The Iowan | March/April 2014 vol. 62 | no. 4 by The Iowan magazine

Tassel Ridge Rosés make your ®

Spring Meals Special

Rockets Glare Rosé®—sweet rosé with cherry on the nose, bright red cherries on the palate, and green apple on the finish; pair with your favorite spicy foods. Serve chilled. 2012 American Steuben—light, fruity, semi-sweet rosé with cherry and apple notes and a hint of cinnamon on the nose and cherry and apple flavors on the palate with a slightly spicy, tangy finish; pair with Asian stir-fry or chicken salad; perfect as an aperitif! Serve chilled. Tickled Pink—a refreshing, semi-sweet rosé with strawberry, plum, and red currant notes on the nose and strawberry, citrus, plum, spice, and red currant on the palate; pair with tacos, enchiladas, barbecued wings, sweet and sour pork, hamburgers, hot dogs, mild cheese, and more! Serve chilled.

Sweet Roxie Red®—refreshing, sweet, fruity wine with cherry and citrus on the nose and sweet cherry and candied fruits on the palate; pair with spicy Asian or Mexican foods and spring afternoons! Served chilled. 2012 Iowa Marquette Rosé—dry, full-bodied rosé with bright cherry, strawberry, citrus, and peach on the nose and strawberry, raspberry, and cherry on the palate; pair this versatile rosé with a wide variety of your favorite foods. Serve slightly chilled. American Pink Catawba—semi-sweet, fruity rosé with pineapple and tropical fruit nose; green apple and citrus palate; pair with barbecue or picnic foods like cold meats or cold fried chicken; great sipping wine! Serve chilled.

The Rosé Wines of Tassel Ridge…Simply Extraordinary® Leighton, IA • www.tasselridge.com Tassel2Ridge wines are sold |atiowan.com the Winery and over 400 retailers in Iowa. For a complete list of retailers visit www.tasselridge.com/retail. Order wine by THE IOWAN telephone at 641.672.WINE (9463). We offer shipping within Iowa and to select states. Adult signature required for receipt of wine.

000_IFC_TheIowanMA2014.indd 2

1/29/14 2:08 PM

Welcome to Iowa’s Front Porch! Pull up a chair and stay awhile. Take in the view from our front porch and discover true Midwest hospitality on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi.

Relax and enjoy one of our world-class festivals, thriving music scene, museums, craft breweries, great shopping and delicious cuisine.

We’ve got it all right here. Our riverfront baseball stadium was named a top 10 place for a “baseball pilgrimage” by USA Today. Thanks to our RiverVision plan, Davenport won a national livable city award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Welcome to Davenport. Whether coming to visit, work, play or live, you will find it all here on Iowa’s front porch.

Take in the view at www.iowasfrontporch.com or www.visitquadcities.com

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

001_TheIowanMA2014.indd 1

1/29/14 2:07 PM

contents MARCH / APRIL 2014

volume 62 | number 4 iowan.com

ON THE COVER: Charles City farmer Wendy Johnson. Story, page 24. Photograph by Kathryn Gamble THIS PAGE: Photograph: Thinkstock速

002-003 toc.indd 2

1/29/14 4:19 PM

Features 24 Farming Like She Owns It

by Barb Hall Women are changing the face of Iowa farming. Are they changing its practices as well?

40 Heritage Farm

by Dan Weeks Visit the Decorah homestead that’s restoring taste and diversity to the world’s produce — one garden at a time.

50 Iowa’s Best Garden Centers

by Deb Wiley Drive a few extra miles this year to a real garden destination. Here are four regional gems.

62 Secret Garden

photoessay by Deb Wiley Strategically planted trees enclose a half-acre suburban garden invisible to the world beyond.

Departments 4

from the editor

Grandpa Idor’s Pop Garden

5 letters

Psychedelic Icicle

8 travel

Day Trips and Seasonal Celebrations

16 food

Rhapsody in Rhubarb

18 garden

How to Force Branches for Spring Blooms

19 home The Idea Shop 74 flashback: 1954 Spencer’s Comeback; The Father of the Trampoline 76 escapades

002-003 toc.indd 3

My Library, My Refuge

1/31/14 1:12 PM

from the editor

PROUDLY PUBLISHED AND PRINTED IN IOWA

Grandpa Idor’s Pop Garden My wife Randi’s grandfather, Idor Bjonerud, was a gardener. In the 1950s he grew the standard array of Iowa vegetables and flowers in his Calmar backyard. But he grew a bit of magic, too. Every spring he’d carefully instruct his grandchildren — and the schoolkids who’d stream past on spring afternoons — to bury shiny new bottle caps, which he supplied, in neat, shallow furrows. These were pop seeds, he explained. You could

Publisher Polly Clark

Editor Dan Weeks

Creative Director Ann Donohoe

Associate Graphic Designer Megan Johansen Image/Photo Specialist Jason Fort Copy Editor Gretchen Kauffman

Advertising Executives Kimberly Hawn

Ronda Jans Meghan Keller Tom Smull Becca Wodrich Circulation Manager Katrina Brocka Subscription Services Nate Brown

choose your flavor: orange, root beer, even black cherry — Randi’s favorite. By the time the weather got hot, he’d say, you could harvest a nice, cool bottle of pop. What the children didn’t see was Idor laboring by moonlight, carefully burying the corresponding bottles where they’d sown their “seeds.” Day by day, week by week, to the amazement and delight of all, rows of dusty caps slowly became

Jim Slife Twilla Glessner Accounting Manager Allison Volker CEO

Production Manager

visible. They were eventually followed by the slender necks and art-deco contours of the 7-ounce bottles as Idor lifted and reburied them, higher by the slightest fractional inch, each night. Finally — and only when the bottoms of the bottles were almost flush with the earth — they could harvest. “We never doubted. Grandpa grew pop,” says Randi. “Every kid in town knew it.” Nor did they question the source of the “seeds” that appeared in Idor’s pockets every spring, thanks to a friend at the bottling plant. Idor’s garden was special. But perhaps all gardens are no less magical for the transformation they bring to the landscape, the delight and anticipation that comes from a slow ripening, and the feeling that you’re receiving an inexplicable gift every time you harvest. Whether you’re a gardener or just a garden appreciator (and who isn’t?), we hope you enjoy this, our annual special gardening issue. Do you have an Iowa garden story you’d like to share or an Iowa gardenrelated subject you’d like to know more about? Let me know — I’d love to hear from you! Sincerely,

Dan Weeks, Editor editor@iowan.com

The Iowan, ISSN (0021-0772), is published bi-monthly by Pioneer Communications, Inc., 300 Walnut Street, Suite 6, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. This issue is dated March 1, 2014, Volume 62, No. 4. All content © 2014 The Iowan/Pioneer Communications, Inc., and may not be used, reproduced, or altered in any way without prior written permission. Periodicals Postage Paid in Des Moines, Iowa, and at additional mailing offices. We cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: The Iowan, 300 Walnut St., Suite 6, Des Moines, IA 50309. Prices: Subscriptions — Special rate when ordered direct or by mail: six issues per year for $24. International orders require additional postage. Please call for rates. Single copies — on newsstands: $4.95; current issue by mail: $4.95 plus $3.50 S+H. Please call for quantity discount pricing. Single past issues 2005 to present: $5.95 plus S+H, two for $9.95 plus S+H; prior to 2005: $14.95 plus S+H. New Subscriptions, Renewals, Gifts: iowan.com > SUBSCRIBE subscribe@pioneermagazines.com 877-899-9977 x211 Change of Address: iowan.com> CONTACT > Address Change subscribe@pioneermagazines.com 877-899-9977 x211 Past Issues: subscribe@pioneermagazines.com 877-899-9977 x211 Mail Orders: The Iowan Subscription Services P.O. Box 2516, Waterloo, IA 50704 Advertising Information: 515-246-0402 x202 or 877-899-9977 x202 advertising@iowan.com iowan.com 10% PCW Paper Made in the USA

004 editor letter.indd 4

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

1/29/14 2:13 PM

portfolio

day, -blue January a On a crystalline rest before enjoying two climbers ll grain silo an 85-foot-ta rappel down open The climb — l near Cedar Falls. a nominal gear-renta to anyone for has won weekends — fee most winter

portfolio

international

Climbing the

letters

attention.

WORLD’SICICLE TALLEST t— winter spor al. invented a new national capit Don Briggs r Falls its inter and made Ceda by DAN WEEKS Story and Photos

don’t fall — you from the ice, you on If you get unstuck either to climb and can decide Considered, just hang suspended on NPR’s All Things a thrill in itself. to the ground — It has been featured to coast. A Los climbers from or be lowered gently in papers coast e is required, and on ABC news, and away to Iowa!” as far No prior experienc wrote, “I’m running and folks from in the middle Angeles viewer to octegenarians Briggs grade-schoolers it “a climbing mecca lly scaled the tower. successfu Inhabit.com called have away as China — the user fees of the Great Plains.” s don’t make a nickel sense. and his volunteer thought it made expenses. and Don Briggs just other and instructor go for gear rental ice on every Northern Iowa eled A University of Briggs, “is to see also a world-trav “My dream,” says coach, Briggs is them. It’s so healthy former wrestling people climbing the challenge and silo in Iowa, with particularly enjoys mountaineer. He frozen water. and exhilarating.” the beauty of scaling friend, Jim Budlong, one day for his Plowing a field was coming. Don Briggs a grain silo. Winter . “I’ll he started eyeing watches a it down?” he wondered “What if we sprayed climb in new sport was born. A Budlong. said progress. grab the hoses!” Briggs says. things to farm ice,” “You need two got those.” water. Well, we’ve of “Temperature and silos, 90 percent land spiked with them? We also have a repurpose not are empty. Why Briggs has which Briggs says a dozen years now, ice So for more than sculpt to showerheads aloft hoisted hoses with and 8 feet thick. reach 85 feet high can $150 (or that towers pay $35 each weekend day Dozens of climbers in climbing gear; to get outfitted for a season pass) tic encouragement n and enthusias to the cozy expert instructio his crew; and admission couches and from Briggs and ut-comfy where battered-b to the tower’s warming shed, Climbers are belayed volunteers. hot chocolate await. held taut by trained top with stout ropes

046-050 Ice Climbing

THE JOY the “fanatic fan” featured in “The November/December

IOWAN 2013 | THE

046-050 Ice Climbing

The Iowan 300 Walnut Street, Suite 6 Des Moines, IA 50309 editor@iowan.com iowan.com > Contact Facebook.com > The Iowan Magazine

Basketball Blizzard of ’65” on page 34

47 PM 11/26/13 5:28

PM 11/26/13 5:28

| iowan.com THE IOWAN

WRITE TO US!

I’m the daughter of Elmer Dykstra,

of the January/February 2014 issue.

v2.indd 47

v2.indd 46

It’s difficult to express the joy this

PSYCHEDELIC ICICLE T

article has given my family and me, he Ev I really liked “Climbing the World’sThe winningertealym Cattlefeeders withespecially the unlikely na Tallest Icicle” ( January/February su“Ioccwaesssix-player girls’ basketball wa me. ful sportin s the mojust since Dad st g ac tiv ity for girls in histor y, at its American zenith involv 2014, page 46)! When I was an ISU ing more th percent of th away an e girls in thpassed 70 e state,” wr lwain in Th ote Max freshman living in Wallace Hall inMcE 1970, e Only Danc eSeptember. in Iowa. By the 1960 in s, girls’ 6on-6 baske had evolved tball into a fast-p one enterprising 8th-floor resident aced, skillf that enthral ul the game years, led eager cro Over wd th its half-court speedy punched holes in the bottom ofesp aeci action. It drew husgewicro ally in small wds,heard we’ve towns wh was stronge ere the tradit st. ion coffee can, filled it with a different hue Smokey the Bull — co The Everly renditions of pip mplete wit Cattlefeeders e, and fed h crazed ora — as were a girls’ sketball dy look, he appeare cover of nasty — de of food coloring each morning,anbadand a 1960s d on the Everly Hig termined, tou talented. Ev h School this story. Some of us actually gh , yearbook. erly, populat them. Busin ion 600, lov ed set it outside on his windowsill. Eachesses would often clo game; every se for a big remember it happening, but the one had som ething red ite to wear. and day, the colored water drippedwhdown The team go t some of th eloquent way Kay wrote it from her fending off eir spunk fro ribbing abou and froze, getting thicker, wider, and m t theirfirst-hand and their ma unlikely na memories made it all come scot, Smok me ey The Bull. 1930s Everl (In the y cattle farme several stories tall. You couldcosee it r Johnto ntribute $5 Jel life. Elmer would have loved it. do n ag 0 toward tea reed to m uniform the team wa s provided from a distance: beautiful reflections s named Th e Cattlefeed Everly and ers.) Thank you so much for printing it. the Cattlefe eders took sports seriou their of shiny blue, red, green, yellow, sly. They ult Cattlefee imately prod der pride hall-of-fam : This sig uced two e athletes, a —Sandi (Dykstra) Schmidt n still sta hall-of-fam nds in Eve d a pro wo rly. e coach, purple, brown, and orange. wianOne day, men’s baske tba ll player, alo th several co Former Everly Cattlefeeder ng llege athlet es and som players. No e semipro police cars and a fire truck mu arrived, t bad put for town wi th a populat ch smaller basketball player, Class of ’75 ion than the lar gest airliner’ passenger lis crime tape around a large circle on s t. the

SUSAN KOE HNK LEE

THE IOWAN ONLINE

PHOTOS

COURTE SY

Visit iowan.com and read a digital edition of the magazine on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

In 1990 an

ERRATA On page 18 of the January/February 2014 issue, Cyd Koehn’s name was misspelled. The Iowan regrets the error.

era en

ded when Ev consolidaoff erly ted schthe ground, and washed the icicle ool districts we re renamed

and the tea ms s. — Susan Ko ehnk Lee

The Maveri ck

building. They left the ground looking

The Cattle feeders gir ls’ baske Kay Jorda tball lineu n is 4th fro p in 1965 m lef t; Ch from right; : Susan Ko lea Wilke Coach Ha ehnk Lee n is secon is a forme ines is fro d r Cattlefee nt and cen Ray Koeh nk. Now a der and the ter. graphic an da ug hte everlycat r of the lat d web des tlefeeders.c igner in As e star Ca om, which ttlefeeder heville, No baseball pit has much rth Carol more inform ina, she ma cher intains a ation on the fine websi Cattlefeeder te, s.

like a frozen rainbow and the side of the building stained where the icicle

16 31

had hung. I later heard that the iceman

034-038 Bliz

zard.indd

7 18

I-3 5

was kicked out of the dorm.

—Dennis Howe, Still a Cyclone! Tempe, Arizona

12 4

6 33

US 20

January/

2014 | TH E IOWAN

I-29

17 11/26/13 10

80 I-3

February

5:21 PM

5 25

1 9

13 11

I-80

Points of Interest in This Issue 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Amana — p. 8 Ames — p. 5, 11, 12 Burlington — p. 10 Calmar — p. 4 Cedar Rapids — p. 9, 13, 19 Cedar Falls — p. 8, 12 Charles City — p. 31 Clinton — p. 13 Clive — p. 62 Coon Rapids — p. 24 Cumming — p. 50 Decorah — p. 40 Des Moines — p. 9, 11, 13, 75 Dubuque — p. 11 Emmetsburg — p. 9 Everly — p. 5

28 3

22 23

17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

Greene County — p. 28 Hawkeye — p. 55 Hills — p. 30 Iowa City — p. 10 Kalona — p. 11 Kellerton — p. 27 Keokuk — p. 8 Madrid — p. 14 Marion — p. 53

26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

Mason City — p. 10 Odebolt — p. 54 Ottumwa — p. 14 Pella — p. 76 Sioux City — p. 8, 14 Spencer — p. 75 Toledo — p. 9 Waterloo — p. 10, 14

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

005-006 letters.indd 5

1/29/14 2:11 PM

Greater Des Moines

Botanical Garden Exploring, explaining and celebrating the world of plants

Originally opened in 1910, The Historic Park Inn Hotel is the last remaining of five Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built hotels in the world. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now operates as a boutique hotel.

Tours: Thurs/Fri 11:30 & 1:00, Sat 11:30, Sun 1:30 Call WOTP to schedule group tours D $10/person D www.wrightonthepark.org 641.423.0689

15 West State St. Mason City, IA Room reservations: 800.659.2220

Members and children 3 and under: FREE 909 Robert D. Ray Drive Des Moines, IA 50309-2897 dmbotanicalgarden.com 515.323.6290

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

006_TheIowanMA2014.indd 6

1/29/14 2:22 PM

FIND YOUR INSPIRATION AT OMAHA’S URBAN OASIS Discover a hidden sanctuary in the heart of the city, where acres of beauty and tranquility await. The Marjorie Daugherty Conservatory • Opening late 2014 OPEN YEAR-ROUND • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Off Interstate 80 at 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha | (402) 346-4002 www.lauritzengardens.org

007_TheIowanMA2014.indd 7

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

1/29/14 2:41 PM

DAY TRIPS

Branson on the Road

Events worthy of an excursion

OLD-FASHIONED SHOWMANSHIP The Old Creamery Theatre Co. Amana Thursday, March 13– Saturday, March 15, 2 p.m.

Boston Brass and Enso String Quartet

39 38th Ave., Amana oldcreamery.com 319-622-6262

ROMEO AND JULIET REDUX

Adults: $30; students: $18

Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center Cedar Falls

Branson on the Road is in the same tradition as the traveling road shows during the glory days of the

Friday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.

Grand Ole Opry, the Louisiana Hayride, and the first

8201 Dakota St., Cedar Falls gbpac.com 319-273-7469

Branson music shows. It’s a high-energy, nonstop show featuring Debbie Horton, the only woman to

Adults: $38, $33, $28; youth: $38, $27, $23 Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has inspired musicians and composers for hundreds of years. Featuring familiar music by Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, Bernstein, and Elvis Costello, the

have played lead guitar with Johnny Cash; Donnie Wright, an expert musician who’s performed at the Grand Ole Opry; and Brian Capps, master upright bass player and singer.

Boston Brass in collaboration with the Enso String Quartet and percussion tell the story in their own unique way through some of the finest and most familiar pieces written

Tim Britton & Pat Egan

about Romeo and Juliet. Highlights include arrangements of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances

HEAR “THE IRISH ORGAN”

from West Side Story.

The Grand Theatre Keokuk Sunday, March 16, 3 p.m. 26 N. 6th Street, Keokuk keokukconcertassociation.org 319-795-1413

Cirque de la Symphonie TAKE IT UP AN OCTAVE

$18

Orpheum Theatre Sioux City

Tim Britton is a Celtic folk music artist, singer, and

Saturday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.

storyteller. He is best known as one of the leading players

528 Pierce St., Sioux City siouxcitysymphony.org 712-277-2111

of the uilleann pipes, one of the sweetest and most complex

$15–$40 The Sioux City Symphony is proud to bring to bring back to the Orpheum Theatre one of its most popular shows. Artists include the most amazing veterans of exceptional Cirque programs throughout the world — aerial flyers, acrobats,

of bagpipes, sometimes referred to as “The Irish Organ.” He is also accomplished on the wooden flute, tin whistle, Highland pipes, and mandolin. He has appeared on All Things Considered, A Prairie Home Companion, and more than three dozen records and was designated an Iowa Master Artist by the Iowa Arts Council. He appears here with guitarist and singer Pat Egan.

contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen. Each artist’s performance is professionally choreographed to classical masterpieces and popular contemporary music performed by the Sioux City Symphony.

008-011 day trips.indd 8

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

1/29/14 2:19 PM

travel Les Misérables SEE THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR MUSICAL Des Moines Community Playhouse Friday, March 21–Sunday, April 13 Wednesday–Saturday 7:30 p.m; Sunday 2 p.m. 831 42nd St., Des Moines dmplayhouse.com 515-277-6261 Adults: $36/$21; seniors (62+): $34/$21; students: $20 Revolution and romance. Good and evil. Set against a backdrop of political unrest, Les Misérables

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

presents the struggle between

GET YOUR GREEN ON

two idealistic men. Epic and

Cedar Rapids Monday, March 17 sapadapaso.org

uplifting, Les Misérables is the most popular musical in the

Cedar Rapids’ Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Society

world. It’s been more than 25

(SaPaDaPaSo) takes a hard line: Its parade is held every year

years since its Broadway debut,

on the 17th, no matter on what day of the week that date

but this is the first time the show

falls and regardless of the weather. Perhaps for that reason,

has been available to community theaters. Show up a half

the Society has an exceptionally spirited celebration, with

hour early for the preshow talk!

hotly contested judged prizes for various categories of parade entries and a boisterous after-parade celebration that’s a sea of green. See website for details.

Green Gravel Comedy Festival

Des Moines Monday, March 17 friendlysonsiowa.com

SHARE A LAUGH

The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Central Iowa call together to commune and celebrate their Irish heritage.”

101 S. Church St., Toledo greengravelcomedyfest.com 641-484-4440

They invite one and all to join them for their St. Patrick’s

The first-ever three-day Green Gravel alternative comedy

Day Parade and for an after-parade reception with Irish

festival promises to feature affordable, accessible shows

music and dance. See website for details.

and workshops in alternative stand-up, sketch, and

themselves “a merry band of gentlemen that enjoy gathering

Wieting Theatre and other Toledo venues Friday, March 28–Sunday, March 30

improvisational comedy from masters of the craft — Emmetsburg Sunday, March 2–Sunday, March 16 emmetsburgirishgifts.com 712-852-4326

including a free Fundamentals of Stand-up course. Primary

Irish-founded Emmetsburg goes all out for St. Patrick’s Day.

Toledo since 1912.

venue is the restored Wieting Theater, below, a 300-seat, balcony-tiered gem that has been hosting cultural events in

Festivities kick off with a Jr. Miss and Miss Shamrock pageant on Sunday, March 2. They resume on Thursday with an open house with Irish Coffee and cookies and continue throughout the following weekend with a fish fry, the O’Round the Loch Scholarship Run, face painting, a dog show, Irish Stew and food vendors, chain saw art, a free movie, a pancake breakfast, a trap shoot, and — of course — the parade from 1–3 on Saturday.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

008-011 day trips.indd 9

1/30/14 2:24 PM

Prijedor: Lives from the Bosnian Genocide

The Hit Men

HONOR THEIR LIVES

SHERREEEE, SHERRY BAY-BEEE . . .

Grout Museum of History & Science Waterloo Tuesday, April 1–Saturday, June 28 503 South St., Waterloo groutmuseumdistrict.org 319-234-6357 Adults: $10; children 4–13: $5; members: half price; veterans: free The Grout Museum in conjunction with the Center for

North Iowa Auditorium Mason City Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. 500 College Dr. Mason City 641-422-4188

Holocaust and Genocide Education at the University of

$30 in advance; $35 the day of the show

Northern Iowa will host Prijedor: Lives from the Bosnian

Former members of megahit acts, including Frankie Valli and

Genocide. The exhibit honors both the memory of the lives

The Four Seasons, Tommy James and The Shondells, The

lost in the Prijedor genocide and the experiences of the

Critters, Jim Croce, Carly Simon, and more, take the stage

survivors whose stories are told.

to play music that has transcended generations. “The guys are just so much fun to watch and listen to,” commented one

Masked Marvels and Wondertales SEE A VIRTUOSO

fan. “They are up there having such a good time — so laid back and relaxed — they sing — they tell stories. We just LOVE them.”

Capitol Theater Burlington Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m. 211 N 3rd St., Burlington burlingtoncapitoltheater.com 319-237-1099 $12 Michael Cooper is an eye-popping visual artist and virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances have dazzled audiences for almost 30 years. His one-man extravaganza combines his breathtaking handcrafted masks, original stories of courage and wonder, outlandish stilt dancing, and a physical repertoire that ranges from the madcap to the sublime.

Bluegrass Goes Pink Bluegrass Festival HEAR FIVE BANDS Clarion Highland Hotel Iowa City Friday, April 11– Sunday, April 13 2525 N. Dodge St. Iowa City iowabluegrassmusic.com 641-799-1442 $15 (one-evening pass); $35 (weekend pass); children 6–12 half-price; 5 and under free Billed as the First Annual Bluegrass Goes Pink Festival, this three-day event features five well-known regional bands: Highway Home, the Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa Band, The Baker Family, Castle Ridge, and Blue Wolf. Partial proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

008-011 day trips.indd 10

1/29/14 2:20 PM

travel George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away Tour

Julien Dubuque International Film Fesitval

CATCH HIM LIVE

SEE INDIE FILMS AT THEIR BEST

Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines

Multiple venues Dubuque

Friday, April 18

Thursday, April 24–Sunday, April 27

730 3rd St., Des Moines iowaeventscenter.com 515-564-8300

405 Main St., Dubuque julienfilmfest.com 815-281-0699

The Cowboy Rides Away Tour offers fans a final opportunity

This festival features more than 100 global filmmakers and

to see Strait’s live show filled with hits from throughout his

70+ films during its four-day run. Many of the films are

remarkable career, including many of his 60 No. 1 hits —

shown in locations along Main Street in downtown Dubuque.

more than any other artist in any genre.

In addition to the screenings, panel discussions and other special events let you learn more about the films and filmmaking in general — even meet some filmmakers.

Annual Quilt Show and Sale TAKE PART IN AN IOWA INSTITUTION Kalona Recreation Center Thursday, April 24, 5–8 p.m. Friday, April 25, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Bring It On: The Musical

6th and D Avenue, Kalona kalonaiowa.org 319-656-2240

Stephens Auditorium Ames

$5 (good all three days)

BRING ON THE HILARITY

Friday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.

Now in its 42nd year, the annual Kalona quilt show and sale

center.iastate.edu 515-294-3347

presents 300–350 new and antique hand-quilted quilts

Uniting some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on

each year. Many are Amish- and Mennonite-made. Visiting

Broadway, Bring It On: The Musical is inspired by the Bring

quilters also will want to visit the Kalona Quilt and Textile

It On films with an original story by Tony Award-winner

Museum one block east of the show, which has a constantly

Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and music and lyrics by Tony winner

changing array of

Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights). Bring It On reveals

historical Amish

the challenges and unexpected bonds formed through the

and “English” quilts

thrill of extreme competition. With an engaging crew of

on display.

characters, a fresh sound, and explosive aerial dance, this hilarious and universal story is everything audiences hope for in a show.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

008-011 day trips.indd 11

1/29/14 2:20 PM

Growing Interests

AMES

CEDAR FALLS

FLORAL DESIGN WORKSHOPS

MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

Reiman Gardens

Hartman Reserve Nature Center

Tuesday, March 18, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Spring Swags  Tuesday, April 15: Basket Arrangements 1407 University Blvd. reimangardens.com • 515-294-2710 $45 per workshop; members: $36 Learn the tips and skills used by professionals and create your own oneof-a-kind floral designs in these workshops. In March, welcome spring with dried floral swags requiring no water or vase. In April, learn how to create beautiful compact basket arrangements for gifts or for the little places in your home. These are just two of the year-round events at Reiman Gardens, which features 17 acres of indoor and

PHOTO BY MARK TADE MURAL PAINTED BY THOMAS AGRAN

SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 7 a.m.–1 p.m. 657 Reserve Dr. hartmanreserve.org 319-277-2187 Adults: $8; children 3–12: $5. Advance tickets available 2/1 through 2/28 by phone are discounted $1 each. The 29th annual Maple Syrup Festival celebrates 350 acres of woodland in the heart of the Cedar Valley. It features all-you-can-eat pancakes with butter, milk, sausage, Starbucks coffee, and real maple syrup made with sap from Hartman’s sugar maple trees. Plus: the flapjackflipping talents of Chris Cakes, maple syrup-processing demonstrations, nature-themed art activities, and raffle prizes that include a kayak package and a bike package. All proceeds support environmental education and natural resource management at Hartman Reserve.

outdoor gardens, a conservatory with seasonal displays, a 2,500-square-foot indoor Butterfly Wing with emergence cases, and a gift shop.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

012-014 seasonal celebrations.indd 12

1/29/14 2:17 PM

travel CEDAR RAPIDS

DES MOINES

COOL-SEASON PLANT SALE

IOWA FLOWER, LAWN & GARDEN SHOW

Brucemore

Iowa State Fair Varied Industries Building

Thursday, April 10–Friday, April 11, 12–6 p.m. 2160 Linden Drive, SE brucemore.org • 319-362-7375

Friday, March 14, 1–8 p.m. Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday, March 16, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Extend the growing season by learning about and

iowaflowershow.com • 800-756-4788

purchasing cool-season plants in the 1915 Lord & Burnham

Adults: $6.95; seniors: (62+) $5.95; children under 12: free

Greenhouse located near the center of the Brucemore estate.

The annual show’s 300 booths feature outdoor decorating

A variety of cool-season plants will be for sale, including

ideas, patio furniture, fencing, sunrooms, decks, walkways,

pansies, cabbages, snapdragons, sweet peas, and spinach.

spas, water gardens, and much more. Annual and perennial

Brucemore will also sell early-blooming perennials such as

flowers, trees, herbs, plants, pots, and shrubs are for

bleeding hearts and delphiniums. Cool-season plant sale

sale. Ten landscape displays will be sprinkled throughout

prices range from $3.50 to $7.50; all the proceeds benefit

the show, and gardening expert Jerry Kluver will host

garden and landscape rehabilitation projects at Brucemore.

educational seminars featuring area gardening and

The garden staff will be on hand to provide expert advice on

landscape professionals all weekend.

the selection, placement, and care of plants. LEARN ON SATURDAYS Des Moines Botanical Garden Saturdays year-round; classes begin at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. 909 Robert D. Ray Drive dmbotanicalgarden.com • 515-323-6290 $10; members: $5 These low-cost Saturday classes are a great way to learn about all kinds of gardening subjects from Iowa professionals. March and April offerings include the benefits of composting, the botany of beer, growing plants that

CLINTON

attract wildlife, woods, conifers, and more.

RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP

CRABAPPLE BLOOM

Bickelhaupt Arboretum

Arie den Boer Arboretum

Saturday, March 15, 10–11 a.m.

Daily, 6 a.m.–10 p.m. late April/early May (call or check website for exact timing)

340 South 14th St. bickelhaupt.org • 563-242-4771 $50 donation; preregistration required

Water Works Park, 408 Fleur Drive dmww.com • 515-283-8700

Assemble your own 50-gallon rain barrel to catch fresh

Free

rainwater for your plants. The barrel, parts, and hands-on

The Arie den Boer Arboretum is one of the world’s largest

instruction are included. While you’re there, visit the

collections of flowering crabapple trees. Established in 1930

Arboretum’s 14-acre outdoor museum of select labeled

in Des Moines’ Water Works Park, it contains more than 350

trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, and annual flowers.

varieties of flowering crabapple trees, including some that

The arboretum is open dawn till dusk and is free of charge.

cannot be found anywhere else in the world. You can drive or walk through the Arboretum to view the colorful display of 1,200 crabapple trees.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

012-014 seasonal celebrations.indd 13

1/29/14 2:17 PM

travel MADRID

SIOUX CITY

THE WORLD OF ALPINES

SIOUXLAND GARDEN SHOW

Iowa Arboretum

Sioux City Convention Center

April 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 1875 Peach Street iowaarboretum.org • 515-795-3216

Friday March 28, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, March 30, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

$55; members: $45 until March 22 $65; members: $55 after March 22

801 4th St. siouxlandgardenshow.org • 712-276-2157

Join Panayoti Kelaidis,

$5, $9, $12 for one-, two-, and three-day passes respectively; children under 12: free

Senior Curator from

Speakers, exhibits, and how-to sessions are designed to help

the Denver Botanical

you transform your piece of the great outdoors into your

Garden, as he shares

favorite place to be. Door prizes and a children’s corner give

his knowledge of the

everyone something to look forward to.

world of alpines. Learn about growing alpines in your Iowa garden

WATERLOO

and the use of rocks in the home landscape. This is but one of many annual events at the Iowa Arboretum, a 378-acre facility with hundreds of species of trees, shrubs, and flowers; woodland trails; and a restored-prairie walk.

IT’S NOT YOUR GRANDPARENTS’ FARM, OR IS IT? Grout Museum of Science & History Now–Saturday, April 26 503 South St. groutmuseumdistrict.org • 319-234-6357 Adults: $10 adults; children 4–13: $5; members: half price; veterans: free

OTTUMWA

Learn how Iowa’s small family farms raise fruits, vegetables,

OTTUMWA HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

grapes, dairy products, heirloom seeds, trees, buffalo, goats,

Bridge View Center

llamas, ostrich, bees, and ethnic foods for Iowa’s changing

Friday, February 28, 3–8 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday, March 2, 12–4 p.m.

population. Shop the exhibit’s displays to learn how these

102 Church Street ottumwahomeexpo.com • 641-682-3465 Adults: $5; children 6–12: $4; children 5 and under: free

small enterprises produce and distribute their goods. View related videos, photographs, artifacts, and ephemera; a hands-on “Little Farmer” area gives children a chance to learn what farming in Iowa, past and present, is like.

The largest home and garden show in southeast Iowa features more than 30,000 square feet of exhibit space packed with landscaping, yard maintenance, home improvement, and interior design ideas and solutions. This year’s featured speaker is gardening expert Jerry Kluver.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

012-014 seasonal celebrations.indd 14

1/29/14 2:17 PM

ears

Figge Art MuseuM eXHiBitiON

LET US SIMPLIFY HEALTH LET US SIMPLIFY HEALTH LET US SIMPLIFY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOU. INSURANCE FOR INSURANCE FOR YOU. YOU. It’s easy and affordable. It’s It’s easy easy and and affordable. affordable.

LETUSUSSIMPLIFY SIMPLIFYHEALTH HEALTH Debra L. Sears LET INSURANCEFOR FORYOU. YOU. INSURANCE Get Started Now! Get Started Now! Get Started Now!

Place 0321 .com ance.info | F: 515-285-6414

3901 S.W. 28th Place

<AGENT NAME> with <AGENCY NAME> is anDes Moines, IA 50321 Authorized Agent For is ansearsdebra@aol.com <AGENT NAME>Independent with <AGENCY NAME> <AGENT NAME> Independent with <AGENCY NAME> Authorized Agent For is anwww.searsinsurance.info Authorized Independent Agent For

It’s easy andL.affordable. P: 515-285-6766 | F: 515-285-6414 Sears It’s easyDebra and affordable.

Sears Insurance Get Started Now! Get Started Now! searsdebra @aol.com <AGENT NAME> with <AGENCY NAME> is an 515-285-6766 facebook.com/SearsInsurance

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ©2013 Wellmark, Inc. of the Blue Cross and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an Independent Licensee ©2013 Wellmark, Inc. of the Blue Cross andW-5019 09/13 Wellmark Blue Cross andBlue BlueShield ShieldAssociation. of Iowa is an Independent Licensee

Scan this QR code to visit my website.

W-5019 09/13 W-5019 09/13

Authorized Independent Agent For

<AGENT NAME> with <AGENCY NAME> is an linkedin.com/in/debralsears

Wellmark Producer Individual Sales

Katja Loher:

Top 1% Wellmark Producer Individual Sales

Authorized Independent Agent For

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ©2013 Wellmark, Inc. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and W-5019 09/13 Blue Shield Association. ©2013 Wellmark, Inc. W-5019 09/13

SearsWellmark_JFIowan_2014.indd 1

Scan this QR code to visit my website.

facebook.com/SearsInsurance linkedin.com/in/debralsears

11/15/13 11:22 AM

Historic Aerial Photos of Rural America!

Videoplanet–Orchestra January 25-May 4, 2014

wiss video artist Katja Loher combines performance art, music and dance to create dynamic installations that question the balance between humans, nature and technology. She projects her videos onto the surfaces of shiny orbs hanging in the gallery space and from within glass bubbles mounted on walls. For the Figge, Loher will create a site-specific “inter-planetary” installation that incorporates elements

Preserving memories for generations to come!

We’ve got your shot! 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s

See your photos for Free. 888-402-6901

VintageAerial.com/TIA

from new and existing works, which will come together for the first time.

This project is made possible by a grant to EICCD from the U.S. Institute of Museum & Library Services. Katja Loher, Multiverse, Solo Exhibition Galleria Tiziana di Caro, 2011; Triplebubble, Videosculpture 2013, 3-channel video composition, 6:08 min, hand-blown glass bubbles, video screen embedded in an acrylic pedestal. Photo: F.X. Brun.

Davenport, IA • 563.326.7804 www.figgeartmuseum.org

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

015_TheIowanMA2014.indd 15

1/29/14 2:30 PM

THINKSTOCK ®

Rhapsody in Rhubarb One little thing can revive a guy and that is a piece of rhubarb pie. —Garrison Keillor by VERA MORTON The host of A Prairie Home Companion is right: A serving of rhubarb is enough to put a smile on just about anyone’s face. In fact, rhubarb is so tasty that although it’s technically a perennial vegetable, it was ruled a fruit by a New York court in 1947. It’s also called the pie plant for reasons that Keillor’s imaginary sponsor, Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie, would no doubt approve. But there’s more to rhubarb than pie. Whether you grow the stuff yourself or buy some at an Iowa farmer’s market, here are a couple of recipes that are both simple and delicious.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

016-017 Rhubarb.indd 16

1/29/14 2:29 PM

food Mixed Green Salad with Pickled Rhubarb Tame rhubarb’s tartness with just enough sugar, pair it with salty cheese and sweet strawberries, and its taste really comes alive. Serves 4 Pickled Rhubarb

½ c. white wine vinegar ½ c. water ½ c. sugar 1 t. black peppercorns, cracked 1½"

fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

pinch salt 1 c. rhubarb, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces

1. Boil all ingredients except rhubarb in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.

2. Remove from heat; add rhubarb. 3. Cover; let stand for 1 hour. 4. Strain rhubarb, reserving pickling liquid for salad. Salad 5 oz. mixed greens 1 c. strawberries, sliced 1 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb Rhules

Simple to prepare and addictive to eat, this crisp uses vanilla, cardamom, and orange to enhance the flavor of the rhubarb without overpowering it. The crunchy topping is perfect for the softer baked fruit.

GROWING: Rhubarb is a hardy

Serves 4–6

HARVESTING: Rhubarb season

½ c. ½ c. ½ c. ²∕ ³ c. ½ t. ½ c.

almonds, sliced

allow the plant to recover for next

packed brown sugar

season). Harvest firm, glossy stalks

salt

when they’re 12 to 18 inches long

unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)

by grabbing them at the base and — that can lead to fungal problems

4 t. cornstarch

for the plant. Don’t eat the leaves!

2 t. vanilla bean paste

They contain poisonous oxalic acid.

¼ t. ground cardamom zest of ½ orange, minced

Don’t eat stalks that have become soft

pinch salt

can be poisonous as well.

5 c. rhubarb, sliced into ½-inch-thick pieces (about 2 pounds)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Combine flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, and salt.

3. Using fingers, work butter into and all of the flour mixture is combined with the butter.

4. Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste,

1 t. Dijon mustard

cardamom, zest, and salt. Toss

salt and ground black pepper

mixture gently with the rhubarb.

5. Transfer rhubarb mixture to an 8×8-inch baking dish.

due to exposure to extreme cold; they

STORAGE: Stalks will keep for up to four days. Remove and discard the leaves and put the unwashed stalks in plastic bags; refrigerate. If your plant produces more than you can cook right away, wash and dry the stalks thoroughly, cut them into inch-long pieces, and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Transfer the frozen pieces to a resealable freezer bag. The frozen stalks will keep for up to one year in the freezer.

PREPARATION: Avoid cooking rhubarb in aluminum pans; its high acid content reacts with aluminum, causing food to taste metallic, and could even damage the pan.

6. Distribute topping over the rhubarb filling.

olive oil, shallot, and mustard in

7. Bake until rhubarb is bubbly

a separate bowl; season to taste

and thick and the topping is

with salt and pepper.

golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Toss salad with vinaigrette.

twisting gently. Don’t break the stalks

1¼ c. granulated sugar

1 T. shallot, minced

2. Whisk together pickling liquid,

to establish themselves.

as late as July (stop picking then to

Refrigerate.

rhubarb, and mint in a bowl.

season of growth to allow the roots

begins as early as April and lasts until

3 T. pickling liquid

strawberries, feta, almonds,

Don’t harvest plants in the first

old-fashioned oats

flour mixture until clumps form

1. Toss together greens,

and deep, fertile, well-drained soil.

all-purpose flour

½ c. sliced almonds, toasted ½ c. pickled rhubarb, chopped ¼ c. fresh mint leaves 3 T. olive oil

plant that flourishes in open sun

Vera Morton lives on a rhubarb plantation in an undisclosed Iowa location. There she fixes rhubarb treats that rival everyone’s grandma’s eats.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

016-017 Rhubarb.indd 17

1/29/14 2:29 PM

THINKSTOCK ®

garden

How to Force Branches   for Spring Blooms Bring spring indoors a few weeks early! by VERONICA LORSON FOWLER Forcing brings some early spring color indoors. Done

“Forcing” is an intimidating word, but the process is fun and easy. Basically, forcing a flowering branch simply means

carefully, it also allows you to prune your trees at the same

cutting it two to four weeks earlier than it would normally

time, increasing their health and refining their shape. In

bloom, then bringing it into the warm indoors, where it will

general, cut small branches that: • cross or rub against one another

bloom after a few days.

• grow back toward the center of the tree

Conventional wisdom suggests soaking the branches in a tub of cold water for several hours or, better yet,

• overshadow other desirable plants

overnight. Also, some people smash or slit the ends of

• impede view or passage

the stems to improve their water uptake, but I haven’t

• violate a desired tree form • appear around the base of trees; or grow straight up

found either practice necessary. I do believe it helps to put branches in a fairly tall vase so as much of the branch as

from horizontal branches.

practical is submerged.

GOOD CANDIDATES FOR FORCING: LATE FEBRUARY: MARCH: APRIL:

forsythia, pussy willow cherry, crabapple, honeysuckle, magnolia, mock orange, redbud, quince azalea, lilac, rhododendron, spirea

This article is adapted from Veronica Lorson Fowler’s website and free email newsletter, theiowagardener.com.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

018 Forcing Blooms.indd 18

1/29/14 2:28 PM

home

Sturdy workbenches, handy rolling carts, and lots of natural wood make this shop both practical and handsome.

The Idea Shop Cedar Rapidian Joe Patten built a workshop in his mind. Then he made it a reality. by DAN WEEKS | photography by MARK TADE “I suppose there’s a generation who will decide to take

Patten envisioned a shop where he could putter on

up building video games in retirement,” Joe Patten muses.

projects with grandchildren in his retirement and indulge

“I wanted a wood shop.

his fascination for building model ships. Retirement has yet

“I grew up on a diversified farm, helping my grandfather,” he says. “We worked 14 hours a day, and we were fixing stuff all the time. There was a big old

to come. “I keep putting it off,” confesses Patton at age 69, “because I’m still having too much fun working.” But the shop has arrived, the result of a thought

workbench in the barn where my grandpa did all his work.

project that eventually begged to be built. It incorporates

That was the thrill of my life, to help.”

many innovative ideas that anyone thinking about a

Patten has made a career out of fixing things, though not in the sense that his childhood might have predicted:

workshop would do well to consider. Patten’s shop serves equally well for hobbies such as

He owns a crisis management business that specializes

model building and wood carving and for more elaborate

in helping governments, companies, organizations, and

projects such as furniture making. Visitors invariably

individuals fix business and financial problems that seem

comment on how well organized it is.

almost too difficult to solve.

“This is nothing,” Patten is fond of telling them. “You should see my closet!”

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

019-020 Home- Wood Shop.indd 19

1/29/14 2:27 PM

Space, light, views, an absorbing project, a few well-chosen hand tools, a sturdy bench — these are the essential elements of a workshop retreat, says Patten.

The Ideas SAVOR THE PROCESS. Patten spent four years thinking

ALLOW EASY ACCESS. Many’s the amateur woodworker

before he started designing. “Imagining it was as much fun

who has a complete shop in the house but ends up

as the completed project,” he says. “It’s all about knowing

shivering in the garage when working on big projects

who you are and what you want to do with the space.”

because there’s no easy way to get them in and out.

BEGIN WITH A BENCH. “The workbench is the first

Patten’s shop has large French doors; a similarly large

and most necessary of all tools for woodworking,” wrote

sliding barn-style door connects with the garage.

18th-century French woodworker and author André Jacob

DON’T SKIMP ON STORAGE. Workshops need lots of

Roubo. Patten started with a reproduction of Roubo’s

it: for tools, for materials, for partially finished projects.

bench, then used it to construct the rest of the shop.

Patten’s shop is topped by a big storage loft; stairs that

KEEP IT OPEN. “Most men put all these big tools in their

can be raised like a ship’s gangway provide access when

workshops that they never use,” Patten says. He finds open

needed and an open shop floor meanwhile.

space to work on larger projects, such as the bookshelves

LEAVE IT NATURAL. Floors are oak for durability; walls

and the fly rod rack he built for other rooms in his house,

and ceilings are aromatic cedar; workbenches are maple

more valuable. Rolling carts hold tools and supplies — so

for a dense, stable working surface. Patten investigated

they can be wheeled right to the work and so the room

several finishes but decided against all of them. “Finishes

can be easily reconfigured. Instead of free-standing tools

in a shop wear,” he says, “and then they look bad.” Every so

such as table saws, he uses modern portable tools that set

often, he works over the oak floor with an abrasive pad on

up and take down quickly.

an orbital buffer (“like holystoning a ship’s deck,” he says)

MAKE IT LIGHT. Big windows over the benches and an

to keep it looking new. Although the shop is meant to be

abundance of floodlights and industrial fixtures provide

used, “I roll out butcher paper if I’m painting. I have scrap

plenty of diffused, multisource illumination — essential

pieces of wood stored under the bench that I can pull out

for working safely and for such aesthetic tasks as judging

and put on the bench so I won’t mar the surface when I’m

paint colors and matching wood grains.

carving. I’m kind of a nerd that way,” Patten admits.

PROVIDE PLENTY OF POWER. Continuous power

ENJOY THE WARMTH OF WOOD. Patten heats his shop

strips above the benches on several 20-amp circuits make

with a woodstove that devours scraps and cut-offs, turning

sure there’s enough juice — and reduce the use of power-

waste into free heat.

robbing, foot-entangling extension cords. Dan Weeks is editor of The Iowan.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

019-020 Home- Wood Shop.indd 20

1/29/14 2:27 PM

Are your outdoors

living up to their potential?

Relax in comfort and entertain in style! The experts at Iowa’s most complete garden center are here to help you make the most of your outdoor living space. Just eight minutes south of West Des Moines, we have the plants, materials, experience and vision to bring the yard of your dreams to life.

Come see us soon for: L A di e s’ n iGht ou t— Thursday, April 17, 5–7 PM e A ste r eGG h u n t— Saturday, April 20, 10 AM s pr i nG ope n hous e — Saturday, April 26, 9 AM–5 PM

ted Lare design Build & Garden Center: Creating Beautiful Outdoor Escapes by Design 2701 Cu m m i nG Av e n ue 515 981–1075 te dsGA r de ns.Com

021_TheIowanMA2014.indd 21

1/29/14 2:59 PM

Trappist Iowan Ad_Layout 1 10/30/13 1:14 PM Page 1

Work is Prayer We follow the call to pray without ceasing, even while we craft our caskets. Contact us for a free catalog, and receive a complimentary keepsake cross. Hand-Made in Iowa.

TRAPPIST CASKETS New Melleray Abbey | Est. 1849

Trappist Caskets 888.433.6934 www.trappistcaskets.com

The Handcrafted Escape

No mass production No chain stores No big box mentality

Come to the Amana Colonies to enjoy unique foods, goods and hospitality as authentic and original as you are.

1(800) 579-2294 www.amanacolonies.com

ACCVB_1.13.indd 1

1/13/14 12:39 PM

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

022_TheIowanMA2014.indd 22

1/29/14 2:58 PM

with Quality Antiques

www.kctc.net/kac

Don’t Miss Our

Excellent Annual Quilt Show & Sale Last Friday & Saturday in April • kac@kctc.net

WOODIN WHEEL 43rd Annual Kalona Quilt Show and Sale

Are you a woman landowner concerned about soil and water quality?

“The Special Place for Special People”

Over 300 quilts will be on display

Open Mon.-Sat. 9am-5pm • 319-656-2240 in 515 a kaleidoscope of patterns B Avenue • Kalona, IA 52247and colors. woodinwheel.com Thursday April 24, 5 pm–8 pm

April 25th, 9 am–7 pm •Friday Largest Retailer of Hand-Quilted Quilts in theSaturday Midwest • 2April for 99¢ 26th, Greeting9Cards am–5 pm. • Heartwood Creek Products by Jim Shore • Red Hat Corner • Community Many Additional Building Gifts Kalona

Visit womencaringfortheland.org for resources and meeting dates. A program of Women, Food and Agriculture Network, wfan.org.

6th & D Ave. 319-656-2240 www.woodinwheel.com.

Woodin Wheel.indd 1

12/18/13 10:55 AM

WomenFoodAg_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

Czech Feather & Down Company

1/7/14 8:47 AM

Order a gift subscription @ iowan.com

Pillows, Comforters & Feather Beds Family Owned and Operated for over 100 years. $10.00 off any new pillow or pillow cleaning. (regularly priced merchandise only—1 per customer, please)

CPAP & Custom Sizes Available—Call us today! 103 First Street NW, Mount Vernon, IA 319-895-6551 ~ www.czechfeatherdownco.com

I think that the Extension is one of the most important tools that the rural communities, rural farmers and women have, right here in our communities. [Annie’s Project] is invaluable and there’s nothing comparable; there’s nothing like it. - Sara Shephard, past participant

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

023_TheIowanMA2014.indd 23

1/29/14 2:58 PM

Farming Like

SHE OWNS IT Women landowners are changing the face of Iowa farming. Are they changing its practices as well? by BARB HALL | photography by KATHRYN GAMBLE

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 24

1/29/14 4:18 PM

Coon Rapids farmer Liz Garst has long practiced terracing, as seen on this piece of land that has been in her family for generations.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 25

1/29/14 2:55 PM

“Women own more than 50 percent of the land in Iowa,” Coon Rapids farmer Liz Garst told the Iowa Division of a United Nations Association conference in 1990. “But they don’t act like they own it.” Perhaps that’s because traditionally, women landowners have inherited farms from parents or husbands. And traditionally, they’ve ceded management of that land to male tenant farmers. That’s changing. Today Garst manages for her family several thousand acres of corn, soybeans, hay pasture, and Conservation Reserve Program land like she owns it. And she’s been joined by an increasing number of women farmers. In industry after industry, increasing numbers of women managers have brought change. Will that be the case with farming as well? We talked to four women representing two generations of women farmers. Their holdings range from a small, diversified organic operation to a beef and horse ranch to thousands of acres of grain. It is perhaps too early to tell whether those we profile here are typical, but each comes to farming with experience or education in other areas, and each has staked a claim to doing things a bit differently. Collectively, their approaches and the organizations they’re associated with just might offer a peek into the future of Iowa agriculture.

CORN AND CONSERVATION

Liz Garst

Fresh from a prairie burn and clad in bright yellow fire gear, she climbs out of a utility vehicle in the parking lot of the Bur Oak Visitor’s Center near Coon Rapids. With a sweeping gesture of her left hand, she points out the 5,000-plus-acre Whiterock Conservancy, a land trust donated by the Garst family. With a sweep of her other arm, she points toward the famous Garst farm, site of the 1959 visit by Nikita Khrushchev. The granddaughter of Roswell and Elizabeth Garst, who hosted Khrushchev, Garst credits her mother with bearing the standard for Iowa women in agriculture. Mary Garst took over management of the family cattle herd in the 1960s and was the first female director of International Harvester. 26

Liz Garst followed in her mother’s footsteps and then put on bigger boots. She holds a degree in English literature from Stanford, an M.S. in agriculture economics from Michigan State, and an M.B.A. from Harvard. Garst says, “There have always been women landowners, but women are starting to better understand that if they own it, they control it.” Increasingly, she believes, that control involves an emphasis on conservation. When she was 16 years old, her grandfather bought a farm for all 15 Garst cousins to manage. “We took all the profits and invested in building terraces,” she says. Her ancestors have been terracing their land for generations, and Garst believes it is one of the most effective methods for preventing erosion. Her father was an early adopter of no-till farming and other basic sustainable ag practices, including waterways and stream buffers. To those, Garst has added planting cover crops such as tillage radishes and rye. No-till stops erosion but doesn’t build the soil, she explains as she pulls a radish from her garden near her sprawling farmhouse. Cover crops do both, adding carbon to the soil and fixing the nitrogen. “With the right balance of cover crops,” she says, “you can cut commercial fertilizer by 50 percent and increase your yield.” She’s also involved in conservation on the state level as a member of the Iowa Environmental Council and serves on the board of Whiterock Conservancy. “Getting people here is part of our mission,” she says about Whiterock. “We want people to learn about natural resources and agriculture and how they can work together. We set up Whiterock as an educational center so people can look at cows and prairie and learn about the land we live on. I think the more we know about it, the more likely we are to take care of it.” To learn more about how natural resources and agriculture can work together and how to visit Whiterock Conservancy near Coon Rapids: whiterockconservancy.org.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 26

1/29/14 2:55 PM

Shanen Ebersole, a rancher near Kellerton, tends her cattle on horseback. She believes this gentler method contributes to tastier meat.

ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED BEEF

Shanen Ebersole Her purple-dyed ponytail bouncing under her cowboy hat, Shanen Ebersole circles a small group of cattle in a rolling pasture on the 650-acre Ebersole Cattle Company Ranch near Kellerton, 80 miles south of Des Moines. She and her husband, Beau, raise beef cattle, quarter horses, and bulls and supply Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) beef to co-ops and markets in central Iowa. Ebersole is a staple at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market, where she knows many of her regular customers by name. Ebersole grew up on a horse farm near Carlisle, where she vowed she would “never eat anything I’d met.” Her husband was raised on small cattle farm in Illinois. The couple met at Iowa State, where she studied animal science and he studied agriculture. After a short career in the insurance industry, she tired of working indoors and joined her husband’s ranching business.

The Ebersoles raise about 100 cattle at a time. Her efforts have transitioned the herd gently from a conventional method of raising beef cattle to the Animal Welfare Approved method. “It was a gradual process,” she says. “At first I only got the rejects, but I’ve grown slowly into being completely responsible for the herd.” To earn the AWA label, none of the cattle are treated with hormones or routine antibiotics. “It’s not necessary when you give them plenty of space to run and grass to eat,” she says. Regulations specify how much room each head of cattle is allowed, the training for the working dogs, and the amount of time between birth and harvest. “We do everything slower,” Ebersole says. “Our cattle just don’t grow as fast” as conventionally raised cattle. As a result, the Ebersoles don’t stick to a strict growth schedule. “We let the beef tell us when they’re ready.” She recalls a time when she had scheduled a group of cattle to be harvested. “There was something funny that day. They were just off. So we rescheduled the harvest, which meant that about 30 of our customers didn’t get their meat when they wanted it.” But she believes ultimately those customers are happier because “humane treatment makes better meat. “When cattle are taken to market conventionally, they are distressed,” she explains, “which sends adrenaline through their systems just as they are being harvested. This alters the taste of the beef.” She believes that the cattle also remain calmer when tended on horseback. As an added benefit, she says, using horses avoids tearing up the land with heavy off-road equipment and burning fossil fuels. That humane treatment comes at a cost. Ebersole ground beef sells for more than $5 a pound. But so far, there’s been no trouble finding buyers. For more information about Animal Welfare Approved farms: animalwelfareapproved.org.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 27

1/29/14 2:55 PM

WOMEN CARING FOR THE LAND

Chris Henning

Chris Henning learned about soil conservation the hard way during the flood of 1993. She tends corn, soybeans, azuki beans, oats, alfalfa, Conservation Reserve Program buffers, wetlands, prairie, a conservation pond, plus organic potatoes and onions on 350 acres in Greene County, near the farm on which she grew up. She returned to the area after raising her family and retiring from a career in publishing in Des Moines. “When the flood of 1993 hit, I had just moved back here,” she says, sitting on the deck of her farmhouse, prairie grass waving in the breeze behind her. “The floodwaters hauled away a whole bunch of

this farm, leaving gullies in the fields big enough to lose a tractor in.” Three days later some of that soil was downriver in her daughter’s basement in Des Moines. “They couldn’t drink their water because of all the runoff from my farm and those around me,” Henning says. “It made me realize that what I did on my farm made a heck of a difference.” Since then she has planted 26 acres in prairie grass buffer strips and added wetlands and conservation practices to some of the steeper slopes on her farm. All help prevent erosion and trap runoff. “Now my ground stays put,” she says. “Women have a different ethic,” says Henning. Perhaps because women have always been the

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 28

1/29/14 2:55 PM

After the floods of ’93, Chris Henning of Greene County planted 26 acres of prairie grass to help prevent erosion. She mentors women farmers throughout the Midwest.

food preparers, they are more conscious about the relationship between farmer and food. Henning says that while her mother was an equal partner with her father on the farm, the role of farm women of her mother’s generation was mostly to feed the men and raise the family. “Today, more women are landowners and are paying more attention to their land,” she says. “But women farmers don’t have the resources that men do. They can’t talk to other farmers as easily. Men go to coffee or the co-op. Women just don’t.” Henning is helping to create an alternative. She participates in a program called Women Caring for the Land. It sponsors female-only meetings for landowners and farmers.

“We hold learning circles that are attended by 20 to 30 women just in one county,” she says. “We talk about transitioning to younger farmers; we talk about what will happen to our land or our family’s land or farming in general when we go.” Henning says in the past people assumed that a son would inherit the land and farm it. “But we can’t and shouldn’t make that assumption any more.” Henning also spreads the word that women aren’t in it alone. She says many USDA offices are now staffed by women. “That is surprising to many women farmers because until recently, the government has been men,” she says. “But, at least here in Greene County, there are knowledgeable young women who know government programs and can help guide you.” Many women are doing the farming themselves; however, most are still hiring tenant farmers. Many of those owners would like to reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals from their land but don’t realize they can require that of their tenants. Women Caring for the Land helps tell those landowners that they have a say in how the land is farmed. “Women don’t know that they can ask a farmer to do things when they are farming your land,” Henning says. “They just don’t know that it’s possible. “The statement that really got me thinking was this,” she says. “ ‘If you had a house worth $1.5 million, would you rent it out to someone and never check on it again?’ Wouldn’t you want to protect that investment, and know that the renter valued it as much as you do? Why wouldn’t you do that for your farm?” Now, Henning does do that for her farm and is encouraging other women landowners to do the same.

To learn more about Women Caring for the Land: womencaringfortheland.org.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 29

1/29/14 2:55 PM

Jessica Stutsman and 5-year-old Sophie raise organic vegetables near Hills. “I really do love being a farmer,” she says.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE

Jessica Stutsman

Jessica Stutsman grows heirloom varieties of kale, garlic, and basil on her 3-acre, certified organic Dirty Creek Face Farms near Hills. Raspberries, another of her crops, mostly go directly to a local bakery for pastries. She also raises Angora goats, sheep, and llama and spins and weaves rugs from the wool that she sells at farmer’s markets and in shops in the Amana Colonies. Stutsman grew up in Ohio and studied women’s studies and literature at Bowling Green State University. “But I realized that I wanted to work outside with dirt,” she says. She moved to Washington State for a while, where she worked for the Washington Conservation Corps, Washington Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. “While I was there, I met a farmer from Iowa who loved cows,” she says. That Iowa farmer, who became her husband, was Mike Stutsman.

Mike had always dreamed of growing food for a nonprofit, and the pair returned to Iowa in 2005 to begin the three-year process of certifying some of his parents’ farmland near Hills for organic status. Mike finished the complicated application process in 2008. Shortly after he sent in the paperwork, he was killed in a combine accident. Their only child, Sophie, was 3 months old. Stutsman sits on the porch of her lemon-yellow farmhouse while 5-year-old Sophie, a chirpy redhead, plays nearby. She looks wistfully across the gravel road to the creek beyond. “Sophie likes to tell stories about her dad being over there,” the proud mother says. Stutsman would like to acquire and certify as organic 20 more acres. Now that her daughter is in school, she will have more time to dedicate to this effort, which can take years. Due in part to her six years of conservation work in Washington State, Stutsman is committed to clean soil and water. The farm’s practices include creating permanent raised and mulched beds, placing beds on contour, planting cover crops, and planting living mulch such as clover between crop rows. Dirty Face Creek Farm got its name from the dirty faces of children playing near the creek when the area was first settled. Stutsman’s goal is to someday be able to stand with Sophie on their porch and shout, “Dirty Face Creek ain’t dirty no more!”

To learn more about Dirty Face Creek Farm: dirtyfacecreekfarm.com.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 30

1/29/14 2:56 PM

A SUSTAINABLE TRANSITION

Wendy Johnson

Wendy Johnson stands in a freshly combined cornfield near Charles City at sunset dressed in overalls that originally belonged to her grandfather, who harvested the same land for decades. She has patched them with colorful fabric and wears them under a pink Carhartt jacket. Johnson’s path took her from Iowa to Minnesota, California, Japan, and Brazil — and to studies in medicine, psychology, Asian studies, and clothing and costume design — before it led her back home. She now farms 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans, and grass alfalfa and raises dozens of sheep and goats with her husband, John, with whom she has a 1-year-old daughter, and her father. Right now Johnson is a partner in the operation with her father, who is almost ready to retire. And mostly, they’re doing things his way. For now. “He is a great mentor and teacher. But my vision for this farm is very different from my dad’s vision,” she says. Her father’s plan would be to continue farming conventionally and to double the farm’s acreage over time. She envisions transitioning to more sustainable practices such as using cover crops and fewer chemicals. As a MOSES (Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service) program mentee, she was linked with an experienced organic farmer and hopes to transition what she learned into more sustainable practices on her land. Her MOSES mentor farms more than 350 acres of a seven-crop rotation organically. Currently, Johnson is part of Practical Farmers of Iowa’s savings incentive program, which also links younger farmers to a mentor and promotes savings for a future capital purchase. Johnson studies the futures and commodities markets to help make decisions about when to sell and to whom. She has prepared an enterprise budget for transitioning 27 acres to organic practices, renting that land from her family’s corporation to prove that organic farming is profitable. The process begins with three

Wendy Johnson farms 1,200 acres with her father near Charles City. Wendy hopes to transition at least some of their operation to organic practice.

years of using no chemicals of any kind or artificial fertilizer, she says. “After that, you can begin the extensive paperwork to certify as organic. “Once I prove I can do it, he might offer me other acres to transition,” she says. Eventually she hopes to transition at least half of their land into certified organic production. Her father, Wendy says, “understands that I am the future. But he also needs to be comfortable with what I do with the farm because I am part of his financial future, too. Our visions of the business are different, but we are meeting each other halfway. It helps to have good communication and respect for one another.” For more information about: Organic certification: ams.usda.gov/amsv1.0/nop MOSES: mosesorganic.org Practical Farmers of Iowa: practicalfarmers.org

Barb Hall is an Iowa native. All of her words are certified organic. Kathryn Gamble (kathryngamble.com) is a freelance photographer based in Des Moines.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

024-031 Women Farmers.indd 31

1/29/14 2:56 PM

THE

POWER OF COMMITMENT

MidAmerican Energy Company’s primary commitment always has been to you, our customers. We work to put power in your hands; not only power that drives equipment, lights and appliances, but the personal power to live safely and reduce energy costs. We take our role as your energy provider seriously, knowing that hundreds of thousands of people every day may never think of us but depend on us to power their lives. Our goal is to remain prepared for what may come, whether that means buying energy strategically now to guarantee an ample supply or responding immediately to the next downed line. And, for MidAmerican Energy, part of being prepared is investing in new technologies to safely secure and supply energy for generations to come.

800-427-5632 • www.MIDAMERICANENERGY.com

The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles, 2nd edition by Ty Smedes

Make

The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles

Your Relaxation Destination!

For the guys! Experience—fishing • snowmobiling • cross country skiing • hunting

2nd Edition

Smedes

For the girls! Discover—spas • home decor • antiques • quilting • specialty gifts

Text and Photography by Ty Smedes smedes2_Eaglebookcovers2rev.indd 1

11/26/13 10:04 AM

2nd

This edition of The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles chronicles this ongoing conservation success story with new facts, anecdotes and over 70 new photos. New nesting charts and statistics are included, and wintering charts and statistics are current through 2013.

For everyone! Enjoy—delicious cuisine • wine tasting • night life • health/fitness centers and comfortable accommodations

The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles, 2nd edition, 255 pages, $27.95 + tax, available in soft cover

books

Eagle Book Ad 2 1-4 pg.indd 1

Order online at Iowan.com (click on SHOP) or call 877-899-9977 X211

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

032_TheIowanMA2014.indd 32

CarrollChamber_JFIowan_2014.indd 1 12/30/13 9:23 AM

11/13/13 1:02 PM

1/29/14 2:53 PM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

033_TheIowanMA2014.indd 33

1/29/14 3:28 PM

IN IOWA, WE SAW

BIG AS A

WHEN IT COMES TO GETAWAYS, IOWA FILLS IN THE BLANKS.

traveliowa.com 34

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

034-037 IA Tourism.indd 34

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1/29/14 3:27 PM

ATLANTIC

CEDAR FALLS / WATERLOO

Your visit to Atlantic will be merry and bright, because we’re Iowa’s City of Lights! From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, be dazzled by more than 200,000 LED lights. Enjoy the sounds of the season at our holiday concert, fireworks show and living windows at the lighted parade. And it’s always the season for shopping in our unique gift shops and boutiques.

When you visit Cedar Falls and Waterloo, you’ll find two vibrant historic downtown districts that offer museums, locally owned restaurants and unique shopping. If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you’ll love our extensive network of trails that includes more than 100 miles of hard-surfaced trails. And did we mention we’re home to Lost Island Water Park? It’s Iowa’s largest!

christmasinatlantic.com | 877.283.2124

visitthecedarvalley.com | 800.845.1955

CEDAR RAPIDS

CHARLES CITY

Take a road trip to check out NewBo City Market for homegrown food, art and events. Then tour where history and art abound – the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Brucemore Mansion and Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. While you’re here, watch the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

Ride the rapids on Iowa’s first whitewater course. View breathtaking works of art at the Mooney Art Collection. Play a game of tennis at the “All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club.” And take a walking tour of historic homes and public art. Exciting events, intriguing specialty shops and first-class recreational facilities make Charles City a must-see on your travel list.

cedar-rapids.com | 800.735.5557

charlescitychamber.com | 641.228.4234

CLAY COUNTY

CLEAR LAKE / MASON CITY

Experience big-city culture in a smalltown atmosphere in Clay County. While you’re visiting, take in our historical sites, countless parks and trails, and first-class entertainment. And of course, don’t forget the “World’s Greatest County Fair” held each September. Whether it’s for a lifetime or just a day, we hope you Explore, Stay, Do Clay!

Experience music history unlike any other at the Surf Ballroom and Music Man Square. Then put on your walking shoes and explore famous Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and magnificent art, sculptures and gardens. And, of course, a trip to Clear Lake and Mason City just wouldn’t be complete without enjoying a delightful day on Clear Lake.

exploreclaycounty.org | 712.580.TOUR (8687)

travelnorthiowa.com | 800.423.5724

CRESTON / UNION COUNTY

DES MOINES

If you’re a fan of H20, you’ll have a splash at our Three Mile and Twelve Mile Lakes and Green Valley State Park. And you won’t want to miss the many festivities we host throughout the year, like our Annual Hot Air Balloon Days (September 19-21, 2014), 4th of July and No Place Like Creston for the Holidays.

Catch a blockbuster musical at the Civic Center, one of the top farmers’ markets in the nation and a stroll along the river. Catch the Sculpture Garden, local brews and the rhinos at the zoo. Catch fine dining, a baseball game and history that comes to life. Catch a love for Des Moines. catchdesmoines.com | 800.451.2625

unioncountyiowatourism.com | 641.782.7022 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

034-037 IA Tourism.indd 35

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

1/29/14 3:27 PM

TREMENDOUS

WHOPPING

COLOSSAL

You just never know what you’ll find on your Iowa getaway. Visit traveliowa.com to discover trip ideas that fit your family perfectly.

FAIRFIELD

FOREST CITY

Recently named by Smithsonian magazine as one of America’s best small towns, Fairfield is big on culture and thriving with creativity. Enjoy lunch in our bistros. Participate in our 1st Fridays Art Walk. Bike along the Fairfield Loop Trail. Experience a show at the Sondheim Center. It won’t take long for you to see how Fairfield is distinctly unique.

Witness the beauty of Pilot Knob State Park and our bike trails. Then kayak the Winnebago River, see how motorhomes are made at Winnebago Industries and experience days gone by at Heritage Park. After a long day, get in a good night’s sleep at one of our campgrounds. During the summer, check out Puckerbrush Days and Bash on the Farm.

travelfairfield.com | 641.472.2828

forestcityia.com | 877.585.2092

IOWA 80 TRUCKING MUSEUM

IOWA CITY / CORALVILLE AREA

At the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum, we have many rare and one-of-a-kind trucks on display. Because we know every truck has a story to tell – and can provide a unique glimpse back in time. Watch our short films about trucking history in our REO Theatre and learn even more about the unparalleled magnificence of the trucks of yesteryear.

Experience the natural beauty of Iowa City, the only city to be designated by UNESCO as the City of Literature in the United States. With our vibrant and diverse communities of Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty offering cultural opportunities, festivals and events all year round, there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy.

iowa80truckingmuseum.com | 563.468.5500

iowacitycoralville.org | 800.283.6592

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

034-037 IA Tourism.indd 36

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1/29/14 3:27 PM

JONES COUNTY

MANNING HAUSBARN - HERITAGE PARK

What do Grant Wood and motorcycles have in common? You can experience both in Jones County, because we’re the birthplace of artist Grant Wood and home to the National Motorcycle Museum. We also have the Starlighters II Theatre where you can watch a show. Come for the sights – stay for the stories!

Get a glimpse of early German life in Iowa at Manning Hausbarn-Heritage Park. Step inside the reconstructed German Hausbarn, built in 1660, and Trinity Church, the tallest building ever moved in Iowa. Immerse yourself in the history and heritage of the courageous individuals who made the trek to Iowa from Germany many years ago.

traveljonescounty.com | 800.383.0831

germanhausbarn.com | 712.655.3131

MATCHSTICK MARVELS

OKOBOJI

Since 1977, Gladbrook artist Patrick Acton has created dozens of intricate models and sculptures – constructed entirely of ordinary wooden matchsticks. To date, he’s used more than four million matchsticks to complete more than 67 models. See 16 of these works of wonder on display at Matchstick Marvels.

With abundant water recreation activities like boating, fishing and parasailing, our vast trails system, Arnolds Park Amusement Park, golf courses, museums, shopping, unique dining and more, it’s no wonder we’re called Iowa’s #1 Vacation Destination! Pack your swimsuit and sunglasses, because summer isn’t summer without a getaway to Okoboji.

matchstickmarvels.com | 641.473.2410

vacationokoboji.com | 800.270.2574

OTTUMWA AREA

PELLA

Ottumwa’s the perfect hub when you want to visit iconic destinations in southeastern Iowa. Stay with us and grab a loose-meat sandwich at the Canteen, fresh produce at Market on Main and a concert at Bridge View Center. You’ll also be within miles of Eldon’s American Gothic House, the Villages of Van Buren, Fairfield’s international cuisine and Davis County’s Amish community.

Delicious Dutch letters. Awe-inspiring windmills. Wonderful wooden shoes. Charming bakeries, boutiques and gift shops on our square. Beautiful beaches at Lake Red Rock. Tulips in every color. That’s just a taste of what you’ll find waiting for you in Pella – America’s Dutch Treasure. pella.org | 888.746.3882

exploreottumwa.com | 641.684.4303

RIVERBOAT TWILIGHT

VESTERHEIM MUSEUM

If you want a unique view of the Mighty Mississippi, then look no further than the Riverboat Twilight. When you hop aboard the decks of this old-fashioned riverboat, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Enjoy an affordable cruise on the Upper Mississippi River between Le Claire and Dubuque.

Featuring 24,000 objects and 12 historic buildings, our national museum and heritage center showcases the most comprehensive collection of NorwegianAmerican artifacts in the world. USA Today even named us one of 10 great places in the nation to admire American folk art. We’re open year round in scenic Decorah and offer classes for students of all ages.

riverboattwilight.com | 800.331.1467 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

034-037 IA Tourism.indd 37

vesterheim.org | 563.382.9681 March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

1/29/14 3:27 PM

Iowa Tourism Reader Service Listings

traveliowa.com 800.345.IOWA, ext. 311 ATLANTIC christmasinatlantic.com 877.283.2124 Your visit to Atlantic will be merry and bright, because we’re Iowa’s City of Lights! From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, be dazzled by more than 200,000 LED lights. Enjoy the sounds of the season at our holiday concert, fireworks show and living windows at the lighted parade. And it’s always the season for shopping in our unique gift shops and boutiques. CEDAR FALLS/WATERLOO visitthecedarvalley.com 800.845.1955 When you visit Cedar Falls and Waterloo, you’ll find two vibrant historic downtown districts that offer museums, locally owned restaurants and unique shopping. If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you’ll love our extensive network of trails that includes more than 100 miles of hard-surfaced trails. And did we mention we’re home to Lost Island Water Park? It’s Iowa’s largest! CEDAR RAPIDS cedar-rapids.com 800.735.5557 Take a road trip to check out NewBo City Market for homegrown food, art and events. Then tour where history and art abound — the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Brucemore Mansion and Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. While you’re here, watch the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. CHARLES CITY charlescitychamber.com 641.228.4234 Ride the rapids on Iowa’s first whitewater course. View breathtaking works of art at the Mooney Art Collection. Play a game of tennis at the “All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club.” And take a walking tour of historic homes and public art. Exciting events, intriguing specialty shops and first-class recreational facilities make Charles City a must-see on your travel list. CLAY COUNTY exploreclaycounty.org 712.580.TOUR (8687) Experience big-city culture in a small-town atmosphere in Clay County. While you’re visiting, take in our historical sites, countless parks and trails, and first-class entertainment. And of course, don’t forget the “World’s Greatest County Fair” held each September. Whether it’s for a lifetime or just a day, we hope you Explore, Stay, Do Clay! CLEAR LAKE/MASON CITY travelnorthiowa.com 800.423.5724 Experience music history unlike any other at the Surf Ballroom and Music Man Square. Then put on your walking shoes and explore famous Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and magnificent art, sculptures and gardens. And, of course, a trip to Clear Lake and Mason City just wouldn’t be complete without enjoying a delightful day on Clear Lake.

DES MOINES catchdesmoines.com 800.451.2625 Catch a blockbuster musical at the Civic Center, one of the top farmers’ markets in the nation and a stroll along the river. Catch the Sculpture Garden, local brews and the rhinos at the zoo. Catch fine dining, a baseball game and history that comes to life. Catch a love for Des Moines. FAIRFIELD travelfairfield.com 641.472.2828 Recently named by Smithsonian magazine as one of America’s best small towns, Fairfield is big on culture and thriving with creativity. Enjoy lunch in our bistros. Participate in our 1st Fridays Art Walk. Bike along the Fairfield Loop Trail. Experience a show at the Sondheim Center. It won’t take long for you to see how Fairfield is distinctly unique. FOREST CITY forestcityia.com 877.585.2092 Witness the beauty of Pilot Knob State Park and our bike trails. Then kayak the Winnebago River, see how motorhomes are made at Winnebago Industries and experience days gone by at Heritage Park. After a long day, get in a good night’s sleep at one of our campgrounds. During the summer, check out Puckerbrush Days and Bash on the Farm. IOWA 80 TRUCKING MUSEUM iowa80truckingmuseum.com 563.468.5500 At the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum, we have many rare and one-of-akind trucks on display. Because we know every truck has a story to tell — and can provide a unique glimpse back in time. Watch our short films about trucking history in our REO Theatre and learn even more about the unparalleled magnificence of the trucks of yesteryear. IOWA CITY / CORALVILLE AREA iowacitycoralville.org 800.283.6592 Experience the natural beauty of Iowa City, the only city to be designated by UNESCO as the City of Literature in the United States. With our vibrant and diverse communities of Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty offering cultural opportunities, festivals and events all year round, there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy. JONES COUNTY traveljonescounty.com 800.383.0831 What do Grant Wood and motorcycles have in common? You can experience both in Jones County, because we’re the birthplace of artist Grant Wood and home to the National Motorcycle Museum. We also have the Starlighters II Theatre where you can watch a show. Come for the sights — stay for the stories!

MANNING HAUSBARN HERITAGE PARK CRESTON/UNION COUNTY germanhausbarn.com unioncountyiowatourism.com 712.655.3131 641.782.7022 Get a glimpse of early German life in If you’re a fan of H20, you’ll have Iowa at Manning Hausbarn-Heritage a splash at our Three Mile and Park. Step inside the reconstructed Twelve Mile Lakes and Green Valley German Hausbarn, built in 1660, and State Park. And you won’t want to Trinity Church, the tallest building miss the many festivities we host ever moved in Iowa. Immerse throughout the year, like our Annual yourself in the history and heritage Hot Air Balloon Days (September of the courageous individuals who 19–21, 2014), 4th of July and No made the trek to Iowa from Germany Place Like38 Creston THE for theIOWAN Holidays.| iowan.com many years ago.

MATCHSTICK MARVELS matchstickmarvels.com 641.473.2410 Since 1977, Gladbrook artist Patrick Acton has created dozens of intricate models and sculptures — constructed entirely of ordinary wooden matchsticks. To date, he’s used more than four million matchsticks to complete more than 67 models. See 16 of these works of wonder on display at Matchstick Marvels. OKOBOJI vacationokoboji.com 800.270.2574 With abundant water recreation activities like boating, fishing and parasailing, our vast trails system, Arnolds Park Amusement Park, golf courses, museums, shopping, unique dining and more, it’s no wonder we’re called Iowa’s #1 Vacation Destination! Pack your swimsuit and sunglasses, because summer isn’t summer without a getaway to Okoboji. OTTUMWA AREA exploreottumwa.com 641.684.4303 Ottumwa’s the perfect hub when you want to visit iconic destinations in southeastern Iowa. Stay with us and grab a loose-meat sandwich at the Canteen, fresh produce at Market on Main and a concert at Bridge View Center. You’ll also be within miles of Eldon’s American Gothic House, the Villages of Van Buren, Fairfield’s international cuisine and Davis County’s Amish community.

Take a step back into small-town Iowa History! Visit the Historic Burkard Riegel Blacksmith Shop 210 Mill St, Clermont, IA Open Memorial Day–Labor Day for self-guided tours. Guided tours by appointment. Call (563)423-5561

PELLA pella.org 888.746.3882 Delicious Dutch letters. Aweinspiring windmills. Wonderful ClermontHistorical_MAIowan_2014.indd 1 wooden shoes. Charming bakeries, boutiques and gift shops on our square. Beautiful beaches at Lake Red Rock. Tulips in every color. That’s just a taste of what you’ll find waiting for you in Pella — America’s Dutch Treasure.

Dysart1/7/14 Historical Center

RIVERBOAT TWILIGHT riverboattwilight.com 800.331.1467 If you want a unique view of the Mighty Mississippi, then look no further than the Riverboat Twilight. When you hop aboard the decks of this old-fashioned riverboat, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Enjoy an affordable cruise on the Upper Mississippi River between Le Claire and Dubuque.

2:04 PM

Historical and Agricultural Museums Restored Country School & Memorial Rose Garden Silos & Smokestacks Area Site An Iowa Great Place 612 Crisman St. Dysart, Iowa 319-476-7345 www.dysartiowa.com/museum

VESTERHEIM MUSEUM vesterheim.org 563.382.9681 Featuring 24,000 objects and 12 DysartHC_MAIowan_2014.indd 1 historic buildings, our national museum and heritage center showcases the most comprehensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world. USA Today even named us one of 10 great places in the nation to admire American folk art. We’re open year round in scenic Decorah and offer classes for students of all ages.

1/22/14 1:32 PM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

038-039 IATourismInfo - Silos.indd 38

1/31/14 9:36 AM

Come Touch the Heart of America From dairy farms and museums to vineyards and tractor assembly tours, the story of American agriculture is brought to life at more than 100 sites and attractions in this 37-county region of Northeast Iowa. An Affiliated Area of the National Park Service.

Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch

C ALL FOR TOURS

Fredericksburg, Iowa (563) 237-5318 www.hawkeyebuffalo.com

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge HawkeyeBuffaloRanch_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

1/20/14 10:13 AM

TheaterClassroomsExhibit Area

TeacherWorkshopsWildlifeObservationBirding BikingHikingHuntingPrairie Point Bookstore

The Visitor Center facilities include exhibit space, theater, classrooms, and a bookstore! In addition, the public is welcome to drive through an approximately 700 acre enclosure in hopes of seeing bison or elk. The Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Sundays through March) Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge 9981 Pacific Street | Prairie City, Iowa 50228-0399 (515) 994-3400 | www.fws.gov/refuge/Neal_Smith/

Stop and pick the flowers!

Miss Effie's Country Flowers & Garden Stuff A unique “U-Pick” flower farm.

One full acre of heirloom flowers and herbs. Come enjoy our Grant Wood landscape and cut the perfect blossoms for your bouquet! Visit our new retail store — The Summer Kitchen, for unique gift items and handmade goodies!

IOWA’S ORIGINAL BARN QUILT PROJECT

BARN QUILTS OF GRUNDY COUNTY

For more information, please contact: 705 F Ave/ PO Box 85 Grundy Center, IA 50638 319-825-3606 www.grundycountyia.com

27387 130th Ave • Donahue, IA 52746 563-282-4338 • www.misseffiesflowers.com Hours: Th–F 9–5 pm, Sat 9–3pm, Sun 12–3pm

MissEffieFlowers_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

silosandsmokestacks.org

Iowan Sept/Oct 2013 CLIENT: SECTION: 038-039 IATourismInfo PROOF- Silos.indd #: 1 39

1/14/14 3:54 PM

319.234.4567

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

1/29/14 3:54 PM

Seed Savers cofounder Diane Ott Whealy and her daughters transformed the farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feedlot into a garden of raised beds full of heirloom plants. The Lillian Goldman Visitors Center is in the background.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 40

1/29/14 3:22 PM

Heritage Farm Visit the Decorah homestead that’s restoring taste and diversity to the world’s produce — one garden at a time. story and photography by DAN WEEKS

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 41

1/29/14 3:22 PM

Heritage Farm’s iconic barn houses workshops, gardening-related art and history exhibits, and the annual barn dance.

The Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm near Decorah is the spiritual home place for anyone who’s ever wanted to grow a really delicious tomato. The organization’s cofounder, Diane Ott Whealy, calls old-fashioned tomato varieties such as Mortgage Lifter, Moonglow, and Nebraska Wedding “the gateway drug to heirloom vegetables.” Once hooked on those, you discover a world of produce so various and tasty that even nongardeners start planting and harvesting, reveling in a range of flavors by turns exotic, hearty, delicate, and nostalgic. Flavors that almost — but not quite — died out with the mechanization and commoditization of produce farming. (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that since 1900, 75 percent of the world’s crop diversity has been lost.) Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy founded Seed Savers at their kitchen table 39 years ago with a plea to fellow gardeners to send in heirloom seeds for preservation and sharing. There are many good reasons to save and grow heirloom seeds — those bred by generations of gardeners to grow plants known for their taste, hardiness, beauty, and other traits. These include preserving the planet’s genetic diversity and making the world’s food supply more sustainable.

The heart of the annual Conference and Campout is the free seed swap. You don’t have to bring seeds to take part. Seeds are also on sale in the visitors center.

But Seed Savers Exchange quickly realized that the key to the preservation of heirlooms wasn’t scientific argument — it was seeing the plants and tasting the produce. And so the nonprofit organization has grown to encompass an 890-acre farm that preserves more than 25,000 varieties of plants. These seeds — all voluntarily donated by seed savers from across the country — range from arugula to watermelon. At Heritage Farm they form a living collection that visitors can see, taste, and grow. It’s also become perhaps the largest seed bank in the country that actively shares its seeds with the public. During planting season each spring, Seed Savers ships out thousands of packages of seeds and transplants to gardeners all over; hundreds more come to the farm for an even greater selection. And at the annual Seed Savers Exchange Conference and Campout in July, the place is also alive with hard-core “seedies,” casual-to-enthusiastic gardeners, organic and slow-food lovers, farmer’s-market shoppers, farm-totable restaurateurs, plant geneticists, and ordinary folks (including families with children) who just like a tasty salad or apple. A visit has become an annual pilgrimage for many, and for good reason. The farm’s Amish-built, oak-

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 42

1/29/14 3:22 PM

timber-framed visitors center is surrounded by acres of gardens where you can wander through raised beds that show hundreds of heirloom flowers, fruits, herbs, and vegetables in all their variety. Paths lead from the picturesque barnyard hollow, along spring-fed streams, past limestone bluffs, through a pine forest to a highland orchard where 550 old varieties of apples grow, and to meadows where Ancient White Park cattle — a threatened heritage breed — graze. Every year at the 3-day Conference and Campout, folks line up for the locally sourced meals (such as organic pancakes, organic beef sliders, and garden pizzas with home-stewed garlic and tomato sauce); attend workshops on subjects such as Apple Bud Grafting, Hosting a Seed Swap, and Seed Saving 101; hear lectures on such subjects as Seeds as a Tool for Community Organizing; and go for hayrides and bird walks. They swap seeds, recipes, food and gardening stories, and advice with newly made friends. There are communal gardeners from small towns and urban activists who are fighting inner city “food deserts” with vacant-lot produce. There are lots of wide-brimmed hats, cotton print dresses, and tanned forearms. Participants come from all over the country and from as far away as Tasmania, Australia. Some camp in a farm meadow by a clear stream and sheltered by overhanging trees. Last year, a car’s bumper sticker read “Tree Hugging Dirt Worshipper.” One woman displayed a gorgeous, biologically correct tattoo of the life cycle of a monarch butterfly on her arm and shoulder. At a picnic table near the visitors center a young man with a compact build and mutton-chop whiskers was devouring Decorah chef Ruth Hampton’s local wild boar sausage. He introduced himself as a “roof farmer” who grows organic produce above a Rogers Park, Illinois, restaurant. All are welcome: While giving a tour of her demonstration garden, Ott Whealy says that it is seed-swapping gardeners and amateur plant breeders to whom we owe this planet’s tastiest produce. “Our ancestors saved seeds without advanced degrees or fancy equipment,” she says. “Amateurs are the true stewards of our collection. There’s no substitute for enthusiasm.”

Mealtimes at the campout are peak experiences for many attendees, who feast on fresh, locally sourced gourmet delicacies while talking with fellow gardeners from all over.

Conference and Campout lectures are informal, convivial, and held under a tent, camp-meeting style. Speakers at the July 2014 event will include Bryan Welch, publisher of Mother Earth News.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 43

1/29/14 3:22 PM

The event’s big bash is a Saturday-night barn dance that fills the loft with four generations of conference participants and Seed Saver staff folk dancing to a string band.

When you go Heritage Farm, Seed Savers Exchange 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah 52101 563-382-5990. For more information, including event details and prices or to request a catalog: seedsavers.org

Plants to look for: Unfamiliar treats. Perhaps nowhere else can you find as much diversity. Cofounder Diane Ott Whealy is particularly fond of edible landscapes, and her display gardens feature interesting combinations of flowers and ornamental vegetables that grow well together and look and taste great.

Open: Administrative offices are open 9-5 year-round; display garden, trial gardens, children’s garden, heritage poultry display, hiking trails, trout stream, and visitors center are open March–December; visitors center hours are March–December Monday–Friday 9-5; Saturday and Sunday 10-5. Group guided tours are available by appointment for $5/person. Audio tours of the display gardens are available free from the visitors center.

Events: March 1: Lillian Goldman Visitors Center opens for the season. It includes a large gift shop and garden center that offers seeds, books, tools and garden furniture — and plants, garlic and potatoes in season. March 22: Spring Garden School and Seed Swap April 5 & 12: Apple Grafting & Tree Care Workshop May 3: Rare and Unusual Heritage Plant Sale June 21: Greg Brown Concert July 18–20: Annual Conference and Campout

Known for: Saving and sharing more than 25,000 varieties of heirloom seeds; spectacular display gardens; spring plant sales; and a March–December schedule of educational events.

Dan Weeks is editor of The Iowan. Randi Montag Weeks is an environmental science teacher and lifelong gardener. Together, they grow dozens of varieties of heirloom vegetables, herbs, and flowers in their Des Moines garden.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 44

1/29/14 3:23 PM

MAKE THE DRIVE You can order Seed Saver Exchange seeds and transplants (of some varieties) via catalog or online. But my advice is: Go there. Why?

CHOICE. Seed Savers starts selling transplants in March until they’re all sold out. More varieties are sold on-site than are listed in the catalog — lots more. Call to find out when the best selection is available (it depends on the weather). Show up and you’ll have your pick of plants catalog buyers haven’t even heard of.

Visitors to the farm’s orchards learn about the propagation and grafting of heirloom apples.

MY FAVORITES. Tomatoes: German Pink, Cherokee Purple, and Hungarian Heart. Squash: Fordhook Acorn, Black Beauty zucchini, and

DECORAH. It’s a wonderful town, so make a

Anna Swartz hubbard. Also: Bountiful and Empire

weekend of it. Stay overnight at the elegant

beans; Moon and Stars and Chelsea watermelon,

Dug Road Inn, the spectacularly restored Hotel

Danvers and Scarlet Nantes carrots, and Grandpa

Winneshiek, or at Pulpit Rock Campground —

Ott’s morning glories. The native prairie plants

one of the most picturesque in Iowa. Discover

grow wonderfully in Iowa and reseed themselves;

delicious local specialty foods at the Oneota

the Sunflower Mixture is a varicolored delight.

Community Food Co-op. Take in one of Iowa’s

ADVICE. The staff really knows its stuff and

cultural landmarks: Vesterheim, The National

freely shares tips for growing plants and varieties you might not be familiar with.

GARDENS. The demonstration and trial gardens show off hundreds of varieties of plants in new combinations each year. After strolling through them, I inevitably find more plants my yard or garden simply has to have.

Norwegian-American Museum and Heritage Center. Rent a cycle and bike the beautiful new Trout Run Trail that loops through Decorah and surrounding meadows, bluffs, valleys, and riverbanks. At the very least, have lunch at Mabe’s Pizza and an ice cream cone at the Whippy Dip (it generally opens mid-March) — both are beloved local institutions. For more information

GROUNDS. Heritage Farm is a beautiful place.

on the above Decorah attractions and many

Take your kids or grandkids to the Children’s

more: visitdecorah.com, 800-463-4692.

Garden. Have a look at the heritage fowl in the

—Randi Montag Weeks

barnyard. Grab a trail map from the visitors center and enjoy a hike.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

040-045 Seed Savers.indd 45

1/29/14 3:23 PM

GARDENING

Celebrate Spring and get your garden started with Seed Savers Exchange

March 22: Spring Garden School* and Seed Swap Prepare yourself for the growing season with workshops on garden design, seed starting, soil preparation and seed saving. Participants will plant seeds to take home for their garden and gain the knowledge to grow well! Join us for these other spring events:

April 5 & 12: Apple Grafting & Tree Care Workshop* May 3: Rare and Unusual Plant Sale We are a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and promoting America’s diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage.

Seed Savers Exchange

3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA• 563-382-5990

Northeast Iowa’s most Northeast diverse Iowa’s most Northeast Northeast selection of diverse Iowa’s most Iowa’s most new and selection of diverse diverse unique new and of selection selection perennials, unique new and of new and trees, shrubs, perennials, unique unique water garden trees, shrubs, perennials, perennials, plants and water trees, garden shrubs, trees, shrubs, supplies, plants and water garden water and garden garden gifts, supplies, plants plants and and hosta. garden gifts, supplies, supplies, and hosta. garden gifts, garden gifts, Celebrating and hosta. Hawekeye and hosta. 15located years Celebrating is inyears 2011. 15 25 miles Celebrating Celebrating in 2011. southwest 15 years 15 years of in Decorah 2011. in 2011.

YOUR GARDEN INSPIRATION YOUR GD ARDEN INSPIRATION ESTINATION YOUR G ARDEN INSPIRATION DARDEN ESTINATION YOUR G INSPIRATION DESTINATION DESTINATION

*Registration Required. Visit seedsavers.org/events

GROW GREEN Seeds, Trays & Soil n Heating Mats & Plant Stakes n Planting Tools Watering Cans n Fertilizers & Curatives n Garden Art Our greenhouses are filled with blooming and tropical plants!

With nearly one acre of enchanting With nearlygardens one acredisplaying of enchanting perennial With nearly onefor acre of enchanting perennial gardens displaying endless ideas all levels of the With nearly one acre of enchanting perennial gardens displaying endless ideas for all levels the gardening enthusiast, K & of K Gardens perennial gardens displaying endless ideas all levels the gardening enthusiast, K & Kof Gardens is a “must see”for destination for every endless ideas for all levels of the gardening enthusiast, K&K is a “must see” destination forGardens every gardener. gardening enthusiast, K & K Gardens is a “must see” destination for every gardener. Quiltsee” Show Extravaganza, is a “must destination for every gardener.Sat. June 18th, 12 - 4 Quilt Show Extravaganza, gardener. Sat.Show June Extravaganza, 18th, 12 - 4 Quilt Quilt Extravaganza, A R 12 DE Sat.Show June 18th, - 4N S Sat. June A 18th, 4 S R D12E- N

K&K G K &K G www.kkgardens.com | 563.427.5373 K & Wilbur K GSt,AHawkeye, R D E IAN52147 S 108 East www.kkgardens.com | 563.427.5373 K & K G A R D E N S 108 East Wilbur St, Hawkeye, IA 52147

www.kkgardens.com | 563.427.5373 www.kkgardens.com | 563.427.5373 108 East Wilbur St, Hawkeye, IA 52147 108 East Wilbur St, Hawkeye, IA 52147

KKGardens_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

046-049 Gardening Ads.indd 46

THINK SPRING

12/17/13 3:41 PM

Open Year Round Monday-Friday 8-6, Saturday 8-5 Sunday 10-5 Garden center I greenhouses I golf course I flower shoppe

1301 S. Gilbert Street, Iowa City I 800.337.3118

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1/29/14 4:07 PM

u if t u a e B a w Io p e e K o Calling All Iowans t

Governor Terry E. Branstad has again proclaimed April as Keep Iowa Beautiful Month. Community projects during the month encourage Iowans to build pride and respect in making their communities better places to live and work through beautification, clean-up and recycling activities. Pictured on the immediate right and left of Governor Branstad are the founding co-chairmen of Keep Iowa Beautiful, former Governor Robert D. Ray and retired Founder and Chairman of the Board of Casey's General Stores, Donald F. Lamberti. To learn more about the many programs and grants of Keep Iowa Beautiful visit www.keepiowabeautiful.com.

KeepIowaBeautiful_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

1/16/14 11:26 AM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

046-049 Gardening Ads.indd 47

1/30/14 2:28 PM

GARDENING

PERENNIALSFresh Asparagus

SEEDS

Container Gardens Home

Get ready to Bloom!

Decorative Garden

accessories Decor Flowering plants

Your garden will blossom with handcrafted sculptures from Isabel Bloom. Our unique pieces will add the finishing touch to any garden, large or small. Visit our website to see our complete line...made in Iowa!

Dry Floral Wreath

Vegetables Plants

Hanging Baskets

gardening gifts

proven winners

OPEN Mon–Sun 10 am–5pm

CSA Memberships Available

800-273-5436 • www.ibloom.com

3145 Howell Court Cumming, Iowa (515) 981-0863

Valley West Mall, West Des Moines • John Deere Commons, Moline, Illinois Village of East Davenport and Northpark Mall, Davenport, Iowa

The Wallace Centers of Iowa

www.howellfloral.com

Distinctive Plants and Gifts for your Home & Garden

Howells_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

Enriching Community Through Sustainable Food & Civility Initiatives

1/23/14 8:40 AM

Our Garden and Gift Center features the region’s highest quality and most unique plants and gardening accessories including: • Shade trees, ornamentals & perennials • Dwarf & unusual conifers • Easy Elegance® Roses • Unusual & native shrubs • Top-of-the-line gardening tools & gifts • Isabel Bloom® statuary • Seasonal workshops

Visit our friendly and knowledgeable staff in Iowa City or log on to our website!

Organic fruits & vegetables grown at the Country Life Center are distributed through a 120-member CSA, farm to table dining & farmers markets. Educational programs include garden workshops, beginning farmer apprenticeships, a summer food camp for teens & shelf-stable food production. Visitors welcome! The Wallace Centers of Iowa Wallace House | 756 16th St. | Des Moines, IA Country Life Center | 2773 290th St. | Orient, IA 515.243.7063 (DM) | 641.337.5019 (O) www.wallace.org WallaceHouse_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

046-049 Gardening Ads.indd 48

520 Hwy 1 W • Iowa City 319.337.8351 www.iowacitylandscaping.com

1/15/14 3:20 PM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1/29/14 4:07 PM

2.29"x4.75"-2_Layout 1 1/14/14 3:15 PM Page 1

GREEN an all volunteer 501(c)3 organization, dedicated since 1968 to beautifying and preserving public green spaces in the Iowa City/Johnson County area.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Willenborg Lawn Ornaments

Largest selection of hand painted lawn ornaments in NE Iowa! Also featuring custom memorial benches

March 9 — Garden Forum Speaker: Susan Appleget Hurst “Garden Design without Blueprints” Iowa City Public Library 2–4pm Willenborg_MAIowan_2014.indd May 10 — Garden Fair & Plant Sale Carver Hawkeye Arena 9–11:30am

• Located on the Great River Road and Grant Wood Scenic Byway • Historic Downtown

6924 Columbus St New Vienna, IA 563-921-4275 Hours: T–F 9–5, SAT 9–3 Willenborglawnornaments.com

1/9/14 DIG1 INTO The Iowan’s new garden department!

Annual Events June – Jackson County Pro Rodeo July – Heritage Days Celebration August – “Fishtival” Arts Festival

5:16 PM

July 12 — Garden Tour View 6 diverse area gardens 3–8pm Check the Calendar of Events on our website!

For more details go to

www.projectgreen.org

ProjectGREEN_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

Now in EVERY issue!

1/14/14 Garden 4:21 PMSection ad.indd 1

563-872-5830 • bellevueia.com

Largest selection in the 1/29/14 11:00 AM

MIDWEST

Open Year-Round Mon–Fri 8–6 Sat 8–5 Sun 10–4

• Daylilies • Seeds • Annuals • Herb & Vegetable plants • Perennials • Houseplants • Trees & Shrubs • Cactus & Succulents Full Service Flower Shop and Greenhouses to Explore!

611 Nile Kinnick Drive South Adel, Iowa 515.993.3916 • www.harveyfloral.com Harveys_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

1/22/14 10:02 AM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

046-049 Gardening Ads.indd 49

1/29/14 4:07 PM

The 1910 barn at Howellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Florals and Greenhouse near Cumming serves as landmark, repository for dried flowers, gift shop, and sales area.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 50

1/29/14 4:04 PM

Garden Centers

Destination: Inspiration

Drive a few extra miles this year to a real garden destination where you’ll find plants, ideas, designs — and maybe even a special connection. by DEB WILEY

Yes, you could nab a six-pack of marigolds at your local big-box store. But in spring, when the urge to plant runs as fast as the leaves open on the trees, spend some time and bucks at an independent garden center. These four family-owned destinations — two on farms, one in a small town, and one next to a city — stand out for their creativity, selection, beauty, and attention to detail. Take a road trip and come home with a carload of Iowa ingenuity.

HOWELL’S DRIED FLORALS AND GREENHOUSE, CUMMING

PHOTO BY DEB WILEY

It’s not fancy. It’s a farm, a real working farm, with goats, fields, a tire swing, and a 1910 barn. What’s really different about Howell’s Dried Florals and Greenhouse near Cumming is in the haymow. “The barn upstairs is amazing, packed with dried flowers that get made into wreaths, swags, and other decorations,” says Patti Kenworthy, the greenhouse and gift shop manager.

The 800-acre farm about 25 miles southwest of Des Moines has been in the family for six generations, tended today by Fred and Cindy Howell and three adult children. In a state where corn and soybeans dominate, the Howells diversified. They planted 5 acres of flowers (they sell them both cut fresh and dried), 8 acres for a corn maze, 12 acres of pumpkins, plus gardens filled with vegetables (including much-coveted spring asparagus), strawberries, and blueberries to sell on the farm and at local farmer’s markets. The greenhouses are bursting with annual, perennial, and vegetable plants for spring planting, and the barn houses a well-stocked gift shop. Fred’s brother raises Christmas trees on the farm, selling about 2,000 per year. Last year about 5,200 schoolchildren visited on field trips, and up to 10,000 people may flock to the farm on fall weekends. So it’s a year-round hive of activity (yes, there are bees), but spring is Patti’s favorite — and busiest — time of the year.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 51

1/29/14 4:04 PM

PHOTOS BY DEB WILEY

Greenhouses are part of the working farm at Howell’s, where hanging baskets, containers, perennials, and annuals are for sale. Dried flowers and floral arrangements are available all year.

“We do about 1,000 hanging baskets and about 300 containers for sale in the spring, plus another 200 special orders from people who bring us their own containers,” she says. “They tell us the color they like and whether it’s for sun or shade, and after that, they usually accept our judgment.” Patti is known for planting in unique containers such as chicken waterers and old teakettles sourced from local farms or flea markets, then filling them with unusual combinations. She likes to include some old-fashioned favorite houseplants such as the spider plants, Swedish ivy, and wandering Jew that her grandmother used to grow. “You have to be a little creative with what you have,” she says. It’s a motto that works for the whole farm.

Greenhouse manager Patti Kenworthy offers tiny plants, diminutive accessories, and preplanted containers that cater to the trend for miniature or fairy gardens.

When you visit Howell’s Dried Florals & Greenhouse 3145 Howell Court, Cumming 50061 515-981-0863 or 800-210-1415, howellsfloral.com Open: Year-round. Hours vary by season. Known for: Creative container plantings, dried flowers, succulents, miniature gardening, fresh fruits and vegetables. Plants to look for: Twelve varieties of flowering and foliage begonias. The flowering types show color all summer and need no deadheading. Some of the fancy-foliage begonias make a bold statement with 5- to 6-inch-wide leaves. Spring events: April 12–13: Spring open house.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 52

1/29/14 4:04 PM

Call it the Cabela’s of Iowa garden centers. Culver’s Garden Center and Greenhouse, 15 miles northeast of downtown Cedar Rapids, feels as if you could find almost anything horticultural you want, plus few things you didn’t know you needed. Yet this 26-acre property with its three ponds, six greenhouses, display gardens, and grand paver patio with outdoor kitchen still remains true to its roots as a family-owned business. Todd Culver started in 1982 as a 12-year-old lawn mower. Over the years, he and his wife, Tami, expanded the dream to encompass a landscaping nursery and a garden center with gift shop and greenhouses, as well as seasonal snow removal services. “We’ve been able to reinvent ourselves,” Tami says. “We’ve been in business for more than 30 years, 16 of those with the garden center.” Their five children, from college age to 7, also get involved. Even the 7-year-old considered the business angle when she asked her parents for a horse. “She told us that she could use the horse to give kids rides and that would bring more people,” Tami says. “She’s totally an entrepreneur.” While the bulk of Culver’s business is custom landscaping, the garden center is all about variety and service for the do-it-yourself customer. “Our customers know that when they come to Culver’s, they’ll have a pleasant experience,” says Tami. “Whether they’re planting one tree or just one geranium, we have the knowledge in our garden center that will tell them how to do it.” Thousands of annuals, perennials, and vegetable plants are grown right on the premises by staff with decades of experience. The grounds also host a variety of special events, including classes on planting, music, wine tasting, food, and art, as well as fund-raisers for local nonprofits. The gift shop stocked with local wines, clothing, home decor, and more has become a big draw. “We are always changing for the season,” says Barb Jacobs, marketing manager. “We don’t want people to think Culver’s is just for the spring.”

COURTESY CULVER’S GARDEN CENTER AND GREENHOUSE

CULVER’S GARDEN CENTER AND GREENHOUSE, MARION

Five acres of beauty — on the ground and hanging above — at Culver’s Garden Center and Greenhouse, just east of Marion. Trees, shrubs, vegetables, and ornamental plants abound. The gift shop is open year-round.

Is the name sometimes mistaken for that other Culver’s, the one that sells ButterBurgers? “Sometimes,” Tami says. “We’ve done promotions together. And we did their landscaping.”

When you visit Culver’s Garden Center and Greenhouse 1682 Dubuque Road (Hwy 151 East), Marion 52302 319-377-4195, culverslandscape.com Open: March–December. Summer hours: Monday– Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Known for: Huge variety of plants and products, well-stocked gift shop, display garden. Plants to look for: Sandy LeBaw, greenhouse manager, and Bob Burton, head grower, both love 3-foot-tall ‘Illumination Flame’, an annual that’s a cross between a foxglove and Isoplexis, a foxglove relative. It blooms summer through fall with vibrant orange-red flowers with yellow throats and makes a beautiful cut flower.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 53

1/29/14 4:04 PM

Each year, the design atop this chicken coop is planted in a new color scheme. Owner Jane Hogue prefers to use annuals, especially petunias, for their showy hues that last all summer.

PRAIRIE PEDLAR, ODEBOLT A trip to the Prairie Pedlar, six miles north of Odebolt, is like visiting Grandpa and Grandma’s place. You can feel and hear the crunch of gravel beneath your tires as you drive along a country road and down the lane to the farm with its 1943 Sears and Roebuck mail-order dairy barn. “Most people are really only one or two generations away from having a relative who had roots in farming,” says Jane Hogue, who with her husband, Jack, started the business in 1985. “Coming here is a walk down memory lane.” With its charming outbuildings, including the 1937 Cook #8 country schoolhouse where Jack’s two brothers started school, a group of repurposed chicken coops and granaries, and even a (nonfunctioning) outhouse, Prairie Pedlar preserves Iowa history, but with a horticultural twist. One chicken coop is beloved for its roof garden, planted in a different color scheme every year; another is dubbed “The Nesting Place” to house bird-feeding

supplies. One granary serves as a garden folly outfitted with a porch swing, another is a wedding gazebo, and a third operates as “Grand Central Station” where guests are welcomed and buyers check out. “We like to reuse old barns,” Jane says. “We’ve inherited a lot of old buildings from people who call us and say, ‘We’re about to tear down our shed. Would you like to have it?’ ” On the 10-acre property, you can stroll the paths to a variety of planted display beds as well as mulched berms containing ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials so visitors can just pull out the pots and re-create the scene in their own yards. Benches offer respite in the many nooks and crannies designed as beautiful photo vignettes. “We’ve spent a lot of time gardening to make it picture-perfect for wedding days,” Jane says. The wedding business started by accident. In 2007 Jack and Jane’s youngest daughter married at the farm, and local guests took notice. Last year the gardens hosted 21 weddings; more are scheduled this year.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 54

1/29/14 4:05 PM

PHOTOS COURTESY PLANT PEDLAR

A 1943 Sears and Roebuck mail-order barn serves as a rustic anchor on the 7-acre grounds of Prairie Pedlar near Odebolt. Besides plant sales, owners Jane and Jack Hogue host classes and weddings.

That’s not to say you can’t get your hands dirty. There are separate greenhouses dedicated for succulents, geraniums, annuals, and perennials. Jane grows more than 100 types of heirloom tomatoes as well as other vegetables, herbs, and plenty of colorful annuals. She teaches a variety of classes in one of the refurbished outbuildings and promotes the Green Team, a children’s gardening day camp. It’s a mostly word-ofmouth business that continues to draw people seeking a taste of the beauty of rural life. “People are always very surprised there’s a little Garden of Eden out here in the middle of the corn and soybeans,” Jane says. “We’re one of those off-the-beatenpath places.”

When you visit: Prairie Pedlar 1609 270th St., Odebolt 51458 712-668-4840, prairiepedlar.com Open: From April 1–June 30: Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m. From July 1–October 31: Monday–Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. Known for: Container plantings, weddings, succulents, classes. Plants to look for: ‘Northwind’, an upright ornamental switchgrass that is the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year; sun-tolerant coleus; succulents; and Crazytunias, petunias with interesting color patterns and combinations. Spring events: April 19: Lunch and Learn; April 26: Greenhouse tour and new plant introductions; May 3: Spring open house.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 55

1/29/14 4:05 PM

PHOTOS COURTESY K & K GARDENS

K&K GARDENS, HAWKEYE

A portable shade house, top, protects hostas and other shade-loving perennials from intense Iowa sun.

More than 300 kinds of hostas, bottom, in a wide variety of sizes and colors are for sale at K&K Gardens in Hawkeye.

There’s a bit of Wizard of Oz magic at work at K&K Gardens. On the south side in the small town of Hawkeye, you see a business sign and unassuming typical neighborhood homes. Park your car in a small lot a few homes away, then step behind the house. You’ll feel like Dorothy opening the door to the wonderful Land of Oz. There, spread before you in abundant color, is the surprising sight of lush display gardens, two ponds, masses of plants for sale, and a double-decker pergola overlooking an oasis that covers about five large city lots. “You’ve got to stop and get out of your vehicle to see the hidden treasures we have,” says Keith Kovarik, who runs the business with his wife, Kelli, and their two young children. “For example, we have 300 kinds of hostas and almost 300 kinds of daylilies.” The Kovariks never planned to open a garden center. “We both grew up on farms, went to college, and never dreamed of living where we do,” says Keith, who also has a job as a probation and parole officer for the state of Iowa. They started about 100 heirloom vegetables and annuals from seed in their basement in 1995 and gave the plants away. A neighbor said they were silly not to sell them, so they held a sale over one weekend in 1996. “Now we have thousands,” Keith says, jokingly adding, “I try not to keep track!” Sure, there are rows of plants lined up for sale, but it’s inspiring to stroll the gardens to see them planted around the charming gift cottage and the pond with trickling stream and waterfall. Over the years, Keith and Kelli’s horticultural interests have deepened and grown. While they carry a plethora of perennials and annuals, they especially enjoy water gardening, trees, and shrubs. “Over the last five years, I’ve started gravitating to lower-maintenance plants, such as flowering shrubs and smaller ornamental trees,” Keith says. Keith focuses on educating his customers, especially the younger generation of gardeners who are starting their families and landscaping their first homes. He

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 56

1/29/14 4:05 PM

PHOTOS COURTESY K & K GARDENS

Display gardens offer ideas for how to grow the plants sold at K&K Gardens.

employs a small squad of helpers under age 21 who “either know the answers or will find the answers from a reliable source,” he says. Along with plants, customers find a wide selection of garden gifts and ornaments in two different buildings on the premises. He has also expanded the infrastructure, adding “the piazza,” a large patio with a two-story pergola that overlooks the gardens and retail spaces. “It’s been a huge hit and gives the kids something to do,” Keith says, again joking, “If I ever did stop the garden business, we could just put a zip line up there.”

When you visit: K&K Gardens 108 East Wilbur Street, Hawkeye 52147 563-427-5373, kkgardens.com Open: Open daily April 25–October. Call or see website for November hours. Known for: Vast assortment, especially ornamental shrubs and water garden plants, plus gifts and miniature gardening accoutrements.

Thousands of plants and gift items dot K&K Gardens, tucked into a residential neighborhood in Hawkeye.

Plants to look for: Keith loves hardy hydrangeas, especially ‘Limelight’ that features strong stems and big chartreuse cone-shape panicles. Spring events: May 9–11: Mother’s Day Sale May 13: Annuals Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 15: Perennials Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May, 16–18: Open House May 20: Shrub Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 22: Tree Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 23–26: Memorial Day Sale May 27: Fruit Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 29: Water Garden Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 31–June 1: Fruit Tree & Tree Sale

Deb Wiley of Des Moines is a frequent contributor to national and regional gardening magazines. She enjoys taking day trips around Iowa that include stops at locally owned garden businesses.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

050-057 Garden Centers.indd 57

1/29/14 4:05 PM

discover DISCOVER discover DISCOVER discover DISCOVER discover discover

The Dollies

This unique display is now open in the c1905 Study Hall. Anatomically correct, these 81 hand-carved “Dollies,” also known as the “Firewood Floozies,” are 5/8ths human size and complete with handmade clothing, jewelry, and furniture. The artist, Robert Smith, farmed near Battle Creek and created the collection over 20 years. Visit one of the Midwest’s largest county heritage museums to see these treasures and more!

Plymouth County Historical Museum

335 First Avenue SW, LeMars, Iowa pchmuseum@gmail.com

Shelby County 1/14/14 Historical Museum

TerraceHill_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

The Iowan JULY/AUGUST 2013 Client: Plymouth County Historical Museum Section: IMA Treasures Date: 5-8-2013 Proof #: FINAL

11:38 AM

1850s log cabins, horse-drawn farm equipment, military exhibit, presidential signatures, pioneer artifacts, Native American artifacts, and genealogy and research center 1805 Morse Avenue Harlan, Iowa 51537 (712) 755-2437 Open M–F 8–4

ShelbyCoHistorical_MAIowan_2014.indd 1 Iowa Museum Association

058-060 IMA ads.indd 58

1/24/14 9:02 AM

Special Advertising Section

1/29/14 3:59 PM

scover DISCOVER discover DISCOVER discover DISCOVER discover DISCOVER Battle of Old Bradford Civil War Reenactment The Figge Art Museum

May 17–18, 2014 9 AM–5 PM

Put a little art in your life and visit today. The Figge is known for art exhibitions, education and some of the Midwest’s finest collections. 225 West 2nd Street Davenport, IA 52801 563.326.7804 www.FiggeArtMuseum.org

Granger House Museum Tours are available

Museum & Gift Shop Open May 1–Oct 1, 2014

Date:January–April 7-10-2013 by Proofappointment; #: 1 �

schedule yours today!

Marion’s Granger House, its furnishings and the story of its residents provide a snapshot of the Victorian lifestyle experienced by many middle-class families in Iowa and the Midwest during the 1880s. Open seasonally, May–December 970 10th Street • Marion, IA • 319.377.6672 grangerhouse@marionhistoricalsociety.org grangerhousemuseum.org • marionmuseums.org

GrangerHouse_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

Old Bradford Pioneer Village Hours: M–Sat 9–5 Sun 1–5

Now Handicapped Accessible 2729 Cheyenne Ave. Nashua, IA 50658 641-435-2567

1/10/14 11:08 AM BradfordPioneer_MA_IOWAN_2014.indd 1

12/26/13 10:35 AM

C TORI SIT IS

re happen he fun things

CULTURAL CENTER

www.brucemore.org Cedar Rapids, IA

Special Advertising Section

058-060 IMA ads.indd 59

The Iowan July/August 2013 CLIENT: The Brucemore SECTION: Maquoketa

www.IowaMuseums.org

1/29/14 4:01 PM

Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County

Vesterheim

The National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center Showcasing the most comprehensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world.

Highway 2 East, P.O. Box 104 Corydon, Iowa 50060 641-872-2211 | ptmuseum@grm.net

Open all year in scenic Decorah, Iowa. 563-382-9681 • vesterheim.org

www.prairietrailsmuseum.org

Delaware County Historical Society Open Daily 9-5 • i-90 exit 14 (605) 642-West (9378) • COWbOys, RanCh life, histORy Of RODeO • ameRiCan iNDian CultuRe anD aRtifaCts • GOlD mininG, fORestRy anD bentOnite • authentiC antique WaGOns anD faRm implements

• fuRnisheD lOG Cabin anD RuRal sChOOlhOuse • live lOnGhORn Cattle • bOOk stORe & Gift shOp • live COWbOy musiC anD pOetRy • LIVE HISTORICAL PROGRAMS

see OuR viRtual tOuR at WWW.WesteRnheRitaGeCenteR.COm Museum of Danish America Site of the Jens Jensen Prairie The Iowan JULY/AUGUST 2013 Landscape Park ~ 30 acres of trees andWHC wildflowers native to CLIENT: High Plains Iowa, a walking trail, 2 council SECTION: HERITAGE TOURISM rings and Danish outdoor fitness DATE: 5-8-2-13equipment. museum is open year round PROOF #: FINALThe with 3 floors of exhibits, gift shop

Visit the

Nine Buildings (Restored Lenox College): Civil War Monument and Resources. Local, School, Farm, Railroad, Pharmacy and Natural History displays. Listed on Iowa Scenic Byway and National Register Historic Places 563.926.2639 www.delcoiowahistory.org

Group Tours Welcome!

712 W. 2nd Davenport, IA gahc.org • 563.322.8844 Iowa Museum Association

058-060 IMA ads.indd 60

Open Daily Tours by appointment, please call for schedule.

563-242-8556

Tours-$6 Donation

Iowa’s Best Kept Secret

Stroll through historic buildings, quilt galleries & museums to see vintage treasures & rare antiques, or take an Amish Countryside tour. Groups Welcome.

I-80, exit 54, 6 miles north 2212 Washington Street Elk Horn, IA 51531 712.764.7001 www.danishmuseum.org

Exhibits, Facility Rentals, Programs, Education, Events, Classes, Gift Shop

420 5th Avenue South Clinton, Iowa

The Iowan May/June 2013 Client: Delaware County Historical Society Section: IMA Treasures Date: 3-28-2013 Proof #: 2

and Genealogy Center.

GERMAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER

George Curtis Mansion

715 D Ave, Kalona, IA 52247 319-656-2519 www.kalonaiowa.org

Carnegie HistoriCal MuseuM an iowa Century Museum

NEW DISPLAY: a Union Lieutenant's uniform has joined an 1863 field diary, photos, Gettysburg shrapnel, Lincoln's signature, draft cards, leg irons, & other Civil War artifacts. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 1–4pm, First Friday's Art Walk 6–9pm.

112 S. Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556 641.472.6343 fairfieldmuseum@gmail.com www.FairﬁeldMuseum.com

Open 7 Days a Week Year-Round 641-842-6176

NatlSprintCarMuseum_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

12:25 PM Special Advertising 1/10/14 Section

1/29/14 4:02 PM

MAQUOKETA ONE OF A KIND

Area Chamber of Commerce

International Woodcarvers Congress June 11–15, 2014 Incredible works of art you have to see to believe! 15th Annual Timber City Adventure Race June 21, 2014 Canoe, bike and run a 5K by yourself or as a part of a team through the beauty of Jackson County.

Maquoketa Motor Madness June 27–28, 2014 Live music, car show vendors, display art, burnout pits, camping, dirt track activities 563-357-3775 www.maquoketamotormadness.com Maquoketa Area Chamber of Commerce 117 S. Main Street • Maquoketa, IA 52060 800-989-4602 • maquoketachamber.com Maquoketa_MAIowan_2014.indd 1

1/16/14 2:16 PM

79th Annual Tulip Time Hosted by

TO ELK HORN, IOWA'S

Authentic 1848

DANISH WINDMILL

2014

DUTCH

NEW to the Mill Grounds900 A.D. VikingHjem

PELLA

NE ERYO

FOR EV FUN

Tulip Time

Visit this 60-foot windmill built in Denmark in 1848, dismantled & shipped to Elk Horn, Iowa in 1976

OPEN DAILY Visit our Danish Import Shop

May 1, 2 & 3, 2014

Danish Windmill • Elk Horn, Iowa

Connect with us on Facebook & Twitter or visit our website www.pellahistorical.org

I-80 to exit 54, go north 6 miles

www.danishwindmill.com iowan ad.indd 1

1/10/14 11:35 AM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

061_TheIowanMA2014.indd 61

1/29/14 3:57 PM

SECRET GARDEN Strategically planted trees enclose a half-acre suburban garden that’s invisible to the world beyond. photoessay by DEB WILEY

They didn’t really know what they were getting themselves into. In 1982, when Bob and Becky Shaw moved to their first house in Des Moines, they were mostly focused on developing their medical careers, Becky as an obstetrician/gynecologist and Bob as a neonatologist. “We really did not know either of us had an interest in gardening until we started tinkering there,” Bob says. But by 1991, when the Shaws bought a house on a 1-acre lot in a still-developing area of Clive, they knew they wanted a garden. “We probably had a lot more money than sense,” says Bob, only half joking. Adds Becky, “We thought, wow, we have a clean slate, a bare canvas where we can create an environment that we can watch develop and share with others, including our neighborhood. But we had no time. We were on call every third night. So we probably didn’t understand the long-term time investment.” “Flat,” “featureless,” and “boring” are words that come to mind when you see “before” pictures. Today, after 42 truckloads of topsoil, 74 trees, a master plan designed by Des Moines-area landscape architect Ted Lare, and 23 years of maturation — of both the garden and the gardeners — the space evokes a sense of mystery, surprise, and the simple joy that comes from finding yourself in the midst of beauty. Masses of color, meandering paths, trickling waterfalls, placid ponds, an inviting gazebo, and more belie the garden’s relatively modest dimensions. “There’s enough space there to get lost in the feeling,” says Becky, who loves “seeing what happens to people when they step into the area.”

The garden has evolved from a completely fullsun space to one that now needs shade plants in some spots. It was dubbed Shetland Run in 2012 when the Des Moines Founders Garden Club submitted it to the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. “Shetland” refers both to the succession of happy Sheltie dogs who have romped there and an area of Scotland ruled by the Vikings, reflecting Bob’s Scottish and Becky’s Norwegian heritages. With careful plant selection and an extra push of attention in the spring, the Shaws do all the upkeep themselves. “We try to keep it relatively lowmaintenance,” says Bob, who retired in 2003 to focus on community volunteering and service as a Polk County Master Gardener. “There are stretches of four or five days where I do very little in the garden, and then I’ll have a day or two where I really go at it.” Neighbors know the garden is there, but the fence, trees, and shrubs that surround the perimeter give the space a secluded air. “So people ask us, ‘Can I see the secret garden?’ ” Bob says. They occasionally open the garden to visitors. “We have been very conscious of the successes we’ve had,” Bob says. “The only way we can rationalize it has been to use it as a space for nonprofit fund-raisers. It’s fun, and we don’t feel like we’re doing this just for ourselves.” Both thrive on having an ever-changing landscape just outside their back door. Becky, who loves to sing, does vocal exercises in the garden, and Bob relaxes when pruning or planting: “I look out and think, whatever the day has in store for me I’m good as long as I can get back out there.”

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

062-069 secret garden.indd 62

1/31/14 1:11 PM

A series of water features adds a welcome sound to the surroundings. Grasses, lowgrowing evergreens, and lower-maintenance perennials surround the small ponds.

November/December 2013 | THE IOWAN

062-069 secret garden.indd 63

1/29/14 4:29 PM

A large berm is planted with annuals for a blooming display that lasts all season. The Shaws change the pattern and color each year.

062-069 secret garden.indd 64

1/29/14 4:30 PM

GARDEN FAVORITES Bob and Becky Shaw rely on workhorse plants to keep the garden looking good all year. Here are a few of their favorite plants:

‘BECKY’ SHASTA DAISY This easy, full-sun perennial returns reliably and is perfect for a gardener named Becky.

‘ALABAMA SUNSET’ COLEUS A sun-tolerant foliage annual with brick-red leaves edged in gold adds bright color all season.

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES Full-sun to partial-shade grasses such as ‘Karl Foerster’ and ‘Overdam’ feather reed grass and ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Gracillimus’ maiden grass lend structure to the garden until they are cut back in early spring.

AIRY PERENNIALS Russian sage and sea lavender (Limonium latifolium) are both frothy see-through perennials that add texture to the garden and work well in dried and freshly cut bouquets. “It’s wispy, and it makes me laugh,” says Bob.

RED-TWIG DOGWOOD This tough shrub sports green leaves and occasional berries spring through fall; then the bright red young stems shine against snow. Becky cuts the branches for winter bouquets.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

062-069 secret garden.indd 65

1/31/14 1:12 PM

062-069 secret garden.indd 66

1/29/14 4:30 PM

The Shaws enjoy a view of their garden from an upstairs bedroom window. Stone and lawn pathways wend between various planting areas.

Veteran garden writer Deb Wiley is a regular contributor to The Iowan.

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

062-069 secret garden.indd 67

1/29/14 4:30 PM

Iowa’s Largest Quality Arts & Crafts Shows

Midwest Trunk Company

Des Moines, IA – Iowa State Fairgrounds

February 21–23, September 26–28, November 21–23 Fri. 5–9, Sat. 9–5, Sun. 10–4 300 Exhibitors, Adm. $6

Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center

(Antique Trunk Restoration)

New Handles & Repair Available New Trays Made Also!

March 8–9, October 11–12, December 6–7 Sat. 9–5, Sun. 9–4 200 Exhibitors, Adm. $5

Dubuque, IA – Grand River Center

Coralville, IA – Marriott Conference Center

Trunks are very useable in the home decor of today.

Cedar Falls, IA – UNI-Dome

Ship to and from anywhere in the United States.

March 29, November 1 Sat. 9–4 100 Exhibitors, Adm. $4

April 13, September 14, November 15-16 April and Sept. shows 9–4, Nov. Sat. 9–5, Sun. 10–4, Adm. $5

Check-Out Our Low Restoration Rates!

October 4-5 Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4 300 Exhibitors, Adm. $6

Bring this ad to any of the above shows for $1.00 off one admission. Thousands of unique handmade products at every show. All fantastic shopping events. Callahan Promotions, Inc. 563-652-4529

CallahanArtShows_MAIowan_2014REV2.indd 1

Free Estimates!

1/20/14 11:32 AM

Been in Business Since 1990.

109 E. 1st Street, Sumner, IA 50674 Phone: 563-578-3238

Barn Builders

Legendary Timber Framed Barns Solid. Rugged. Beautiful. Barn Builders recreates the style and craftsmanship of traditional barns of the past. Using full dimension, roughcut hardwoods, and time-honored timber framing methods, our barns are built to last for years to come.

“Taking pride in restoring our history and recreating the past!” Call us today to discuss your design

641-628-9169 www.barn-builders.com

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

068_TheIowanMA2014.indd 68

1/29/14 4:15 PM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

069_TheIowanMA2014.indd 69

1/29/14 4:14 PM

Nobody works harder (or smarter)

to manage your risk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our people make the differenceâ&#x20AC;? Excellent Service! Competitive Costs!

Insurance Agents & Brokers 300 Walnut Street Suite 200 Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2262 800-767-1724 70

www.reynolds-reynolds.com

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

070_TheIowanMA2014.indd 70

1/29/14 4:12 PM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Camera Corps

4-H Camera Corps was formed in 2004 to cover the sesquicentennial of the Iowa State Fair. The original founders were Anita Walker, Director of the Iowa Arts Council, Mitchell Hoyer, program coordinator for Iowa 4-H, and photographer and author Timothy Florer. The first year included 100 4-H photographers who documented the Sesquicentennial of the Iowa State Fair, taking images of people and events, while interviewing people and asking questions: Why do you attend the fair? What is your favorite event, favorite food, and more? Selected images were on display during the fair, and a complete set was donated to the Iowa State Historical Museum.

The program has expanded with the help of Nationwide Agribusiness as a corporate sponsor. From the beginning each year brought a new challenge for the 4-H photographers. Camera Corps challenge themes have included covering a small town 4th of July celebration, images of WPA projects, photographing rural life, and showcasing conservation practices and prairies. 4-H'ers from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Dakotas have turned in fantastic images over the years, with a select few showcased in Successful Farming magazine, on corporate calendars, and in gallery exhibitions.

For 2013 the 4-H Camera Corps theme was Interpretation and Illustration. Participants were given four poems from award winning poet Morgan Grayce Willow. Morgan resides in Minneapolis and teaches at Minneapolis Community & Technical College and The Loft Literary Center. Morgan is a former 4-H member, and the selected poems had a rural feel. The participants were challenged to read the poems and create photographs that fit the essence of the poems; to create a visual image that interprets the poems. We hope you enjoy perusing these winning photographsâ&#x20AC;Ś

Best Overall Rebekah Harmon â&#x20AC;˘ Iron Oxide

www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/projects/iowa-4-h-camera-corps March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

2013 CAMERA CORPS WINNERS Poems from Dodge & Scramble (Ice Cube Press, North Liberty, Iowa. 2013). Reprinted by permission of the author.

SEASONING Air above the corn field is still, hangs heavy with summer moisture, rests against tassels and in cottonwoods bordering the field to the west and south. Long twilight is earth’s one content moment in the day. The sun’s rays, interrupted by a frame the leaves make, edge time for us. We could almost believe it will do as we ask, stand still for us. But just then one, and another, then several, soon an extravagance of fireflies blink, each one lasting just long enough for the eye to find where it no longer is, long enough to flavor the night with light. Morgan Grayce Willow

Jolea Bridges • Tassel close-up

Rebecca Osthus Cornfield, tassels, sky

Landra McClellan Rusted truck, corrugated roof, etc.

IRON OXIDE doubling back toward the cattle pens, and alfalfa fields, through the soybeans and into corn.

Savannah Dreesman • Wagon wheel rim close-up I have always been red, joining green to blue at the horizon, essential as an axle, turning the farm through time.

Sky looms in the place where I stood for nearly a century, my shadows stretching from my foundation across the farmyard to the house, then tucking inward,

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

I remember the slow layering of shingle over shingle, and the setting of the cupola into the steep roof-ridge when I settled into myself, even before paint, the red so bright they could see me from anywhere: the market, the church. Up to the highest peak under rain hood, red. White trim on doors and windows came later. Finally, wheat dust and hay, the smell of cows and swine, a press of hooves, the flat pat of cat paws. Pigeons, too, their voices quavering from the weathervane. Swallows packing mud into homes under eaves.

And humans coming and going all day long. Built for storing, painted and repainted. Redder than heart, bright as blood. I remember back to pine smell, to boots climbing, the prick of nails, the beat of hammer. The beginnings of shape and story.

Morgan Grayce Willow

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BLESSING Pink of the granite meets gray. In between crystals shine. Deep inside a memory of fire.

left by the great glacier. In it, water warmed by the sun. She dips her fingertips. She shakes this water over the Canadian thistle, the lambs’ quarters and wild oats, lapping the base of the boulder.

The boulder lies big as a cow in the pasture. The child who climbs it believes she’s found the very navel of the world.

Johnna Muniz Pump with water droplets

Between water drops and crystals, between light that breaks into color, the one moment that is enough.

At the high end of the huge stone lies a basin

Morgan Grayce Willow

Audra Bridges • Girl pouring water

THE OLD HOME PLACE Wood siding peels from walls of the old farm place, blistered, stripped, shrunken. Roof’s aluminum sheets slipped from puzzle-tightness, irregular. All glass long gone. The screen door twists, crazy angle, its mesh drooping like a heavy curtain. Latticed light streams through an upper window, from beyond what once was roof of what once was home. Even in black and white, rust shows on barrels that held oil to heat the stove that once warmed a family. Here and there, plaster sticks on slats of inner walls. A disheveled history condenses here, fresh pine planks become dried, curled demise inside the strict rectangle of photograph. Trees, visible through the one-time door , through walls, frame the left corner of the house. Even they seem done for. This

must be the second house, replacing sod or chinked cabin, just large enough to stake a claim, built the year after the barn was done. It must have been white, with proper shingles, though truss beams now show through. The whole structure settles in different planes, what was once a parlor sliding off and away from what once was kitchen. After the family moved into the third house, the one with porch and hallway, this one housed chickens, or maybe hogs. The former kitchen became granary. After frost heaved, the parlor dropped, the kitchen rose up, and time continued its foot-and-a-half wide mark all the way to the roof. At this point, I must believe the family is in their fourth house, a split level by design, aluminum siding, possibly yellow, a foundation extending well below the frost line. Some of them survived the drought years, the locusts,

Thomas Harmon • B&W Old door & hinges the Great Depression. Others the formidable sixties, Farm Aid, the first Gulf War. The older ones remember this place, while some younger ones have surely returned to this land, not just to burn off boards and clear weeds, to cart away metal, but to turn soil again, to plant

sweet corn and potatoes, to fill albums with pictures of their house, their garden, their chicken coop, or fields of organic grain waving through the history and wind of the old place. Morgan Grayce Willow

2014 will find 4-H Camera Corps participants taking black & White images, Director Timothy Florer’s passion. See more on Tim Florer at www.iptv.org/mtom/story.cfm/feature/3831/mtom_20100402_3531_feature Please see the following web sites for more information on 4-H Camera Corps and poet Morgan Grayce Willow, www.morgangraycewillow.com or www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/projects/iowa-4-h-camera-corps or contact Tim at timflorer@msn.com, or Mitch at mhoyer@iastate.edu

www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/projects/iowa-4-h-camera-corps March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

flashback: 1954

60 Years Ago in The Iowan

The March 1954 issue of The Iowan featured an illustration inside the front cover showing a wistful farmer, seed catalog in hand, looking out the window at a snow-covered barnyard.

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

074-075 Flashback.indd 74

1/29/14 4:29 PM

“Spencer” profiled the town’s comeback from the catastrophic 1931 fire that destroyed the city’s downtown. “The broad Grand Avenue one sees today is an impressive testimony to the character and determination of Spencer’s people,” the article said. Inside, an ad from Des Moines-based Allied Mutual Casualty Company scolded “careless, reckless, accident-prone” drivers.

“Bouncing Is His Business” profiled champion gymnast and Iowa native George Nissen, who invented the modern trampoline and went on to make it world famous, with its own Olympic event. In 2008, at age 94, he declared while doing a headstand, “There are really about three things in life that make you happy. Working and loving and creating.” He died in 2010 at age 96.

An Iowa Development Commission ad boasted that Iowa ranked third in the nation for paved highway mileage and fourth in the nation for total railroad mileage, making Iowa’s transportation system “one of the best in the land.” It continued: “No town in Iowa is more than 13 miles from rail transportation. . . . Every incorporated town can be reached by a surfaced road.”

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

074-075 Flashback.indd 75

1/29/14 4:29 PM

escapades

My Library, My Refuge Why are small-town librarians omniscient? by VALERIE VAN KOOTEN | illustration by DAVE TOHT

The Carnegie-Viersen Library was a second home for me growing up in Pella. When Mom wanted to do a little shopping at the fabric store (which my sister and I hated), she’d tell us to wait for her in the library. When we got through junior high basketball practice early, we’d head to the library and wait for our ride. This was the era before children’s librarians and story time and book clubs and other warm and fuzzy things for kids. The librarian stood there, stern and imposing, the arbiter between you and your literary wants and needs. If you were smart, you were scared to death of her. She was 9 feet tall, with eyes of fire. She had rubber-soled shoes so she could sneak up on you if you were looking up something naughty in the dictionary. She had the right to kick you out into the cold if you talked. She had the right — nay, the awesome responsibility — to question whether or not a certain book was appropriate for you and then contact your parents. Nevertheless, I knew the library intimately and it was my comfort and refuge. One evening after a tempestuous teenaged fight with my mom — over what, I have no idea — I stormed out of the house, jumped into my car, and headed to town. I would stay away for hours and no one would know where I was! They’d have the police out looking for me! I’d show them! As I walked through the front door of the library, there stood the librarian with the phone in her hand, holding it out to me. It was my mom. She wanted me to come home.

Valerie Van Kooten is a grant writer for Central College. Dave Toht is an illustrator, writer, book publisher, and blogger (davethot.tumbler.com).

Do you have a story about your escapades in Iowa? Email it to editor@iowan.com and we’ll consider it for publication.

076 escapades2.indd 76

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

1/29/14 4:27 PM

March/April 2014 | THE IOWAN

000_IBC_TheIowanMA2014.indd 3

003

1/29/14 4:57 PM

For good. For Iowa. For ever.

What’s your passion?

Whether it’s arts and culture, education, children’s health, conservation, or anything else, community foundations help you support the causes you care about. Give and receive. Making a donation through your local community foundation is rewarding—in more ways than one. Your gift creates lasting good, and with the Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program, generous tax incentives make it easier to give for less. Contact your local community foundation or visit iowacommunityfoundations.org.

004

THE IOWAN | iowan.com

000_OBC_TheIowanMA2014.indd 4

Iowa Community Foundations is a collaborative effort of the Iowa Council of Foundations

1/29/14 4:35 PM