contents spring 2007

DEPARTMENTS
10
3 grist for the mill
Letter from the Publisher and Editor
FEATURES
5 subscription form
7 ramps, fiddleheads, spargle & houbys
6 notable edibles
Tasty Tidbits to Savor around the Region 8 smokin’ with the iowa barbecue society
By Jennifer Hemmingsen
13 this season: week by week
Week One: Spinach 10 gary guthrie: the carrot king
By Criss Roberts By Jay P. Wagner

14 behind closed doors 24 to market, two markets

Goes Latin with John Lohman A Conversation with the Market Masters of the Washington
By Rob Cline and Des Moines Farmers’ Markets
By Eugenia E. Gratto
15 steering institutions
in the local direction 26 farmers’ market directory
Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community
By Kamyar Enshayan
cover: Iowa Gold
16 what a difference a day makes By Kurt Michael Friese


A Day Trip Tasting the Traditions of Central Iowa
By Riki Saltzman
16
18 edible imbibables
Al Capone Drank Here: The Rebirth of Templeton Rye
By Kurt Michael Friese

20 incredible edibles
Home Grown in Maquoketa:
7
Small Farmers Market Gaining Big Strength
By Brian Morelli
8 18
22 connections
Buy Fresh, Buy Local
By Mallory Smith

31 edible endeavors
A Coalition on a Mission:
The Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition

32 advertiser directory

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 

 our contributors
Rob Cline is the marketing director for The University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium. He
edible
is also the founding president of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance and an active freelance
writer. He lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife Jenny and his children,
iowa river valley
Bryan, Jessica and Emily.
PUBLISHER
Wendy Wasserman
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kamyar Enshayan is an agricultural engineer and runs the University of Northern
Iowa’s Local Food Project (www.UNI.edu/ceee/FoodProject). He is a member of Kurt Michael Friese
the Cedar Falls City Council.
designer
Eugenia E. Gratto lives and writes in Iowa City. She moved to Iowa in September 2005
from the Washington D.C. area, where she sang in a rock band, divided her loyalties be-
Cheryl Koehler
tween the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles, and once paid $18 for six
heirloom tomatoes at a farmer’s market. Shortly after she arrived in the Midwest, she de- CONTACT US
cided it was high time she learned how to grow her own tomatoes. She chronicles her ad- Edible Iowa River Valley
ventures in gardening, cooking, and living in Iowa on her blog, The Inadvertent Gardener,
which can be found at www.TheInadvertentGardener.com
22 Riverview Drive NE
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-7973
Telephone:
Jennifer Hemmingsen planted her first garden when she was four years old and even though
they’re not glamorous, johnny jump ups are still her favorite flower. When not digging in the (319) 400-2526
dirt, she’s a freelance writer in Iowa City. info@edibleiowarivervalley.com
www.EdibleIowaRiverValley.com
Brian Morelli is a journalist who covers university news for the Iowa City customer service
Press-Citizen. A recent University of Iowa graduate, Morelli has a major in journalism and
minor in political science. Prior to writing, Morelli traveled for several years primarily in Edible Iowa River Valley takes
the U.S. and Canada, and he cooked professionally at several restaurants across the country, pride in providing its subscribers
most recently at Devotay. He currently resides in Iowa City with his wife and two children. with fast, friendly service.
Subscribe • Give a Gift
Criss Roberts, a Chicago native, married into an Iowa farm family. She lives in Burlington,
where she is feature editor of the Hawk Eye, and writes for other publications and websites. Change Your Address
She is also a contributor to www.EssentialIowa.com Correct Your Subscription
Buy an Ad
Riki Saltzman has been the Folklife Coordinator for the Iowa Arts (319) 400-2526
Council/Department of Cultural Affairs since 1995. She received Leopold Center info@edibleiowarivervalley.com
funding to document place-based foods in Iowa and to create a website. Saltzman has
researched food and other cultural traditions in the south, mid-Atlantic, Midwest, letters:
and Great Britain. At the Iowa Arts Council, Saltzman works with communities
and individuals on multicultural issues, project development, event planning, and
To write to the editor, use the address
presentation of traditional arts and artists. Saltzman, who obtained her Ph.D. in An- above or for the quickest response,
thropology/Folklore from the University of Texas at Austin, is the author of public email us at: kurt@edibleiowariver-
folklore publications as well as peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals. valley.com
Edible Iowa River Valley is published quarterly by
Mallory Smith serves as statewide coordinator for Buy Fresh, Buy Local Iowa, a na- River Valley Press, LLC. All rights reserved. Sub-
tional program promoting local foods and sustainable agriculture. Smith has a BA in scription rate is $28 annually. Call (319) 400-2526
Home Economics from the University of Iowa and an MBA in Community Develop- to inquire about advertising rates and deadlines, or
ment from Western Illinois University. Her development experiences include two years email Wendy Wasserman at wendy@edibleiowar-
as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, a stint as a chamber of commerce president ivervalley.com. No part of this publication may be
and setting up and running an economic development office in Louisa County, Iowa. used without written permission of the publisher. ©
Buy Fresh, Buy Local Iowa is part of a diverse roster of clients that Smith works with 2007. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspell-
through her business, M Smith Agency. Smith resides in West Liberty, Iowa with her ings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to
husband and three sons. your attention, please accept our sincere apologies
and notify us. Thank you.

Jay Wagner is a writer in Des Moines who focuses much of his attention now on covering Edible Iowa River Valley
food, travel and tourism in Iowa. He is a native of Sibley in northwest Iowa and has years is proud to be a member of
of newspaper experience with the Northwest Iowa Review, Sioux Falls Argus-Leader and
Edible Communities, Inc.
Des Moines Register, and also for a time was editor of The Iowan magazine. He publishes
www.EssentialIowa.com, which covers all there is to know and more about Iowa. Jay is www.EdibleCommunities.com
married to CeCe Wagner, an attorney, and they also have a daughter, Zoey, and a son,
Kiernan.

 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

 grist
for the mill
Dear Eater:

Spring has arrived across the Iowa River Valley, despite winter’s protestations in April.
We hope this third issue of Edible Iowa River Valley makes you as excited about the
growing season as we are!
It’s farmers’ market time and we’ve got market fever! In 2004, Iowa had 160 farmers’
markets, which gave us the great honor of having the most markets per capita in the na-
tion. Since then, more markets have been added in the state, and in these pages, we have
a list of where you can find one near you and what’s in season when you get there. Euge-
nia Gratto chats with the market masters of small town Washington and large city Des
Moines, to see how they make market magic. Then, Criss Roberts launches a new series
This Season: Week by Week , which helps you take all that seasonal goodness from your
market or garden to your table, with the help of Iowa’s best chefs. This Season: Week By
Week starts in this issue with a salute to spinach, and will be a weekly feature on our website www.EdibleIowaRiverValley.com every
Wednesday through October. Bookmark it and stay fresh in your kitchen.
Also on the table in this issue, hunt for some of spring’s early arrivals like fiddleheads and morels, get a taste of Gary Guthrie’s
incredible carrots, and pay a visit to Maquoketa, where a few small farmers are keeping up with local demand. You’ll learn how buying
local food on a large scale has set Bartel’s Lutheran Retirement Home in Waverly apart and made its patrons happy.
Jennifer Hemmingsen is also getting ready for season with the Iowa Barbecue Society, which serves no swine before it’s time,
and Rob Cline continues his popular Behind Closed Doors series by raiding the fridge of Corridor Business Journal publisher John
Lohman (their absent Latin notwithstanding). Folklorist Riki Saltzman winds her way through the heart of the Iowa River Valley on
an Edible journey from Pella to Grinnell, while Mallory Smith continues to give you the inside scoop on Iowa’s Buy Fresh Buy Local
Campaign.
And the big news from the region is that as we went to press, we learned that the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition, profiled
in this issue’s Edible Endeavors, received their grant from the W.K Kellogg Foundation to continue their groundbreaking work in
cultivating a sustainable food system. We’re toasting them, and all of the area’s delicious offerings, with a shot of Al Capone’s favorite
whiskey, Iowa’s own Templeton Rye. And this time, it’s legal as well as remarkably smooth.
Thanks for bellying up to the bar for another round of Edible Iowa River Valley. Please be sure to drop us a line to let us know how
we’re doing or to clue us in on some hidden culinary gem. We’re always on the hunt for the best flavors of Iowa and our next issue will
be out in August. In the meantime, do be sure to pat our advertising partners on the back for helping us get the tastes of Iowa to you.
Without them we’d be as bland as, well, bland can be.

With Relish,
Wendy Wasserman an edible correction
Kurt Michael Friese We do our best to keep things accu-
rate, but sometimes we don’t quite
succeed. Last issue, we mistakenly
led you astray with some phone
numbers. If you are looking for bi-
son from Jordan Creek Bison, note
Photos by Carole Topalian

that the correct phone number is

319.624. 3535. Those looking for
local meats at The Phoenix Cafe
in Grinnell will need this number:
641.236.3657. Many apologies!

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 

 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
subscribe
today!
Just fill out the card on the
right, send it in, and we’ll
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Purchase online at:
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or call (319) 400-2526.
Subscribe this quarter, and
Edible Iowa River Valley will
proudly make a donation to the
Northeast Iowa Food & Farm
Coalition, our featured Edible
Endeavor this season.
Yes, I want to become a subscriber to Edible Iowa River Valley. I have filled out the form below
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Edible Iowa River Valley is published quarterly by River Valley Press, LLC. 22 Riverview Drive NE, Iowa City,
Iowa 52240-7973. Telephone: (319) 400-2526. Distribution is throughout the greater Iowa River Valley re-
gion and nationally by subscription. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $28 annually. Call the number
above to inquire about advertising rates, deadlines or subscription information, or email us at info@edible-
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© 2007 All Rights Reserved.
Edible Iowa River Valley is printed on recycled paper.
EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 
notable edibles
Tasty Tidbits to Savor around the Region
SUPER SAMOSAS
When that hankering for Middle Eastern flavor overtakes you, head out to the Coralville
strip and try out the genuine cuisine of Aladdin. All the food is made to order with fasci-
nating spices that open new worlds of flavor. Especially enticing are the chicken samosas,
crispy, light pastry triangles filled with exotically spiced, shredded chicken. It’s the per-
fect appetizer before tearing into the luscious lamb kabobs.
Aladdin Restaurant, 2419 2nd Street, Coralville. 319.337.4101
OUTSTANDING ONION RINGS
Is there a better bar food than onion rings? Few things could compliment an ice cold
beer better, and Star Bar may very well have the best onion rings in Iowa. Light crispy
crust, just the right levels of salt and pepper, and never over or under cooked, these are
the sort or onion rings that make the most civilized among us shovel ’em in with both
fists. Try a batch right before delving into their catfish tacos. You’ll be glad you did.
Star Bar, 2811 Ingersoll Ave (at 28th St), Des Moines. 515.244.0790
it’s good to be caramels
The mother-daughter team of Brita and
Mary Langowski has developed quite a
following with their small caramel opera-
tion in Buffalo Center, roughly 30 miles
northwest of Clear Lake, near the Min-
nesota border. They produce luscious,
buttery, melt-away-slowly handmade car-
amels there, and they are winning praise
all over Iowa and beyond. Called simply
“Be Caramels,” the name is derived from
their hometown of Blue Earth, Min-
nesota. Available in the attractive pack-
age pictured here, it’s the perfect gift (if
you can bear to part with them!). Their
website is not yet up and running, but
in the meantime, you can find the cara-
mels at New Pioneer Co-ops in Iowa
City and Coralville, and can reach the
“Be” team at: brita@BeCaramel.com
or Blue Earth Caramel Co., 113 1st St
NW, P.O. Box 153, Buffalo Center, IA
50424. 507.526.3865
 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
WEBSITES WE LOVE
We all know Iowa is filled
with edible goodness wait-
ing to be discovered and it
takes a clever eye to find
them all. While we try to
do our best at www.Edible-
IowaRiverValley.com there
are other sites out there
that we love. Next time
you’re out surfing, stop by
www.EssentialIowa.com
your guide to all things
Iowa. Click on the “Food”
link and you will be led to
a bevy of delicious tips:
from Big Treats to Second
Helpings, recipes, and fun
facts about the Hawkeye
state.
For those with a historic
appetite, the Iowa Arts
Council, has built a won-
derful resource, which
you can find if you google
“Iowa place-based food
project.” The website is a
result of the Iowa Food-
ways Project, which sur-
veyed the state to locate
and document a variety of
foods and the people who
produce them. Its mission
is to use to food as a way
to discover Iowa’s histori-
cal, ethnic, ecological, and
geographic heritage, and
recognize how food vests
Iowa with a sense of place,
and this website does just
that.
 ramps, fiddleheads, spargle & houbys
A walk in the woods in the Heartland’s early spring is intrinsically
rewarding, but while you are enjoying those first few sunny days
after a nourishing spring rain, why not look for things that can
feed your belly as well as your soul? The woodlands of the upper
Midwest are teeming with gourmet goodies in the spring, and this
abundance is there for the taking, if you just know where to look.
Gathering wild foods is probably the most sustainable, and
certainly the most ancient way to provide delicious and nourish-
ing food for your family. It dates back to before the dawn of our
species, and continues to this day (how’s that for sustainable?).
Archeologists have uncovered the remains of a 6,000 year-old
man, and in the pouch found with him were several mushrooms.
The arrow in his back may have indicated that he was foraging in
someone else’s territory. Such severe penalties are less likely today,
but it is still a good idea to make sure you have the landowner’s
permission.
Although today our innate instinct to gather has been redi-
rected toward grocery stores and shopping malls, it is still there
just as surely as it was with the “Mushroom Man.” Sadly the tools
and tricks our ancestors used to find wild edibles have been re-
placed by knowing which coupons to clip and which grocery has
the best deal on frozen pizza. It need not be so, and learning a
little bit about the Heartland’s easiest-to-find spring delicacies is
the best place to start.
The first to sprout through the damp forest floor is likely to
be ramps. Otherwise known as wild leeks (Allium tricoccum),
these relatives of onions, garlic and shallots inspire weekend-long
festivals in the Appalachians, where their flavor is much stron-
ger—some might say overwhelming. Here in the Midwest they
are milder—much easier to appreciate—and prolific. They are
picked in early April when they have two or three leaves, or some-
times they are left until summer and then only the bulbs are used.
They can be eaten fresh, pickled, sautéed or grilled, and a fine
julienne of the young leaves makes an excellent salad garnish.
Next to arrive on the local scene is the fiddlehead. Named
for its resemblance to the top end of a violin, fiddleheads are the
early shoots of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). They
are perhaps the least known of the common wild edibles in the
area—perhaps because of the inexhaustible supply of deer, which
tend to have an easier time finding them than we mere humans.
As with the ramp, they are best when they are young and wound
in a tight coil. Soak them thoroughly in cold, salted water for 10-
Photo by Kurt Michael Freise
20 minutes, then rinse and sauté them in butter, with garlic and
parsley (add some ramps, too!)
Similar in flavor but not at all related to the fiddleheads is the
next on the springtime wild food hit parade, asparagus. Many de-
scendants of German and Bohemian immigrants to the Central
US still call it by its German name, “spargle” (pronounced “schpar-
EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 
gle). Asparagus officinalis is of course farmed all over the world,
but is one of those foods, like tomatoes, where it is so superior in
season (April-June) that it renders its cultivated cousins unrecog-
nizable. Wild asparagus can be found almost anywhere, particu-
larly in ditches along country roadsides. It too should be picked
young, and is best tossed with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and
any blend of fresh herbs you like, then quickly grilled. Even those
who have said they don’t like asparagus have enjoyed it this way.
The Truffle of the Heartland, the King of the Midwest Woods,
the mushroom that put the “fun” in “fungus” is the wildly popu-
lar—and just as elusive—Morel (Morchella esculenta). Of course
it should always be emphasized that you should have some exper-
tise when hunting mushrooms because if you’re not dead certain,
you might be just plain dead, so consult experts such as those
at the Prairie State Mushroom Club (www.geocities.com/iowa-
fungi) before you taste anything.
The Bohemians in the Czech Village section of Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, still call morels by their old-country name, “houby” (pro-
nounced “hoby”) and have a festival in its honor every year in the
middle of May. At that latitude, the houbys are usually sprouting
by Mother’s day, so the Czech and Slovak Museum there sponsors
the festival the weekend after. Another good way to know if the
morels are up is to look in the woods for the May apples, or what
some kids call “umbrella plants.” When these five-point-leaf plants
are about knee-high, it’s morel season in your neck of the woods.
Look for them near recently dead elm or other hardwood trees.
Theresa Marrone starts looking when the lilacs are in bloom.
Her book, Abundantly Wild: Collecting and Cooking Wild Edi-
bles in the Upper Midwest, (published by Northern Trail Press and
available at their website, www.NorthernTrailsPress.com), reveals
all the secrets to finding all these and 70 other wild edibles of the
region, complete with recipes like fiddlehead pie, asparagus with
garlic grits, and morel pizza.
So now that the days are a little longer, and a little warmer,
why not plan a trek through the woods? You’ll get some great ex-
ercise, and you can find some wholesome goodness along the way.
smokin’ with the Formed nearly 10 years ago by a group of Iowa bar-
becue enthusiasts, the IBS hosts barbecue contests,

iowa barbecue society community events, and serves as a way for people to
connect with other barbecue lovers across the state.
“Anything for the betterment of barbecue,” says Anne
by jennifer hemmingsen Rehnstrom of Des Moines, one of the group’s founders.
The society’s Web site—www.IABBQ.org—contains
Want to know where the next barbecue cookoff is? a treasure trove of information about everything barbe-
cue. There are forums for swapping recipes and sharing
Looking for a whole suckling pig? tips, information about getting started competing in
Need help smoking that turkey in a trash can? Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned contests, and
a bulletin board for BBQ related stuff for sale or trade.
Well, good news. The search is over. The Iowa Barbecue Society (IBS) There are even barbecue photo galleries. Members are
is here to help. able to compete in contests, are eligible for discounts
from some businesses, and “get tons and tons of emails,”
the site says, from society members. Members who
would like to stage a competition can get the IBS’ help
promoting the event, finding judges and connecting
with possible entrants. Last year, the society had about
180 members.
Each spring IBS holds a Spring Training Class at the
Iowa State meat lab in Ames. There, participants learn
from champion barbecuers about cooking with different
kinds of wood, how to pick a good cut of meat, how to
make rubs and sauces, and about food safety. They learn
about the science as well as the art, and have a chance to
see or try out different kinds of smokers and other equip-
ment.
The IBS also coordinates a “Senior-que” every Oc-
tober, encouraging their members to host barbecues at
their local nursing homes and care centers. Residents in-
vite their families and friends. The barbecuers cook the
meat, and the care centers provide the side dishes. It has
been such a popular program that it has spread across
the country—10 states are participating this year, Rehn-
strom said.
Other programs include a “Ribs for Kids” event for
Des Moines area children in November, and a December
barbecue and Christmas tree giveaway. But it’s the com-
petitions that really get members juices flowing.
Events are Kansas City Barbecue Society certified—
meaning the rules and standards are the same. Judges are
trained to evaluate ribs, pork, beef and chicken based on
their appearance, taste and tenderness.
In Iowa, there are several competitions that are worth
a trip—Waterloo’s BBQ’Loo and Blues, Too!, Smokin on
Photo by Carole Topalian

the River, and the North Iowa Up In Smoke BBQ Bash

in Mason City to name a few. The IBS Web site has a
complete list updated regularly.
During the State BBQ Championship at Riverview
Park in Marshalltown, which starts this year on June 22,

 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

more than 10,000 spectators will come to sample barbecue upcoming bbq festivals and
and sides from vendors, and listen to free concerts Friday
competitions around iowa
night and all day Saturday. There will be a kids’ fun area, a
mechanical bull, a car show, beer garden and lots and lots of Visit the website at www.IABBQ.org for more details
great barbecue.
20th Annual Great Pork BarbeQlossal
Marshalltown Community College sells the tickets and
Des Moines, June 7– 9
the Iowa Barbecue Society donates proceeds for scholar-
ships. They have a similar arrangement with Des Moines 7th Annual State Center State BBQ Championship
Area Community College and hope to establish connec- State Center, June 15 – 16
tions with other schools as well, Rehnstrom says.
The State BBQ Championship, like other IBS compe- 9th Annual Iowa State BBQ Championship
titions starts on a Friday. Competitors set up their equip- Marshalltown, June 22 – 23
ment—which range from spartan to spectacular. Some come 6th Annual BBQ’Loo & Blues
equipped only with a couple Weber grills and a tent. Darren Waterloo, July 20 – 21
Warth, IBS president and member of the “Smokin Clones
Barbecue” team, travels with a 34-foot custom gooseneck 4th Annual North Iowa Up In Smoke BBQ Bash
trailer with a commercial kitchen. Mason City, July 27 – 28
Warth also owns Smokey D’s Barbecue, a catering compa- 9th Annual Lynch Livestock Pig Stampede
ny in Des Moines. This May, in partnership with Iowa Barbe- State Championship
cue Society member and former executive chef at the Hotel Waucoma, August 3 – 4
Pattee in Perry, he is opening another catering company and
barbecue carry-out in Des Moines. Absolute Flavors.
“One of the great parts about the barbecue community is darren warth’s championship ribs
that it’s an incredibly supportive, incredibly diverse group of Start with a rack of loinback or spare ribs, remove
people united by their obsession for barbecue”, Warth says. membrane from the back. Season with your favorite
“You really become friends for life,” he says. “I’ve never rub—Warth’s favorite is “Smokin Guns Hot Rub”, avail-
met anyone on the barbecue circuit that I wouldn’t invite to able from Hawgeyes (see below). Place meat side up
my house for dinner and to spend the night.” on a smoker at 225-250 degrees—Warth prefers a mix
Warth started barbecuing about six years ago. He was in- of hickory and apple woods. Smoke for 3 hours. Re-
spired by a $1200 meat locker bill for smoking some venison. move ribs and place on a sheet of aluminum foil, add
He started doing a little research about smoking and ended ¼ cup of brown sugar
up hooked About 3 tablespoons honey
Now he, his wife and his daughter compete throughout About 3 tablespoons squeezable Parkay margarine
the Midwest as the Smokin’ Clones Barbecue team. Their A few more shakes of the rub
signature meat is their ribs, which have won them 12 con- Wrap ribs tight in the foil—place in smoker meat side
tests including a perfect score at the American Royal in Kan- up. Cook for another 45-60 minutes. When the ribs
sas City in 2003. (The American Royal is one of the world’s start pulling away from the bone, unwrap from the foil
largest barbecue contests). The ribs are sweet with a spicy fin- and place ribs, unwrapped, on the smoker for another
ish—a recipe he devised by taking a lot of advice from a lot of 15 minutes.
different people. He estimates that he smokes between two
and three thousand racks of ribs each year.
resources
His team competes in more than 20 barbecue competitions
each year, and he’s serving his second year as IBS president. Absolute Flavors
“There is some science involved. It is an art though. It’s an Catering, vending and barbecue carry-out
obsession—especially if you get into the competition. Once 20 Northwest 54th Ave. in Des Moines
you get into competition barbecue, you can’t get enough.” smokeyd@mchsi.com
Hawgeyes BBQ Supply
Iowa Barbecue Society (IBS) is a nonprofit charitable organi- 1313 S.W. Ordnance Road
zation dedicated to the promotion of outdoor cooking, and to Ankeny, Iowa 50023
do that they not only hold contests, but all kinds of community www.HawgeyesBBQ.com
events. www.IABBQ.org

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 

 gary guthrie:
the carrot king
by jay wagner
Consider the ordinary carrot. It’s a decent snack: crunchy, slighty
sweet, satisfying. I’ve been eating ‘em for years, often as an after-
noon snack.
But I had never truly experienced a carrot until I met Gary
Guthrie, a Nevada farmer. According to the USDA, carrots are
10 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
the fifth most consumed vegetable in the country; Americans eat
an average of 9.5 pounds each year. But in 2003, the year I sampled
my first Guthrie-grown carrot, my family consumed nearly 40
pounds of them in the span of three months. They are that good.
Here’s the thing about supermarket carrots: they are bred to
be mechanically harvested, withstand shipping across the coun-
try (most carrots come from California, which produces 76 per-
cent of the nation’s carrots) and sit on the shelf at the grocery
store for weeks. The average carrot travels 1,700 miles from farm
to grocery store. And it tastes like it.
The first time I ate one of one of Guthrie’s
carrots at the Iowa Vegetable Growers confer-
ence in Ames, I was so surprised by the flavor
that I giggled after my first bite. Then I looked
around to see if anyone was watching me and I
ate another. And then another. And another.
Guthrie says he never intended to be Iowa’s
carrot king. He started raising vegetables in
1997 and experimented with a number of heir-
loom vegetables, including carrots. Gary farms
with his wife, Nancy, and son, Eric, on Grow-
ing Harmony farm, located between Nevada
and Ames in central Iowa. He grew up here but
left Iowa to work in community development
in Central America for the Mennonite Central
Committee.
When he decided to try his hand at vegetable
production, he began a Community Supported
Agriculture system, in which consumers support
a local farm by paying in advance for agricultural
products. This reduces the financial risks for the
farmer because the costs of seeds and planting
crops are covered in advance by consumers.
Throughout the growing season, CSA members
receive a portion of the farm’s harvest each week.
If the crop fails, everyone loses; but when there’s
a bumper crop, everyone sees the benefits.
Guthrie was looking for a way to supple-
ment his CSA income and decided that car-
rots make economic sense because of their long
shelf life. With carrots, he could market them
through the fall, maximizing sales potential.
That is, if carrot fans like me haven’t hoarded all
of Guthrie’s product we can get our hands on.
Guthrie experiments with a variety of car-
rot varieties, but his most popular is the Bolero,
which does well in cool weather. Guthrie says
he realized how good the Bolero was when he
pulled some strays out of the ground after snow
had fallen in December, 1997. The taste, he says,
was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
 During the next year, he began to research the best ways to
Photo by Carole Topalian

grow carrots and sought out studies comparing varietals. Bolero

constantly came out on top and he made it is trademark carrot.
Researchers found that unlike other vegetables, a tasty carrot will
taste the same regardless of where it’s grown. Intrigued, he in-
creased production.
Guthrie farms entirely by hand, a backbreaking enterprise for
a vegetable farm as large as his. He raises a half-dozen varieties of
carrots and is constantly trying out new types (his CSA custom-
ers are sometimes invited to carrot tasting parties at his farm) but
the end of the season Bolero is his most popular. Other carrots
that he recommends include the mid-summer Nelson, the fall
Mokum, the Ithaca, and the Sugarsnax.
During 2006, Guthrie grew nearly 5,000 pounds of carrots
Carrot lovers can find Guthrie’s gems through other farmers op-
erating CSAs, a handful of retailers (like the Wheatsfield Co-op
in Ames), and some selected restaurants in the region. Consum-
ers on their own personal carrot hunt can also call Growing Har-
mony Farm for direct sales.
Growing Harmony Farm
Gary Guthrie
58444 260th St
Nevada, Iowa 50201
515.382.3117

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 11

12 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
 THIS SEASON:
WEEK BY WEEK
by criss roberts

week one: spinach.

This Season, Week by Week, is now a regular feature on www.Ed-
ibleIowaRiverValley.com. Each week will feature a new product in
season locally, including buying tips and a recipe from a local chef to
get you going. This Season: Week by Week is great way to keep your
kitchen strong, all season long!
Mike Clem’s family regularly ate spinach at dinner. “It was
canned or frozen,” said Clem, chef at the riverfront Drake
restaurant in Burlington. “It looked like seaweed.” Salads
were leaves of pasty iceberg, with canned mandarin orange
slices if mom was going upscale. It took a fresh spinach sal-
ad with hot vinaigrette dressing to change his take on both.
“This dish turned me on to salad,” Clem said. “Fresh spinach was
a whole ‘nother story.”
A regular summer menu item at The Drake, Clem buys his
spinach from Gerst Family Farms in Burlington. The bacon
comes from Meierotto’s Farm Fresh Meats, in Mount Pleasant,
both regulars at farmers markets in southeast Iowa. Clem will
do cooking demonstrations at the Burlington Farmers Mar-
ket on the riverfront Thursdays during the summer months.

Fresh Spinach Salad

with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
Courtesy of Mike Clem, the Drake Restaurant
Serves 4
8 cups fresh spinach, washed and destemmed
2 hard boiled eggs
8 ounces sliced  fresh mushrooms
4 strips bacon
Vinaigrette
½ pound raw bacon, cut into strips
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ cup sugar
5 ounces balsamic vinegar
5 ounces standard prepared yellow mustard
5 ounces white wine
Whisk vinegar, mustard and wine together and set aside.
Sauté bacon in a saucepan until crisp. Add onion into
bacon and cook until soft. Stir sugar into pot until lique-
fied. Pour vinegar mixture into bacon and onions and
simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Pour over spinach and toss, Gar-
nish with sliced egg, mushrooms and bacon slices.
growing leafy greens
Leafy greens, including spinach, need
cold weather to germinate. With seeds
often planted in sandy ground as the
weather starts to thaw, these greens are
among the first vegetables to appear at
the early farmers’ markets. Unwashed
spinach can be stored in plastic bags
in the refrigerator crisper drawer for
three to four days, and frozen for up
to eight months. Keep the leaves as dry
as possible as washed spinach will wilt
during storage. Rinse before eating to
remove the dirt and sand that can ad-
here to leaves.
Look for three varieties: Savoy,
semi-savoy and flat-leaf, and baby. Sa-
voy leaves are dark green and curly.
Flatleaf spinach has spade-shaped, flat
leaves. Semi-savoy is a mix of the two.
And baby, is just, well, baby.

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 13

 behind closed doors
goes latin with john lohman
by rob cline
Had I been a better student in Professor John Finamore’s Latin classes “We’ve basically had Maytag Blue Cheese in the refrigerator ever
during my student days at The University of Iowa, I might have been since,” John says.
able to render a portion of this column—say, the title, for example— in What sets the Maytag cheese apart? According to the company’s
that neglected language. (Editor’s note: That would be “Secundum Pro- web site, “On October 11, 1941, the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese
pinquus Ianua”) The fault for my lack of Latin knowledge rests entirely were formed and put to age in our caves. Not much has changed since
with me. Professor Finamore could not have been more engaged with then, although our truck is newer and our cheesemakers are older! To-
his subject nor more engaging in his approach. Nevertheless, nary a day, we still make each wheel by hand, aging it in our caves twice as long
phrase beyond what might be found stamped on a quarter found a per- as most other blue cheeses.”
manent spot in my brain. The Lohmans have another favorite product made in the state, and
I was taking the class because at the time I thought I might go to while it doesn’t reside in the refrigerator, the Sterzing’s potato chips bag
seminary and Latin seemed a fine language to have at my disposal in sits atop the icebox.
such a setting. John Lohman was taking the class because he thought he “They’re a little greasy, but if you grew up on them they’re wonder-
might become a lawyer. Better than a decade later, John is the publisher ful,” says Aspen. Turns out, they’re wonderful even if you didn’t grow
and president of the Corridor Business Journal and I’m…well, I’m a guy up on them. Made in Burlington, the chips—made from nothing more
who infiltrates the refrigerators of guys like John. than potatoes, oil, and salt—are exceptional.
During my visit to the Lohman home in North Liberty, we spoke Returning to the fridge’s interior, some leftovers catch the eye, in-
exactly no Latin. cluding a box from Iowa City’s Pagliai’s Pizza. Quincy enjoys watching
through the restaurant’s huge window as the pies are made during the
cheese, chips, and leftovers
Lohman’s twice monthly Friday night visits for sausage pizza.
The refrigerator is liberally but neatly decorated with pictures of family
There’s a bag from Biaggi’s in there, too, and it’s emblematic of John’s
and with blue and yellow magnetic letters for Quincy and Lucy, the
various business lunches.
Lohman’s young children. Inside, a variety of family favorites can be
“He gets to go to these nice lunches,” Aspen says, “and he brings me
found, including several varieties of cheese.
leftovers as he drives up and down the Corridor.”
“Aspen’s quite the cheese lover,” John says of his wife, a first grade
While we’re munching on some corn chips dipped in Kramer’s Sal-
teacher and vice president of the Corridor Business Journal. She readily
sa—a very fresh tasting salsa made in Comanche—Aspen notes that the
agrees—and offers to share.
foods we’ve sampled all have something in common.
Cheese curds from the Kalona Cheese Factory are among her favor-
“I don’t think anything we’ve given you so far has been healthy,” she
ites. These delicious nuggets provide an aural as well as oral experience
says with a laugh. Maybe
as they squeak against your teeth with each bite. Aspen also serves them
up melted, explaining that she likes hers brown around the edges with not, but it’s all been very the footsteps
a little salt. tasty. And when it comes to lohman’s fridge
to snacking, I always say
Incidentally, the Kalona Cheese Factory is listed in the Corridor Kalona Cheese Factory
carpe diem! Or I would say
Business Journal’s 2007 “Book of Lists” as the ninth-best attended tour- (a.k.a. Twin County Dairy)
that if I could remember my
ist attraction in the Corridor with 150,000 visitors annually. That plac- 2206 540th Street SW
es it just behind Iowa Hawkeye Men’s Basketball and just ahead of the Latin.
Kalona, Iowa 52247
Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. 319.656.2776
The Lohmans are also fond of
Maytag Dairy Farms
Maytag Blue Cheese, a delicacy
2282 E. 8th Street N.
John was first introduced to by
Newton, Iowa 50208
the late James Van Allen, the
641.792.1133, 800.247.2458
famed UI astrophysicist. Van
www.MaytagDairyFarms.com
Allen sent John a wheel of the
famed product out of Newton Sterzing’s Potato Chips
as a thank you gift following 1819 Charles Street
a speech John delivered—in Burlington, Iowa 52601
his former capacity as the 800.754.8467
communications manager www.SterzingChips.com
Photo by Chris Lynxwiler .

for the Duane Arnold En- Kramer’s Salsa

ergy Center in Palo—to 1618 5th Street
a club to which the scientist Camanche, Iowa 52730
belonged. 888.551.5990, 563.259.8752
www.KramerSpecialtyFoods.com
Aspen and John Lohman share a bite of Pagliai’s Pizza.

14 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

 steering institutions
in the local direction
Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community
by kamyar enshayan

After reading the New York Times bestseller Fast Food Na- institutions” visit, www.UNI.edu/ceee/FoodProject/index and
Photo by Kamyar Enshayan.

tion: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, or seeing the PBS then click on Resources.
Frontline documentary Modern Meat (in which you learn how a
pound of hamburger could have bits from 4000 global cows!),
you will realize that food from a global supermarket is becoming
more and more troublesome, and that strengthening local food
connections is a practical necessity.
Robin Gaines and her staff at Bartels Lutheran Retirement
Community in Waverly, Iowa realize this reality and have been
champions for creating a stronger local food economy. “Purchas-
ing food from reputable suppliers is one of the top priorities for
food service managers. Many food service managers use the ex-
cuse that they have to buy from big suppliers to ensure the food
they are getting is safe. Realistically, the safest food to buy is food
that comes from a farmer known to the food service manager.”
Bartels has been buying fruits and vegetables, meats, baked Robin Gaines at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community visits with Bret Hansen of
Hansen Farm Fresh Dairy.
goods, and dairy products all grown locally since 1999. In 2005,
they purchased nearly $75,000 in local foods from 17 local vendors
and through farmers markets, roughly 25% of the total food budget.
Robin and her staff have perfected the art of buying locally
raised meats in an institutional setting. They purchase whole ani-
mals (beef and pork) from local farmer Craig Clausing of rural
Waverly who raises them on a diet that includes no antibiotics
and no animal by-products in the feed. The animals are processed
at Janesville Locker and delivered to Bartels.
For example, the total cost to Bartels for a whole beef is $1484.
But if the same amount of beef, in various cuts, were purchased
separately through a distributor (with beef from unknown sourc-
es), the cost would have been $1657. So Bartels saves money and
buys high quality, highly traceable beef from a local farm. In that
process, the dollars spent on the meat and the processing all stay lo-
cal. University of Northern Iowa’s Dining Services have also been
buying whole animals on a monthly basis with similar rewards.
Robin Gaines and her staff have demonstrated that it is pos-
sible to serve highest quality meats and save dollars, that local
meats are cost competitive, that local vendors offer excellent ser-
vice, and the whole process builds the local food economy.
Bartels has signed the Health Care Without Harm’s “Healthy
Food in Health Care Pledge” (available at www.NoHarm.org/
us/food/issue), which outlines steps to be taken by the health
care industry to improve the health of patients, communities and
environment.
To see the full study of “Documenting the costs and benefits
of whole animal local meat purchases by three northeast Iowa

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 15

 what a difference a day makes
A Day Trip Tasting the Traditions of Central Iowa
by riki saltzman

Central Iowa is a mecca for Iowa’s local food traditions, starting field to mill, and how it is transformed into that wonderful syr-
with the sweets of Pella and ending with the savories of Grinnell. up. The family has a sorghum cookbook for sale as well as jars of
In between is a treasure trove of chocolates, cheese, syrup and syrup and lollipops. And after you leave, you’ll never use molasses
other surprises. again!
Start the day in Pella, home of one of Iowa’s two Dutch-Amer- After leaving the Maasdam farm, head north and west to
ican communities (the other is in Orange City, north of Sioux Newton for some wine and cheese tasting at Maytag Cheese and
City) and an architectural tribute to the Dutch vernacular style. then at Jasper Winery.
For a walking breakfast, grab some coffee at Smokey Row or walk Maytag Dairy Farms is one of the best deals around for load-
over to Franklin Street to sample a variety of Dutch pastries like ing up with an internationally acclaimed blue cheese, made from
almond-paste filled letters, almond butter cake, white walnut milk from nearby dairy farms. Ask for samples of Maytag blue
bars (the white refers to the white raisins), at Jaarsma or Vander as well as some of the other cheeses at the counter where recipes
Ploeg Bakery (neighboring bakeries Pella’s town square). Both and cheese serving paraphernalia are available. Blue cheese on a
bakeries use recipes brought over from Holland several genera- cracker drizzled with local honey is an unforgettable tasty sweet-
tions ago and are the only places to get Dutch letters outside of savory snack.
Holland. Jaarsma’s has been continuously run by the same family At the Jasper Winery, on the other side of town, is a con-
since its founding at the end of the 19 century, while the 100- verted old woodworking building that was renovated into a fam-
th

year-old Vander Ploeg’s current owners purchased the bakery ily-run winery in 2003 with sparkling new stainless steel tanks
from its second owners (who still work for the bakery). and oak barrels. Mason Groben, son of owners Jean and Paul
If something less sweet beckons, try a saucijzenbroodje—a puff Groben, makes several red and white wines from grapes that can
pastry filled with sausage made at Ulrich Meat Market, situated be grown in Iowa. Some are from their ten-acre vineyard, while
between the two bakeries. At Ulrich’s, operated continuously others are purchased from other Iowa growers. All the grapes
since 1902, pick up some home-made bologna or dried beef used to make the winery’s stellar 2005 Chancellor, a dry red, did
(both made using recipes that John come from the winery’s nearby Cherry
Ulrich, the meat market’s founder, Creek Vineyard.
brought with him from Holland in Jasper Winery offers cheeses, crack-
the mid-19 century), a variety of
th
ers and sausage to purchase and enjoy
sausages, hams, and more. Ulrich’s in the tasting room. Try Back Road
sausages use prime beef and no fill- with some Maytag baby Swiss or drink
ers; the hams, sausages, and chops the Behind the Shed Red with a side of
are smoked on the premises in 100- Maytag blue—or pair it with some of
year-old ovens that burn only local the dark chocolate from nearby Lillie
hickory wood—not sawdust Mae Chocolates in Marshalltown.
Next stop: Maasdam Sorghum Lillie Mae Chocolates first opened
Mill in Lynnville where sweet sor- in 1939 under the proprietorship of
ghum cane is grown, harvested, and Gorge Demopolus, who named the
processed to become a dark, rich, fra- shop for his daughter, Lillie Mae. To-
grant syrup full of anti-oxidants and day, former owner and chocolate mak-
vitamins. It tastes wonderful in cook- er Georgia Dates and current owner,
ies and cakes, on biscuits or pancakes, Amy Snyder, offer up their hand-filled
Photos by Riki Saltzman

and in a variety of other dishes. and hand-dipped creams, nut-filled,

In 1945, Maasdam installed a sor- and caramel creations But the best
ghum cane fueled steam engine to treat at Lillie Mae’s is the turtle (aka
power the mill. You’ll get to see the “tor-tush”) made with homemade cara-
path the sorghum cane travels from Restaurante Aztecas’ Maria Guerrero mel filling (featuring local Picket Fence

16 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

Creamery’s thick yellow cream) mixed with nuts and then hand-
dipped in thick milk or dark chocolate. In the fall, try one of the
shop’s yummy caramel apples—locally-grown Hine Gardener
Jonathans whose tart flavor contrasts with that smooth, sweet,
creamy coating.
After dessert, try lunch at Marshalltown’s Restaurante Aztec-
as. Owner and cook Maria Guerrero will serve you a homemade
and mild salsa verde (made from tomatillos) with your chips.
Guerrera, who is originally from Puebla, serves a variety of meat
dishes as well as fish and seafood in the Veracruz style—just an
hour from Puebla. Maria learned to cook from her mother and
grandmother and says that some of her most traditional dishes
are her homemade white corn tortillas (fresh-made Saturday and
Sunday only), caldo de res (beef vegetable soup featuring chayote,
cilantro, and more), ensalada de manzana (a cold, chopped ap-
ple, sour cream, and sweetened condensed milk “pudding”), or
tortitas de camarones (shrimp cakes featured during Lent).
Before departing, stock up on south of the border fare at La
Mexicana, a supermarket with a fresh meat counter, with cho-
rizo, fresh fish, cheese and more. The store has bins filled with
a variety of fragrant, dried chilies as well as sections for fruits,
vegetables, Sonora brand tortillas from Des Moines, a variety of
corn tortillas, and more. La Mexicana also carries local pan dulce
(pastries) and breads.
End the day in Grinnell, home to Grinnell College, and also
notable for its lovely Victorian homes and the amazing architec-
tural detail of the Louis Sullivan “jewel box” bank downtown.
Walk off some of those tamales and chocolates by visiting Grin-
nell’s Faulconer Gallery, truly one of Iowa’s premier art museums
in a state that has a surprising number of them.
Finally, dinner is at The Café Phoenix. Known for its home-
made breads and dishes made with local grass-fed beef and lamb,
fresh fish, produce, herbs, and honey, the Phoenix is one of those
Iowa treasures. Owner Kamal Hammouda takes great pride in
using locally grown, chemical-free lamb, herbs from nearby Mari-
posa farms, and honey from a beekeeping neighbor. The Phoenix
also features vegan meals and is open for lunches and dinners. If
you’re too tired from your day of central Iowa eating and explora-
tion, you can even spend the night at the Phoenix’s Inn, which
has three rooms available.

STOPS ALONG THE WAY IN CENTRAL IOWA

Jaarsma Bakery
727 Franklin Street
Pella, Iowa 50219
641.628.2940
www.JaarsmaBakery.com
Vander Ploeg Bakery
711 Franklin Street
Pella, Iowa 50219
641.628.2293
www.PellaBakery.com
Ulrich Meat Market
715 Franklin Street
Pella IA 50219
641.628.2771
www.DutchMall.com
Vander Ploeg Bakery always has oven fresh Dutch letters, thanks to Garrett Vander.
Maasdam Sorghum Mills Jasper Winery
6495 E. 132nd Street S 518 W 3rd Street N
Lynnville, Iowa 50153 Newton, Iowa 50208
641.594.4369 641.792.7022
Mill tours available (fall only) www.JasperWinery.com
with prior arrangements If you’re making this trip in August or Sep-
tember, take some time to help out with
www.MaasdamSorghumMills.Homestead.com
the harvest and visit Cherry Creek Vine-
Maytag Dairy Farms yard (started in 2000). Call Jean to put
2282 E 8th St. N your name on a grape-pickers call list!
Newton, Iowa 50208
641.792.1133 Lillie Mae Chocolates
23 W Main Street
800.247.2458
Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
www.MaytagDairyFarms.com
641.752.6041
800.752.6041
www.LillieMaeChocolate.com
Restaurante Aztecas
911 E State Street
Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
641.844.0455
Café Phoenix
834 Park Street
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
641.236.3657
www.ThePhoenixCafe.com

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 17

 edible imbibables
Al Capone Drank Here: The Rebirth of Templeton Rye
by kurt michael friese

It was the Jazz Age, a time of many households continued to

speakeasies, gangsters and bath- “cook whiskey,” and only a select
tub whiskey. Railroad cars crossed few will admit it even to this day,
the country carrying hobos and so strict were each family’s secre-
the occasional load of table grapes cies, and so feared were the rev-
with stenciled warnings, “Cau- enuers.
tion: Grapes—Do Not Add Yeast One family though, the de-
or Fermentation Will Occur!” The scendents of Alphonse and Fran-
Volstead Act had become law and ces Kerkhoff, proudly proclaim
the nation went dry. the prowess of the family’s prohi-
Or more accurately, the nation’s bition-era recipe, and now Iowan’s
rivers of booze went underground can enjoy it legally for the first
and gave rise to a new industry: time. Templeton Rye is now a li-
bootlegging. Almost overnight a censed distilled spirit made only
vast criminal enterprise sprang up in Templeton and available only
across the nation and gangsters be- in Iowa.
came rich and powerful running Rye whiskey differs from its
whiskey and operating secret, pass- cousins, bourbon and scotch, in
word-protected bars. None be- number of ways, most notable that
came more powerful than the New it must, by law, contain a mini-
York born Alphonse Capone. mum of 51% rye grain. Rye’s con-
Capone made his name in Chi- tribution to the flavor of a whis-
cago as the head of the vaguely key is a spiciness, and it adds a sort
named “Chicago Outfit,” even of fruity dryness and a warmth to
though his business card referred the finish, according to Michael
to him as a used furniture dealer. Jackson, author of Whiskey: The
In truth he was an accomplished Definitive World Guide. “What
manager of a network of bootleg- From left to right: Keith, Kody and Meryl—three generations of Kerkhoffs the rye grain gives to bread, it also
gers. Occasionally, the “heat” in stand in front of their still and behind every barrel of Templeton Rye imparts to whiskey,” he writes.
Chicago would cause him to take “Rye whiskey has that same hint
refuge in the comfort of the Julien Inn in Dubuque, Iowa, where of bitterness. It is reminiscent of bittersweet fruit—perhaps a
he frequently availed himself of a favorite whiskey, Templeton hint of apricot—spicy, a little oily, almost peppermint.”
Rye. While Jackson tells us of Rye’s origins in colonial Pennsylva-
The tiny town of Templeton is located in northwest Iowa, nia and Maryland, it is Templeton’s bootlegging history that the
about an hour-and-half drive from Des Moines in Carroll Coun- Kerkhoff ’s son Meryl, grandson (and master distiller) Keith, and
ty. The story goes that just before Prohibition, a traveler wandered great-grandson Kody hope will attract the attention of Iowa’s
through town and had heard that there may be some libations to (and some day the nation’s) whiskey connoisseurs. They proudly
be had. Stopping at the first house he came to, he inquired where flaunt the Capone connection and their family recipe’s prohi-
Photos by Kurt Michael Freise

it might be found. The kindly woman pointed to a yellow house bition-era bona fides in all the marketing. The revenuers caught
down the street. “That house,” she explained, “is the only house Alphonse and Frances three times back then, the third offense
that doesn’t sell Templeton Rye.” That house was the Rectory. leading to prison time for Alphonse.
When Prohibition took hold, and revenue agents or “rev- Some of the best stories are of the secret hiding places people
enuers” seemed to be everywhere, such openness and generosity would use to store, or in some cases distribute, the contraband
vanished, although Templeton Rye did not. No one knows how whiskey. One story Meryl likes to tell was that his mother was

18 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

 traditional rye cocktails
Two famous cocktails are traditionally made with Rye, the
After more than 80 years it’s finally legal to enjoy a shot of Templeton Rye Sazerac and the Manhattan.
Sazerac:
told that the jug was hidden behind the toilet tank, and if any 1 teaspoon Pernod or Herbsaint liqueur
strangers were to come in the yard, she should dump the con- Ice cubes
tents down the stool right away, before even opening the door 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 sugar cube, or 1 teaspoon simple syrup
because it might be a revenuer. One day while Alphonse was out 1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
it happened, and Frances dutifully dumped the whole gallon of 3 dashed Peychaud’s Bitters
whiskey only to find that it was just a salesman in her yard. 1 lemon peel twist
All this makes for great marketing, but still, it is the supple, Put the Pernod or Herbsaint in a chilled old-fashioned
amazingly smooth flavor that results from Minnesota rye, dis- glass and swirl to coat the bottom and sides completely.
tilled and triple-filtered, then aged in oak barrels from Missouri Discard the excess.
that are what will really win the palates of whiskey enthusiasts In a cocktail shaker combine 4-5 ice cubes with the sug-
around the country. Templeton Rye was very well received at ar, rye, and bitters. Shake and strain into the old-fashioned
April’s “WhiskeyLive” event in New York City, where many pa- glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass to extract oils,
trons called it the best of the show. This summer, they plan to un- then drop in the twist and serve.
veil a limited edition batch in honor of the town of Templeton’s
Manhattan:
Quasquicentennial July 6 – 8.
1 1/4 ounces rye whiskey
The Kerkhoff ’s hope to be licensed to sell their Rye in Chi-
1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
cago by this fall, and around the country soon after, but for now
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
legalities and a supply keep it exclusively in Iowa. Lucky us.
Maraschino cherry for garnish
For more information about Templeton Rye, visit www.Templeton- In a mixing glass with ice, combine the rye, vermouth, and
Rye.com. For more information about the Templeton Quasquicen- bitters. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass, garnished with
tennial, visit www.TempletonIowa.com the cherry.

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 19

 places to go in and near
incredible edibles maquoketa
Nim’s Garden
Home Grown in Maquoketa: Small Vernon Nims, Jr.
616 South Niagara
Farmers Market Gaining Big Strength Maquoketa, IA 52060
563.652.3324
Open from Spring to Fall. A direct consumer
by brian morelli market for in-season vegetables and fruit.
Although this spring was a weather rollercoaster, farmers and gardeners were always R & C Produce
thinking about planting. They cleared their fields, tilled the soil and dropped seeds into Ron & Cheryl Heinrich
the ground. Many people bided their time until the first garlic, lettuces and asparagus of 10932 94th Ave
the year sprouted out of the Earth. Maquoketa IA 52060
I am thinking about farmers’ markets, fresh veggies and bumping into friends that 563.652.6143
holded up for the winter. And so one Saturday late in March, I drove to check out what Asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, black rasp-
is in store this year for locally produced foods in Maquoketa, a medium-sized (for Iowa) berries, sweet corn, peaches and potatoes.
community in Eastern Iowa of about 6,100 people. Striving like most Iowa communities,
the town is trying to attract industries for economic development, as younger people Area Farmers’ Markets:
flock out of town. It’s about half an hour in the middle of Dubuque to the north, Daven-
port to the south and the Mississippi River to the east. Maquoketa Farmers’ Market
Maybe the biggest news in Maquoketa is the new four-square, a super-sized Wal- Parking lot south-west of the Platte and Main
streets intersection
Mart—a 24-hour, small city variety. As usual, there was some resistance from those
Saturdays 7:30 a.m. – noon, from the second
worried about it destroying smaller, local businesses. But Wal-Mart got approval and
week in June to the last week in September.
plopped its anchor down right off the main road, Highway 61, which runs north-south
to the west of the main part of town. Bellevue Farmers’ Market
I zipped passed a semi-packed parking lot in front of the “Wally World” as I tried to Gazebo on Riverview Street
find the home of Ron and Cheryl Heinrich, a small-scale organic gardening couple who Saturdays, 7 – 11 a.m., May 13 – Sept. 16
grow sweet corn, potatoes, asparagus, apples and a variety of berries. They live in the sce-
nic northwest area at the edge of town just past Maquoketa Caves State Park. I pull up to Preston Farmers’ Market
the front-yard and a sign reading “R & C Produce.” Twogood Park off Hwy. 64
“We’re not fancy, but we get an awful lot of food off this place,” Ron said shortly after Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., June 22 – Sept.
21
meeting me in the driveway.
Ron, 62, and his wife, Cheryl, 61, toured me through their 2 ½ acres. Their gardens
DeWitt Farmers’ Market
and apple and peach trees are spread out across the property, which butts up to a neigh- Lincoln Park
bors more traditional Iowa farm. They yield about 85 pounds each or more of asparagus, Mondays and Thursdays, 4 – 6 p.m., May 23
strawberries, sweet corn and potatoes, and about that much of their other varieties of – Oct. 27
berries like black, red and yellow raspberries, peaches and plums.
Much of it goes to feed themselves and the families of their children, who now live
with their own with children. They freeze, can and jar and Cheryl fixes jellies, jams and
pies. They use what they can and sell the rest. “We’re not big at all. We just have a little
bit to share,” Ron said. “You sell the best and eat the rest.”
The Heinrichs still have their phone number listed in a few directories, such as the
alternative agriculture directory at the Jackson County website (www.JacksonCounty-
Iowa.com/agriculture_alternative.cfm) and on their “R & C Produce” sign, but most of
what they sell goes to six or eight regular buyers.
Their produce isn’t certified, but they follow organic practices, they say. They use crop
rotation, cover crops, manure, weeding by hand and ask farming neighbors not to spray
on windy days.
“It’s a mind set,” Ron said of growing organically. “You have to set your mind that you
are going to do it as healthy as possible.”
Now inside their home with gospel music playing on the radio, Cheryl agrees. “I think
that is what causes the cancers; the chemicals we use in farming that run into our drink- Ron & Cheryl Heinrich of R& C produce in Maquoketa,
Photo by Brian Morelli
20 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
ing water,” she said. “I think we’ve done it to ourselves. We aren’t said. She attributes the markets’ growth to WIC, but she
out to change the world, but there is something about growing said those customers are only coming because the food is free.
it healthy and going out and picking your own food.” They said “The younger people aren’t, but it’s the older people and mid-
they’ve always kept a garden and avoided the chemical treatments dle aged people that like the (produce) home grown,” Elaine said.
throughout raising their kids. “The younger ones could care less.”
“If I was, as we’ve always been, a poor family, and if you want Elaine said in Maquoketa the younger generations in general
to eat good, you eat out of the garden. You eat out of the land,” prefer prepared foods. “Because they don’t want to cook. They
Ron said of grocery stores’ high organic food prices. don’t want to have to fix anything, only want to eat what is pre-
I was somewhat surprised to hear them advocating so strongly pared,” she said.
for organics. For some reason the organic, sustainable movement The Heinrichs had a similar assessment of their area. They said
seemed to me like a younger, almost new wave avocation. Ron life is too rushed for young people to think or care about where
and Cheryl are admittedly not new wave. They don’t even have their food is coming from or how it was raised. “It’s a hurry up
an internet connection. Ron says, “I am retired. Why would I world,” Ron says.
want to sit at a computer?”
My surprise could come from the fact I am from
a wooded New England region, and I never really
spent time on a farm. But I am starting to hear, defi-
nitely not widespread, but several farm families fol-
low organic practices privately.
“It’s not new. It is just coming to the forefront,”
Ron said of organic growing. “A lot of us have been
doing it for a long time. We just did it privately.”
They grew up as part of farm families, and have
always been within 20 miles of where they now
live. In the 1970s, they had their own small heard
of livestock, 15 cattle, 25 sheep and some pigs, but
as it became too expensive to keep up with advanc-
ing technology, Ron got a job with the USDA. Now
they are just hobbyists, they say.
They used to sell at the local farmers’ market, but
now they just sell directly to their handful of cus-
tomers. One of their customers is Elaine Edwards,
a baker who coordinates the local farmers’ market.
She buys their berries for her pies. Elaine bakes and
sells 20 pies and 20 mini pies each week. The full-
sized pies, ranging from blueberry and gooseberry to
strawberry-rhubarb and pecan, sell at market for $7.
The Maquoketa Farmers’ Market is modest,
Elaine describes in a phone call from the Heinrich’s
kitchen. Set in a parking lot in town, southwest of
the Platte and Main streets intersection, wares in-
clude produce, baked goods and crafts. The market
attracts six or eight regular venders and about 100
plus customers each Saturday.
“It is basically the same people every year, but I
am seeing it get more popular over the years,” Elaine
said. “Lettuce, the onions, the radishes and the
strawberries are the one main thing they came after.
If they know they’re there, they’ll come after them.”
Most customers are older, while some younger
patrons come because the subsidized food pro-
gram WIC is accepted by some venders, Elaine

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 21

 buy fresh buy iowa

connections
The eight Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaigns in Iowa
are listed below. The chart includes the year each
campaign began, name, support agency and the
by mallory smith
counties served. For more information about the
buy fresh buy local statewide coordinator
activities of these Buy Fresh Buy Local campaigns,
please contact the individual support agencies.
A few times every month I find myself in front of a group, powerpoint presenta-
tion at the ready, trying to summarize Buy Fresh, Buy Local in thirty minutes or 2003 Black Hawk County Buy Fresh Buy Local
University of Northern Iowa
less. I cover the program’s beginnings, its impressive record of our first Iowa chap-
Butler, Bremer, Fayette, Grundy, Black Hawk, Bu-
ter, Black Hawk County (See Steering Institutions in the Local Direction in this is- chanan, Tama, Benton
sue), provide updates on progress at the national level and take a shot at predicting
what the future might hold. My goal with these presentations is to foster a general 2004 Des Moines Metro Buy Fresh Buy Local
understanding of the who, what, when, where and why of our program. However, Drake Agricultural Law Center
I have found my audiences take exactly the opposite approach. Every individual or Polk County
group thinks the program is specifically about them and their goals. Farmers see 2004 Upper Iowa Local Food Campaign
the potential to market their products more effectively; restaurateurs like the abil- NE Iowa Food & Farm Coalition
ity to proudly declare their dedication to local foods; economic developers see it Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee
as a shop local campaign; food processors like the ability to call attention to value- 2005 Buy Fresh Buy Local Southeast Iowa
added products; sustainable agriculture organizations are all about the potential Geode RC&D
for risk management and consumers want a yellow pages for fresh tasty foods. Louisa, Henry, Des Moines, Lee
How to explain a program that appears to be all things to all people? Buy Fresh,
Buy Local is not a simple venture however, it does come down to one simple idea. 2005 Fairfield Buy Fresh Buy Local
Pathfinders RC&D
Underlying all of the purposes and potentials of Buy Fresh, Buy Local is the concept
Keokuk, Washington, Wapello, Jefferson,
of building connections. The program connects farmers, restaurateurs, economic Davis, Van Buren
developers, food processors, sustainable agriculture organizations and consumers.
It connects people and organizations interested in local foods and small business 2005 Quad Cities Buy Fresh Buy Local
development so they can act on those interests. It connects ideas to actions. Scott County Extension (ISU)
Buy Fresh, Buy Local chapters build relationships in many ways. At the very Clinton, Scott, Muscatine
base, individuals that serve on oversight committees become colleagues, friends, 2006 Johnson County Buy Fresh Buy Local
customers and mentors. The process of working together to recruit members, plan Johnson County Local Food Alliance
events, and create local food directories builds trust and respect. In turn these Johnson, Linn
people’s efforts bring farmers and clients closer together. Local food directories 2006 Humboldt County Buy Fresh Buy Local
broaden the circle by providing listings of local food providers for supporters to Prairie Partners RC&D
discover and explore. Events serve to make these connections stronger by bring the Kossuth, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Calhoun
local food community together to celebrate achievements.
Developing connections is equally important for the statewide coordination of Look for Buy Fresh, Buy Local directories at
Buy Fresh, Buy Local. Practical Farmers of Iowa was instrumental in getting the participating restaurants and markets
program established and their leaders have been equally diligent about expanding
the base of support as Buy Fresh, Buy Local grows. In March an organization called Buy Fresh, Buy Local Iowa
the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Iowa Partnership was formed to sponsor the program. Practical Farmers of Iowa, support agency
(www.PracticalFarmers.org)
Participating organizations are Drake University, Iowa Farmers Union (IFU),
Mallory Smith, statewide coordinator
Iowa Network for Community Agriculture (INCA), Practical Farmers of Iowa mallorys@lcom.net, 319-627-2922
(PFI) and The Uni-
foodroutes network executive versity of Northern
director to visit iowa Iowa. This expanded
Tim Schlitzer executive director of FoodRoutes support base and the
Network, the organization that founded and over- many new connec-
sees Buy Fresh, Buy Local, will visit Iowa this sum- tions it implies will
mer. Schlitzer will tour the state from June 3 to 10 be very good for the
in the new Buy Fresh, Buy Local-mobile. Events will future of Buy Fresh,
be held in all bfbl Chapter regions. Please check Buy Local.
your local newspaper for announcements.

22 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 23
 to market, two markets
A Conversation with the Market Masters of the
Washington and Des Moines Farmers’ Markets
by eugenia e. gratto
This month, Iowa’s farmers markets reappear across the region,
displaying locally grown produce, baked goods, plants and flow-
ers, and crafts. Some markets consist of a few tables; others fea-
ture dozens or hundreds of vendors, entertainment, or education
programs for kids and adults. Visitors can stop in for a quick
shopping excursion, or can extend the outing by meeting friends
for a cup of coffee and conversation while they examine the sea-
sonal wares.
Although market goers might think of farmers markets as
a seasonal tribute to controlled chaos, it is a dedicated Market
Master that manages all the market logistics, from selecting and
recruiting vendors to working with the local municipality to
secure space. They’re responsible for creating a market’s vibrant
atmosphere.
Kelly Foss, Director of Special Events for the Des Moines
Downtown Community Alliance, serves as Market Master for
the Des Moines market. This market is the biggest and oldest
in the state, featuring approximately 200 vendors each Saturday
morning during the market season and covering approximately
12 blocks on and around Court Avenue. This year marks her
eighth season in her role with the market.
Bob Shepherd has served as Market Master for the Wash-
ington Farmers Market since 1987. Washington has a Thursday
evening market that operates from mid-May until just after the
first hard freeze in October, and a Sunday afternoon market that
begins after July 4. The Washington Market, held in the down-
town park square, features 45 to 65 vendors on its busiest days.
Shepherd has also served as president of the Iowa Farmers Mar-
ket Association for the past two years.
EIRV: How would you describe the market master role?
24 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
KELLY: I’m the balanc-
er of all the great things
a market can be. I’m bal-
ancing the quality of the
product accepted into
the market, the amount
of space we consume on Court Avenue, the entertainment, and
the variety of product at the market in a given week. I also write
policies and work with my board to make sure we’re constantly
looking to the future. I’m always striving to move the market in a
direction to grow and be great.
BOB: I’m the market master year-round, and I chew off a little
bit at a time so it doesn’t become overwhelming. I manage the
market by walking—I get around and talk to everybody at ev-
ery single market. The integrity of the market and what it stands
for is always in the back of my mind. As part of that, I’ve delved
deeply into food safety. If I could make every market in the state
reach their potential, I would.
EIRV: How have your customers changed over the years?
BOB: It used to be a tomato was a tomato—now customers ask
for certain varieties. They ask if the farmer has any of the pink
ones because they’re lower acid. The people are much more sup-
portive of the local growers.
KELLY: When I started, our demographic fit with the state
average for market visitors—people in their 50s and 60s. We’ve
geared toward educating a variety of audiences so we’re attract-
ing more people from the community. There’s definitely a big-
ger age range now, including young families, singles and college
students. We want this to be a community event where everyone
feels a part of it and feels welcome.
EIRV: What kinds of community partnerships does the mar-
ket have?
KELLY: We team up with different non-profits throughout the
Photos by Carole Topalian
community for promotions and marketing opportunities. We
work very closely with the Court Avenue Association, which is
made of merchants and retailers. The Des Moines Register and the
Des Moines Radio Group help us promote the market, also.
I have about 200 local non-profits on the Saturday Salute ros-
ter, and they can come twice a year. We offer them free space.
One that really stands out is when the Master Gardeners come
down and educate people about everything from problems with
landscaping to how to grow tomatoes on your deck if you don’t
have a yard.
We do have vendor fees, but the majority of our support
comes from our corporate sponsors, like Pioneer Hybrid. With
their support, we’ve been able to add Pioneer Court, which is a
seating area with tables and chairs and market umbrellas where
patrons can sit, take a break, put down all their shopping bags
and relax. We’ve also been able to create a kids’ activity to teach
them about the benefits of agriculture in their life.
BOB: We partner as much as we can—that helps everybody.
For example, we have our Guest Program, where we invite one
or two guest organizations per market to have a sale or give out
information. It encourages all the organizations to be a part of
the market.
I also write a news/market report column, which has been an
immeasurable asset to the advancement of the market. The Wash-
ington Evening Journal has been a great partner by running that,
and now KCII, a local radio station, takes the column and uses
sections for their area news reports.
The city has been extremely supportive. The Parks Director
even makes sure the grass is mowed on the morning of the mar-
ket. On Thursday nights, the market begins at 5 p.m. and runs
until 7:30. At 6:30 p.m., we partner with the Chamber of Com-
merce for entertainment at Thursday Night Live. At 8 p.m., the
community band plays. You can come down at 5 p.m., stay until
9 p.m. and be entertained the whole time. And of course, the
business people have been supportive from day one.
EIRV: Did you grow up going to farmer’s markets, or did you
start shopping at them when you were an adult?
KELLY: I grew up in Des Moines, and I used to go with my
grandmother and mother. When we used to shop at the market
growing up, it was mainly for produce. Maybe I just don’t re-
member the meat producers. But part of my favorite part here is
EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 25
people can shop at the market now and really fill their table with
their purchases—the bread they serve, the meat they serve, even
down to the glass of wine. I’m a city girl, but I love markets.
EIRV: What changes would you still like to see at the market?
BOB: I’d like to get to the point where our good growers and
bakers could take swipe cards. Right now, it’s almost impossible.
I struggled a long time to get wireless Internet access so we could
take food stamps, because they’ve changed to the debit cards. We
have a couple vendors who can take cards, but it’s unbelievably
expensive for someone to get started. But this is excellent pro-
duce—it’s homegrown and so fresh because they rush to get it to
market—that’s the kind of thing we’d like to see everybody have
a chance to get.
EIRV: Is there something you wish more people knew about
farmer’s markets?
BOB: I don’t think people understand the social strength of
farmer’s markets. There’s a lot of interaction between the growers
and the people that come in. Our market has turned the down-
town into the social hub of the town. We’re up to four or five spe-
cial events, from a smoker/barbeque contest, to a salsa contest, to
a planting demonstration.
KELLY: People who don’t shop at markets should know that by
getting to know a farmer and shopping and purchasing the food
they’re growing, they’re supporting the economy locally. I wish
they knew we had fabulous fresh-baked bread and entertainment
every Saturday. The social benefits are tremendous—I encourage
people who are already attending markets to bring a friend along
each time they go.
EIRV: What is one of your favorite moments at the market?
BOB: One of the shop owners downtown took a young lady un-
der her wing and set her up to sell snow cones. The young lady
wasn’t even in her teens. She came down one day during a cold
snap to sell her snow cones. She was freezing, and so she packed
up her little bitty trailer that she pulls with her bike. She went
home, came back, set up and sold hot cocoa instead. How do you
teach that?
The grandson of another one of our vendors came to visit the
market. The next week, he started selling cookies. He said, “I can
bring apples, but if I make them into cookies or pies, I’ll make a
whole lot more.” This kid totally understood “value-added.” Here
we are trying to teach these things to adults all around the state,
and this kid was nine years old and he got it.
KELLY: Every week, there’s the sense that we’re making a differ-
ence when I talk to customers who come down and say, “Wow,
this is outstanding! We’ve lived in Des Moines our whole life and
had no idea this was going on in our community.” That’s my pas-
sion about this.
farmers markets what to
expect
According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, these are but a few of the hundreds of seasonal farmers markets across the What to
state. While space prohibits us from listing them all, you can find all the Iowa famers’ markets (including a market near expect at
you) at the IDA’s searchable directory at www.agriculture.state.ia.us/FarmersMarkets.asp. Most markets are open from the farm-
May through September, some are open longer. Most also accept WIC. Few if any accept credit cards. Remember, market ers market
times and locations can change. can vary
according
Ames Cedar Rapids Dubuque Westside Farmers Indianola to weather,
Ames Farmers Market Cedar Rapids City Market Market Indianola Farmers Market location
Dubuque County Fairgrounds
North Grand Mall parking lot Riverside Roundhouse
Tues and Thurs, 3 – 6 p.m.
Highway 92 at fairgrounds west and avail-
Wed, 4 – 7 p.m. 1350 A St., SW gate ability. The
Sat, 8 a.m. – noon Tues and Thurs, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Emmetsburg Sat, 8 a.m. – noon
Sat, 6:30 – 11:30 a.m. Wed, 2 – 6 p.m.
following
Ankeny (moves downtown first Sat of Gardeners’ Farmers Market chart is an
Ankeny Farmers Market each month 7:30 a.m. – noon.) Courthouse Square (north side) Iowa City estimate
Thurs, 1 – 6 p.m.
3rd and Walnut streets Noelridge Farmers Market Sat, 8 a.m. – noon
Iowa City Farmers Market on when
Wed, 4 – 7 p.m. Collins Rd. and Council St. Lower level of Chauncey Swan seasonal,
Mon, Wed and Fri, 4 – 6 p.m. Estherville Parking ramp at Van Buren and
Atlantic Washington streets
Iowa-grown
Atlantic Garden Market Coralville Estherville Farmers Market Wed, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. items
Cass County Fairgrounds 409 Central Ave. Sat, 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. should be
Coralville Farmers Market Thurs, 5 – 7 p.m.
Corner of 10th and Palm Morrison Park Swimming Pool Sat, 8 – 11 a.m. Church St. Market available at
Tues, 5 – 7 p.m. parking lot Dodge and Church St.s, south the market.
Sat, 9 – 11 a.m. Mons and Thurs, 5 – 8 p.m. Fairfield of Ace Hardware
Fri, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Bettendorf Davenport Fairfield Farmers Market
Sun, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Bettendorf Farmers Market Town Square MAY
River City Market Association Tues, 5 – 8:30 p.m.
Eagle Food Center parking lot John O’Donnel Stadium lot Iowa Falls Asparagus
2701 Devil’s Glen Rd. Sat, 7:30 a.m. – noon Greens
Gaines St. and River Dr. Iowa Falls Farmers Market
Wed, 4 – 8 p.m. Wed and Sat, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Fort Dodge River Hills Mall parking lot, Kohlrabi
Mississippi Valley Growers’ Oak Ave. Mushrooms
Decorah Fort Dodge Farmers Market
Assoc. Sat, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Parsnips
Northwest corner of CrossRd.
River Dr. at Western Ave. park- Winneshiek Farmers Market Wed, 4 – 7 p.m. Rhubarb
s Mall
ing lot, west of Freight House City Park Wed, 2 – 6 p.m. Scallions
Wed and Sat, 8 a.m. – noon Wed, 3 – 6 p.m. Keokuk
Sat, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Spinach
Sat, 8 – 11 a.m. Keokuk Farmers Market
Burlington Strawberries
Fort Madison Keosippi Mall parking lot, 300
Denison Turnips
Riverfront Farmers’ Market Main St.
Fort Madison Farmers Market
Port of Burlington, 400 Front St. Denison Farmers Market Sat, 7 – 11 a.m.
Central Park, 9th and Ave. B
Thurs, 5 – 8 p.m. Highway 30 and 7th St. Thurs, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Thurs, 3 – 7 p.m. Maquoketa JUNE
Carroll Grinnell Maquoketa Farmers Market Basil
Carroll Farmers Market Des Moines West Platt and South 2nd St.s Beets
Grinnell Farmers Market
Westgate Mall Downtown Des Moines Market Sat, 7:30 a.m. – noon Blueberries
Central Park
Highway 30 and Carroll St. 4th and Court Ave.s Thurs, 3 – 6 p.m. Broccoli
Wed, 4 – 7 p.m. Sat, 7 a.m. – noon Marion
Cabbage
Sat, 8 – 11 a.m. Drake Neighborhood Market Harlan Marion farmers Market Carrots
East End Shopping Center on
Cedar Falls 1st Christian Church, Shelby County Farmers Market Chard
25th and University streets 7th Ave. between 31st and 35th
1810 Chatburn Ave. Eggplant
Black Hawk Farmers Market Wed, 4 – 7 p.m. streets
Wed, 3:30 -6 p.m. Leeks
Earl May parking lot, 2501 Wed, 3 – 6 p.m.
Highland Park Farmers Market Sat, 7:45 a.m.- noon Onions
Melrose Dr. Sat, 8 – 11:30 a.m.
Wed, 2 – 5 p.m. 6th Ave./ Euclid and Douglas Plum
Independence
Tues, 5 – 8 p.m. Marshalltown Salad greens
Cedar Falls Farmers Market Wapsi Mill Farmers Market
Overman Park, 3rd St. Dubuque Cartwright Pavilion Farmers Snow peas
West side of Wapsipinicon Mill
Sat, 8:30 a.m. – noon Market Snap peas
Dubuque Main St. Wed, 3 - 6 p.m.
2nd Ave. and State St. Spinach
City Hall at Iowa and 13th St. Sat, 9 – 11 a.m.
Wed, 4 – 6 p.m. Strawberries
Sat, 7 a.m. – noon Sat, 8 – 11 a.m.
Turnips

26 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

JULY
Apples Mason City
Basil
Mason City Farmers Market
Blackberries Southridge Mall lower parking lot, 100 South Federal
Blueberries Tues and Fri, 4 – 6 p.m.
Broccoli
Cabbage Milo
Cantaloupe Milo Small Town Farmers Market
Carrots Milo City Park
Cauliflower Wed, 5 – 7 p.m.
Chard Sat, 9 a.m. – noon
Cherries Mount Pleasant
Cucumber
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
Eggplant
South Side of Town Square
Gooseberries Wed, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Grapes Sat, 8:30 – 11 a.m.
Onion
Peaches Muscatine
Plum Muscatine Farmers Market I
Potatoes Corner of Mississippi Dr. and Sycamore St.
Raspberries Sat, 7:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Snap beans Muscatine Farmers Market II
Snap peas Muscatine Mall, back parking lot
Snowpeas Tues, 4 – 6:30 p.m.
Summer
Newton
squash
Sweet corn Jasper County Farmers Market
Turnips Courthouse Square
Mons, 3 – 6:30 p.m.
Watermelon
Zucchini Oskaloosa
Mahaska Ruritan Farmers Market
AUGUST East side of Town Square
Apples Tues, 4 – 6 p.m.
Basil Sat, 8 – 11 a.m.
Figs
Ottumwa
Grapes
Peaches Ottumwa Farmers Market
Pears Church St. Municipal Parking lot
Raspberries Wed, 4 – 7 p.m.
Sat, 7:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Broccoli
Cabbage Pella
Carrots Pella Evening Farmers Market
Cauliflower City Park, 800 BRd.way St.
Celery Thurs, 3 – 6 p.m.
Chard
Cucumber Strawberry Point
Garlic Strawberry Point Farmers Market
Kale Parking Lot of Joe’s Pizza
Melons Wed, 3 – 5 p.m.
Onions Tama – Toledo
Peppers
Tama Farmers Market
Potatoes
South parking lot, Tama Civic Center
Summer squash Tues, 4:45 – 6:30 p.m.
Sweet corn
Toledo Farmers Market
Tomatoes
East side of Courthouse Square
Turnips Fri, 4:45 – 6:30 p.m.
Watermelon

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 27

Tipton
Cedar County Farmers Market
South of County Courthouse
Sat, 7:30 – 11 a.m.
Vinton
Vinton Farmers Market
BCHS RailRd. Depot
Thurs, 5 – 7 p.m.
Washington
Washington Farmers Market I
Central Park, Downtown Square
Thurs, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Washington Farmers Market II
Orscheln parking lot
Sun, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Waterloo
CrossRd.s Farmers Market
CrossRd.s Shopping Center, upper
parking lot
Tues and Thurs, 3:30 – 7 p.m.
Downtown Waterloo Farmers
Market
Union Planters Bank parking lot,
between East 4th St. and Park Ave.
Sat, 8 a.m. – noon
28 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
Waukee
Waukee Farmers Market
Triangle Park, corner of 6th and
Ashworth
Wed, 4 – 8 p.m.
Wellman
Wellman Farmers Market
Slockett Park, downtown Wellman
Tues, 4 – 6 p.m.
West Branch
West Branch Farmers Market
120 North First St.
Fri, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
West Burlington
Farm King Farmers Market
Farm King parking lot
Wed and Sat, 8 a.m.– 1 p.m.
West Liberty
West Liberty Farmers Market
300 block of Spencer St.
Sat, 8 – 10 a.m.
West Union
West Union Farmers Market
North side of Courthouse Square
Sat, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 29
30 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
 edible endeavors
A Coalition on a Mission:
The Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition
It all started with a question so simple it was almost embarrassing this spring to identify and act on ways to create community en-
to consider: “Why,” asked economist Ken Meter, “don’t we grow vironments that support healthy children, youth, and families by
our own foods here in the American heartland?” making available and promoting the procurement and consump-
Formed in spring 2006, the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Co- tion of local healthy food and the creation of space and structures
alition (NIFF) brings together food consumers, businesspeople, for physical activity and play.
state and county agents, and farmers of all stripes to address the NIFF’s plucky approach, and its ability to spur discussion and
fact that most of the food purchased in the five farm-rich coun- action, has received support from organizations as diverse as the
ties of Winneshiek, Allamakee, Howard, Clayton and Fayette in county cattleman’s associations and Buy Fresh Buy Local. “Di-
Northeast Iowa to tackle that question. versity and collaboration are our strengths,” says Brenda Ranum,
Through monthly meetings and year-round community-based NIFF co-chair. “It’s not about the money; it’s about people from
initiatives, NIFF advances three goals: To provide opportunity a variety of backgrounds feeling they can engage each other to
for existing and new local producers to diversify; To explore de- discuss what’s going on in our communities, come up with com-
velopment of regional processing and storage facilities to add mon goals and solutions, and plan confidently for our future.”
value to all agricultural products in the area; And to increase sale
For more information, contact:
and consumption of locally grown food on local, regional, and
Brenda Ranum, County Extension Education Director
national levels.
Iowa State University Extension–Winneshiek County
In spring 2007, NIFF will release the findings of an institu-
911 S. Mill Street
tional food survey and complete a survey of household food-
Decorah, Iowa 52101
buying practices and beliefs in Northeast Iowa. A GPS survey
563. 382.2949
of food-processing infrastructure—distribution centers, lockers,
packaging plants—will unfold as soon as the weather warms this For a complete list of NIFF collaborators, visit www.extension.IA-
summer. State.edu/allamakee/info/local+food.htm
The goal is to correlate new data on where food is produced,
processed, and consumed,
with hope of making more
local intersections obvious.
This system will be integral to
NIFF’s multi-year initiative
to better link local food and
fitness in northeast Iowa.
The idea attracted the at-
tention of the W. K. Kel-
logg Foundation and became
the core of a $500,000 grant
proposal submitted by NIFF
in early 2007. Proposed pro-
gramming will build collabo-
ration among schools, hospi-
Photo by Carole Topalian

tals, public health agencies,

local businesses, consumers,
and, of course, food produc-
ers.
Five planning teams (one
in each county) are meeting

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY SPRING 2007 31

 advertiser directory
Burlington Des Moines
Burlington Convention & Visitors’ Azalea
Bureau 400 Walnut Street
River Park Place Des Moines, IA 50309
610 N 4th Street 515.288.9606
Burlington, IA 52601 Greater Des Moines Convention &
319.208.0045 Visitors Bureau
www.GrowBurlington.com
400 Locust Street, Suite 265
The Drake Restaurant Des Moines, IA 50309-2350
106 Washington Street 515.699.3433
Burlington, IA 52601 www.SeeDesMoines.com   New Pioneer Food Co-op
319. 754.1036
River Bend Trading Company
www.TheDrakeRestaurant.com 208 Court Street
Martini’s Grille Des Moines, IA 50309
Food Guru U.
Ft. Madison
610 N. 4th Street
Suite 400 Ivy Bake Shoppe
Burlington, IA 52601 6th Street at Avenue G
319.752.6262 Fort Madison, IA 52627
www.FoodGuru.com 319.372.9939
www.IvyBakeShoppe.com
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors’ Iowa City
Bureau Devotay
119 1st Avenue SE 117 North Linn Street
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Iowa City, IA 52245
319.398.5009
319.354.1001
www.Cedar-Rapids.com
www.Devotay.net
Cedar Rapids Downtown District Design Ranch
222 3rd Avenue, SE 701 E. Davenport Ave
Suite 100 Iowa City, IA 52245
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319.354.2623
319.398.0449 www.DesignRanch.com
www.DowntownCR.org
The Englert Theater
Coralville 221 East Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Iowa City Coralville Convention & 319.688.2653
Visitors Bureau www.Englert.org
900 1st Avenue
Coralville, IA 52241 Graze
115 E. College Street
319.337.6592
www.IowaCityCoralville.org Iowa City, IA 52240
New Pioneer Food Co-op 319.887.5477
1101 2nd Street www.FoodGuru.com
Coralville, IA 52241 Guido’s Deli and Market
319. 358.5513 227 E 1st Street
www.NewPi.com Iowa City, IA 52240-4701
319.338.5356
Davenport www.GuidosDeli.com
Design Ranch at the Figge Museum Hancher Auditorium
225 West Second Street
The University of Iowa
Davenport, IA 52801 231 Hancher Auditorium
563.326.7804 Iowa City, IA 52242
www.DesignRanch.com 319.335.1160
www.Hancher.uiowa.com
32 SPRING 2007 EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY
John’s Grocery Solon
401 E.Market Street Redhead
Iowa City, IA 52245 240 E. Main Street
319.337.2183 Solon, IA 52333
www.JohnsGrocery.com 319.624.5230
Lammer’s Construction www.BoldBeautifulFood.Com
35 Imperial Court
Iowa City, IA 52246 Washington
319.354.595 Café Dodici
www.LammersConstruction.com 122 S.Iowa Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
22 South Van Buren 319.653.4012
www.CafeDodici.com
Iowa City, IA 52240
319.338.9441
Waterloo
www.NewPi.com
Rudy’s Tacos
Old Capitol Brewworks and Public House
2410 Falls Drive
525 S Gilbert Street
Waterloo, IA 50701
Iowa City, IA 52240
319.234.5686
319.337.3422
www.OldCapitolBrewworks.com West Branch
Prairie Table
Scattergood Friends School
223 E. Washington Street 1951 Delta Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52240 West Branch, IA 52358
319.337.3325 319.643.7600
www.PrairieTable.com www.Scattergood.org
Summer of the Arts
West Burlington
PO Box 3128
Photo by Carole Topalian
Iowa City, IA 52244 Ivy Bake Shoppe
319.337.7944 Shottenkirk Superstore
www.SummerOfTheArts.org 309 S.Gear Avenue
West Burlington, IA 52655
Leighton 319.752.4981
Tassel Ridge Vineyard www.IvyBakeShoppe.com
1681 220th Street
Leighton, IA 50143
641.672.9463
www.TasselRidge.com
Mt. Vernon
Lincoln Café
117 1st. Street West
Mt.Vernon, IA 52314
www.FoodIsImportant.com
Muscatine
Green’s Tea & Coffee
208 W 2nd St
Muscatine, IA, 52761
563.263.5043
Newton
Jasper Winery
518 W 3rd St N
Newton, IA 50209
(641) 792-7022
www.JasperWinery.com