’ research on the reasons behind salt appetite.
High levels of salt are contained in everything from pancakes to pasta these days, but once upon a time, it was hard to come by. Salt consumption and its price skyrocketed around 2000 B.C. when it was discovered as a food preservative. Roman soldiers were paid in salt; the word salary is derived from the Latin for salt. Even when mechanical refrigeration lessened the need for salt in the 19th century, consumption continued in excess because people liked the taste and it had become fairly inexpensive. Today, 77 percent of our salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, like frozen dinners and fast food.
Evolution might have played an important part in the human hankering for salt. Humans evolved from creatures that lived in salty ocean water. Once on land, the body continued to need sodium and chloride because minerals play key roles in allowing fluids to pass in and out of cells, and in helping nerve cells transfer information throughout the brain and body. But as man evolved in the hot climate of Africa, perspiration robbed the body of sodium. Salt was scarce because our early ancestors ate a veggie-rich diet and lived far from the ocean.
“Most of our biological systems require sodium to function properly, but as a species that didn’t have ready access to it, our kidneys evolved to become salt misers,” Johnson said.
Behavior also came to play a key role in making sure we have enough salt on board. Animals like us come equipped with a taste system designed to detect salt and a brain that remembers the location of salt sources — like salt licks in a pasture. A pleasure mechanism in the brain is activated when salt is consumed.
So the body needs salt and knows how to find it and how to conserve it. But today scientists are finding evidence that it’s an abused, addictive substance — almost like a drug.
One sign of addiction is using a substance even when it’s known to be harmful. Many people are told to reduce sodium due to health concerns, but they have trouble doing so because they like the taste and find low-sodium foods bland.
Another strong aspect of addiction is the development of intense cravings when drugs are withheld. Experiments by Johnson and colleagues indicate similar changes in brain activity whether rats are exposed to drugs or salt deficiency.
“This suggests that salt need and cravings may be linked to the same brain pathways as those related to drug addiction and abuse,” Johnson said.
March 11, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answers, apple, flowering, fruit trees, gardening, homegrown, Iowa, pear, perennials, plant, potatoes, prune, questions, sprays, spring, tires
Every so often, I see comments posted that ask gardening questions that I’m sure many of our readers would be able to help answer. With that in mind, a new category, “Your questions” has been added, so readers can ask and answer gardening questions. I’ll also try to find expert answers if no one else can help.
Click on the arrow next to the categories box, at the right, to find this feature.
The first questions come from Pam who asks the following:
I have started a flower garden in the front of my home which is facing east but does get some south sun on part of the garden area. I love flowering plants but I have not done a good job with finding appropriate plants. Does anyone have ideas of various plants that are perennials to put here?
Pam (who lives in Marion, Iowa) also asked:
How soon should you start trimming the fruit trees: apple and pear? What other tips should I know to get the trees ready for spring? I have heard a lot about spraying the trees so what should I use?
Leora left the following question:
We have heard of growing potatoes in tires, but need to know the procedure. We have two big tractor tires to work with. Please help us.
Does anyone have advice for Pam or Leora? Please add your suggestions in a comment below.
If you have any questions of your own, you can post it in a comment here, or send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Please include your location – Northern Iowa, Central Iowa, etc., – as that will help tailor the responses.
March 12, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Backyard Abundance, Case Study of Temperate Permaculture, Cedar Rapids, climate, Environmental Film Festival, farm, Farming with Nature, Fred Meyer, grow, Iowa City, library, permaculture, Sepp Holzer, sustainable
Fred Meyer, director of Backyard Abundance, sent information on the following event. Fred noted that the group’s activities are presented in the context of understanding how our well-being is directly affected by the health of the land and wildlife – that caring for our local environment is equivalent to caring for our family and community.
Here is more about this weekend’s event:
As part of the Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, “Farming with Nature: A Case Study of Temperate Permaculture,” will be shown at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Room A of the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Host is Backyard Abundance, with speaker Fred Meyer.
The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, modeled on the successful Cedar Rapids Film Festival, coordinates screenings of feature length and short movies on environmental topics for the public.
Film overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7mQZHfFVE
This film shows how Sepp Holzer uses permaculture techniques to grow everything from apricots to eucalyptus, figs to kiwi fruit, peaches to wheat at an altitude of over 3,300 feet, in average annual temperature of only 40 degrees. A pioneer in permaculture techniques, Holzer turned a fir tree dessert into a farm producing a healthy surplus of food for the community, water and energy for the farm and an environment that sustains animals, plants and soils.
After the film, ways these techniques can be used in our climate will be discussed. The event runs to 5 p.m.
March 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Barbara Eckstein, certificate, climate, conservation, course, Earth Day, emissions, energy, engineering, environment, environmental, EPA, flood, green, greenhouse gas, Hawkeyes, Iowa, Liz Christiansen, major, minor, oat hulls, offering, program, recycling, Sally Mason, sustainability, University of Iowa, wetlands
This just came out today – the University of Iowa will begin offering a new Certificate in Sustainability in Fall 2009:
Gone are the days when the environment was solely the purview of biologists, climatologists and engineers. If tomorrow’s world is truly going to be greener, teachers, dental assistants, grassroots advocates, government leaders and even artists must be prepared to contribute to sustainable systems and practices.
To help put students on a path toward becoming effective leaders and agents of change for sustainability in whatever professional setting they choose, the University of Iowa will begin offering a new Certificate in Sustainability in fall 2009. The program will allow students to augment their majors and minors with a certificate that promotes an integrated understanding of human and environmental systems and the complex interactions between them.
To meet the certificate’s requirements, students must complete 24 semester hours of course work that includes three introductory core courses, four electives from a designated list and one project course. Courses already required as part of a student’s major or minor fields of study may count toward the certificate. Students must also maintain at least a 2.00 grade point average.
“The need for sustainable practices, awareness and ingenuity is going to grow exponentially in the coming years as the world manages diminishing resources and humanity learns how to better live within its means,” UI President Sally Mason said. “Energy, society, culture, economics, construction and public policy all will be impacted. That’s why I’m thrilled that the University of Iowa has taken this important step toward providing our students with the tools and academic framework to couple sustainability with whatever fields of study they choose.”
The required courses include “Introduction to Sustainability,” “Introduction to Environmental Science” and “Contemporary Environmental Issues.” For their electives students may select from a wide array of courses offered across the disciplines, from “Glacial and Pleistocene Geology” and “Wetlands: Function, Geography and Management” to “History and Environment in Africa” and “Planning Livable Cities.”
The required projects will address advanced problems in design, sustainability and education, multimedia writing on the topic of a green economy and other relevant issues. One option, for example, is a course offered through the UI College of Engineering’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department that provides students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams to propose solutions to problems faced by people in the developing world. Students study and develop the appropriate technologies required to improve water and sanitation, energy, housing, and health.
Barbara Eckstein, an associate provost and professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, chaired a task force of faculty and staff from eight colleges that developed the certificate, which she said is accessible to any undergraduate student.
“Whatever students’ career goals, understanding the ties that bind economic development, environmental protection, and equity is key to their future,” Eckstein said.
An interdisciplinary advisory board will oversee the certificate’s implementation. The board members are Jim Throgmorton, a professor in Urban and Regional Planning; Laura Rigal, an associate professor in the Department of English with a joint appointment in American Studies; Mark Reagan, a professor of igneous petrology and geochemistry in the CLAS Department of Geoscience; Christy Moroye, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning; and Craig Just, adjunct assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, associate research scientist at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering and coordinator of sustainability programs in the UI College of Engineering.
The certificate is just one of many ways in which the university is strengthening its commitment to sustainability as outlined by Mason in an Earth Day address last year. Despite the flood of 2008 and the ongoing recovery, as well as the significant budget challenges presented by the downturn in the national economy, the university has made important strides toward developing a greener campus and curriculum.
Soon after her address, Mason established a Sustainability Steering Committee and in November appointed Liz Christiansen the university’s first director of sustainability. Already, the UI diverts about 30 percent of its general waste stream through recycling practices. And the UI is ahead of schedule in its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent by 2010, as required by its membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange, of which the UI was an early member.
In January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lauded the UI for reducing carbon emissions at its power plant by using one system to generate both heat and energy, saving the equivalent amount of carbon stored by 11,232 acres of pine forests for one year or the emissions from 8,046 passenger vehicles. The plant burns oat hulls to reduce its reliance on coal by 20 percent and may serve as a model for a new power plant under consideration that could eventually provide 100 percent renewable energy at the Oakdale campus.
UI faculty and students are getting in on the act, too. In February, student leaders and the UI Environmental Coalition presented a series of sustainability panels as part of the National Teach-In on Global Warming 2009. And student members of the UI College of Engineering’s chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, working with faculty advisor Craig Just, recently won a first-place award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for designing a $5, hand-held device to sanitize water and potentially save lives in developing countries.
Greg Carmichael, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering in the UI College of Engineering, is using a $750,000 NASA grant to examine the atmosphere above the Arctic — a natural receptor of smoke and forest fire pollution from northern Europe, Asia and North America that creates a visible arctic haze. And Larry Weber, director of the UI’s world renowned IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering research unit, is using the flood of 2008 as an opportunity to develop better ways to predict future flooding, and help communities live more sustainably near volatile waterways.
Even economic development should benefit from the UI’s commitment to sustainability. The UI College of Engineering is involved with the newly launched Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND), a partnership among the regents universities, community colleges, industry, and the Iowa Department of Economic Development, designed to support the state’s efforts to attract and nurture wind energy and related industries in order to become the nation’s leader in alternate energy technologies.
For more information on the plan and other UI energy conservation efforts visit http://energy.uiowa.edu/
March 14, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged advice, April, berries, black, blueberries, buds, canes, crop, currants, damage, disease, extension, fall-bearing, fruit, gooseberries, grapes, hints, horticulturist, how to, Iowa State University, March, plants, pruning, purple, raspberries, Richard Jauron, shoots, shrubs, spacing, spring, suckers, summer-bearing, tips, trim, winter
Richard Jauron, extension horticulturist at Iowa State University, offers the following on spring pruning of berries and other small fruits:
Small fruits that are commonly grown in home gardens include raspberries, grapes, gooseberries, currants and blueberries. For maximum production, small fruit crops need to be pruned in late winter/early spring (March/early April). Proper pruning procedures for raspberries, grapes, gooseberries, currants and blueberries are outlined below.
Raspberries
The pruning procedures for raspberries are based on the growth and fruiting characteristics of the plants.
Summer-Bearing Red Raspberries
Remove all weak, diseased and damaged canes at ground level in March or early April. Leave the most vigorous canes, those approximately 1/4 inch in diameter when measured 30 inches from the ground. After thinning, remaining canes should be spaced about 6 inches apart.
Also, prune out the tips of the canes that have died due to winter injury. Cut back to live tissue. If the canes sustained little winter dieback, remove the top 1/4 of the canes. Cane-tip removal or “heading-back” prevents the canes from becoming top heavy and bending over under the weight of the crop.
Red raspberries sucker profusely from their roots. Plants should be maintained in a one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow using a rototiller or spade. Remove or destroy those shoots that emerge outside the one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.
Fall-Bearing Red Raspberries (Two Crop System)
Follow the same pruning procedures as described for the summer-bearing red raspberries. This pruning option provides both a summer and fall crop.
Fall-Bearing Red Raspberries (One Crop System)
Prune all canes back to ground level in March or early April. While the plants won’t produce a summer crop, the late summer/early fall crop should mature one to two weeks earlier. Also, total crop yield is typically larger using the one-crop system versus the two-crop system.
Maintain the plants in a one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.
Black and Purple Raspberries
Remove the small, weak canes, leaving only four or five of the largest, most vigorous canes per clump or plant. Cut back the lateral (side) branches to 12 inches in length for black raspberries and 18 inches for purple raspberries.
Grapes
Grapevines produce fruit clusters on the previous season’s growth. Before pruning, a grapevine may have 200 to 300 buds capable of producing fruit. If the vine is not pruned, the number of grape clusters would be excessive and the grapevine would be unable to ripen the large crop or produce adequate vegetative growth.
To maximize crop yields, grapevines are trained to a specific system. The most common training system used by home gardeners is the four-cane Kniffin system. The four-cane Kniffin system is popular because of its simplicity. In the four-cane Kniffin system, the canes of the grapevine grow on two wires, one located three feet above the ground and the second six feet high.
If using the four-cane Kniffin system, select four canes on the upper wire, two going in each direction. Also, select four canes on the lower wire. To aid identification, some gardeners tie brightly colored ribbons or strips of cloth on those canes they wish to retain. All remaining one-year-old canes should be completely removed.
Going back to the upper wire, select two of the remaining four canes (one going in each direction). Prune these canes back to one or two buds. These short one or two bud canes are referred to as renewal spurs. The renewal spurs provide the shoots or canes that will produce next year’s crop. Prune the remaining two canes on the upper wire back to eight to 13 buds. The number of buds left on the fruiting canes is determined by plant vigor. If the grapevine is vigorous, leave 13 buds per cane. Leave only eight buds per cane if the grapevine possesses poor vigor.
Prune the four canes on the lower wire the same as those on the upper wire. When pruning is complete, no more than 60 buds should remain on the grapevine. When counting the number of buds on the grapevine, include both the buds on the fruiting canes and those on the renewal spurs.
Gooseberries and Currants
Gooseberries and currants produce the majority of their fruit on 2- and 3-year-old shoots. Shoots that are 4 years old and older produce very little fruit. After the first growing season, remove all but six to eight vigorous, healthy shoots. The following year, leave four or five 1-year-old shoots and three or four 2-year-old canes. After the third growing season, keep three or four shoots each of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old growth. A properly pruned, established plant should consist of nine to 12 shoots. Pruning of mature plants consists of pruning out all 4-year-old shoots and thinning out some of the new growth.
Blueberries
Blueberry plants are shrubs like currants and gooseberries. Blueberry yields and fruit quality decline when blueberry shoots (stems) reach 5 years of age. In late winter/early spring, prune out any dead or diseased stems. Also, prune out stems that are 5 years old and older. Allow one to two new shoots to develop each year.
The pruning of small fruits really isn’t difficult. It requires a basic understanding of plant growth and pruning techniques, proper pruning equipment and (sometimes) a little bit of courage.
March 16, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air, Cedar Rapids, Clipper, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, eco, energy, Environmental Protection Commission, green, grid, homegrown, Iowa, Linn County, Marty Stimson, power, Rich Leopold, Shearon Elderkin, Sierra Club, St. Patrick's Day, Suzanne Morrow, Turbine Works, turbines, water quality, wind
Going green used to be reserved for St. Patrick’s Day.
Not anymore.
In the past few years, “green” has taken on a different meaning – a movement that embraces an environmentally friendly way of living. The Homegrown blog has always shared in that philosophy and now it’s expanding. Gardening will remain an integral part of the blog, but it will also include the “home” side of Homegrown, as well, with tips and ideas for maintaining an eco-friendly lifestyle, both indoors and out.
With the state’s Environmental Protection Commission in Cedar Rapids for a meeting and tour of Clipper Turbine Works, I thought this would be a good time to launch the Homegrown eco-blog.
The Environmental Protection Commission is a panel of nine Iowans who provide policy oversight for Iowa’s environmental protection efforts. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by a vote of the senate for four-year terms. Air and water quality surrounding Iowa’s confined animal feeding operations, requirements regarding underground storage tanks and climate change are some of the issues the commission addresses.
Two local members are Marty Stimson, a top manager at Clipper Turbine Works in Cedar Rapids, and Shearon Elderkin of Cedar Rapids.
Shearon has served on the Friends of the Linn County Conservation Board, Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Cedar Rapids Garden Club, and the 1000 Friends of Iowa Board. She also has served on the Linn County Conservation Board and the Linn County Integrated Roadside Management Committee.
On Monday, March 16, the commission toured Clipper Turbine Works’ plant at 4601 Bowling St. SW. I wasn’t allowed to take photos inside, but Marty let me take a shot of him outdoors, next to the 150-foot-long blade in front of the plant. The blades aren’t actually manufactured in Cedar Rapids. The Liberty turbines that are made here include the machine base, gearbox and huge hubs, which look like a deep-sea diving helmet out of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
Commission member Suzanne Morrow of Storm Lake said the group takes tours a few times a year to get a better understanding of some of the issues they consider. Marty offered background on Clipper and led the commission members through the plant, along with visitors, two members of the Department of Natural Resources and Rich Leopold, director of the DNR.
The plant itself is “recycled,” formerly serving as FMC Corp. and the former Goss plant. It has 330,000-square-feet for manufacturing and 30,000 for office space. Earlier this year, Clipper laid off about 80 employees, going from a workforce of 350 to 270 in Cedar Rapids. Marty said no orders had been cancelled, but some had been deferred until the economy recovers. In fact, the plant has been increasing the number of turbines produced from eight in 2006, to 137 in 2007 to 300 last year. It will eventually reach a maximum productivity of 500 to 550 turbines produced per year, Marty predicted.
Each 2.5-megawatt Liberty wind turbine costs about $3 million, or just over $3.5 million with installation. Iowa has risen to second in the nation in wind power, with 2,790 megawatts installed, surpassing California, which has 2,517 mw, in third. Texas is the leader in wind power.
Every 1,000 megawatts provides enough electricity to power 300,000 homes and enough to offset 3.4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.
One impediment in providing a steady supply is the nation’s power grid, but Rich Leopold sees hope in President Obama’s stimulus package, which is directing $50 to $60 million to Iowa for energy efficiency, with an additional amount attached to the development of a “smart grid” that can allow wind farms to connect into the grid, a need especially in rural areas.
Marty Stimson at Clipper Turbine Works
March 17, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events, Master Gardeners · Tagged Bud LeFevre, Cedar Rapids, creative gardening series, Distinctive Gardens, Dixon, green, horticulturist, Illinois, Iowa, Kay McWhinney, kirkwood, Linn County, local food, master gardener, peppers, plant, tomatoes, vegetable gardening
Linn County Master Gardener, Kay McWhinney, sent the following on the 2009 Creative Gardening Series:
Each year since 2003, the ISU Linn County Master Gardeners bring well-known speakers in the horticultural realm to the people of Cedar Rapids and surrounding area free of charge. This year, the presentations will be at Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall, in room 234. The first of the three presentations will be 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, and will feature Bud LeFevre, a horticulturist and part owner of Distinctive Gardens, Inc. in Dixon IL. The title of Bud’s talk is “Plant It and It Will Grow-Basic Vegetable Gardening.”
Bud will rouse us out of the winter doldrums and get us almost tasting luscious ripe tomatoes, fat green peppers, and other tasty veggies as he prepares us for the 2009 gardening season with knowledge and enthusiasm on his favorite topic. Bud will speak to the beginner as well as the experienced gardener. Being in the same growing zone as Cedar Rapids, he understands our difficulties and triumphs in growing vegetables. Companion gardening and succession gardening as well as some organic practices will be discussed.
With the evolution of the “Green” movement, advice from economists and nutritionists to eat food produced locally, what better way is there to feed our families with great, fresh vegetables than planting that vegetable patch in the back yard.
Come to this first of three presentations. The second program will be Tuesday, April 7, the third on April 14, same time and place. There will be more information forthcoming on these programs. Come, see how to start a vegetable garden or improve your garden skills as we get fired up about planting those veggies.
March 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, children's garden, chores, Deb Engmark, deciduous, estate, gardener, grape vines, historic, hours, Iowa, lawns, nature study, pruning, rake, spring, trees, winter
Several warm and sunny days this week might make us forget that winter is still with us, officially, at least, until Friday. Deb Engmark, head gardener at the historic Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, sent the following about this time of year:
Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
From the Brucemore Gardens
The lengthening of the days and the warmer temperatures make me want to go outside and get back to gardening along with the rest of the grounds crew here at Brucemore. We have pruned all the deciduous trees and grape vines. The lawns and garden beds have been raked and the orchard will be pruned this week. While failing to pull the greenery used for holiday decorating out of a still frozen container, a somber realization dawned on me: it is still winter and there is a good month left before the real gardening can begin, and before we know it, the whole growing season will have passed by in a blur of continuous activity.
In my haste to hurry up and get busy, I realized that I had almost missed it again—the experience, the wondrous process of late winter merging into spring. With every rain drop and ray of sunshine, change is taking place. We all know this but rarely take the time to observe and enjoy. This year I vow to observe and enjoy with total presence, and I will stay conscious and aware during every season and transition of the year. Through Cindy’s blog, (thank you Cindy) I will share my experiences and offer tips and ideas for you to use in your own gardens.
I encourage you and yours to participate wholeheartedly also. Come visit the Brucemore gardens and grounds to experience the seasons this year. Our gates are open during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and often from dawn to dusk. Stroll the grounds, formal gardens, pond, timber, and orchard. Stop by the children’s garden to pick up a monthly activity sheet, which offers suggestions for additional nature study opportunities.
I would love to hear what you are doing also! Please feel free to send me any suggestions, ideas, or tips from your own gardens and explorations.
Deb Engmark
Brucemore Head Gardener
2160 Linden Dr. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
deb@brucemore.org
www.brucemore.org
March 19, 2009
· Filed under Your photos · Tagged bleeding heart, Cedar Rapids, columbine, flowers, image, Iowa, Jack in the pulpit, Jay McWherter, Le Sacre du Printemps, Linn County, master composter, master gardener, photos, Rite of Spring, spring, tulips
For Stravinsky fans, Le Sacre du Printemps…
Spring officially begins Friday, March 20, and Jay McWherter, a master gardener and master composter from Cedar Rapids, sent these flower photos to get everyone in the springtime spirit. If you have plant photos or others you’d like to share, attach them in an email and send to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Please include where they were shot and a little bit about what the pictures show. I’ll post as many as I can to “Your Photos.”
Blue columbine
Bleeding heart
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Tulips
March 21, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answers, apple, bags, barrels, Bev Lillie, cans, Cedar Rapids, containers, Ed Hume Seeds, flower garden, fruit trees, garbage, gardening, grow, Iowa, Japanese iris, lamium, Linn County, lungwort, Master Gardeners, orchard, pear, perennials, plants, plastic, potato, prune, pulmonaria, questions, rain, shade, spray, straw, tires, tubers, turtlehead, water, when
Tom from Cedar Rapids left a question that hopefully someone in this area can answer. He asked the following:
I’m looking at harvesting some of the water that comes off my roof, but I haven’t found a good source for rain barrels in the greater CR, IA area. Where’s a good place to get one?
Thanks!
If you have an answer for Tom, leave your comment below.
Pam and Leora last week asked the following:
I have started a flower garden in the front of my home which is facing east but does get some south sun on part of the garden area. I love flowering plants but I have not done a good job with finding appropriate plants. Does anyone have ideas of various plants that are perennials to put here?
How soon should you start trimming the fruit trees: apple and pear? What other tips should I know to get the trees ready for spring? I have heard a lot about spraying the trees so what should I use?
We have heard of growing potatoes in tires, but need to know the procedure. We have two big tractor tires to work with. Please help us.
Gardeners can be a shy bunch, but Bev Lillie, Master Gardener coordinator for Linn County, was able to get answers from some of the Linn County Master Gardeners.
Here’s what they said about the pear and apple trees: prune fruit trees in late winter/early spring. Apply a fungicide/insecticide, e.g., home orchard spray biweekly after the blossoms drop.
As for what perennials to plant, if the site is in partial sun or shade, you can find suggestions at the Iowa State Extension Web site by searching on partial shade plants: www.extension.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/
Some of my favorites include Japanese iris, which flower in early to midsummer; turtlehead, which grows 2-3 feet tall and has pretty pink or white flowers in the fall, and for foliage plants lungwort or pulmonaria and the groundcover lamium, which stays green almost year-round and flowers during the spring, summer and fall.
For the potato question, Ed Hume Seed’s Web site: http://www.humeseeds.com/index.htm offered some possibilities. My mom has had success with the first method, which uses straw and might work in large tires, as well.
Straw: For centuries, Scandinavians have grown potatoes in stacks of straw or other mulching material. Potatoes are planted above ground in the straw, and as the vines begin to grow, additional straw` or mulch is mounded up around the base of the plants. This results in a yield of very clean potatoes. New potatoes can be harvested easily even before the potato vines mature completely.
Under plastic or in plastic garbage bags: Garden soil or a commercial potting soil can be used to grow the potatoes in the bags, Fold over the top half of the bag, fill with soil, and plant a certified seed potato that has been cut in half. The plastic bag can be set above ground wherever it’s convenient. Punch holes in the bottom of the bag for drainage.
You also can plant potatoes under black plastic. Cut open a piece of the black plastic, and plant a potato piece. The potato tubers will develop as they would in the open ground. However, the tubers that develop close to the surface of the soil are shaded by the black plastic and should not develop the green inedible portions that often are found on other tubers. The black plastic also will aid in controlling weeds.
Garbage cans or containers: Old garbage cans, or wooden or fiberboard-type containers are suitable for growing potatoes, if they have adequate drainage. You can conserve space by growing them in this manner. A word of caution, though: The plants tend to dry out more rapidly when grown in containers, so additional watering will be needed. Otherwise, you’re likely to end up with misshapen tubers.
Pulmonaria, or lungwort, in bloom
March 23, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged conservation, farms, Gwen's Restaurant, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, landowners, Laura Krouse, Linn, Lisbon, Mount Vernon, NRCS, tour, USDA, women, Women Caring for the Land
Women who own or manage farmland in three eastern Iowa counties – Johnson, Jones and Linn – are invited to participate in a free conservation tour on Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The tour is for women who are farm partners, sole owner-operators, or inheritors of any size farm.
The tour is a part of a conservation education program called “Women Caring for the Land,” which began with informational meetings in February in each of the three counties. All interested women are welcome to attend the tour, whether or not they attended the meetings. They will visit several farms in the three-county area that have implemented good conservation and resource management techniques on their land.
The group will meet at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church, 212 7th St. SE, Mt. Vernon. Women may drive their own vehicles (carpooling is encouraged) or for those who prefer not to drive, a van will be provided. The tour will take several hours, with a lunch stop around noon at Gwen’s Restaurant, 119 W. Main St., Lisbon. Participants should bring money for lunch, and wear shoes that can get muddy.
For more information, contact project coordinator Laura Krouse of Mt. Vernon at 319-895-6924. This project is sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in partnership with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with funding from the McKnight Foundation. A final informational meeting will be held April 15; call Laura for more details.
March 24, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Chuck Porto, drying flowers, gardening club, Gracie Mayer, Iowa City, Johnson County, KXIC, Lois Lee, Marilou Gay, Mary Stigers, master gardener, pressing, senior center, University of Iowa
Seniors in the Iowa City area are invited to check out the Senior Center Garden Club. The club meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month in room 202 at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center. Start at 9:30 am for conversation, coffee and refreshments, followed by the program at 10 am. The club has a variety of programs including speakers, video presentations, field trips, and conversations related to a shared interest in the growing of plants or the care of the environment.
Senior Center membership is required for on-going participation in the Garden Club. However, you can try it out for free during the month of March. (Membership is $25/year for Iowa City residents, a bit more for those who live outside the Iowa City limits.)
Already this month, the members heard from Mary Stigers, groundskeeper at the University of Iowa, who described and showed photos of seasonal plantings on the University grounds and at the president’s Home. They were also audience guests at Chuck Porto’s KXIC radio garden show broadcast.
This Friday, March 27, will be Johnson County Master Gardener Marilou Gay’s program “Collecting Flowers for Drying and Pressing.”
For questions, call Gracie Mayer at (319) 338-1775 or Lois Lee at (319) 354-0699.
March 25, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged asiatic, Becki Lynch, bulbs, care, Claire Smith, Deb Walser, drainage, Easter lily, flower bed, grasses, hosta, houseplants, lawn and garden show, lawn mower, Linn County, master gardener, oriental, perennials, roots, shredder, soil amendments, vegetable, white lillies, yard work
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, who wrote this on a more pleasant day than today:
Yes, Mr. Rogers, it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. And presentations by Master Gardeners Deb Walser on New Perennials and Becki Lynch on Grasses at the Lawn and Garden Show last weekend got me really, really motivated to work in the yard. As I moaned about achy muscles, my favorite Granddaughter Catie, chided me for not stretching before grabbing the rake and nippers. Now is a great time to commence waking your flower and vegetable beds. If you have heavy concentrations of leaves and debris in the beds packed down by snow and ice, rake them out and fire up the lawn mower or shredder. Fluff the mulch and add the shredded leaves to the top of it. Air, water and nutrients need to reach dormant roots and bulbs. Encourage drainage. Poorly drained soil or standing water will cause roots and bulbs to rot. Think soil amendments. Add compost to your beds. If you’re thinking of having the soil tested, now is a good time and you can pick up the test from the Extension Office. I got about half my beds trimmed and raked out today before I ran out of energy. During a break I enjoyed cold tea instead of hot coffee, and planned further for the new bed I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I know where the old seeder wagon and garden gate can stand. I know approximately how much mulch and grass cloth to purchase. And, I know about how many Hostas to buy at the Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale. I’ll broach the subject of the stone erosion control area to my favorite son at a later date.
Draw a diagram of your deck and create an interesting focal point using your houseplants grouped with potted annuals. Several years ago another Master Gardener suggested moving house plants outside for the summer. It’s amazing how they thrive. Just remember to keep them out of the direct, hot sunlight. Get them ready now by repotting, if necessary. Begin watering and fertilizing lightly and gradually increase exposure to sunlight.
Achy muscles aside, the fresh air and sunshine were so welcome. I’m anxious to get back out and clean up the remainder of the gardens.
P.S. Many of you will be receiving or purchasing Hardy Oriental, Asiatic or traditional white lilies soon. Keep them healthy by placing them in a cool, bright location in your home. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Perforate or remove the decorative foil so the water doesn’t collect in the decorative pot or basket. Remember to place the pot on a saucer to prevent spills. Continue to care for the lily after the flowers fade because they can be planted outdoors. The planting site should be in full sun with well drained soil. Lilies create beautiful backdrops or vertical accents.
March 25, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged acres, conservation, environment, HR 146, law, monument, Nancy Pelosi, national parks, Obama, President, public lands, rivers, Senate, speaker, trails, wilderness
I’ll have more Thursday on Cedar Rapids farmers markets. For now, this just came in from Nancy Pelosi’s office on protecting public lands for future generations:
Washington, D. C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement following passage of H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, by a vote of 285 to 140. The bill was passed by the Senate last week and now goes to President Obama for his signature into law:
“Today, the House passed a landmark bill to conserve public lands for future generations of Americans. This bipartisan legislation creates more than 2 million new acres of wilderness, and provides the greatest expansion of wilderness areas in 15 years, including more than 700,000 acres in my own state of California.
“The public lands bill protects a thousand miles of rivers—a 50 percent increase in the wild and scenic river system. It establishes new national trails, national parks, national conservation areas, and a new national monument. It provides the protection of law to the National Landscape Conservation System, which was created administratively in 2000 to manage the ‘crown jewels’ of the Bureau of Land Management, containing some of the most spectacular landscapes in the West.
“In this challenging time of drought in the West, the lands act also includes numerous water-related provisions that will help manage the drought, improve aging infrastructure, recharge groundwater supplies, and promote the reuse and recycling of water. The bill also contains a historic settlement to restore the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley of California.
“The provisions in this bill were developed in communities across America by local supporters, working together with their elected representatives. As a result, the bill enjoys broad support from wildlife, conservation, hunting and fishing, and outdoor business groups across the country. This is a day of celebration for all who treasure and enjoy our natural and cultural heritage.”
March 26, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged April, Cedar Rapids, downtown, farmers market, flooding, floods, Greene Square Park, Hiawatha, Iowa, Iowa City, May, Noelridge Park, roundhouse, schedule, Teresa White, vendors, when
Iowa City officials are handling a potential move of its farmers markets from a covered parking ramp – on an occasional basis to a busier site a few blocks away - by talking to market vendors. Cedar Rapids has a different way of changing its farmers market sites and doesn’t have to jump through the same hoops as Iowa City. A couple years ago, some vendors and customers were upset over the move from the covered Riverside Roundhouse in Cedar Rapids to an open air market at the city parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE. Market officials say the new site is no longer an issue for customers or vendors. Nevertheless, Teresa White, the city’s farmers market supervisor, decided to move the Thursday markets from Eighth Avenue to Greene Square Park. “I just want to be different,” she said. Teresa also hopes the market will be a boost for workers in downtown Cedar Rapids, which is still recovering from last June’s flood.
Greene Square is quite a convenience for those of us who work in The Gazette, as the park is just outside our office. What do you think? Will that move be a good one? And what should become of the roundhouse? Is it just a relic that should be demolished with other flood-damaged buildings?
I will be updating the farmers market schedule for as many in Eastern Iowa as I can find and will post it here later this spring. Most markets don’t start until May, although the Hiawatha one usually gets a head start in April.
If you are a market master, have information on a farmers market or know of a new one, you can send the info to me at: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com or leave a message below. Please include a contact name and phone number.
Here is the Cedar Rapids farmers market schedule for this season:
Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE parking lot will be May 2 through Oct. 24; Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon, except when the Downtown Farmers Markets are held. Thursday markets will be 4-6 p.m. in Greene Square Park, from June 11 through Aug. 27.
Noelridge Park farmers markets, from May 1 through Oct. 23, are 4-6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The larger Downtown Farmers Markets – with a record 160 vendors this year – are 7:30 a.m. to noon on June 6 and 20; July 18; Aug. 1 and 15; Sept. 5 and Oct. 3.
March 27, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Earth Day, Earth Hour, global, hour, Iowa, lights, March 28, when, WWF
Earth Day isn’t until April 22, but you can get a head start with Earth Hour this weekend.
At 8.30 pm Saturday, March 28, 2009, 2,848 cities in 83 countries will switch off their lights for Earth Hour in a moment of global solidarity.
According to Earth Hour’s Web site (an initiative of World Wildlife Fund) millions of people from all walks of life and corners of the world will participate in Earth Hour from small island nations of the South Pacific to the densely populated cities of the Americas, casting their vote in the world’s first global election between Earth and global warming. See: www.earthhour.org/home
Will anyone here be participating?
March 28, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged All-Iowa Horticulture, April, Becki Lynch, birdhouse, Blue Gold, Brucemore, care, Cedar Rapids, chickens, curb appeal, Earth Day, Easter, economy, eggs, Elvin McDonald, Environmental Film Festival, events, fields, flocks, food, fruit, gardening, gourd, green, greenhouse, grow, habitat, Hiawatha, hike, hoophouse, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Iowa City, ISU, Judy Kash, kirkwood, landscape, landscaping, Laura Krouse, Linn County, March, Marion, Master Gardeners, Matt Nachtrieb, moon walk, Mount Vernon, native grass, no-till, noelridge, O.C. Simonds, organic, Ottumwa, perennials, planter, plants, prairie, Rich Patterson, Sarah Hinzman, seeds, Shirley Remes, society, toad house, Trees Forever, twig art, vegetable gardens, water, Wha'la, Wickiup Hill, wildflowers, wine, worms, yard
Area events for late March/April 2009. If you know of others in the coming weeks, add a comment below or send an email to cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Sat. March 28 – 1-3 p.m., Grant Wood Elementary School gym, 1930 Lakeside Dr., Iowa City – Building your home’s curb appeal: free landscaping seminar shows what it takes. Now that spring has arrived, you may have noticed that the nicer the weather gets, the worse your lawn starts to look. A little yard work may help spruce things up. If you’re interested in learning more about how to improve the appearance of your property and the curb appeal of your home, plan to attend a series of informational presentations. There is no charge to attend, and door prizes will be given away each hour. Presentations will include Curb Appeal, Easy-to-Care-For Landscaping, and information on the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors (ICAAR) Tool Shed, a garden tool-loaning program. This event is sponsored by ICAAR Fair Housing Ambassadors, Iowa City Landscaping, Grant Wood Neighborhood Association and the City of Iowa City Neighborhood Services Division. It was funded in part by a City of Iowa City PIN grant (Program for Improving Neighborhoods) awarded to the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association.
For more information, contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator, at 356-5237 or e-mail Marcia-bollinger@iowa-city.org.
Tues., March 31 – 1-3 p.m., Converting a traditional planter to adapt to no-tilled fields isn’t as costly and difficult as some might think. The Iowa Learning Farm is hosting a planter clinic at Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, to demonstrate how to convert to a no-till planter. The clinic will include a presentation by local NRCS staff about the benefits of no-till and residue management, a demonstration by Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension Agricultural Engineer, on how to convert to a conventional planter to a no-till planter and a panel discussion with farmers who practice no-till. The clinic will be held at 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW at the Tippie Beef Education Center arena, located on the southeast side of campus. The planter is the key for no-tillage as it is likely the only machinery that moves the soil for seed placement. Seed depth and seed-to-soil contact are keys to emergence when planting through residue, says Hanna. The benefits of no-till are numerous. Equipment needs are minimal, labor costs are reduced, and there is less soil compaction when field passes are eliminated. Also organic matter builds in the soil over time. The farmer panel at this clinic may address some of these issues and how they overcame the barriers to no-till. The planter clinic is open to the public and there is no charge for the event. Registration begins at 12:30. To RSVP or for more information about the clinic, contact Farm Conservation Liaison Erin Harpenau, 515/509-4768, email: erinharp@iastate.edu
Wed. April 1 - 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Starting Garden Transplants. Linn County Master Gardener Zora Ronan discusses growing vegetable and flower transplants successfully at home. Call (319) 393-1414.
Thurs., April 2 – 7 p.m., Tiny Gardens, Lots of Food. Are you interested in less expensive food that is also fresher and safer? Join Judy Kash at the Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids, for suggestions and encouragement for growing some of your own food—even with limited garden space, time, money, and experience. Explore ideas for combining production and beauty in your new edible landscape. For questions or to register, call 362-0664. Member fee for this program is $5, nonmembers are $8.
Fri., April 3- Sat., April 4, The largest All-Iowa horticulture exposition in 100 years will be held in Ottumwa, Iowa at the Bridge View Conference Center. The exposition, billed as the state fair of horticulture, is sponsored and coordinated by the Iowa State Horticultural Society, and supported by over 20 in-state horticulture associations and Iowa State University Extension. Nearly 100 vendors are expected to exhibit plants, art, garden supplies, and lawn equipment. A wine village featuring Iowa wineries is also planned. Additionally, the Expo will feature three concurrent educational seminar tracks featuring experts from around the state and region. Topics will cover the gamut of horticultural specialties including honey production, growing herbaceous perennials, panel sessions of wine and arboriculture experts, rain gardens, organic lawn care, sustainability in the home garden, children’s gardening, and much more. The Expo will offer anyone, novice to professional to engage in Iowa’s diverse and vibrant horticulture industry. Elvin McDonald, renowned horticultural author and former editor-at-large for Better Homes & Gardens® will be the keynote speaker for the inaugural All-Iowa Horticulture Exposition on April 3. His lecture “Why I Love to Garden” will begin at 10:00 AM. Twenty-four breakout sessions on Friday and Saturday will offer attendees a wide variety of topical information that showcases the diversity of Iowa horticulture and gardening. Top speakers for these sessions include Susan Appleget Hurst, senior associate editor at Better Homes & Gardens® and Kathleen Ziemer, known throughout the area as “the butterfly lady”. A number of ISU Extension personnel will also be present including Dr. Jeff Iles, Dr. Eldon Everhart, Dr. Cindy Haynes, Dr. Patrick O’Malley, Dr. Nick Christians, Dr. Kathleen Delate, Andy Larson, and Dennis Portz. Please visit www.iowahort.org for more information about speakers, topics, and times. Single and two-day registration packages are available. Visit www.iowahort.org for registration forms or contact your local ISU Extension Office. For more information call 641-683-6260.
Sun., April 5 – 2 p.m., Chickens in the Yard. Before the advent of industrial agriculture and long distance food shipping, many families kept small flocks of chickens in backyards… even in the city. Join Indian Creek Nature Center Director Rich Patterson to learn how you can do the same. “In this day and age when incomes are stretched thin and costs are high the Nature Center is hosting a series of programs that may help people become more self sufficient in food,” said Patterson. Discover how to convert table scraps and garden weeds into delicious eggs. Learn the ins and outs of keeping a few chickens for fun and food. The member fee for this program is $5, nonmember fee is $8. Please call 362-0664 with any questions or to register for the program.
Tues., April 7 – 6:30-8:30 p.m., Using Prairie Wildflowers and Native Grasses in Iowa Landscapes, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall Room 234, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids. Neil Diboll will present the process of establishing prairie gardens and meadows using either plants or seeds, in both small and large venues. He will highlight the top prairie wildflower and grasses for landscape use, along with specific step by step procedures for achieving success. Diboll is a Prairie Ecologist for Prairie Nursery and produces native plants and seeds and designs native landscapes. Since he began in 1982, he as devoted his efforts to championing the use of prairie plants, as well as native trees, shrubs and wetland plants, in contemporary American landscapes. The session is free. See web site: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn
Wed. April 8 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Garden Lighting. Why only enjoy the beauty during the day? You don’t have to be an electrician to be able to enhance your garden in the evening! Linn County Master Gardener Deb Walser will discuss placement, types of lighting, and transformer options – let there be lite!
Wed. April 8- 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Thurs. April 9, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Mount Vernon. Come get dirty down on the farm while learning from an expert how to construct a hoophouse. Practical Farmers of Iowa is hosting a two day hoophouse training build workshop at Laura Krouse’s Abbe Hills Farm near Mount Vernon. Adam Montri will lead the workshop. Hoophouses are structures that extend the season on fruit and vegetable farms by providing a protected environment. This training build will address hoophouse construction through an actual build of a 35 foot by 96 foot double poly hoophouse. Participants will learn techniques and tips to efficiently and effectively build a hoophouse, and will have opportunities to ask questions related to design and construction of the hoophouse as well as how to grow vegetables 12 months out of the year without supplemental light or heating. Wednesday will start with a light breakfast at 8:00 a.m., and the workshop will begin at 8:30. Participants will break at noon for lunch. Meals and refreshments will be provided, including dinner at 7:00 p.m. when work is done for the day. Thursday will commence at 8:00 a.m. with a light breakfast. The workshop begins at 8:30. Lunch will be served at noon, and the field day will end at 4:30. Adam Montri is the Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm. He works with farmers around the state on year-round vegetable production in hoophouses through on-farm economic research projects, one-on-one production consultations, and hoophouse training builds in rural and urban sites. He and his wife Dru and daughter Lydia own and operate Ten Hens Farm, a year-round farm, in Bath, MI. Laura Krouse and her summer workers on Abbe Hills Farm produce vegetables for a 200-family CSA from June through October. She hopes the addition of the hoophouse will extend the garden season until Christmas. Laura also grows seed for an open pollinated variety of corn that has been selected on the 72-acre farm since 1903. A number of soil conservation and water quality practices have been established, including a restored upland wetland surrounded by native prairie. Primarily chemical-free practices are used to manage soil fertility and pests. Directions to Abbe Hills Farm: 825 Abbe Hills Road, Mount Vernon. From Highway 30 and Highway 1 south of Mt. Vernon: Go north at the 4-way stop of Highways 30 and 1. Go uptown to the stoplight. Turn left and go west to 8th Ave/ X20. You will be in front of Cornell College. Turn right and go north a little more than 1 mile out of town. Turn left and go west on Abbe Hills Road a little more than 1 mile. There are two red sheds on the north side of the road (and soon to be a big HOOPHOUSE). The address is 825 Abbe Hills Road. From Highway 1 north of Mt. Vernon: At the stoplight in downtown Mt. Vernon, turn right and go west to 8th Ave/ X20. You will be in front of Cornell College. Turn right and go north a little more than 1 mile out of town. Turn left and go west on Abbe Hills Road a little more than 1 mile. There are two red sheds on the north side of the road (and soon to be a big HOOPHOUSE). The address is 825 Abbe Hills Road. This field day is free, and everybody is welcome. RSVP is required by April 3 to Sally Worley, sally@practicalfarmers.org, (515)232-5661.
Fri., April 10 – 8:30 p.m., Spring Moon Walk, Indian Creek Nature Center. Enjoy the smells, sounds, and sights of a springtime evening on the trails. Walk to a high point of the Nature Center to view the moonlit landscape below. Adults: M: $3, NM: $5. Children: $1.
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Sat., April 11 – 1:30 p.m., Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, 10260 Morris Hills Rd., Toddville, Iowa. Earth Month Wildflower Walk. Enjoy a leisurely woodland walk, celebrate spring and learn ways to have less impact on our planet. Cost: $2.50/adult, $1/child 16 and under or $5/family.
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319.892.6485
Sat., April 11 and Sun., April 12 – 11 a.m., to 5 p.m., Easter Open House, Noelridge Greenhouse, Cedar Rapids. Features aquarium display by the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association and Indian Creek Nature Center displays, along with a beekeeper. Free plant for first 500 children under age 12.
Tues., April 14 – 6:30-8:30 p.m., Don’t Fence Me In – Creating Garden Rooms Without Walls, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall Room 234, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids. With colorful slides that Shirley Remes has taken of garden rooms in historic public gardens as well as delightful homeowner gardens, she will demonstrate how to create easy and affordable garden rooms in your own yard, large or small. Dividing a landscape into garden rooms not only creates more enjoyable living space but solves practical space problems. Photographer, journalist, lecturer and treasurer of the national Garden Writers Association, Remes is field editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine and writes for Cottage Living, Organic Gardening and Victoria magazines. The session is free. See web site: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn
Tues., April 14 – 5:30-6:30 p.m., Culver’s Garden Center & Greenhouse, 1682 Dubuque Road (Highway 151 East), Marion. Veggies and Herbs in Pots and Containers. The free seminar will focus on growing vegetables, herbs and more in containers in order to enjoy the benefits of homegrown produce, even in limited space. Participants are asked to RSVP by calling (319) 377-4195.
Wed. April 15 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Revitalizing Your Garden. For the novice or experienced gardener, this class covers beginning or re-working the soil prep, planting, transplanting, and pruning for your beds. Linn County Master Gardener Lori Klopfenstein will also cover tools, design principals, and “go to” resources for all your garden needs.
Sat., April 18 – 9:30 a.m., Earth Day Tree Planting, Indian Creek Nature Center. Help diversify the woods as part of a wetland restoration. Bring a shovel, wear old clothes, and be prepared to get dirty. Participate in a tree planting ceremony “on behalf of Sacred Mother Earth,” facilitated by Wha’la, a Cree man from Squamish Territory. The ceremony is a Chanupa or Pipe ceremony. He will offer songs and direction to us from his traditional way of life. Trees Forever Field Coordinator Matt Nachtrieb will demonstrate the best way to plant a tree. Free.
Sat., April 18 – 8:30 a.m., Herbert Hoover National Historic Site will kick off National Park Week with a spring restoration project in the 81-acre tallgrass prairie. Volunteers are needed to help remove weeds from a recent planting of native prairie grasses and flowers. Volunteers interested in helping at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site should contact Adam Prato at (319) 643-7855 by Friday, April 17. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable work clothes. Water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are recommended. Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. for an orientation and to get signed up. Work in the prairie will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80.
Sat., April 18, Habitat for Humanity Restore Go Green expo., 725 N. Center Point Rd., Hiawatha.
Sat., April 18 – Creative Gardening Hands ON Workshops, Linn County Extension, 3279 7th Avenue, Suite 140, Marion, Iowa. Register and pre-pay materials fee by April 10th, call: 319-377-9839
9:00am–10:30am • Twig Art
Have fun using garden prunings to create a pot trellis. The project will include the pot, soil and plants. The participant will supply a hand pruner, wire cutter, needle nose pliers (optional) and scissors. Shelby Foley, Linn County Master Gardener, leads this class. Materials fee: $10 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 20 participants.
11:00am–12:30pm • Build a Toad House
Parents, delight your child with this fun filled morning. Accompany your child as they enjoy the hands-on experience of making a mosaic toad house with Linn County Master Gardener, Karla McGrail. Materials fee: $10 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 25 participants, age 7 and up.
1:00pm–3:00pm • Building A Gourd Birdhouse
Members of the Iowa Gourd Society will share their expertise and provide sturdy gourds for this fun project. All materials will be furnished to construct and decorate a unique, functional birdhouse. Won’t it be fun to watch the birds flock to their new home this spring? Materials fee: $30 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 25 participants.
Sat., April 18 – 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency – 1954 County Home Rd. Marion, Earth Day Dumpster Dive
Bring a load of waste to the agency and let the staff show you what can be recycled. All loads chosen as recycled, will be recycled and disposed of free of charge. No appointment necessary and Linn County Residents can bring their items from 10am to 2pm.
Sun., April 19 – 3-5 p.m.,
Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, Iowa City Public Library, Room A, 123 South Linn Street, Iowa City. Blue Gold: World Water Wars Host: FAIR! Film Overview: www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com In today’s world, corporate giants force developing countries to allow privitization of their public water supply. As water enters the global market place, corporate giants, private investors and corrupt governments vie for control of our fresh water supply. A line is crossed when water becomes a commodity. So the stage is set for world water wars, with a new geo-political map and power structure, and the possibility of military involvement. The film shows numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war.” Will we survive? Based on the groundbreaking book, “Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water” by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke. Winner of the Vancouver International Film Festival Film Audience Award.
Wed. April 22 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Container Gardens. Container gardens do not have to be three geranium, asparagus fern and vinca vines. Come see what can be done with the newest annuals for your containers. Linn County Master Gardener Deb Walser’s own containers will be featured along with planting instructions. You will never have a plain container again.
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Wed., April 22 – noon-4 p.m., Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, Earth Day Guided Hikes. AmeriCorps Naturalist Sarah Hinzman will lead a 45 minute spring-themed hike every hour on the hour beginning at noon. The last hike of the day is at 4:00 p.m. Meet her at the kiosk area on the lower end of the long sidewalk. Donations accepted.
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Wed., April 22 – 4 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library: Kids and Worms: Composting. First-Fourth graders, get you hands dirty and learn how composting with worms can help our Earth. Space is limited to thirty kids 150 West Willman St., Hiawatha, Iowa 319.393.1414
Thurs., April 23 – 6 p.m., Welcome the changing of the seasons by joining the Brucemore gardeners for the Spring Landscape Hike. Brucemore, Iowa’s only National Trust Historic Site, is located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 90-minute hike will emphasize the renewal of spring through the sights and sounds found on the Brucemore estate. Experience a sea of budding bluebells, wildflowers sprouting, and the pond awakening after winter’s slumber. Brucemore gardeners take participants off the beaten path into the natural areas of the 26-acre estate. The tour will explore current issues of preservation and public use as well as the seasonal chores spring requires. Hear stories of the spring activities of the Brucemore families, like picking wildflowers for May Day baskets, and much more. Participants will have ample opportunity to ask questions and seek advice about their own gardens. Admission is $10.00 per person and $7.00 per Brucemore member. Space is limited, call (319) 362-7375 to reserve your spot or register online at www.brucemore.org
Sat., April 25 – 6-8 p.m., Mid American AeroSpace – 280 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Recycle in Style. Join area resale shops for a fashion show like no other. All models will be sporting clothing from consignment, thrift and resale shops. Get some great money saving ideas at this one of a kind event. Ticket information available by calling 319-377-5290.
Tues., April 28 – 6 p.m., Natives: Planting, Caring, and Options Workshop. Spring has arrived! Learn easy and effective ways to “go green” in your gardens and landscapes this year by utilizing native Iowa plants. Planting indigenous flora is the most effective way to create sustainable and healthy gardens and landscapes. Join Master Gardener Becki Lynch for a native Iowa plants and prairie history workshop, in the Brucemore Visitor Center. Brucemore’s own gardens and grounds were originally designed in the 1900s by O.C. Simonds, a founder of the Prairie School landscape movement, who advocated a strong conservation ethic in landscape design. Simonds planted local forbs and grasses to develop the Brucemore grounds into “outdoor rooms.” Using indigenous flora exemplifies environmental stewardship and helps to curb natural resource depletion. Planting with natives is also a great way to preserve Iowa’s unique prairie history. Lynch shares how to identify and incorporate indigenous plants in your own gardens and landscapes. Join the many Iowa gardeners who are preserving our beautiful Iowa heritage. $15 per person and $10 per Brucemore member. Space is limited call (319) 362-7375 or register online now.
Wed. April 29 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Lawns Green With Envy. Linn County Master Gardener Jerry Schmidt will give you advice on how to turn your grass into a lawn. Find out the best ways to rid your lawn of weeds, mushrooms, bare spots, and all those digging critters.
March 29, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged April, blooming, cold, daffodils, flowers, garden, insulation, Iowa, kill, lawn, March, March madness, onions, plants, potatoes, season, snow, tulips, weather
Sunday’s Homegrown Highlights column in the Gazette shows that a) the only thing predictable about March weather is that it’s unpredictable and b) our columns for Sunday’s newspaper are written in advance. Hopefully, no one dug under several inches of snow to begin “waking the garden.”
In fact, the snow acts as insulation for plants from the cold. Ones that have already bloomed might be done for the season after being buried under snow, but those that were just emerging – tulips, daffodils (at least those here in Cedar Rapids that have not blossomed yet) and others should be fine.
I’ve been able to resist the temptation to begin yard work even on those beautiful, sunny and 70-degree days of March, and I will at least for the first couple weeks in April. Until the ground is fairly dry – much less soggy than what it’s been recently – it’s really best to stay off the lawns and out of flower beds. I know a few vegetable gardeners who already planted potatoes and onions before this weekend’s snow. Some vegetables are more tolerant of the cold and can survive even in weather like this. Just remember, there’s no reason to jump the gun on yard work. Enjoy each season as it unfolds. There will be plenty of time for outdoor work in the months to come.
March 30, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged cookies, Girl Scouts, newspaper, plastic, pots, recycle, recycling, seedlings, seeds, start, Thanks-A-Lot, Thin Mints, video
I don’t have the calorie count on the cookies, but the empty containers from Girl Scouts’ “Thanks-A-Lot” cookies are the perfect size to hold three seedling pots. (Don’t try to cheat with Thin Mints, which are packaged in foil.) Go ahead and share your Thanks-A-Lot cookies with someone or take them to work, then reuse the plastic container for plants that you start indoors and know that you’re doing your part to help the environment. And, if you’re using newspaper for the seed-starting pots, that’s doubly good!
seed-starting pots
If you’d like to try making the newspaper pots, you can click on the link below for a short video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/Yh_Szm79VQw
March 31, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air, Cedar Rapids, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Iowa, Jim Hodina, Johnson Elementary, Linn County Public Health, manganese, outdoor, pollution, schools, toxic, USA Today
Johnson Elementary in Cedar Rapids was not included in a list the Environmental Protection Agency released today of schools that will be monitored for outdoor air pollution.
The EPA, state and local agencies will work together to monitor air toxics around 62 schools in 22 states that are located near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA identified the schools based on information – from a newspaper analysis – that raised questions about air quality.
Roland-Story High School in Story City, north of Ames, was the only Iowa school included on the EPA monitoring list.
Johnson Elementary ranked among schools nationwide with the worst outdoor air quality, according to a report in December by USA Today.
Linn County Public Health officials disputed the report, and held a meeting in February at Johnson Elementary, 355 18th St. SE.
Jim Hodina, supervisor of the air quality division at Linn County Public Health, discussed air quality issues with about 15 parents at the school.
The USA Today report said the main chemical of concern was manganese, emitted from Cedarapids Inc. 909 17th St. NE. The model used by USA Today suggested all of the manganese generated at the plant was released into the air. Cedarapids Inc. generates dust in its plant from cutting metal, Hodina said, but not all of the dust leaves the building.
For more information about Linn County Public Health’s response to the air quality report, go to: www.linncleanair.org
Here is the EPA press release:
(Washington, D.C. – March 31, 2009) In an unprecedented effort to help protect children from toxic air pollution around schools, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced a list of schools that will undergo outdoor air monitoring.
“As a mother, I understand that concerned parents deserve this information as quickly as we can gather and analyze it,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA, state, and local officials are mobilizing to determine where elevated levels of toxics pose a threat, so that we can take swift action to protect our children at their schools.”
EPA, state and local agencies will work together to monitor air toxics around 62 schools in 22 states that are located near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA identified these schools for monitoring based on information that raised questions about air quality. That information included the best data available to EPA scientists about air pollution in the vicinity of schools, results of a computer modeling analysis, results from a recent newspaper analysis, and information from state and local air agencies.
Depending on the availability of staff and equipment, monitoring at some schools on the list will begin almost immediately; other schools will begin monitoring over the next 60 to 90 days. State and local air agencies will install and operate the monitors, while EPA will purchase the monitors and pay for laboratory analysis.
State and local agencies will take periodic samples of the air around the schools for a 60-day period. EPA will analyze the results of the monitoring and share the information with the schools and the public. EPA will use the information gathered in this initiative to determine how best to move forward, which could require additional monitoring or enforcement action where appropriate.
EPA and states will work with school communities to ensure they understand the monitoring results. In addition to monitoring the outdoor air quality, EPA also will help interested schools improve the quality of their indoor air.
To learn more about this program and to view the list of schools that are part of the monitoring initiative: http://www.epa.gov/schoolair
April 1, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Angela Gadzik, artificial hormones, biofools, biofuels, Caitlin Seeley, Cedar Rapids, Child Nutrition Act, cows, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Iowa City, milk, New Pioneer, organic, Paul Deaton, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Rainforest Action Network, rBGH, Roberts Dairy, schools, Sen. Charles Grassley, Sen. Tom Harkin, Stephanie Rynning, Theresa Carbrey, University of Iowa
New Thursday: see Sen. Chuck Grassley’s response to ”Biofools” list below…
Milk and cookies outside Sen. Harkin's Cedar Rapids office
Photo: Paul Deaton, of Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility; Angela Gadzik, University of Iowa student and volunteer with Food and Water Watch and Stephanie Rynning, UI student and intern with Food and Water Watch, listen Wednesday as Theresa Carbrey, at right, addresses the benefits of organic milk outside Sen. Tom Harkin’s Cedar Rapids office at the Wells Fargo Building, 150 First Ave. NE. Carbrey is education and member services coordinator for new Pioneer Co-op in Iowa City.
It wasn’t Sen. Harkin himself, but members of Food & Water Watch, along with representatives of New Pioneer Co-op and Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, presented hormone-free milk and cookies and more than 1,000 petitions today to Sen. Tom Harkin’s Office in Cedar Rapids. The petitions call on Harkin to support including language in the Child Nutrition Act that allows local jurisdictions to choose milk free of artificial hormones for school lunch programs. According to Food & Water Watch, the United States is the only industrialized nation that still uses rBGH – recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone – despite major concerns about its links to cancer. As major retailers have moved away from rBGH, “this risky milk is being dumped into our public school system,” members said.
According to Roberts Dairy’s Web site, the genetically engineered drug, injected into dairy cows to induce them to increase milk production, is estimated to be used in 15 to 20 percent of the cows in the United States. It was approved by the FDA in 1993. As of Feb. 1, 2008, Roberts Dairy uses only milk from dairy farmers who have pledged to not treat their cows with artificial growth hormones. While the FDA has found no significant difference between milk from treated and untreated herds, “some of our customers prefer their milk to come from untreated cows,” the dairy’s Web site says. Others, including Anderson-Erickson and Swiss Valley, have also gone rBGH-free.
Caitlin Seeley, field organizer for Food & Water Watch, said that Harkin supports local farmers and child nutrition. “We’re urging him to support (the language change) and really be a champion on this issue,” she said.
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. The group challenges the corporate control and abuse of food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what people eat and drink.
More information about the School Milk Campaign is at: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/school-milk
Also today, Friends of the Earth and the Rainforest Action Network singled out Grassley with other policy-makers and corporate leaders as the top national “biofools” in a contest sponsored by the two organizations. The grassroots contest is part of a nationwide effort to highlight the dangers of industrialized biofuels as a false solution to climate change.
The groups noted that Sen. Chuck Grassley supports claims that biofuels are “contributing to a cleaner environment,” ignoring the scientific evidence that biofuel production is contributing to the rapid destruction of rainforests abroad and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico here at home. I have an inquiry in to Grassley’s office, but haven’t heard a response yet.
NEW - This just came today (Thursday) from Sen. Grassley’s office:
“The International Energy Agency just released a report that corn-ethanol reduces greenhouse gasoline emissions compared to gasoline by nearly 40 percent. They also say that number will improve to 55 percent by 2015. So, if being pro-biofuels, pro-farmer, pro-Iowa, pro-environment and pro-jobs and anti-imported foreign oil gets you recognized like this, then Senator Grassley is happy to have it.”
Here is more from Friends of the Earth and Rainforest Action Network:
Three policy makers and three corporate leaders were singled out today as the top national “biofools” in a contest sponsored by Friends of the Earth and Rainforest Action Network. The grassroots contest is part of a nationwide effort to highlight the dangers of industrialized biofuels as a false solution to climate change.
Despite growing scientific evidence that they contribute to air pollution, deforestation and climate change, industrialized biofuels are being promoted by government and agribusiness as a ‘clean’ solution to climate change and to our nation’s fossil fuel addiction. Replacing just 10 percent of world demand for diesel for road transport with biodiesel would require 75 percent of the world’s existing soy, oil palm and rapeseed crops. Even current government mandates for these so-called renewable fuels will create enough demand for biofuels to cause food shortages and environmental catastrophe around the world.
The online contest will be held on April 1, 2009, as concerned citizens vote online to determine the nation’s biggest biofool. The winner will be announced on the group’s joint webpage: www.biofoolsday.org.
Nominees include:
Linda Cook, Executive Director, Shell Oil. Citing economic concerns, Cook recently announced that Shell Oil will no longer invest in wind and solar energy and focus their energy solely on liquid fuels, hugely increasing the oil giants investment in biofuels.
Hugh Grant, CEO, Monsanto. The global biofuels rush has provided a perfect new market for Monsanto’s genetically modified plants, an inevitable ingredient of biofuel feedstocks. The agribusiness giant dismisses evidence that biofuels are harmful for the environment or have anything to do with food price spikes and shortages.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Senator Chuck Grassley supports claims that biofuels are “contributing to a cleaner environment,” ignoring the scientific evidence that biofuel production is contributing to the rapid destruction of rainforests abroad and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico here at home.
Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD). Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin has been a strong advocate for reducing global warming pollution, but supports attempts to strip federal forest protections from biofuels policy, claiming that prohibiting the clear-cutting of our federal forests for biofuel production keeps us dependent on foreign oil.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD). A longtime proponent of biofuels, Senator John Thune recently advocated increasing the amount of biofuels that can be blended into gasoline, removing critical forest protections, and potentially eviscerating the global warming standards in biofuels policy.
Patricia Woertz, CEO, Archer Daniels Midland. A former Chevron executive before her tenure at ADM, Woertz is leading the agroenergy charge. ADM is a leading importer of palm oil, a popular biofuel feedstock and a leading cause of deforestation in Southeast Asia.
Friends of the Earth – www.foe.org – is the U.S. voice of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, with member groups in 70 countries. Since 1969, Friends of the Earth has been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a more healthy, just world.
Rainforest Action Network campaigns to break North America’s oil and coal addictions, protect endangered forests and Indigenous rights, and stop destructive investments around the world through education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action. For more information, visit: www.ran.org
April 3, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged care, Claire Smith, damage, dormant oil, fertilize, groundwater, insects, Iowa, Linn County, master gardener, pollution, pruning, rabbits, roots, scale, sprays, spring, temperature, tree wrap, trees, trunks, voles, water, when, winter
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
March marked the start of our transition from winter to spring. Now that the snow has melted (we hope,) it’s a good time to examine your trees for winter damage. We often expect our trees to be self sufficient and tend to neglect their well-being.
After the frost is gone, thoroughly water trees that have been subjected to de-icing compounds. This will move the chemicals through the soil and away from the tree roots. Watering before the ground thaws will create runoff and pollute soil and ground water.
If your trees need to be fertilized, wait until the ground has completely thawed. Fertilizer run off wastes money and also contributes to groundwater pollution.
If, and only if, an insect problem exists, dormant oil sprays can be used once the temperature reaches a constant 40 degrees. Dormant oils are used to control some scale insects and overwintering insects.
Rabbits and voles girdle trunks at the base. Damage will appear as a lighter area on the trunk, primarily as teeth marks. The damage interrupts the flow of water and nutrients to the roots. While you have no recourse for the damage, it is wise to monitor the health of the tree as severe damage can kill a tree.
Tree wraps should be removed in the spring as the temperature warms.
Complete pruning prior to trees leafing out. Storm damaged branches should be removed as they occur.
If you’re planning on adding trees to your landscape, now is a good time to visit our local nurseries and greenhouses for suggestions and recommendations. Personally, I’m going to find the shadiest spot under the big walnut to plant my chair and enjoy my favorite summer beverage.
April 3, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, Deb Engmark, gardens, image, Iowa, landscape, maple, oak, photos, plants, scilla, snow, snowdrop, snowstorm, spring, trees, weather
As Iowa braces for what could be another spring snowstorm this weekend, Deb Engmark, head gardener at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, sent the following observations and photos from the historic Brucemore estate:
From the Brucemore Gardens
It would have been a glorious first snow fall of the season had the snow fallen sometime between November 27th and December 30th. With four to six
inches on the ground, my week of vacation coming to an end, and not nearly enough yard work finished, it sure made Sunday hard to take. On the bright side, on Monday morning the little bit of green that was evident in the landscape at the end of last week was much more abundant and vibrant. I also noticed the swelling of the buds on many of the shrubs and some of the trees here at Brucemore have expanded close to the point of explosion. Many buds have popped and the leaves are extended toward the sun.
The honeysuckle bushes along Linden Drive opened sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30p.m.on Monday, as did the first scillas on the property, revealing the sweet essence of spring along with the reliable blues many visitors associate with older neighborhoods. The snowdrops are always an early sign of winters waning. Shining in the woods for a few weeks already and now many of the white nodding heads have opened to reveal the upside down v-shape of green marking the inside bell and if you are able to get close enough, it too carries a fresh scent of spring.
Out in the formal garden the crocus are blooming and other bulbs are making their presence known as are some of the undesirables dandelions, violas and the creeping charlie seem to have survived the winter just fine, lucky us.
Now, before spring has totally sprung, is a great time to take notice of that which is often overlooked – trees. We are fortunate here at Brucemore to have a few grand specimens to appreciate. Across the road from the formal garden, west of the old greenhouse is a mature red maple and a stately old red oak. Roger Johnson, our building and grounds superintendent, believes they are some of the oldest trees on the property. He estimates that they are well over 100 years old due to their height, trunk diameter, and the texture of the bark. Oaks are slow growing, long-lived, and require a century to mature, and will often live undisturbed for two to three centuries or more. The red maple upon maturity develops a unique bark texture. Flat gray ridges like fins begin to wave and flake while spiraling up to the multitude of branches. A bit of the oaks’ structural supremacy and the mature maples textured bark is softened after the emergence of the leaf canopy in spring.
As I finish this typing Tuesday afternoon, the landscape has changed once again adding more colors, hues and tones in every passing moment.
I would love to hear what you are doing also! Please feel free to send me any suggestions, ideas, or tips from your own gardens and explorations.
Deb Engmark
Brucemore Head Gardener
2160 Linden Dr. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
deb@brucemore.org
www.brucemore.org
Blue scilla
Snowdrops at Brucemore
April 4, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, containers, cucumber, damping off, die, eggplant, extension, flowers, gardening, impatiens, indoors, Iowa State University, marigold, muskmelon, pepper, plants, potting soil, seedlings, seeds, sow, squash, start, starting, times, tomato, vegetables, water, watermelon, when
You’ve planted your seeds indoors, waited for them to sprout and one day find a container of tiny, droopy plants.
What went wrong?
Damping-off could be responsible for the collapse and death of your seedlings.
The gardening experts at Iowa State University Extension note that damping-off is caused by several different fungi. Environmental conditions usually associated with damping-off are poorly drained potting soil and overwatering.
Damping-off can be prevented by using clean containers, a sterile, well-drained potting mix and by following good cultural practices. Previously used containers should be washed in soapy water, then disinfected by dipping in a solution containing one part chlorine bleach and nine parts water. Flower and vegetable seeds need an evenly moist potting mix for good germination. After germination, allow the potting soil to dry somewhat between waterings.
I’m getting a later than usual start on my seedlings, having just planted my first round today. The earliest I’ve planted seeds indoors was in late January – I had flowers blooming by the end of March. Some plants, of course, need more time to grow than others. The ISU gardening experts also offer this reminder on the starting times for seeds: The crop time (number of weeks from sowing to planting outdoors) for several popular flowers and vegetables are as follows: 10 to 12 weeks – geranium; eight to 10 weeks – petunia and impatiens; six to eight weeks – marigold, pepper, and eggplant; five to seven weeks – tomato, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower; three to four weeks – cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon and squash. Always check the seed packet if unsure of the correct sowing date.
April 6, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Affluenza, American, budget, debate, health care, Iowa City, John de Graaf, sustainability, time
John de Graaf, executive director of Take Back Your Time – www.timeday.org - will speak next Monday, April 13 at the University of Iowa about Time and Sustainability. More about his upcoming Iowa City presentation is in the Tuesday, April 7, edition of The Gazette. In the meantime, de Graaf – a filmmaker and co-author of ”Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic” sent me the following on his observations about health care, which I thought were worth sharing:
THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HEALTH CARE
By John de Graaf
There’s a problem with today’s health care debate. It’s way too focused on health care. How to fix the health care delivery system. How to insure everybody. And it’s true that the American health care system is on life-support. Priced at nearly $8,000 a year per American, and soon to be 20% of our GDP, it’s more expensive by 40-60% than health care systems in any other industrial country and totals nearly half the health care budget of the entire world. Yet it leaves 47 million Americans uncovered by health insurance and it produces results that are arguably the worst in any of the wealthy nations of the world.
According to the CIA, Americans rank 46th in life expectancy, a bit above Albania. After age 50, they are nearly twice as likely as western Europeans to suffer chronic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Even in the hospital, US patients face unusual dangers. More than 100,000 of them die each year from “healthcare” itself–errors or infections during treatment. So the system is broken. But fixing it will require a far more holistic approach than has been discussed in the health care debate.
HEALTH CARE: THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE
Let’s consider American health as a house. Health care is the roof, the final protection against illness. In our case, it’s an expensive roof, gold plated yet with 47 million holes.
In some ways—vaccinations, for example—it’s a preventive system, but mostly it’s sickness care.
In other industrial countries, the roof is a simpler affair, asphalt shingles on a fiberglass mat but with hardly any leaks. Their health care systems rely more on prevention; less on high tech treatment. Yet the people in the house below live longer, healthier lives. That’s because in those other countries, the foundation and the walls of the house are stronger, with fewer cracks to let in the cold.
THE FOUNDATION
Let’s start with the foundation. That’s the head start toward health that children in most other rich countries receive. There’s a stronger focus on pre-natal care, for example. In part because of this, infant mortality in all other industrial countries is lower than in the United States, which ranks 42nd in the world, again according to the CIA. Moreover, fewer mothers die in childbirth in those countries. Here, the US ranks a comparatively poor 40th in the world Maternal mortality rates for poor and African-American mothers are particularly high. Every other rich country does better.
Moreover, in every country in the world except, believe it or not, the United States, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea, mothers are guaranteed paid time off from work to take care of newborns. In most rich countries, fathers also receive paid time off to bond with young children. In many cases, such “family leave” extends for up to a year or more. In the US, by contrast, parents often return to work when children are only a few weeks old.
Paid family leave, and the parental bonding it ensures, pays off in terms of children’s health—fewer childhood illnesses, fewer problems with attention-deficit disorder, less obesity, easier socialization, better readiness to learn. Most countries find that such a taxpayer investment in early childhood results in lower health and other costs as children grow up. In Canada, where paid parental leave—the government pays 55% of the stay-at-home parent’s salary—was recently increased from six months to a year, health care costs for children have dropped, leading to interest in extending the leave to 18 months.
A 2007 UNICEF study ranked the United States 20th out of 21 rich nations regarding children’s welfare. The foundation of our “health house” is weak. The rich enjoy a house with a marble floor, and our middle class, a wooden one. Poor Americans, far less likely to be insured, have a dirt floor, with rain leaking through the holes in the roof and puddling up in the corners.
WALL NUMBER ONE—LIFESTYLE
If Democrats talk almost exclusively about universal health care as the solution to our health problems, Republicans tend to focus on wall number one—lifestyle choices. It’s a matter of personal responsibility, they say. Americans should simply stop smoking, eat properly, avoid over-eating, and excessive alcohol consumption, exercise regularly and sleep enough. And, the conservatives argue, they don’t need government to do this. Of course, this is sensible advice. Citizens of other rich countries generally exercise and sleep more than we do. And they don’t eat as much so they are less likely to be obese.
But it isn’t all a matter of personal responsibility. Policy changes would help here as well. Our tax system subsidizes producers of sugars and fats and our marketing system relentlessly advertises fast, unhealthy foods. At the same time, Americans tend to work longer hours than people in other rich countries. Europeans, for example, work 300-350 fewer hours each year on average. Laws guarantee them sufficient time off, including a minimum of four weeks of paid vacation a year, and shorter weekly working hours. This leaves them more time to select foods carefully, eat more slowly—and, as a result, eat less—while exercising and sleeping more. Laws reducing work time have the effect of making them healthier.
WALL NUMBER TWO—STRESS-RELIEF
It’s no secret in the field of public health that stress is a killer. Sudden bursts of adrenaline worked to protect our early human ancestors against attack by savage beasts. But continued adrenaline response to the chronic stress of modern life leads to heart problems, obesity, hypertension and weakened immune systems. Several factors make American life particularly stressful. We are among the most competitive of wealthy capitalist countries and have the widest gap between rich and poor. Fewer people on top; more on the bottom. Studies clearly show that whether it’s humans or baboons, the lower your status, the higher your stress levels. More economically egalitarian societies, like Sweden or Japan, for example, are clearly less stressful and more healthy.
Stress is also the result of insecurity. As the American social safety net has been gutted in recent years (with more of us losing health and pension benefits, for example) and job protections have been reduced, life in America is riskier than it used to be. It is far more insecure than in other rich countries, where strong social safety nets remain in place. Danes, for example, can be fired as easily as Americans, but they receive generous unemployment benefits, job training and government jobs if they are unable to find a position in the private sector. Insecurity also leads to anxiety, a mental illness. American rates of anxiety are double or triple those in western European countries. Mental illness negatively impacts physical health even further. Europeans say their social safety net gives them a feeling of peace of mind. It’s certainly good for their health.
Finally, stress is also the result of time pressures and overwork, which are far more common in the US than in other rich countries. More breaks from a stressful workplace are seen by Europeans as yet another way to improve health. It’s unlikely that we will be able to quickly change the levels of hierarchy and inequality in the US, or that our safety net will be suddenly strengthened. But policies offering shorter work time and longer vacations, clear stress reducers, could be enacted more easily and quickly, and they should be.
WALL NUMBER THREE—SOCIAL CONNECTION
It’s another clear understanding in the field of public health that social connection strengthens immune systems and improves physical well-being. In fact, connecting with others may be the most important single thing we can do to be healthier. On the other hand, one of the worst things you can do for your health is to be lonesome. Yet America is an increasingly lonely country. More and more people, and especially older Americans, live alone, far more than in other rich countries. A recent study found that the average American has only two close friends he or she can turn to. A quarter of us have none at all. Loneliness quickly turns into depression. As with anxiety, Americans are two to three times as likely to suffer from depression as western Europeans. Depression further weakens immune systems and lowers physical health outcomes.
A National Institutes of Health study comparing frequency of chronic illness in the United States and the United Kingdom found that Americans are nearly twice as likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes and hypertension in old age. Such diseases account of a huge part of our healthcare costs. The study controlled for age, race, income and gender differences and found, surprisingly, that poor Britons are as healthy as rich Americans. The study didn’t find that eating fish and chips makes you healthier. The major reasons for the difference were all related to the fact that the British had more security and more free time, which they used to exercise more, but especially to socialize more. Here again, public policies giving workers more time off the job would improve health, in this case, by allowing Americans more time to spend with family and friends. Clearly, this would also strengthen families and communities.
WALL NUMBER FOUR—A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
Americans, according to the UNICEF study of children’s welfare, rank at the bottom in child safety, with the highest rates of accidents among children. Part of this is due to time pressure on American parents which leaves them less able to supervise their children. Other studies show extremely high rates of accidents in the workplace compared to other nations. Preventable death rates in the US, including deaths from automobile accidents, are the highest among industrial countries. Moreover, on average, Americans breathe in air pollution at double the levels of western Europe. The European Union also has stricter controls on the release of toxic chemicals into the environment.
Finally, and this is no small matter, every other industrial country guarantees its workers paid time off from work when they are sick; only the US does not—half of American workers get no paid sick days. In many other countries, as much as a month of leave is allowed. These countries know that without paid time off, workers will come to work sick, as many American workers do. They will get others sick and stay sick longer, often requiring more expensive treatment for their illnesses. This is not rocket science. Most Americans get this immediately. That is why more than 80% of them favor a law that would guarantee paid sick days for workers.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE OUR HEALTH?
To achieve better health outcomes, Americans must begin to see health as a holistic matter, like the house I describe. Right now that house has a foundation that is part marble, part rotting wood and part dirt. It has four walls that are a mixture of teak, balsa wood and bamboo, all of them in sorry shape. And finally, it has a gilded roof with millions of holes.
It is not enough to talk of making the roof all gold and eliminating the holes, though we do need to eliminate the holes. We need to eliminate the gold as well, taking the profit and costly complexity from the system and expanding a program like Medicare to cover everyone, potentially at less cost. Such a system must rely more on preventive methods rather than high tech cures.
But fixing the roof is only a first step. If we also pay attention to the foundation and the walls, we can assure better outcomes and probably, at lower cost, as is the case in other rich nations. We can:
Strengthen the foundation by improving pre-natal care and providing at least three months or more of paid leave to all parents of babies or very young children. Make the Family and Medical Leave Act a paid provision and extend it to all workers.
Strengthen the wall of lifestyle by encouraging consumption of whole grains and vegetables, teaching children the value of eating healthy foods, eliminating subsidies to the purveyors of sugars and fats, and especially, reducing working hours to give Americans more time for exercise, sleep and healthy eating.
Strengthen the wall of stress relief by re-instituting tax policies that narrow the gap between rich and poor, re-building our social safety net and adopting policies like paid vacation time (the US is the only industrial nation without a law guaranteeing paid vacations) that can assure Americans periodic relief from the stress of our hyper-competitive and long-hour workplaces. We must also provide more resources for the early identification and treatment of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
Strengthen the wall of connection by reducing working time and by stimulating, through programs like national service, greater volunteer involvement with our neighbors and communities.
Strengthen the wall of safety by improving OSHA and other protections for workers, building more pedestrian and bicycle friendly cities, and regaining the environmental zeal of the early 1970s, which led to much cleaner water and air for all Americans. Pass the Healthy Families Act, guaranteeing seven paid sick days to American workers.
Most of these changes are taken for granted in other nations. All of them will make the United States healthier, and almost certainly at less cost than our current system. Improving our health outcomes is less a matter of better science and more money than of political will and an ability to see the connections between things.
Many business leaders (though certainly not all!) will object to these ideas on the grounds that they will cost too much and make us less competitive in the world economy. But the cost of poor health will be far greater than the price tag for such reforms. If there is one thing more than any other which makes it harder for American businesses to compete, it’s the escalating cost of health care. Health care payments make the cost of producing an automobile thousands of dollars more expensive in the United States than in Canada, for example, and countries with strong social safety nets are among the most competitive in the world.
We can do better. We owe it to ourselves and our children to make these changes without delay.
John de Graaf is a documentary filmmaker, Executive Director of Take Back Your Time (www.timeday.org) and co-author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic.
April 7, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Dustin Vande Hoef, emerald ash borer, firewood, image, infestation, Iowa, Michigan, photo, trees, Wisconsin
This came out today from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Spokesman Dustin Vande Hoef said the emerald ash borer infestation discovered in Wisconsin – the closest its ever been to Iowa – appeared to be well-established. The best action Iowans can take to prevent an infestation – which most experts believe is only a matter of time – is to buy firewood locally and not bring it into the state from quarantined areas such as Michigan, where the emerald ash borer was first discovered in the United States and where the beetle has already decimated ash trees.
Here is the press release that came out today:
Emerald Ash Borer
IOWA OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND DETECT EMERALD ASH BORER FOLLOWING NEW DISCOVERY IN WISCONSIN
New Infestation Discovered Across Mississippi River in Wisconsin
DES MOINES – Following the discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) just across the Mississippi River from the Iowa-Wisconsin border, members of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team today highlighted steps being taken to prevent an infestation in Iowa and detect the beetle if it is in the state. EAB is an invasive beetle that feeds on ash trees and eventually kills them.
The new infestation was found near Victory, Wis. on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Allamakee County in Northeast Iowa. This new infestation is less than 5 miles southeast of the Minnesota-Iowa border.
The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Orient, and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich. in the 1990s. Although not yet found in Iowa, EAB has more potential for future harm to Iowa forests and urban communities than any other insect currently being dealt with in the United States.
EAB kills all ash (Fraxinus) species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing (cambium) layers of the trees. EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to recent sources, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 more million urban ash trees.
The movement of out-of-state firewood to and through Iowa poses the greatest threat to spread EAB. Areas currently infested are under federal and state quarantines, but unknowing campers or others who transport firewood can spark an outbreak.
Each member of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team is taking steps to monitor Iowa’s ash trees and ensure that the beetle has not spread into Iowa by examining high risk sites. The Iowa EAB team has defined high risk sites as locations where people would bring out-of state wood, such as campgrounds, nurseries and sawmills.
DNR estimates there are up to as many as 5 million ash trees in Allamakee County, this represents about 5% of the trees in the forested areas of this county. Allamakee is the most forested county in Iowa with 42% of the land covered by trees (176,000 acres of forest). Iowa agencies in cooperation with USDA-APHIS and Forest Service will be working together to survey for EAB.
Monitoring efforts include visual surveys at high risk sites by Iowa State University, DNR’s placement of sentinel ash trees that are intentionally stressed so that they are more attractive to EAB, and the placement of purple sticky traps around the state that attracts and traps the insect by a collaborative effort among APHIS and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
Team members will be working with Wisconsin and Minnesota officials in response to this new discovery and will be conducting additional visual surveys in the area in the coming weeks.
To learn more about EAB and other pests that are threatening Iowa’s tree population please visit www.IowaTreePests.com.
April 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Abbe Hills Farm, Alex Kachan, Cedar Rapids, Community Supported Agriculture, CSA, Fairfield, farmer, farming, greenhouse, hoophouse, Iowa, Laura Krouse, Maharishi University, Mount Vernon, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Russ Brandes, Sally Worley, sustainable, vegetables
Hoophouse construction at Abbe Hills Farm
Farmers, students and other advocates of sustainable living gathered at Laura Krouse’s Abbe Hills Farm near Mount Vernon today to learn how to build a hoophouse. Adam Montri, outreach coordinator for Michigan State University’s student organic farm, is leading the workshop, which continues Thursday (April 9, 2009.) Some of the participants hope to extend their growing season with a hoophouse – a sort of low-tech greenhouse that doesn’t require supplemental light or heat. One farmer I spoke to, Russ Brandes, of Hancock – in western Iowa – is considering constructing a
Russ Brandes
hoophouse to store his excess hay. A hoophouse would be more economical than building a barn, he said.
Sally Worley, communications director for Practical Farmers of Iowa, which is hosting the free event, said about 50 people from Iowa and Illinois were attending throughout the two-day workshop.
Alex Kachan
Among attendees were 9 students from Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, who are in a new Community Supported Agriculture block. Their instructor, Alex Kachan, a faculty member in the university’s sustainable living department, said the CSA track was just started this spring, as part of the school’s ongoing effort to raise consciousness about sustainable living practices.
Laura Krause and her summer workers produce vegetables for about 200 families through her farm’s CSA. A great place to spend a sunny (albeit windy) spring day. You can check out the hoophouse if your travels take you on Mount Vernon Road, east of Cedar Rapids. The farm is just north of Mount Vernon Road on Abbe Hills Road – soon to be recognizable by a 35-by-96-foot double poly hoophouse.
April 9, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged beetle, blue ribbon, Cedar Rapids, Chelsea, Craig Musel, E.B. Kunkle, Ellis Park, flooding, floods, gardening, Good Friday, Iowa State Fair, onions, plant, planting, potato, potatoes, soil, Squaw Creek, tilling, Tuma, when
Good news for gardeners who lease plots from the city and want to get their potatoes planted on Good Friday…
Despite some weather setbacks, Cedar Rapids parks staff finished tilling and marking all three of the city garden sites this week. Cedar Rapids leases out 150 plots at Ellis Park; 102 at Squaw Creek Park and 60 at the Tuma Soccer Complex. As of today, only 97 plots were rented at the Ellis garden, which was flooded out for the season last June. Soil tests for benzene, arsenic and other chemicals have come back at safe levels, but some of the people who gardened at Ellis may have also been flooded out of their homes and won’t be back to garden.
I spoke to E.B. Kunkle of Cedar Rapids today, who appeared to be the first gardener back at the Ellis site.
E.B. Kunkle
E.B. was planting onion sets. Last year, he was able to harvest green onions, spinach and radishes before the floods wiped out everything. Gardeners were advised against returning last year due to possible contaminants. Today’s weather was in the 50s and the soil was dry enough to get started, at least on onions. E.B. has tried growing potatoes in the past, but they were overcome by (my nemesis) the potato beetle.
Gardening lore calls for potatoes to be planted on Good Friday, which is tomorrow (April 10, 2009.) I doubt that I’ll get mine in that day, but as usual, turned to my uncle, Craig Musel, for advice. Uncle Craig gardens near Chelsea, Iowa, and always manages to win at least a few blue ribbons for his potatoes at the famous and fabulous Iowa State Fair. I talked to him Monday, and he said he started planting his potatoes about three weeks earlier, which would be mid-March. His tip? “I plant them whenever I can get them in the ground,” he said and keeps planting “until I’m done.” Those blue ribbon winners – never want to reveal their secrets.
April 12, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bunny, cactus, Easter, greenhouse, Noelridge Park, parade, photo, tulips
-
Sushanth Rao, 7, of Marion points out a cactus to his mother, Padmaja Rao.
- Laurie Mitchell, Marion, takes a photo of granddaughter Natalie Davenport.
tulips
Not your typical parade, but a parade of plants at the Noelridge Park greenhouse in Cedar Rapids this weekend during the annual Easter open house. My assistant, Schyler, and I shot some photos inside the greenhouse Saturday. The open house continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 12.
April 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Capitol, China, cows, dairy, Dave Knipper, Des Moines, dump, farmers, Iowa, milk, price, protest, Select Sires, tainted
Dairy farmers will rally Tuesday, April 14, 2009, outside the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines to protest low dairy prices. Dave Knipper, a salesman for Prairie State Select Sires, said the combination of high grain prices and low dairy prices have made this spring a historically low point for dairy farmers. Producers who milk a couple hundred cows are paying $15,000 to $20,000 monthly for feed, while getting only $9.50 to $10 per hundredweight for their milk, about half of the $18-$20 of last year’s prices, Knipper said.
Dairy producers will gather from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the west entrance of the capitol grounds, near the monument of Abraham Lincoln and son Tad. Knipper said the farmers don’t plan to dump their milk, as some producers have done at past protests in Wisconsin and elsewhere. But they will speak about being unable to afford health insurance and address other concerns, including the record profits of some milk companies while farmers are getting paid less than the cost of producing milk, as well as the health scares associated with imported products, such as the tainted milk from China.
Dave Knipper can be reached at (563) 590-1596.
April 13, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged apply, arborvitae, brown, Claire Smith, crabgrass, crows, damage, evergreen, forsythia, gardener, grubs, herbicide, holes, hortline, killer, lawn, Linn County, master gardener, pre-emergent, raccoons, redbud, Sevin, shrubs, skunks, Susan Long, tear, treat, turf, when, winter burn
Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, wrote the following about three of the most frequently asked questions to the Linn County Master Gardener Horticulture Hotline. The HortLine is available to answer questions from 9 am.. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays at (319)447-0647.
One of the commonly asked questions in the spring concerns when to apply pre-emergent crabgrass killer. Master Gardener Susan Long has this response: Typically, the blooming of the forsythia or the redbud is a good indicator of when to apply pre-emergent crabgrass herbicide. Pre-emergents must be applied before the crabgrass germinates. Ground temperatures must be a minimum of 50 degrees. If the material is applied too early, crabgrass seeds that germinate late in the season will not be controlled. If applied too late, some crabgrass will have already germinated. In central Iowa, this is usually mid-April to May 1. However, if the weather warms up early or stays cool longer, then adjustments must be made based on the conditions. Having a thick, healthy lawn that is fertilized, watered and mowed certainly discourages the growth of crabgrass.
Susan also answered a question about arborvitae having brown leaves due to winter burn and whether it will recover and/or should be pruned: Avoid pruning browned, burned areas from evergreen trees and shrubs in the early spring since these branches may still have viable buds that will produce new foliage when growth resumes. The brown will eventually fall off. If the buds did not survive, then prune dead branches back to living tissue. The affected trees and shrubs should look much better by late June or July. There is no need to fertilize affected evergreens. However, if the weather this spring is dry, periodically water evergreens to encourage new growth and speed their recovery.
Another caller wondered what causes a lawn to be torn up at night. Lawns that have grubs attract raccoons, skunks, and crows which turn over large patches of turf in search of the grubs. The best time to treat is early in the summer when insecticides have the best changes of working. The entire lawn may not need to be treated, rather treat grub “hot spots” determined by observation or sampling. Presently trichlorfor (Dylox or Bayer 24-Hour Grub Control) and Sevin are the fastest-acting, most effective homeowner insecticides for curative grub control. These must be watered in completely after application. In many cases it may be preferable to repair the damage through seeding or sodding without treating. If the old, loose sod is still green it may reattach with adequate watering.
April 14, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, environment, Frank Rydzewski, Hilary Cochrane, Jenny Matkovich, Mark Seckman, oat hulls, Priority One, Quaker, recycle, sustainable, University of Iowa
This just in from the University of Iowa:
Students help Cedar Rapids economic development group with database of waste
Business students at the University of Iowa are helping to chronicle the biodegradable waste and by-products produced by some of Cedar Rapids’ manufacturers in the hope of finding other businesses that can re-use the material.
The program could help companies save money, encourage sustainability by diverting waste from landfills, create new products, and attract new businesses to the region.
The program is overseen and funded by Priority One, the economic development division of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Instead of throwing this material away, we can use it to attract other companies that will convert it into something useful, and in the process, build a new plant and employ people,” said Frank Rydzewski, a lecturer in marketing in the Henry B. Tippie College of Business who coordinated the students’ efforts in a marketing field studies class. He is also former CEO of American Profol, a Cedar Rapids manufacturer of polypropylene films.
The raw-material-from-waste model of sustainability is already being used in a partnership between the city’s Quaker Oats plant and the University of Iowa. The university burns Quaker’s oat hulls in its power plant to create energy, keeping the hulls out of the waste stream, and providing cost effective alternate fuel for the university.
For the class, Rydzewski had 14 students accountable for recording the materials they found in the waste streams of 23 participating companies. They also researched potential applications for the material.
In some cases, the students determined the composition of the material by reviewing paperwork supplied by the company and visiting the facilities. In others, the students gathered samples and brought them to the University of Iowa’s Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing on the Oakdale campus, which used chemical analysis to break down and identify the compounds in the waste.
The list — which includes such potentially recyclable material as carbon dioxide gas, ethanol, oat hulls and diatomaceous earth — is now being compiled. It will be used to show other firms the kinds of raw materials readily available in Cedar Rapids, said Mark Seckman, president of Priority One.
“The students did a great job and laid a foundation for the next step of this effort,” Seckman said. “This would not have gotten done without their work, and the process they set up will allow us to identify companies that could use the material.”
One possible industry sector the students identified was pet food, which could use some of the waste produced by the area’s food processing plants to make dog and cat food. They developed a marketing plan for Priority One including potential candidates to pursue.
Students participating in the class said they liked helping with economic development and increasing manufacturing efficiency in a way that also promotes environmental sustainability.
“It’s a great way to turn a waste material into a raw material in a way that makes things better for everyone,” said Jenny Matkovich, a senior in the class.
They said it also unwittingly improved their understanding of science, as they viewed the processes used by the UI’s Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing and visited manufacturing facilities in the region.
“One of the big challenges for me was understanding the terms and concepts because I don’t have a biology or chemistry background, so that was helpful,” said Hilary Cochrane, also a senior.
April 15, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Cafe Scientifique, Chet Culver, climate change, debate, energy, global warming, Iowa, Iowa City, Schnoor, T-Spoons, University of Iowa
“Climate Change Threat and Opportunity: Will Iowa Respond?” is the subject of a free, public forum from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2009, at T-Spoons, corner of Linn and Market streets in Iowa City. The forum will be led by Jerry Schnoor, Allen S. Henry Chair in Engineering, professor of civil and environmental engineering and co-director of the University of Iowa Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research in the UI College of Engineering.
Schnoor, who chairs Gov. Chet Culver’s Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council, said that the council’s recent report can be summarized by asking whether or not Iowans are going to respond to climate change and take advantage of the obvious opportunities presented in transforming the state’s economy towards energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, or are they going to be left behind by other states and other countries?
The talk is presented by Café Scientifique of Iowa City, whose discussion sessions are held on the third Thursday of the month from September to May. Café Scientifique of Iowa City is a meeting forum where the public is invited to explore and debate the latest ideas in science, mathematics, medicine and technology.
For more information on Café Scientifique visit http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/cafe/
April 15, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Corridor Earth Project, Earth Day, events, Frank Cicela, Gail Barels, Iowa, Iowa City, University of Iowa, Wickiup
Frank Cicela of Cedar Rapids gives daughter Mariana, 8, a lift, with daughter Elea, 13, by his side Saturday, April 11, 2009, during an Earth Month Wildflower Walk at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville.
Earth Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 22, but in Eastern Iowa, it’s more than just one day. Corridor Earth Project, a collaboration of about 20 organizations between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, has events scheduled throughout the month. The University of Iowa also has activities slated for the coming week.
I already attended one Earth Day walk at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. Despite finding just one flower in bloom — a dainty white bloodroot — it was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. Conservation education specialist Gail Barels noted that two years ago “everything was up” and plants were blooming before mid-April. That was an early spring, she said, while this year appears to be a normal spring, if Iowa has such a thing.
The Corridor Earth Project events can be found on its Web site at: www.corridorearthproject.com
Following are the University of Iowa events:
Saturday, April 18
–The UI Green Summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room W401 of the Pappajohn Business Building. The Green Summit is an academic conference created to empower student environmental leaders and equip them with practical social, scientific, political and business skills to put their passion into practice.
The keynote address will be given by Iowa State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, followed by forums featuring the following speakers: environmental planner Mike Berkshire; Alec B. Scranton, UI professor of chemical and biochemical engineering; Mark Kresowik of the Sierra Club; and Craig Just, coordinator of sustainability programs in the UI College of Engineering.
The day will continue with an interactive Expo of community organizations and progressive local projects. The Expo begins at 1 p.m. on the Pentacrest.
The Green Summit and Expo are free and open to the public, but registration for the summit is recommended at http://www.thegreensummit2009.com. For more information contact Abbie Gruwell at agruwell@gmail.com.
Sunday, April 19
–”Take Me to the River” Iowa Riverbank Cleanup, 1 to 4 p.m. Volunteers will clean up flood debris and develop the Iowa River portage trail. Participants should wear old clothes and sturdy shoes (no flip-flops) as work will be dirty and strenuous. Volunteers can park and meet at the Iowa City Peninsula Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park lot, 1790 Canton St. off Foster Road, or on the Coralville side of the Iowa River near the pedestrian walkway adjacent the Iowa River Power Restaurant, 501 1st Ave.
The City of Iowa City, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Johnson County Conservation Board, and UI Civic Engagement Program are sponsoring this event.
For more information call 319-335-7589 or email civic-engagement@uiowa.edu.
Monday, April 20
–The film “The 11th Hour,” narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Tuesday, April 21
–Pappajohn Business Building waste characterization audit, 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Kautz Plaza, between Trowbridge and Calvin Halls. The Tippie College of Business has been a campus leader in sustainable practices. The waste audit will help identify areas for further improvements in recycling and reducing the environmental footprint of the Tippie College of Business.
The audit will be held in cooperation with the UI Office of Sustainability, City of Iowa City, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, City Carton Recycling, East Central Iowa Council of Governments, UI Facilities Management and other public and private agencies. The teams will work together to examine the composition of the college waste stream and provide baseline data needed for planning future reduction efforts. By identifying the amounts of key waste components, the UI can target specific recyclable products and the processes to divert them from the landfill.
UI geography student Eric Holthaus, a member of UI Environmental Coalition, will coordinate the project. Among the student organizations pledging support for this project are UI Student Government, the UI Environmental Coalition, the UI Public Interest Research Group, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and Future Physicians for the Environment.
–”Careers for Change” lecture, 4 p.m., in 1124 University Capitol Center (UCC) and a public lecture on climate change at 7 p.m. in 1117 (UCC). Both lectures are sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights and will be given by energy and environmental lawyer Carrie La Seur, founder and president of Plains Justice, a Cedar Rapids-based public interest environmental law center that works for environmental justice.
– The film “Who Killed the Electric Car?” will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Wednesday, April 22
–Bike to School Day and ice cream social, 1 to 5 p.m. on the Pentacrest. The UI Environmental Coalition and Office of Sustainability are hosting this event. World of Bikes will offer a free bike tune-up clinic, and Heyn’s Ice Cream and New Pioneer Coop will provide scoops of ice cream to bikers. The UI Touch the Earth program and Bicyclists of Iowa City club will share information on biking and outdoor trips. For more information contact Eric Holthaus at eric-holthaus@uiowa.edu or Katie Fassbinder at katie-fassbinder@uiowa.edu.
–The film “An Inconvenient Truth” narrated by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Thursday, April 23
–At 1:30 p.m., an open house at the UI Environmental Coalition Student Garden will include a visit from President Sally Mason. Students and the Office of Sustainability will showcase the new student demonstration garden, located off of Hawkeye Park Road near the Hawkeye Recreation and Tennis Complex.
–The film “The Future of Food,” will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Friday, April 24
–Arbor Day tree planting by UI Landscape Services, 9 a.m. on the Pentacrest.
The UI is also encouraging students, faculty and staff to take the “Power Down for the Planet” pledge at http://www.powerdownfortheplanet.org. By signing the pledges, computer users agree to use their computer power management tools whenever possible and to look for Energy Star-qualified equipment when making purchases. The deadline to pledge is Friday, April 17. The UI and college campuses across the nation are taking part in this effort. At the end of the campaign, the university with the highest percentage of pledges wins the challenge. At the UI, the results will be announced by President Mason on April 23 during the student garden dedication event.
For a complete calendar of events during Earth Month visit http://energy.uiowa.edu
April 17, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Burns Weston, CLI, climate change, Climate Legacy Initiative, earth, environment, Environmental Law Center, global, Jerald Schnoor, Jonathan Carlson, law, legal, Maureen McCue, recommendations, Sharon Benzoni, Tracy Bach, UI Center for Human Rights, University of Iowa, Vermont
The following came out today from the University of Iowa:
Law professor leads initiative to protect environment for future generations
A University of Iowa law professor is spearheading an effort to make environmental rights as much a part of the legal vocabulary as economic or property rights so future generations can enjoy a safe environment.
“Our growing climate crisis demands that our laws take seriously the legal rights of children and future generations to inherit a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” says Burns Weston, professor emeritus in the UI College of Law, senior scholar of the UI Center for Human Rights and project director of the Climate Legacy Initiative (CLI). “In turn, the present generation must take legal responsibility for the ecological legacy we leave behind. It is a rank injustice to our heirs if our behavior does not change.”
The CLI, a joint project of the UI Center for Human Rights and the Environmental Law Center of Vermont Law School, seeks to broaden and deepen the legal means for protecting the earth’s environment for future generations. This week, it is releasing a major policy paper titled “Recalibrating the Law of Humans with the Laws of Nature: Climate Change, Human Rights, and Intergenerational Justice,” authored by Weston and Tracy Bach, CLI associate director and a researcher and professor at Vermont Law School.
“The Climate Legacy Initiative’s work is intended to spark public and professional discussion about how our laws can adapt to and confront the climate crisis,” Weston said. “We seek a fundamental rethinking of how the law, both nationally and internationally, can be made a better steward of the environment, especially in the face of unprecedented climate change.”
The CLI legal and legislative strategy will be unveiled at meetings next Thursday, April 23 of the University of Iowa Center for Human Right and the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. The ICFRC meets at noon at the Congregational Church, 30 N. Clinton St. in Iowa City. Admission is $7.50 for members, $8.50 for nonmembers.
The UI Center for Human Rights presentation begins at 8 p.m. in 1505 Seaman Center for Engineering. Admission is free.
He said a legal approach is just one tool in confronting this huge challenge, but it is critical.
However, Weston said this not a task for the law alone. “Law underwrites all we do and how we go about doing it,” he said. “In a democratic society, this makes law’s relation to the environment everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility, and it cannot wait. Events may overturn intention unless we are expeditious.”
The CLI policy paper lays out a legal framework for constructing intergenerational rights and duties, and for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing law. It also offers 16 recommendations that governing bodies from local to global can implement to safeguard the environment.
The CLI engaged more than 40 legal and public policy experts from across the country to help with the policy paper, including Jonathan Carlson, a professor in the UI College of Law; Jerald Schnoor, a professor in the UI College of Engineering; Maureen McCue, an adjunct professor in the UI Global Health Studies Program and coordinator of the Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility; and Sharon Benzoni, formerly a research associate at the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, currently executive director of the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities and the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
“The CLI’s ultimate goal is a fundamental change in the way legal systems think about the environment,” said Weston. “We hope it leads to a paradigm shift in the way the law — and everyone and everything else — relates to the environment.”
Weston said that the obligation to do right by our children and grandchildren carries great moral weight, but that this has not been reflected in our legal systems to a degree sufficient to meet such environmental challenges as climate change. The concept of the common good, he said, is not only to establish a civil society for the current generation, but to make sure a functioning society can be handed to our heirs and their descendants.
In an environmental sense, he said, this means that current generations must act to ensure future generations’ rights to, for instance, biological diversity, environmental quality, and access to resources.
“Leaving the earth better than we found it is not merely a nice idea,” Weston said. “It is our responsibility to our children, grandchildren, and generations beyond.”
However, Weston said that for this to happen the legal system must be reformed. As it is now, he said environmental rights and especially those of future generations are only peripherally considered by the legal and political system, if they’re considered at all. Most of the time, they’re trumped by such values as property rights and economic development.
“We must align the laws of humans with the laws of nature,” he says.
Among the CLI’s 16 legislative, regulatory and judicial proposals:
–Urging states to adopt constitutional amendments implementing environmental rights for future generations and to pass state laws to enforce them.
–Enacting a National Environmental Legacy Act that would require defining in concrete terms the environmental legacy that should be left to future generations and providing a mechanism to ensure it.
–Creating “Environmental Stakeholder Trusts” such as “sky trusts” to safeguard and make clear the shared ownership of our environmental commons.
–Instituting cap and trade regulatory strategies.
–Asking governments to establish offices of “legal guardians” to act on behalf of the ecological rights and interest of future generations.
–Urging the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a declaration formally recognizing the atmosphere as a global “commons” shared by present and future generations.
Weston said the CLI will spend the coming months discussing their policy proposals with public policy organizations, think tanks, citizens groups, scholars, political and government leaders, faith-based organizations and others.
STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500
April 17, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air pollution, carbon dioxide, climate change, drought, ecosystems, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, flooding, foreign oil, green jobs, greenhouse gas, health threat, Obama, ozone, storms, wildfires
This just in from the EPA:
EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare
Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling
(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.
The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.
“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”
As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”
EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.
The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:
· increased drought;
· more heavy downpours and flooding;
· more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
· greater sea level rise;
· more intense storms; and
· harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.
In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.
In addition to threatening human health, the analysis finds that climate change also has serious national security implications. Consistent with this proposed finding, in 2007, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.
The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.
More information: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html
April 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bakery, Chet Culver, Czech Village, flood, flooding, Iowa, John Rocarek, Sykora
I’ve been covering the rebuilding of Czech Village since the June flood devastated the area, just blocks from where I grew up. Iowa Governor Chet Culver visited today (4/18/09) to welcome back Sykora Bakery, one of Czech Village’s landmarks. Below are some photos I shot of the event. If you’d like to see more of what’s happening in Czech Village, see the interactive coverage of all the businesses there on GazetteOnline at: http://ads.gazlab.com/goads/Czechvillage/czechvillage.html
You can click on a shop to see a photo and its status – whether or not its rebuilding (though we do need to update with the opening of Sykora Bakery.) You can also send in your own comments and memories of the businesses or add what you know about a building’s history.
Ann Rocarek, daughter of Sykora Bakery owner John Rocarek, fills pastries with apricot filling in the bakery's kitchen.
Gov. Chet Culver talks to Jan Stoffer (in black) and Gail Naughton, both of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, along with Jan's twins.
Betsy Marlow, 7, of Cedar Rapids, with the kolaches her father bought at Sykora Bakery
- Bessie Dugena, left, a Czech Village business owner and former resident of the Czech Village neighborhood, talks to Gov. Chet Culver.
Gov. Chet Culver, left, talks to Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran, in red.
Carly Mark, 10, and Victor Mark, 12, of Van Horne, outside Sykora Bakery.
April 19, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged control, Earth Day, environment, extension, gardening, Gazette, help, how to, Iowa State University, recession garden, save money, tips, vegetables, weed
To some of us who grew up gardening, the process comes naturally. How can you not know how deep to plant a radish seed or realize you have to wait until the danger of frost has passed to plant your tomatoes? Actually, I’ve heard from people who grew up gardening and despise it now. That includes a couple editors here at The Gazette, who prefer to stay as far away as possible from watering cans, trowels, or anything else that reminds them of the back-breaking labor of their youth.
But, as mentioned in today’s (4/19/09) Gazette article: http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090419/NEWS/704199992/1002/NEWS
more and more people are moving toward gardening, as a way to help the Earth and save money on food budgets in these tough economic times. To that end, Iowa State University Extension has come up with a great beginner’s guide to home gardening, especially tailored for Iowa.
Even experienced gardeners will find helpful hints on beets, potatoes, squash and numerous other veggies, along with everyone’s favorite: weed control.
You can find the guide here: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2009/4-8/introduction.html
April 20, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged aerate, agriculture, amend, April, Bill Northey, Claire Smith, compacted, compost, Dustin Vande Hoef, erosion, fertilize, grass, grow, how, insect, Iowa, Land Stewardship, lawn care, lawns, Linn County, master gardener, May, mowing, organic, runoff, seeded, sod, soil, spring, start, turf, water, when, yard
It’s spring and attention is turning to lawns. Two things today about lawn care. The first is from Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith and the second came to me from Dustin Vande Hoef, communications director for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey sent the message to remind homeowners that spring is an ideal time to improve soil quality in our yards and that restoration of the soil can help retain water, prevent erosion and protect water quality.
This is from Claire Smith:
Are you ready for some mowing? Depending on the weather, your summer lawn mowing and maintenance can begin anytime in April.
Did you service the mower last fall? If you didn’t have time then, you should take time now. Beg or bribe your favorite spouse or relative to change the oil, kick the tires, replace the spark plug and air filter, and be certain the blades are sharp and not bent.
If the ground temperature is 55-60’ you can commence any necessary re-seeding and repairs. Lawn repair kits that will contain seed and mulch can be purchased. But remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is so do not succumb to terrific sounding no maintenance grasses and groundcover. Apply the patch after you have removed the dead turf and loosened and amended the soil.
Pizza or ice cream treats may create some enthusiasm to have the kids or grandkids help you rake and remove clumps of leaves and other debris left over from winter ice and snow. Initiate a game of pickup sticks (branches). Tamp down runways created by winter vole activity and fill in holes.
Hose off lawn areas along walks, drives and roadways that have been exposed to deicing compounds or your grass may not reappear. Keep newly seeded and sodded areas moist to reduce stress on young and developing root systems. Watering an established lawn is not necessary now. Wait until May to fertilize. Over watering and over fertilizing does more harm than good on your lawn: strike a happy medium. Excessive use of insecticides may reduce nature’s aerating machines, the earthworm. Monitor your lawn for any insect damage prior to spraying.
Proper mowing is a real key to a healthy lawn. The suggested mowing height is 3-3 ½” Taller grass forms a deeper root system. Stronger plants are more likely to fend off insects, disease and weeds. Remove only 1/3 of the total height of the grass and leave the clippings on the lawn to decompose. Clippings add nitrogen, moisture and organic matter to the soil. Varying the direction and pattern of mowing will reduce the wear and tear on the lawn.
So, are you ready for some mowing? Grab a bottle of lemonade and your hat and sunscreen. Hop on the mower and enjoy the spring weather and the start of a beautiful lawn.
From Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship:
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged homeowners to consider incorporating soil quality restoration efforts into their annual spring yard work.
Often in urban areas, especially new developments, the topsoil has been removed and what is left is compacted. Restoring soil quality helps yards and green spaces absorb and infiltrate rainfall, which reduces the homeowners need to water their yard while protecting water quality and preventing runoff.
“Iowa is known for it’s great soil, and rightfully so, but we need to make sure we are taking care of that soil so that it is healthy,” Northey said. “What made our soil so productive was the high organic matter content and porosity that absorbed rain and allowed roots to grow deep. Soil quality restoration helps recreate those conditions that allow plants to thrive.”
If you are establishing a new lawn, perform deep tillage (8-12 inches deep) before seeding or sodding to breaks up compacted soils. Add compost to increase organic matter. It is recommended that soils have 5 percent or more organic matter before sodding or seeding, which can be achieved by incorporating 1 to 3 inches of compost.
If you have an existing lawn, consider aerating the soil and then apply a blanket of compost in the spring or fall. An application of one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch of compost following aeration will help fill the holes with organic matter to amend the soil and allow existing turf to grow through the compost amendment. If your turf is patchy, add seed to the compost application to thicken up the vegetation.
“Improving the soil quality in your yard will make your lawn healthier, require less water and reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticide applications,” Northey added. “A better looking lawn and improved water quality in the state are possible when we better manage runoff through soil quality restoration and other measures that allow water to infiltrate.”
There are a number of other lawn care tips to help care for your soil and promote infiltration of water and prevent runoff.
- Begin mowing after the first of May and end near Labor Day.
- Set the mower at three inches high. The higher the grass shoots the deeper the grass roots, making it better able to survive dry periods.
- Use the mulch setting on your mower to leave the grass clippings on the yard. Don’t lower organic matter content by removing clippings.
- Consider using native plants for accent in planting beds or in rain gardens to minimize the amount of turf grass.
- Seed your lawn to a native turf mixture that has deep roots and thrives in Iowa’s weather conditions without extra care.
More information about urban conservation, rain gardens and a soil quality brochure are available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov
April 21, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bottled water, Cedar Rapids, Earth Day, Future Friendly, green tips, HGTV, Iowa, Lindale Mall, Nicole Facciuto, P&G, pilot, Procter & Gamble, Red Hot and Green
Nicole Facciuto talks to Glenn Williams of Procter & Gamble Tuesday night at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
OK, so maybe you haven’t gone “green” yet. Procter & Gamble is giving people in the Cedar Rapids area a great incentive to do so. The company is giving away $10,000 to the winner of its Future Friendly Challenge.
Cedar Rapids was chosen as the pilot site for the company’s sustainability initiative, which isn’t a product launch, but an awareness effort to point out energy, waste and water savings involved with P&G products.
Nicole Facciuto, host of HGTV’s “Red, Hot & Green” was at Lindale Mall tonight (Tuesday, April 21) to help launch P&G’s effort and will be there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. She and others who will demonstrate the products can be found under a green tent near the Sears store at Lindale.
P&G’s Glenn Williams said the contest will continue at other Future Friendly events in the coming weeks, but is for the Cedar Rapids area only. Anyone who wants to enter the contest can pick up a form at Lindale or other locations in the next few weeks and write, in 300 words or less, how they have gone green, without sacrifice.
Nicole, whose show is shot in LA, noted that little things add up to help move the whole country toward sustainability. “I’m just here to tell people about it because I believe in the small steps,” she told me during a “tour” of the Future Friendly tent. Nicole, 33, said she’s no stranger to Iowa, having spent a summer at Lake Okoboji. She’s into Freecycle, recycling and once made a coffee table out of a pile of old books that a school discarded.
Products in the Future Friendly initiative are marked with a green sticker and are already at Hy-Vee supermarkets and will be in more Cedar Rapids stores in the near future. Glenn said Cedar Rapids was chosen because the community shows awareness about sustainability and “our target audience lives here.”
Update: Glenn just sent in more info on how to enter the contest:
The rules are simple: just tell us in 300 words or less about how you’re living a more “future friendly” lifestyle without making any deep sacrifices or trade-offs. Drop your entry at the FF pop-up or email it, and you could win the 10,000 dollars. Nicole and other FF experts will determine the winner.
The email address is: futurefriendly@yandlpr.com
Here is more about the pilot:
Procter & Gamble has chosen Cedar Rapids and Earth Day to launch a new sustainability initiative pilot. The new Future Friendly program will include products from P&G’s most recognized brands, including PUR, Charmin and Dawn. Each brand provides specific savings in water, waste or energy, with the resource-saving benefits marked on the packaging.
To launch the pilot, a Future Friendly demonstration house will be unveiled at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, where visitors can see live product demonstrations and learn how they can take simple steps in their own homes to save energy, water and reduce waste.
Nicole Facciuto, host of HGTV’s “Red, Hot and Green” will be at Lindale Mall from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday to share environmental home design and lifestyle tips. Visitors can enter to win a $10,000 grand prize by submitting the best “go green without sacrifice” story in the Future Friendly Challenge. Each household that registers at Lindale Mall on Earth Day will receive a coupon book and a reusable shopping bag.
Examples of the Future Friendly resource savings include this: If all Iowa residents who use bottled water switched to a PUR faucet mount system, they would save more than $574 million each year – enough money to send nearly 5,000 students to Coe College for four years.
Look closely at the wording to see if those savings add up for your family. This example assumes that if one household switched from bottled water to a PUR mounted faucet system, they would be able to eliminate 3,200 plastic bottles and save $600 per year. If you don’t use bottled water, which has lost favor among the eco-conscious, those savings might not apply to you.
Other examples include: If all Cedar Rapids households switched from a regular roll of Charmin to Charmin MegaRoll, it would save more than 77,000 gallons of fuel – enough to fuel 44 school buses in Iowa for an entire year. And if all Cedar Rapids households cleaned their dishes with Dawn Direct Foam, without filling up the sink with water, they would save more than 600,000 liters of water – enough to irrigate more than six acres of Iowa farmland for one week.
P&G, which has two plants in Iowa City, notes that each Future Friendly product must meet strict, science-based performance criteria, including a reduction of more than ten percent in water use, energy use or waste versus previous or alternative products. In addition, the benefits of the products cannot trigger inefficiencies in other areas of environmental concern. The brands in the pilot program include Tide, Downy, Gain, Cheer, Dreft, Era, Dawn, PUR, Cascade, Charmin, Bounty and Duracell. Future Friendly has operated as a multi-brand effort in the UK and Canada since 2007.
For more information, see: www.future-friendly.com
Lindsey Pugh of Grayslake, Ill., demonstrates the absorbency of Bounty paper towel on Tuesday night at Lindale Mall.
April 23, 2009
· Filed under Your photos · Tagged Cedar Rapids, image, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Jay McWherter, Laurie Vulich, Linn County, master gardener, Noelridge Park, orchid, passion flower, photo, tulips
New photos today! Laurie Vulich shots these wildflowers during a walk along the trails at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids on this warm spring day.
Wildflowers shot at the Indian Creek Nature Center.
Bloodroot in bloom
Intrepid photographer and Linn County Master Gardener, Jay McWherter, sent in these photos shot at the Noelridge Park Greenhouse open house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on April 11…
Close-up of an orchid
Passion flower
Tulips
If you have photos you’d like to share, send to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Include information about the subject and where and when it was shot.
April 24, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged bazaar, garden, green, herbs, Hiawatha, Iowa, plants, prairiewoods
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out the Prairiewoods Garden Bazaar featuring “all things green, good and growing.”
The bazaar is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Prairiewoods, 120 Boyson Rd., Hiawatha, Iowa.
Event features herbs, plants, seeds, chimes, artisan vendors, birdhouses and more. Also, learn how to plant an herb garden and create yard art. All proceeds benefit Prairiewoods.
See: http://www.prairiewoods.org
April 26, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Carla Davis, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, clothes, consignment, Dayna Kriz, Earth Week, fashion show, Gary Comer Youth Center, Heidi Franklin, Iowa, Jenna Nelson, MidAmerican Aerospace, Plato's Closet, recycle, reuse, Sonya Darrow, Stacie Johnson, Stuff Etc.
The first ever Recycle in Style Earth Week Fashion Show was tonight (April 25, 2009) at the MidAmerican Aerospace Warehouse in Cedar Rapids. Organizer Stacie Johnson noted the space was fitting, as the company recycles airplanes. About 200 people surrounded the runway where models from area consignment shops showed off some of the fashions available for a fraction of the cost of new. Local designer Sonya Darrow also modeled her “Seven Days, Seven Different Styles for under Seven Dollars” collection.
Here is a sample from tonight’s first-ever event:
Carla Davis, from Mix 96.5, emcees the fashion show.
A model from Plato's Closet walks the runway.
Designer Sonya Darrow of Cedar Rapids shows part of her collection.
The night's youngest model, from Stuff Etc.
Models Jenna Nelson (with Yorkie) and Heidi Franklin from Stuff Etc.
Stacie Johnson (right) coordinator of the fashion show.
Dayna Kriz, art instructor for the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago, with some of her students' redesigned t-shirts, jewelry and keychains.
April 27, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged amend, Claire Smith, fall, flowering, Iowa, master gardener, perennials, plants, rain, season, soil, spring, transplant, when
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith:
I was so ready to start my ditch project. That’s the area I wrote about in an earlier blog that due to last summer’s over abundance of rain is now inaccessible by lawn mower. The weather seemed to be cooperating and the ground temperature is almost warm enough. Commencing with a hoe and a good pair of gloves, I’m tackling the winter debris of branches and weeds. As some coaches will tell you, the best defense is a good offense: removing any pest and disease infestation creates a healthier plant bed. I do have some weed spray for the tough stuff. There’s enough left over ground cloth to cover the area. Garden centers have mulch just waiting for me to pick up. The fall perennials are peeking about 3-4 inches out of the ground and are begging to be moved. (Rule of thumb: transplant spring flowering plants in the fall and fall flowering plants in the spring.) Hurrah! The growing and planting season has begun. However, when I picked up a handful of dirt, it balled up in my hand. So, time out! That ground is definitely not dry enough. “Mudding in” transplants will result in a hardened clumpy soil that will be very difficult to work going forward. So, instead of transplanting right now, I’ll amend the soil by adding that wonderful stuff weathered horse droppings are made of. Several inches of home grown compost and/or organic matter means I don’t have to fork out funds for commercial fertilizers. In a few days, baring additional downpours, I will plant the transplants, remembering to water in the plants then gently tamping the soil down around them to remove air pockets.
Once the plants are in place, the ongoing project involves seasoning the seeder wagon, moving it to the middle of the area and planning how flowers will cascade out of it. My son will bring a load of rock for the erosion control. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for how I perceive my new garden will evolve.
April 28, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Ann Johnson, book, bugs, Bur Oak Guides, butterflies, damselfly, Dennis Paulson, dragonfly, insect, Iowa Odonata Society, Midwest, pocket guide, University of Iowa
My all-time favorite insect, the dragonfly, is finally getting the attention it deserves. This came out today from the University of Iowa:
Dragonflies and Damselflies cover
“Dragonflies and Damselflies in Your Pocket: A Guide to the Odonates of the Upper Midwest,” the new addition to the Bur Oak Guides Series, will become available from the University of Iowa Press May 1.
The pocket guidebook with text and photos by Ann Johnson will be available at bookstores or directly from the UI Press by phone at 800-621-2736 or online at http://www.uiowapress.org. Customers in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East or Africa may order from the Eurospan Group online at http://www.eurospangroup.com/bookstore.
Just as more and more people enjoy watching birds and butterflies, watching the many shimmering dragonflies and damselflies — collectively called “odonates,” from Odonata, the name of this order of aquatic insects — has become a popular outdoor pastime. With their extremely large eyes, elongated transparent wings, long and slender abdomens, and prehensile extendible jaws, dragonflies and damselflies are efficient hunters and quick, darting fliers. Their beauty and their behavior make them delightful subjects for birdwatchers and other nature lovers.
“Dragonflies and Damselflies in Your Pocket” introduces 50 of the showiest odonates of the Upper Midwest. In addition to providing useful general information about broad-winged damsels, spreadwings, pond damsels, darners, clubtails, cruisers, emeralds and skimmers, Johnson includes common and scientific names, sizes, general flight seasons and the best habitats in which to find each species.
Dennis Paulson, author of “Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West,” wrote, “With beautiful photos backed up by concise text, this little guide is simple and easy to use as it introduces birders and general naturalists to a wonderful group of insects, the Odonata. It should be in every glove compartment and backpack.”
Johnson is a management analyst for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a founding member of the Iowa Odonata Survey, and the owner of AJ Endeavors, which specializes in natural history Web development. A self-described birder gone bad, she now spends summers chasing more bugs than birds near her home in south central Iowa.
Named after the state tree of Iowa, the Bur Oak Guides are published to assist the exploration and enjoyment of the natural environment of the Midwest.
April 28, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged climate change, Den Henrickson, Iowa, Marion, plants, Project BudBurst, Rachael Drummond
I can tell you when my Greenland tulips, Strutter’s Ball daylily or perennial hibiscus bloomed in the last several years; when the grass first turned green this spring or when the chartreuse of the willows began to show. I’m a compulsive jotter. Maybe it’s the product of my training as a reporter combined with my gardening obsession that compels me to write down every observation. At least I’m not alone. Nationwide, nature-lovers, gardeners, scientists and students are taking note of what’s happening in the natural world around us.
It’s all part of an effort called Project BudBurst – http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/
Thousands of volunteers across the country have been participating in the project, which tracks climate change by recording the timing of flowers and foliage. Project BudBurst, started as a pilot program in 2007 and operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Chicago Botanic Garden and University of Montana, is amassing thousands of observations from these “citizen scientists” to give researchers a detailed picture of our warming climate. An analysis of thousands of Project BudBurst observations from last year and the 2007 pilot shows a baseline for the timing of key plant events. Volunteers can compare these observations to flowering and leafing in future years to measure the impact of a warming climate. Overall, 4,861 observations were reported online in 2008 from participants in every state except Hawaii.
Rachael Drummond, who works in Media Relations for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., got me in touch with an Eastern Iowa participant of Project BudBurst. Den Henrickson of Marion said he decided to get involved after hearing about the project on National Public Radio. Den is keeping track of three things in his yard: Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine trees and buffalo grass. “I think this is a valuable way to leave a nugget of information for future generations,” he said. Den added that he knows some people are combing parks and ditches in search of plants, but he knew he would be more apt to follow through with something in his own backyard.
The project works like this: Each participant in Project BudBurst selects one or more plants to observe. The Web site suggests more than 75 trees and flowers, with information on each. Users can add their own choices. Participants begin checking their plants at least a week prior to the average date of budburst–the point when the buds have opened and leaves are visible. After budburst, participants continue to observe the tree or flower for later events, such as seed dispersal. When participants submit their records online, they can view maps of these phenophases across the United States.
Den, 37, said he’s watching the white pine, for example, for the first needles, first pollination and first pine cones. He joked that he should be watching the common dandelion, another of the options on the list. Because this is the first year Den has been involved, he didn’t have a comparison to previous years and hasn’t been recording any of the phases on his own. An information technology employee at ADM in Cedar Rapids, Den said he isn’t a “jotter” like me, but he is a data person. And that’s where he sees the importance of the project, especially when it comes to global warming. “I’m not into it for the politics of climate change,” he said. “In my mind the jury is still out on that. With the data, you get a clearer picture.”
Here is more about Project BudBurst from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research:
The science of phenology, or tracking cyclic behavior among plants and animals, has a distinguished history. For centuries farmers, naturalists, and scientists have kept careful records of the phenology patterns of plants and animals. Farmers have long used their phenology knowledge to predict the best time for planting and harvesting crops and when to start expecting problems with insect pests. Numerous plant and animal species throughout the world are being affected by climate change. Some plants respond to warmer temperatures by extending their growing seasons. Others shift their ranges toward the poles or to higher elevations.
At the same time, many insects breed and disperse based on regular cycles of sunlight rather than temperature. This can cause a mismatch between the behavior of pollinating insects, such as bees, and flowers that bloom earlier than the insects expect. Such asynchronous behavior has already been noted across many parts of the world.
Researchers have already found some interesting comparisons from the last two years. In 2008, for example, forsythia in Chicago opened their first flowers from April 17 to 19—almost a week earlier than the 2007 flowering dates of April 23 to 25. In Wadsworth, Ohio, flowering dogwood reached full bloom on May 8, 2008, which was two weeks earlier than in 2007. They warned, however, that results about global warming couldn’t be drawn from just two years of data. Scientists will have to analyze observations for many years in order to distinguish the effects of long-term climate trends from year-to-year variations in weather.
Project BudBurst is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Ecological Observatory Network, National Geographic Education Foundation, and U.S. Forest Service. The USA National Phenology Network is one of Project BudBurst’s partners. The project is also supported by the National Science Foundation and is hosted on Windows to the Universe, a UCAR-based educational website.
Den with his trees in Marion, Iowa
April 30, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged art and culture tour, Big Green Summer, Brucemore, byway, Cedar Rapids, daylily, Environmental Film Festival, events, Fairfield, Friends of Hickory Hill, gardening, Grant Wood, greenhouse, Hiawatha, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Iowa City, iris, landfill, Marion, Master Gardeners, May, Noelridge Park, plant sales, prairiewoods, Project GREEN, solar workshop, urban permaculture, Wanda Lunn, Wickiup Hill
Following are gardening/environmental events scheduled in Eastern Iowa for May 2009. If you know of others, send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Friday, May 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Ton of Fun Earth Day celebration and re-opening of SWAP shop, Cedar Rapids/Linn County landfill, 1954 County Home Road, Marion, includes “dumpster dive” for customers dropping off items that shows what people would have thrown away without environmental intervention. See: http://www.solidwasteagency.org/
Friday, May 1, 7 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha, Farm Sanctuary President and co-founder Gene Baur, discusses his work and national best-selling book, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food. He will provide firsthand accounts of conditions on today’s farms, outline efforts to combat the current system, and put forward a vision for a healthier and more sustainable food system. For more information, visit www.genebaur.org or call Prairiewoods at (319) 395.6700. Fee: $10. His book will be available at Prairiewoods prior to and on the day of the event. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Solar Energy Worshop, Prairiewoods. Dennis Pottratz, Iowa’s first nationally certified photovoltaic installer, will lead hands-on workshop. Fee: $250, includes lunch each day. NOTE: This has been postponed. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids, Guild’s annual spring plant sale with wildflowers, prairie grasses, perennials, garden art and more. See: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/
Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m., Celebrating Land and People, Indian Creek Nature Center dedication of 28-acre woodland at NW corner of 44th Street and Otis Rd SE. Call (319) 362-0664 to register for this free event.
Sunday, May 3, 2-4 p.m., Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, Iowa City Public Library, 123 South Linn St., Food Not Lawns will host a screening of The Future of Food The film offers an in-depth investigation into the genetically engineered foods that are quietly filling U.S. grocery store shelves. David Cavagnaro, photographer and board member of Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, will present additional insights into this trend toward the globalization of our food system. Backyard Abundance is hosting a community seed swap after the screening at 4 pm. Bring seeds, if you have some to spare. Vegetable, herb and prairie seeds will all be available. See: http://www.backyardabundance.org/eventCurr.aspx?id=25
Monday, May 4, 3:30 p.m., Squaw Creek Park near Marion. Volunteers will help Trees Forever and the Linn County Conservation Board plant 100 oak trees as part of National County Government Week. Another 100 trees will be potted up by volunteers for use in replanting flood-stricken areas of Cedar Rapids and Linn County. Supervisors Lu Barron and Brent Oleson will speak at the event, along with Shannon Ramsay, Founding President of Trees Forever, who will address the importance of trees, wetlands and prairies. The oak trees were donated to Trees Forever by IA-WIS-IL Nursery from Cascade. Members of the Cedar Rapids Green Iowa AmeriCorps team helped dig the trees and will be at the event. For more information: call 1-800-369-1269, or see: www.TreesForever.org
Tuesday, May 5, 7 p.m., Secrets of the Bearded Iris, Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. The Linn County Conservation Department is hosting a program led by Wanda Lunn, who grows over 300 bearded iris in her Cedar Rapids garden. Her garden is one of only 40 registered Historic Iris Preservation Gardens in the United States. Wanda will share the varied types and colors of bearded iris as well as secrets to growing them well in Iowa. Cost is $2.50/adult, $1/child or $5/family. Call (319) 892-6450 or (319) 892-6485.
Saturday, May 9
- 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Cedar Rapids Garden Club, Plant & Garden Sale, CornerHouse Gallery & Frame, 2753 First Ave. SE, annuals and perennials specially grown for you by Piersons Florist, Occasions Florist and Fairfax Nursery, as well as Garden Club members, designer patio-ready pots, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, new and gently used garden items, recipes, and exciting presentations. Proceeds will go to support community beautification projects.
- 9 a.m., Cedar Valley Iris & Daylily Society annual spring sale, Penn Meadows Park Gazebo, North Liberty. Named cultivars available, mostly $4-$10. Proceeds used to purchase plants for future sales. See: http://www.cvids.org/May2009Sale.html
- 9 a.m. to noon, Brucemore Plant Sale, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, features a wide array of perennials and annual plants from Brucemore’s greenhouse. Back by popular demand, the Brucemore gardeners have prepared a variety of topiaries and hanging baskets. Plant sale prices range from $3 to $15, with all proceeds benefiting garden and landscape restoration projects at Brucemore. The garden staff will be on hand to provide their expert advice on the selection, placement and care of plants. Also, step inside the Brucemore Museum Store where a variety of garden books and merchandise will be available for purchase. Call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org
- 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Project GREEN garden fair, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City. Sale of assortment of trees, shrubs, vines, and sunny and shade perennials, plus local experts will be available to answer garden questions including Mark Vitosh, DNR forester; Terry Robinson, Iowa City forester; Tim Thompson, DNR wildlife biologist; Jim Scheib, member of Eastern Iowa Bird Watch; Master Gardeners of Johnson County; a garlic mustard specialist; and Jennifer Jordan, the IC recycling coordinator, who will be available for information and questions relating to the IC Community Compost program. See: http://www.projectgreen.org/gardenfair.htm
Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Noelridge Park Greenhouse open house, Cedar Rapids, will include sale of hanging flower baskets for $20/$30 and $40 as a fundraiser, plus gardening book sale. Also information from Neighbor to Neighbor Sharing Plants, bee keepers, Eastern Iowa Bonsai Society, Butterfliz of Iowa, bookmark making and the Indian Creek Nature Center.
Monday, May 11, noon to 1 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Environmental luncheon on heirloom seeds. $10 for meal. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Thursday, May 14, 6-8 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Exploring Wild Edibles, $6/person or $10/family. Bring a small container to collect plants. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Friday, May 15, 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Annual Friends of Hickory Hill Park plant sale, backyard at 1167 E. Jefferson St., Iowa City. Plant donations needed, as well as help before and during sale. Sale will include perennials including coneflowers, phlox, daylilies, asters, daisies, hostas, Lily of the Valley, wild ginger, celadine poppy, herbs and groundcovers as well as native plants. Some house plants may be included. For more information or to volunteer, call Joan at 319-338-5331.
Saturday, May 16, 8 a.m. to noon, Linn County Extension parking lot, 3279 Seventh Ave., Marion, Linn County Master Gardeners plant sale, featuring many kinds of perennials (both for sun and or shade), and many varieties of hosta and daylilies, also wildflowers, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, annuals and more. Plants come from Master Gardeners’ gardens, where they were carefully dug and potted, and tenderly taken care of until the sale. Master Gardeners will help you choose the plants just right for you and Plant Doctors will answer your gardening questions. New this year will be a container potting / design service. Bring your own container and the experts will create a beautiful combination of plants for sun or shade. We will have plants available for containers, or bring any of your own you wish to incorporate in the arrangement. See: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/events/
Saturday, May 16, 8 a.m. to noon, Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds, south side of Iowa City, Johnson County Master Gardeners host a flea market and plant sale, featuring an assortment of annuals, perennials, houseplants, bulbs, tubers and seedlings. There will also be a great assortment of new and previously used lawn, yard and garden tools and equipment. Donated items can be dropped off at the food booth on the fairgrounds Thursday, May 14, or Friday, May 15.
Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, May 17, 1-5 p.m., First Annual Grant Wood Scenic Byway Art & Culture Tour. Combines love of art with a scenic drive through Jackson and Jones counties. Get to know the regional art and artists of the Grant Wood Scenic Byway with art galleries, wineries and artists in special locations. See: http://www.iowadot.gov/iowasbyways/index.aspx or contact Linda Muller, (563)652-5104.
Saturday, May 16- Sunday, May 17, Urban permaculture for land, yards and gardens, Prairiewoods. Learn how to begin applying permaculture techniques around your home and in your community. Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable environments. This workshop will include two days of classroom and hands-on experiences. Information and techniques will include ecological patterns, edge, energy flow, zones and sectors, soil, trees, wind breaks and shelter belts, composting, water and landscape, mulch beds and gardening. Instructors are Grover Stock and the staff from Big Green Summer. Fee: $120 for both days, includes a permaculture book and lunch both days. Scholarships are available; reduced rates for more than one person from a family or organization. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Tuesday, May 26 and Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. or Saturday, May 30, 10:30 a.m., Brucemore’s Historic Landscape Tour, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids. Experience the passion influential historic landscape architect, O.C. Simonds, had for retaining the natural elements of the land, using native vegetation, and applying his knowledge of nature and artistic principles to achieve his picturesque style. Participants will learn the progression of the Brucemore landscape from 1886 to present, the importance of the estate’s architecture on the landscape, and hear the challenges facing the continuing preservation of the estate. Contact Brucemore at (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org
May 31-June 14, Permaculture Design Certification, BGS Campus, Fairfield. Instructors are Doug Bullock, Lonnie Gamble, Grover Stock, and dozens of guest presenters. Cost is $1,200 if you register by May 1. See: http://www.biggreensummer.org/page/Permaculture+Design+Certification+2009
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged Allamakee, Amana, Belle Plaine, casino, cedar, Cedar Rapids, Central City, Coralville, downtown, Dyersville, Eighth Avenue, farmers market, fruits, Greene Square Park, Guttenberg, Harpers Ferry, Hiawatha, Iowa, Iowa City, Kalona, Marion, Mechanicsville, Mount Vernon, Noelridge Park, produce, Riverside, seasonal, sell, Shellsburg, Springville, Sycamore Mall, Toledo, Traer, Urbana, vegetables, Vinton, Washington, Williamsburg, Winneshiek, Youngville Cafe
Following are some of the seasonal farmers markets that operate in Eastern Iowa in 2009. If you have updates to this list, add a comment below, or send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
For more information, see the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Web site at: www.iowaagriculture.gov/iowaProducts.asp
Allamakee County
Allamakee Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, June 1 through Oct. 5, Allamakee County Fairgrounds, Waukon, contact Teresa Wiemerslage, (563) 568-6345.
Harpers Ferry, 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays, June 5 to Oct. 2, at Bluffview Park, contact Connie Benedict, (563) 586-2297.
Benton County
Belle Plaine Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays; May 29 through Sept. 25, 13th Street and Sixth Avenue, west of the Pizza Hut, contact Becky Poduska, (641) 489-2107.
Urbana Farmers Market, 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 23 through Oct. 31, Legion Pavilion on Wood Street, contact Eileen Schmidt, (319) 443-5620.
Shellsburg Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, May 13 through October 14, city park on Sells Street, contact Joyce Pence, (319) 389-8714.
Vinton Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, June 4 through Sept. 24, BCHS Railroad Depot, 612 Second Ave., contact Duane Randall, (319) 472-4164.
Youngville Cafe Farmers Market, 3:30 to 6 p.m. Fridays, May 29 through Oct 16, junction of highways 30 and 218, contact Richard Grovert, (319) 223-5465.
Cedar County
Cedar County Farmers Market, 7:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 16 through Oct. 3, south side of the county courthouse in Tipton, contact Yvonne Gregory, (563) 946-3551, or Evelyn Walshire (563) 432-6983.
Mechanicsville Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 26 through Sept. 29, on Main Street across from the fire station, contact Linda Coppess, (563) 432-7756, or Evelyn Walshire, (563) 432-6983.
Clayton County
Guttenberg Farmers Market, 8 to 11:30 a.m., Saturdays, May 30 through Sept. 26, 400 S. block of the park in downtown Guttenberg, contact Tara Dykhuizen, (563) 252-2323.
Dubuque County
Dyersville Farmers Market, 2:30 to 6 p.m., Thursdays, May 21 through Oct. 8, Commercial Club Park, contact Karla Thompson, (563) 875-2311.
Iowa County
Amana Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m. Fridays, May 29 through Sept. 4, in midtown Amana. Contact Amana Farmers Market, (319) 551-4464.
Williamsburg Farmers Market, 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays, May 8 through early October, at the northeast corner of the downtown park, contact Elaine Wardenburg, (319) 668-1288.
Johnson County
Coralville Farmers Market, 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, May 4 through Oct. 1, in the parking lot at the Coralville Community Aquatic Center, 1513 Seventh Street, contact Matt Hibbard, (319) 248-1750.
Iowa City Farmers Market, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30 to noon Saturdays, May 2 through Oct. 31, on lower level of Chauncey Swan parking ramp between Washington and College streets, contact Tammy Neumann, (319) 356-5110.
Sycamore Mall Farmers Market, 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 5 through Oct 27, in the parking lot at the theater end (west end) of the mall, 1600 Sycamore St., Iowa City, contact Candy Norris, (319) 338-6111.
Linn County
Noelridge Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids, 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, May 1 through Oct. 23, corner of Collins Road and Council Street NE, contact Teresa White, (319) 286-5699.
City parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE in Cedar Rapids, 7:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, (except during the Downtown Markets) and 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 2 through Oct. 24. New Greene Square Park market will be 4-6 p.m. Thursdays from June 11 through Aug. 27, contact Teresa White, (319) 286-5699.
Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids, 7:30 a.m. to noon on June 6 and 20; July 18; Aug. 1 and 15; Sept. 5 and Oct. 3, contact Jill Wilkins, (319) 398-0449.
Central City Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 21 through Sept. 24, Courtyard Park on South Fifth Street, contact Central City Mainstreet office, (319) 438-1761.
Hiawatha Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, April 19 through Oct. 25, in the Guthridge Park parking lot at 10th Avenue, contact Angie Cole, (319) 393-1515.
Marion Farmers Market, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays; May 2 through Sept. 26, at the East End Shopping Center, 3375 Seventh Ave., contact Pat Carlson, (319) 377-4846, e-mail pcarlson@cityofmarion.org
Mount Vernon Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 7 through Oct. 8, at Mount Vernon Visitors Center, 311 First St. W, contact David or Mickey Miller, (319) 310-6399.
Springville Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, June 2 through Aug. 25, at Cox Lake Pavilion, contact Lena Gilbert, (319) 854-7097.
Tama County
Toledo Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m., Fridays, May 1 through Oct. 30, on the east side of the courthouse square, contact Dawn Kupka, (641) 691-9710.
Traer Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesdays, May 6 through Oct. 28, at the junction of highways 8 and 63 in Traer, contact Marlus Svoboda, (319) 479-2279.
Washington County
Kalona Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, April 25 through mid-October, corner of C Avenue and Fifth Street, Kalona; Laurie Coffman, (319) 656-5252.
Riverside Casino Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 28; July 26, Aug. 30 and Sept. 27, parking lot of Riverside Casino & Golf Resort; contact Jessica Athen, (319) 648-1234, extension 1975.
Washington Farmers Market, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, May 14 through Oct. 29, at Downtown Central Park at Washington Street and Iowa Avenue; contact Bob Shepherd, (319) 653-4888.
Winneshiek County
Winneshiek Farmers Market, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays; May 2 through Oct. 31 (no market July 25); at the Municipal parking lot at Heivly Street and Claiborne Drive in Decorah; contact Steve McCarger (563) 382-2451.
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged baked goods, Betty Decker, Bob Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, downtown, Duane Randall, Farmers Markets, Hiawatha, Iowa, noelridge, organic, produce, Quinn Pettifer, Vinton, Washington
Perennials for sale by Betty Decker at Hiawatha Farmers Market
As of this afternoon (Friday, May 1, 2009), the Cedar Rapids farmers market season will begin. The schedule apparently has caused some confusion. This might be the reason: There’s the Noelridge Park market, which begins at the same time and place as usual. Then there is the market in the city parking lot on Eighth Avenue SE, which was relocated after last year’s flood and is almost, but not quite the same otherwise as last year, and one in Greene Square Park that replaces one day of the Eighth Avenue markets, but only from June through August. And then there is the large-scale Downtown Farmers Markets, which is only on certain days throughout the season and preempts the Eighth Avenue market on those Saturdays. Pretty simple.
I was at the Hiawatha Farmers Market on Sunday. If you haven’t been to that one, it’s worth your while to go, not only because it’s one of few markets on Sundays, but they offer great produce, plants, baked goods, organic meat and more. That’s where I shot the photo, above, of perennials for sale by Betty Decker, from Decker’s Hobbies in Walker. Look for more photos from the Hiawatha market and a “clip and save” listing of area farmers markets in the Sunday, May 3, Gazette. It’s in the Money section, in its new location behind the sports pages.
You can find all of those markets under the Linn County heading in the farmers market category on this blog, plus many others. New this year is a farmers market in Shellsburg and the Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids (the big one that’s just on certain days) has some new additions, too. This is from Quinn Pettifer, from the Cedar Rapids Downtown District:
New features this season include open mic sessions, a Green Space sponsorship and recycling program, and a pet policy offering guidelines for patrons that bring their pets to the market. The pet policy includes a maximum 4 foot leash requirement, as well as basic health and social interaction guidelines. Another noteworthy addition to this season includes the acceptance of WIC checks by those vendors participating in both the City and Downtown Farmers’ Markets. The WIC approval process was led by Representative Tyler Olson who took the initiative to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey for special approval.
Quinn also notes that 4th Avenue and 5 Seasons Parkades will be free and open to the public, with additional on street parking available. Handicapped accessible parking will be available in the True North Parking lot along 5th Street SE. The market (remember, this is the large, downtown one) will be in a slightly different location than it was last year after the flood. It will be along 3rd and 4th Avenues to include 2nd and 3rd Streets SE and Greene Square Park.
That market is on June 6, June 20, July 18, August 1, August 15, September 5, and October 3. Entertainment for the June 6 market includes Pan-Delirium Steel Drum Band, Theatre Cedar Rapids, MOvMNT, Library Story Time, Iowa Children’s Museum activities, a roaming wine tasting, cooking demonstration, and street entertainment from Mark Brown and Junk Funk.
Bob Shepherd also sent some info (as well as the photo below) about the Washington Farmers Market, which begins Thursday, May 14th: The market starts at 5pm each Thursday evening and closes at 7:30pm. Growers, bakers, and artists set up their displays in downtown Central Park, under the tall shade trees, along the new sidewalks leading to the Memorial Fountain. Vendors number from 20 in the spring to 45 during the summer as produce reaches its peak maturity. We are a certified Iowa Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program market with a number of eligible growers. Starting in June, ‘Thursday Night Live’, offers entertainment from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, local artists including; Catfish Keith, Patrick Hazell, suzuki strings, dance studios and the Richland Old Time String Band to name a few, perform on the Washington Bandstand. The Washington Muni Band follows with rousing concerts from 8pm to 9pm. Such is the usual fare in downtown Washington on Thursday evenings throughout the summer. Special Market events include; the12th annual Smoker/BB-Q/Grill Challenge on the Thursday following Fathers Day June 25th , The 11th annual Tasters’ Choice Salsa Contest will be September 3rd the Thursday before Labor Day.
Duane Randall, Director of Parks & Recreation in Vinton, sent information about the Peal or No Peal night and other fun stuff going on at the Vinton Farmers Market this summer. You can find more info and photos on that market at: www.vprdzone.com
Customers snatch up baked goods at the Washington (Iowa) Farmers Market last summer. Photo by Bob Shepherd
May 4, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Czech museum, Czech Village, elm, find, flood, Forest Mushrooms, grow, Houby Days, Iowa, Jan Stoffer, Kevin Doyle, Minnesota, morel, mushrooms, mycelium, shiitake, spring, St. Joseph, stores, trees, where
Blonde morels/ photo from Forest Mushrooms Inc.
I can finally say I’ve found some morel mushrooms! Actually, I didn’t have to go on a mushroom hunt, as many Iowans do in the spring, though I’d love to find them that way. The ones I saw were spotted at a grocery store in Cedar Rapids. They were selling for $12.99 for a 3.5 ounce package and came from Forest Mushrooms Inc., of St. Joseph, Minn.
Per their Web site: Established in 1985, Forest Mushrooms, Inc. is a Minnesota company engaged in the research, cultivation and distribution of edible specialty mushrooms. They particularly specialize in the production of oyster mushrooms, and more recently, in growing shiitake mushrooms. Their production facilities are located in St. Joseph, MN, 90 miles northwest of Minneapolis. They distribute mushroom products to wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants and specialty shops. The majority of products are delivered to the Twin Cities area, but they also distribute locally and nationally. See: http://www.forestmushrooms.com/
Here is more that Kevin Doyle, president of Forest Mushrooms, Inc., sent to me about his company and his insight into morels: All morel mushrooms are wild-harvested, not cultivated. There have been many attempts to grow morels, and some occasional successes but nobody has been able to repeat their successes, and thus there are no farms that currently grow morels, to the best of my knowledge. This is because there is a very complicated and interesting relationship between the morel mushroom mycelium (which are the vegetative strands of the fungus that grow underground), and the root hairs of the trees that are host to them. We think that the strands of morel mycelium help the tree to absorb nutrients from the soil, especially minerals, by carrying the minerals through the mycelium and then inserting the mycelium and the nutrients in to the tiny root hairs of the tree roots. The mycelium is much much smaller than the root hairs, and wrap themselves around the root hairs and then penetrate into the root. In turn, the morels likely absorb some carbohydrate (sugars) from the vascular tissue of the tree roots, so they relationship is helpful to both organisms.
However, there are conditions, including but not limited to damage to the tree from fire, Dutch elm disease, wind damage, etc., that cause the morel mushroom mycelium to send strands of mycelium to the fungus where they then produce the specialized reproductive organ that we know as a mushroom. That mushroom then produces spores which are dispersed by the wind and are carried away to start a new colony in another area of the forest, thus propagating the life of the morel fungus. This is an adaptive response that has developed through evolution to help the fungus survive adverse situations or events. The mushroom is just a specialized part of the fungus’ life cycle, but the main act occurs way underground for decades and helps to sustain the trees themselves, thus morel mushrooms and also many other types of mushroom fungus are essential to the health of a sustainableforest ecosystem.
The morels in North America are widespread, though we in the Midwest often think of them as a local phenomenon. In fact, the morel season begins much earlier in almost every other area of the country than it does in the upper Midwest, due to the milder climates and earlier onset of Spring in other regions. In the Pacific Northwest the morel season begins in late March, and can actually continue right on into early August in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains. In Minnesota, where our business is located, we are used to seeing morels during the second half of May, typically. I would imagine in your region it is the beginning of May most commonly.
During the milder and earlier Springs we were having a few years ago, the season began a bit earlier. The season is triggered by the combination of adequate soil moisture and enough sunny days and warm temperatures to warm up the soil adequately to spur the growth of the mushrooms. There have been years when the moisture is there, but the temperatures are too chilly, and by the time the mushrooms come up as temperatures warm up, the grass and small plants in the forest have already sprung up and obscure the mushrooms from view, so people think there is no mushroom season, when actually we just can’t find them under the forest floor cover!
The morels you saw are blonde-colored morels from the western slope of
Packaged mushrooms from Forest Mushrooms, Inc.
the Rocky Mountains in Oregon. These are the best morels in the country at this time, for flavor, appearance, and shelf life. They are also similar in appearance to the mushrooms that we commonly see in the Midwest. Later in the Spring there are several other varieties that grow in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, including “fire morels” (also called “burns”), which grow in huge numbers on the sites of last season’s forest fires. These burn morels are smaller, not as thick, and have a conical shape. Another morel commonly harvested commercially in the mountains is simply called a “natural” and is shaped more like a golf-ball, without the conical shape and more rounded, with a thicker shell. (All true morels are hollow inside.) The latest morelspecies to fruit in the Rockies is called the “grey morel” and can also grow on fire sites. It is the largest morel in the country, grey in color, thick walled, and has a great shelf life for transport to market. All of these morels are also dried, often on-site, or in large gas-fired driers, for preservation and enjoyment in the off-months.
Forest Mushrooms flies in morels, as well as many other wild-harvested mushrooms, every few days all year around. We inspect and sort them, and then market them to both the foodservice and grocery store markets. We are licensed as “Wild Mushroom Experts” by the State of Minnesota, which is required for the commercial handling and sale of wild-harvested mushrooms. Any establishment in Minnesota that sells wild-harvested mushrooms of any type, including morels, to the public, needs to be able to show that they were obtained through a state-licensed Wild Mushroom Expert.
I do not know whether Iowa has any such requirement, since this varies from state to state. But it does provide a measure of food safety and confidence for chains when they chose to carry these products.
FYI, Forest Mushrooms, Inc. has been in operation since 1985, and we specialize in growing oyster and shiitake mushrooms (about 3000 lbs/wk, all year aound) and in distributing all other specialty mushrooms, fresh, dried and frozen, both cultivated and wild-harvested. We also have a full line of organic fresh mushrooms for both foodservice and grocery customers. We do NOT sell to the public directly, but are strictly growers and wholesale suppliers.
Back to Cindy:
The annual Czech Village Houby Days celebrates the mushroom (houby is the Czech word for mushroom) and I’ve heard they might go back to using morels in their breakfast!! About half of the businesses in Czech Village have returned since the flood and more are hoping to come back in time for the celebration on May 15-17. Below is a photo of Jan Stoffer, of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, giving a tour of Czech Village to students from McKinley Middle School last month.
Jan Stoffer leads tour of Czech Village for McKinley students.
May 5, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged auto industry, car, cash, clunkers, energy independence, fuel efficient, hybrid, Nancy Pelosi, truck
Here’s something to watch if you’re looking for a more fuel efficient car that’s better for the environment. This is from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement regarding the White House and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s agreement on a “cash for clunkers” proposal that will provide incentives for Americans to trade in older vehicles for more fuel efficient for cars and trucks:
“’Cash for clunkers’ is a common-sense proposal that will help provide a shot in the arm for the American auto industry at a crucial time for our economy, reduce the emissions that cause climate change, and make America more energy independent. By helping Americans trade in their old, less fuel efficient cars and trucks for newer, higher mileage vehicles, consumers will save money at the pump, help protect our planet, and create and save jobs for American auto workers.
“I congratulate Chairman Waxman, Chairman Emeritus Dingell, Chairman Markey and the Obama Administration for working hard to arrive at this agreement, as well as the many strong proponents of this legislation, including Congressman Inslee, Congressman Israel, and Congresswoman Sutton. I look forward to working with them and with the Senate to pass this critical job-creating, energy independence legislation through the Congress so that we can send it to President Obama’s desk for his signature.”
Back to Cindy: I hastily posted this today, with questions both nagging and selfish swirling in my thoughts. Nagging, because to me, buying new isn’t always the environmentally friendly route and selfish being – would my little 2001 Nissan qualify?
The Detroit Free Press: www.freep.com
spells it out in greater detail. Hopefully, all those old vehicles traded in could be resold, but I think a higher fuel efficiency is warranted on the new vehicles and environment aside, should our tax dollars really be subsidizing someone’s new car purchase? That question will continue to nag.
May 6, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts, Gardening events · Tagged blooming bushes, bulbs, Cedar Rapids, dwarf bearded, image, Iowa, iris, open house, perennials, photo, shade, spring, sun, tall, Wanda Lunn
Iris grow beneath a statue in Wanda Lunn's gardens in 2008/ Cindy Hadish photo
I had the opportunity last year to visit the beautiful iris gardens of Wanda Lunn in Cedar Rapids. Wanda had 400 visitors in two days last spring and let me know that her gardens will again be open for viewing. If you get the chance, visit her home at 526 Bezdek Dr. NW from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2009, to see dwarf bearded iris, blooming shade perennials, blooming bushes and spring bulbs in bloom.
The gardens will also be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, when 300 tall bearded iris should be in bloom. Wanda noted that instructions on planting, care and identification will be available each day.
May 7, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged annuals, Claire Smith, color, compost, deadhead, die, dirt, garden, how much, Linn County, master gardener, mulch, mulching, perennials, water
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
It’s a good news, bad news thing. Annuals provide long-lasting color throughout the summer. Then they die.
Perennials, while often providing dramatic color and impression, also often hold blooms for only a short time. So, mix annuals with perennials. Tuck annuals in and around trees and shrubs for a surprise splash of color. Use annuals in a container combining colors and textures. Try some annuals in your vegetable garden.
Plan, plan, plan. Think about what you’re doing. Starting small works. Remember when it’s 110’ in the shade in August, you may not want to be tending to an entire back yard of flowers. But, make an impact. Down by the road I have a 1’ x 60’ group of plantings that I never have gotten right. The perennials keep coming up, but there just isn’t any emotion. Maybe expanding it with a serpentine arrangement will help. Annuals will be the option until I decide how I want it to ultimately evolve.
Color counts. Create mood and interest with color. Cool colors like greens, blues and violets help a small area seem larger and hot spots cooler. Warm colors, the oranges, reds, and yellows, will warm a location and steal the show. Go ahead: combine warm and cool contrasting colors. Yellow and blue are stunning together; red and green eye catching. Use your imagination. If you have a very favorite color, create a monochromatic garden but keep interest by varying textures.
Choose the right plants. Annuals that require deadheading and staking may not be your cup of tea. Reading the label is critical to know proper care.
Annuals require one inch of water each week. When you can see four leaves on each plant, add mulch. Mulch impedes weed growth and helps retain moisture. Compost is a wonderful amendment.
Visit your favorite garden center. Ask lots of questions. Visit your neighbors’ gardens. Ask lots of questions. Dig in the dirt and then enjoy what you’ve created.
May 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged April, average, Bonifac, cabbage, cucumbers, Czech, frost, garden, Iowa, last, late, legend, May, Pankrac, peas, plant, potatoes, Servac, squash, tender plants, three frozen kings, Three Kings, tomatoes, vegetable, when
When it was sunny and 80 degrees for a brief day or two in April, I heard from several people asking if they should go ahead and plant their gardens. In Iowa, that’s fine for many vegetables, such as cabbage, peas and potatoes, but I warned them to hold off on the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and other tender plants. Those plants might actually have been OK during the past couple weeks, as it’s stayed fairly warm, so gardeners who took a gamble will be ahead of the game. But old-school gardeners often heed the warning of the Three Kings.
This is something that I ran last year on this blog, but as it’s often asked, here’s what I’ve been told about the legend of the Three Kings:
The Three Kings, or Three Frozen Kings, is a Czech legend that serves as a warning to protect tender plants against a possible late frost. In one of various forms, the story says the three kings or saints (Pankrac on May 12, Servac on May 13 and Bonifac on May 14) were frozen when the temperature dropped while they were fishing at sea.
On May 15, St. Zofie came along with a kettle of hot water to thaw out the three frozen kings.
Since Czech immigrants found Iowa similar to their home country, those traditions carried over, and, whether or not the story makes sense, it seems sensible in many years to heed the Three Kings warning.
Knowing the last average frost date for your area can also help. That date can vary, however, depending on the source. I’ve seen that in northeast Iowa, the last average frost date is May 10. East-central Iowa is April 30, and southeast Iowa is April 20. Those might seem early in some years, but look accurate for 2009.
A U.S. Climatography report placed northern Iowa, around Decorah, with a last average frost date of May 26; central Iowa, around the Cedar Rapids area, at May 13 and southern Iowa, around Ottumwa, at May 3.
Climatologists say the average can vary, even within the same county. The last frost date might be a week later in low-lying areas or a week earlier on hilltops. Because the frost date is only an average, your safest bet might be to heed the Three Kings warning and wait until May 15 to set out those tender plants.
May 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bed, Cedar Rapids, daffodils, deer, deter, don't eat, Dorothy Hingtgen, flowers, Gazette, Grand Duke, Greenland, Iowa, Liz Martin, Milorganite, photo, tulips
Dorothy Hingtgen and her tulip beds in northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Cindy Hadish photo)
The three things tulips don’t like are hot weather, hard, sideways wind and hail, according to “tulip lady” Dorothy Hingtgen, who lives in northeast Cedar Rapids.
I had a fun time interviewing this witty woman for a story for the Sunday, May 10, Gazette. Dorothy digs up more than 300 tulip bulbs every year with her husband, Dan, and is as much of an expert as I’ve met on tulips. So I felt a boost when I told her about my favorite Greenland tulips, a gorgeous pink flower brushed with green. They were beautiful the first year I planted them, but didn’t return the second. I tried again, and once more, exquisite blooms, followed by nothing the next year. Greenlands are labeled for zones 3-8, so they should be fine in Iowa, but the same results happened for Dorothy with those bulbs. I might take her advice and try something orange this fall, which she describes as the most reliable tulips.
Grand Duke tulips
A tip for homeowners with voracious deer: Dorothy uses Milorganite, an organic fertilizer. She says the smell deters deer. Further deer advice can be seen in one bed to the side of her yard that didn’t have any tulips, but was filled with bright daffodils. Deer leave daffodils alone, she noted.
Gazette photographer Liz Martin shooting at Dorothy Hingtgen's home. (Cindy Hadish photo)
May 11, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Bob Loyd, books, Cedar Rapids, Clipper Turbine Works, Clipper Windpower, Erin Ely, flood, flooding, Frank Cicela, green, Iowa, Iowa City, library, Mary Gates, Nancy Geiger, sustainable
(Left to right) Erin Ely, Nancy Geiger, Bob Loyd and Frank Cicela. Photo from Clipper Windpower
Through a flood relief effort, employees of Clipper Windpower have donated more than 750 “green” books to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City public libraries.
Clipper employees worldwide, including Clipper Turbine Works in Cedar Rapids, purchased T-shirts with taglines such as “Think Outside The Barrel” and “The Power Of Now” which contributed to the $8,000 in books donated.
This is from Mary Gates, director of Global Communications at Clipper Windpower, Inc.:
The book donation, which will jumpstart the library’s recovery, is a ‘green’ collection focused on various aspects of sustainable living. It replaces the collection lost during the disaster. Topics include gardening, permaculture, renewable energy, green building, ecology, culture, politics, community building, conservation, simple living, sustainable business, and a host of other subjects. The collection will include DVDs and audio CDs, as well as titles for young adults and children.
In making this donation possible, Clipper partnered with the Sustainable Living Coalition, a Iowa based non-profit organization dedicated to implementing innovative solutions for sustainable initiatives. In turn, the Sustainable Living Coalition secured discounted pricing from two book publishers – Chelsea Green and New Society Publishers – on more than 450 titles for the collection.
Among the more well-known titles is a book by Lester R. Brown called Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress & a Civilization in Trouble. In his book, Brown outlines a stabilization plan for the climate without hampering economic progress. A few of the others are the Chelsea Green Guide to Composting, Going Solar, Forest Drinking Water and Lost Language of Plants.
The donation is among Clipper’s continuing Cedar Rapids flood relief efforts. Just last year, Clipper matched funds raised by employees, and received donations from friends and suppliers totaling $175,000 in support of the company’s impacted employees and their families.
May 12, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged amend, Cedar Rapids, compost, flood, flooding, how much, Iowa, lawn, Linn County, mulch, mulching, organic, photo, Restore, soil, Solid Waste Agency, Stacie Johnson, top-dressing
Screening equipment and compost piles at the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency's site in southwest Cedar Rapids (Cindy Hadish photo)
Stacie Johnson, compost expert extraordinaire, sent me a note about getting flooded yards back in shape. Stacie, education coordinator for the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, said owners of flood-damaged homes have been calling the agency about using compost as fill as they begin work on their yards this spring. Last June’s floods wiped out the vegetation of thousands of homes in Eastern Iowa, especially in the Cedar Rapids area. One caller wanted to put compost 4 inches deep on her lawn, but Stacie advises against using compost as fill or topsoil. The grass might sprout, but would have long-term problems growing. Also, it would make a very soft spot in the yard, as compost is mostly organic matter with little mineral content.
The Agency is giving away free compost for Linn County residents and Stacie wants it to be used so it’s most beneficial to these homeowners.
Here is what she says:
Compost is a good source of soil organic matter and shouldn’t be used as you would topsoil. The three compost applications recommended by the Solid Waste Agency are mulching, amending and top-dressing.
Mulching: add one inch of compost as a mulch layer, no need to work in and can be topped off with wood mulch for a formal landscape.
Amending: (most likely the best approach for flood homes) work one to two inches into the top six inches of existing soil.
Top Dressing – spread 1/4 to ½-inch layer of compost over existing lawn; best to aerate before top dressing and reseed after.
A rule of thumb for how much compost is needed to complete a project: square footage x depth x .0031 = cubic yards needed for your soil amendment project.
The agency’s Web site: www.solidwasteagency.org has more information on hours and where you can pick up the compost. The compost is made from the leaves and other natural materials collected in Yardys. It is aged in piles and unwanted materials are removed with a heavy-duty screening machine. The result is rich, dark compost that is great for the soil.
May 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged buy fresh, buy local, Clinton, Delaware, directory, Dubuque, farmers, FoodRoutes Network, fruits, Iowa, Jackson, Jone, Limestone Bluffs RC&D, local food, meat, River Bend, seeds, vegetables
The following came from the River Bend Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter about its membership drive:
The River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local is seeking members and supporters for its 2009 campaign and directory. This new chapter was formed in 2008 when 34 growers and/or supporters in Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson and Jones Counties produced the River Bend Chapter’s first directory, designed to make connections between consumers and available supplies of locally produced fruits, vegetables and meats.
Copies of the 2008 directory can be obtained from members of the steering committee which include: Joe Wagner, Kris Doll, Steve Swinconos, Steph Chappell, Rose Rohr, Marilyn McCall, and Kris Doll in Jones County, Lori Schnoor in Jackson County, and Jim Keitel in Clinton County. Directories can also be obtained from the Limestone Bluffs RC&D Office in Maquoketa (563-652-5104).
Anyone interested in becoming a member as a producer, restaurant, market, or sponsor should contact a steering committee member above, or call 319-462-3196 Ext. 3 or 563-652-5104. Membership fee is $40 and includes a listing in the 2009 directory for the River Bend Region. Membership form must be received by May 15 in order for the listing to appear in the 2009 directory – 10,000 copies scheduled to be distributed in the six-county area in June.
The Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign is built upon the premise that local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances. In addition, when you buy local food it keeps your food purchase dollars circulating within the local economy and supports family farm producers.
River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local is a partner of FoodRoutes Network (FRN), which provides technical support to non-profit organizations working to strengthen regional markets for locally grown foods. Visit www.foodroutes.org to learn how FRN is reintroducing Americans to their food – the seeds from which it grows, the farmers who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to their tables. As a national nonprofit organization, FRN provides communications tools, networking, and resources to organizations working to rebuild local food systems across the country.
May 14, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged anthracnose, ash, beetle, black ash, blotches, Claire Smith, dropping, emerald ash borer, falling, foliage, fungus, green ash, holes, infest, Iowa, leaves, Linn County, Marion, master gardener, plant sale, symptoms, trees, why
Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, shares the following about anthracnose and Emerald Ash Borer:
Anthracnose - big word, hard to wrap your tongue around. Anthracnose is a common foliage disease of shade trees in Iowa, including the ash tree. Multiple inquiries to the Master Garden Hort-Line this morning were from folks whose ash trees were dropping leaves, an unusual occurrence in the spring. A good guess would indicate that most of those folks were concerned that their wonderful ash tree had become infested with the Emerald Ash Borer. Be aware that experts are seeing if the Emerald Ash Borer has invaded Iowa by crossing the river into the Northeastern portion of the state.
A bit about each of these diseases:
Ash trees can be infested with anthracnose that is caused by a fungus. There are a number of closely related fungi, but each is host specific to the tree it infects. Often symptoms appear serious, but generally the damage caused is minimal and doesn’t seriously affect mature shade trees. Symptoms include tan to black blotches; immature leaves becoming distorted from abnormal leaf expansion; young leaves dying and falling soon after a heavy infection. If a severe infection does occur early in the growing season, the trees may defoliate and then a new set of leaves may emerge. Following are some suggestions to decrease the severity of anthracnose and minimize its impact on your tree’s health:
- Clean up and destroy fallen leaves: use your lawn mower bagger
- Prune the tree to remove diseased branches and properly dispose of them.
- Prune to open the canopy for better air circulation. Fungi relish damp conditions. Pruning is generally not recommended now, but better to prune than lose the tree.
The Emerald Ash Borer prefers Green Ash and Black Ash Trees, but will tackle any ash when the previous two mentioned have all been killed. The borers