Toni and Jake DeRyke home (photo, Backyard Abundance)
Information on the following Backyard Abundance event came from Fred Meyer:
Decades of steady care by Toni and Jake DeRyke, 2101 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City, have led to a peaceful and orderly yard filled with beautiful flowers, tranquil shade gardens and an abundance of food. The yard will be open to view from 3-5 p.m. Saturday (June 27, 2009.)
The DeRykes strive to keep their environmental impact low while also saving money:
- Growing their own food eliminates the carbon dioxide that would otherwise be emitted to transport food to their home.
- Rain barrels capture free rainwater for their garden, reducing the need for energy-intensive purified tap water.
- Steady supplies of low-cost reclaimed building materials are frequently acquired from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
- Trees shade their home, reducing energy bills and providing bird habitat.
Toni and Jake reflect our growing efforts to think globally and act locally; and it does not get more local than your own backyard.
Parking for their event is available on 3rd Avenue, on the west side of their home.
For more information, see: http://www.backyardabundance.org/events.aspx
Homegrown 