Contents

fall 2006

departments
3 grist for the mill features 4
Editor’s Letter
10 on good land
4 what’s in season Preserve the Apples, Preserve the Orchard
Heritage Turkeys: Preserving a Thanksgiving Simple Methods of Apple Preservation Can Also Help Protect
Tradition, Plate by Plate Iowa’s Treasured but Dwindling Orchards
by Wendy Wasserman by Kurt Michael Friese

6 Edible Imbibables 13 movers and shakers

Brewing Up Autumn in Iowa Rudy’s Tacos: Waterloo’s Model of Local Food
by Katie Roche by Kamyar Enshayan

7 subscription form 14 Iowa forager

Visiting Old Friends in the Woods
Inside an Iowa Wild Food Foray at Squire Point with Mycologist Damian Pieper
8 what a difference
and Members of the Prairie State Mushroom Club
a day makes by Damian Pieper
A Day Trip from Iowa City to Decorah
by Kurt Michael Friese 15 Notes from the foodshed
Traceability: Finding Food in Iowa
17 buy fresh, buy local by Ken Meter
moving forward
by Mallory Smith

18 Incredible edibles
Food Finds in Ames
by Brian Morelli

19 behind closed doors

Rummaging Through My Fridge
by Rob Cline

20 edible endeavors
8 10 13
Practical Farmers of Iowa: 21 Years
of Sustainable Success

20 advertiser directory

cover
The Bounty of Wilson’s Orchard
by Carole Topalian 14 15 19
Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 1
our contributors
Rob Cline is the marketing
director for The University of
Kamyar Enshayan
is an agricultural
Iowa's Hancher Auditorium. engineer and runs
He is also the founding the University of
president of the Iowa Cultural Northern Iowa's
Corridor Alliance and an active Local Food Project
freelance writer. He lives in (www.uni.edu/ceee
Cedar Rapids with his wife /foodproject). He is
Jenny and his children, Bryan, a member of the Cedar Falls City Council.
Jessica and Emily.
Born and raised in the Heartland, Edible Iowa River Valley editor-
in-chief Chef Kurt Michael Friese earned his BA in photography
at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa before graduating from the
New England Culinary Institute, where he later was a Chef-
Instructor. With more than 25 years of professional foodservice
experience, he has been Chef and owner, with his wife Kim
McWane Friese, of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay for 10 years.
Devotay is a community leader in sustainable cuisine and
Photo by Dan Videtich/Radish
supporting local farmers and food artisans.
(Used with permission)
Mallory Smith is a native of Iowa City. She has a BA in Home Economics from the
University of Iowa and an MBA from Western Illinois University. Her interest in
food and business has led to a variety of noteworthy jobs including Peace Corps
Volunteer, Guest Services Director for the Kellogg Center for Rural Development in
Honduras and Deli Manager at New Pioneer Co-op. Smith owns and manages M
Smith Agency, a business that helps clients such as Practical Farmers of Iowa-Buy
Fresh, Buy Local, Eulenspiegel Puppets and Midwest Community Development
Institute to develop and market their services. Smith lives in West Liberty with her
husband Jose and three sons: Erik, Tony and Diego.
Ken Meter, president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, serves as an
economic and strategic advisor to the Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture at Iowa State University, and has worked with six Iowa regions to
compile economic analysis of the local farm and food economy. He taught
economics at the University of Minnesota.
Brian Morelli is a journalist who covers university news for the Iowa City
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 the U.S. and Canada, and he cooked
professionally at several restaurants across the country, most recently at
Devotay. He currently resides in Iowa City with his wife and two children.
Damian Pieper was born on a farm in sight of Hamill, Iowa on January 6,
1942. He enjoyed a great deal of freedom in some areas of life, but was always
scolded for going barefoot. When the family acquired some timberland a few
years later, he was never prevented from exploring every inch of the property,
only being warned to “Watch out for the Poison Ivy and carry a stick in case
you see a rattlesnake.” He assumed he was supposed to use the stick to kill
snakes, but usually lost the stick long before spotting the first snake. He
entered college the day after graduating from high school. Having attended 3
different colleges, he remains an undergraduate in good standing.
An Iowa girl with 8 years in big-city Brooklyn (that's New York, not Iowa),
Katie Roche has returned to the Iowa River Valley as Executive Director of
SOTA, the Summer of the Arts, an umbrella organization that includes the best
of the summer festivals and activities in Iowa City. Katie is Edible's resident
brewhound, seeking out the best of the regions 17 microbreweries.
A recent arrival to Iowa City, Edible Iowa River Valley
publisher brings her culinary curiosity, her background
in food marketing and public policy, and her enthusiasm
for all things tasty with her. She most immediately moved to Iowa from Tokyo,
Japan, where she was a senior consultant for www.myfood.jp, a new website
venture showcasing American food culture to Japanese consumers and media.
Before living in Japan, Wendy was on the marketing team for Whole Foods
Market in Washington, DC, and was the Marketing Associate for one of the
company's top ten stores.
2 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley
EDIBLE iowa river valley
grist
for the mill
PUBLISHER
Wendy Wasserman
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dear Reader,
Kurt Michael Friese
Thank you so much for picking up the premiere issue of the only
periodical dedicated entirely to the food scene in east and central
CONTACT US
Iowa. Edible Iowa River Valley is a seasonal magazine that celebrates
Edible Iowa River Valley
the abundance of Eastern Iowa, from the bluffs of Decorah to the
22 Riverview Drive NE
Des Moines metro area, and from our Mississippi River towns to
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-7973
our fertile farms and fields. We showcase the family farmers, chefs,
Telephone:
food artisans, farmers’ market vendors and other food-related
(319) 400-2526 businesses for their dedication to using the highest quality, seasonal,
info@edibleiowarivervalley.com locally grown products.
www.edibleiowarivervalley.com
If you love food that is raised with care, prepared with passion and
served with love, then you’ll love the people, places and stories of
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Edible Iowa River Valley.
Edible Iowa River Valley takes pride in
providing its subscribers with fast, friendly It’s appropriate that Edible premieres here and now. We’re a member
service. of a nationwide family of publications, each locally owned and
operated and each dedicated to showcasing the food that makes its
Subscribe • Give a Gift • Buy an Ad
region great. Now Iowa stands alongside places like Santa Fe, San
(319) 400-2526
Francisco, Phoenix, Brooklyn and Cape Cod (among many others)
info@edibleiowarivervalley.com as a home to an Edible magazine.
For our first edition, we sought out the people who know food, and the people who know Iowa, to present their takes on
LETTERS
autumn’s harvest flavor. You’ll hear from our resident beer maven, Katie Roche, about the great fall brews from Iowa’s
To write to the editor, use the address above
microbreweries, and from confessed mushroom geek Damian Pieper about a walk in the woods.
or, for the quickest response, email us:
kurt@edibleiowarivervalley.com Rob Cline will take you “Behind Closed Doors” in a sneak peak into his refrigerator, and Kamyar Enshayan reveals the secret
to the success of Waterloo landmark Rudy’s Tacos. We have the first in a series of updates on the Buy Fresh, Buy Local
Edible Iowa River Valley is published quarterly by program in our state, and the first nonprofit profile in our series Edible Endeavors. Meanwhile, we’ll show you where to get a
River Valley Press, LLC. All rights reserved. great Thanksgiving turkey that preserves the heritage of the holiday, and take you on a road trip from Iowa City to Decorah
Subscription rate is $28 annually. Call (319) 400- while Brian Morelli reveals where to find the good eats in Ames.
2526 to inquire about advertising rates and
deadlines, or email Wendy Wasserman at All that and more in 24 pages of full-color Edible yumminess. So sit back, pour yourself a nice cold local brew and dig in!
wendy@edibleiowarivervalley.com. No part of And you can find even more, like area food events and where to find Edible on our website at www.EdibleIowa.com.
this publication may be used without written
permission by the publisher. ©2006. Every effort Oh, and by the way, every issue of Edible is free on the newsstands but it sure would be a great thing if you’d pass this issue
is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and along to a friend, get a subscription for yourself and your extended family, and maybe even stop by our wonderful advertisers
omissions. If, however, an error comes to your and tell them that you saw their ad in Edible. Then, tell your friends, coworkers, neighbors, people you stop next to at
attention, please accept our sincere apologies and stoplights or ride in elevators with that Edible is here and they should pick up a copy.
Photograph, Carole Topalian
notify us. Thank you.
Thanks again for checking us out, and please write and tell us what you think at Info@EdibleIowaRiverValley.com.
Edible Iowa River Valley is proud to be
Enjoy!
a member of Edible Communities
Wendy Wasserman, Publisher
(www.ediblecommunities.com).
Kurt Michael Friese, Editor-in-Chief
Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 3
 what’s in season
turkey tips
by Wendy Wasserman Tips Cooking Heritage Turkeys
heritage turkeys Heritage turkeys are best purchased directly from the breeder, When cooking a heritage bird, be aware that these turkeys take,
An Unconventional Tradition and you will probably need to add picking it up to your pre- on average, about 10 percent less time to cook than their
Thanksgiving rounds. When you think about the size, include conventional counterparts. Start them off at 425–450 degrees
Ode to the food holidays of autumn and winter—when eating Slate, White Holland, Beltsville Small White and Royal Palm. a few extra pounds to account for the weight of the feathers, covered in parchment paper (not foil). The bird needs to reach
becomes an endurance test! First comes Halloween, then Election They are all descendants of original breeds that were once bones and giblets. The breeder will process the birds and an internal temperature of 140–150 degrees to be done, and the
Day (I usually ponder politics over a pint of ice cream), National plentiful throughout North America. Many heritage species were remove these extras for you, but if you want the giblets, say so. parchment paper should be removed at least 30 minutes before
Homemade Bread Day (Nov. 17), National Chocolate-Covered originally crosses between regional varieties of wild turkeys and If you missed your chance this year, tell the breeder you are that time. You will also need to stay on top of basting to keep
Anything Day (Dec. 16), and then Hanukkah, Christmas, domesticated birds, which makes sense because turkeys are one of interested in a bird for next year. This will give him an idea of the bird moist.
Kwanza and New Years. But the mother of all American food the few animal breeds that originated in North America that have how many birds to prepare for.
holidays is, of course, since been domesticated. Despite For additional heritage turkey cooking tips, go to
Thanksgiving. their once plentiful numbers, To order www.localharvest.org/features/cooking-turkeys.jsp
When thinking about these breeds were once on the
Thanksgiving, think about verge of extinction and now are Red Fern Farm
Iowa’s turkey story. Iowa is raised mostly on small family Tom Wahl & Kathy Dice To Learn More
among the top states for turkey farms that have an interest in 13882 I Street
production, but most of the preserving food traditions. Wapello, IA 52635 For more information about heritage breeds
birds are conventionally raised in Saving heritage breeds and (319) 729-5905 and their conservation, see:
coops where some of a turkey’s the social, cultural and economic redfernfarms@lisco.com www.slowfoodusa.org
favorite pastimes, roosting up history that comes with these www.heritagefoodsusa.com
high and pecking at fresh bugs food traditions is one of the main Miller Farm www.albc-usa.org
and grass, are not encouraged. missions of Slow Food’s Ark of Henry & Ila Miller
Iowa is also one of the greatest Taste project. Slow Food is an 1012 Juniper Ave
states for wild turkey hunting, international organization Kalona, IA 52247-9117
where success rates for hunters dedicated to preserving food (319) 656-3518
are considered some of the traditions and the communities
nation’s best. Most of these birds A proud American Bronze Tom shows his colors.
that rely on them across North
are descendants of flocks that were America and the world. Slow
reintroduced to the wild by the Department of Natural Resources Food’s Ark USA is a list of all sorts of foodstuffs that have helped
in the 1960s. form America’s history: from fruits and vegetables, cured meats,
On the other hand, there is a cluster of poultry farms that raise cheese, cereals, pastas, cakes, confectionery to, of course, heritage
heritage turkeys with an all-natural diet of bugs and grass, plus turkeys. Farmers who raise these breeds are also recognized for
room to strut and roost. When that fateful day in November rolls their dedication to food and cultural history.
around, these birds are long on tasty dark meat with thick, meaty Patrick Martins, former Slow Food USA director and co-
thighs. founder Heritage Foods USA, called Iowa poultry farmer Henry
Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice start thinking about this every Miller eight years ago in Kalona, about 15 miles south of Iowa
spring. Tom and Kathy are the owners and operators of Red Fern City. Martins recognized Miller’s dedication to the fine craft of
Farms, a sweet spot tucked along a gravel road in Wapello, about farming and his concern for poultry, and convinced him to
25 miles southwest of Muscatine. Here, in addition to expand his poultry flock to include four breeds of heritage
maintaining a fertile grove of chestnut trees (which they harvest turkeys. Now, in addition to his chickens, Miller also raises a
as part of the Southeast Iowa Nutgrowers Association), pawpaws variety of heritage turkeys and is recognized by Slow Food USA
and persimmons, Tom and Kathy raise goats, broiler chickens and as a farmer dedicated to preserving endangered poultry breeds.
turkeys. Like Red Fern Farms, Miller gets his birds direct from a hatchery
The turkeys that Tom and Kathy raise aren’t the big-breasted when they are merely days old and raises them on free range
white birds that end up on super market shelves and over 99 pasture, without antibiotics.
percent of Thanksgiving tables across the country. Red Fern Farm Together, farmers like Tom Wahl, Kathy Dice and Henry
turkeys are the svelte dancer-like Narragansetts and waddling Miller are carefully bringing back breeds once on the verge of
American Bronze turkeys—two heritage turkey lines bred from a extinction by creating a market demand. They are not alone,
Photograph by Kurt Michael Friese.

long line of prized turkey progeny. In June, Tom and Kathy get
according to Heritage Foods USA, which specializes in heritage
their poult (turkey chicks) directly from a hatchery when the
hatchlings are no older than 4 days. They are carefully and breeds of meat and vegetables. Until recently, there were fewer
lovingly raised on a turkey’s delight of fresh pasture, tasty crickets than 500 farmers raising heritage breeds; now that number is
and plump grasshoppers. Tom and Kathy diligently rotate their nearly 5,000. Each farmer might not have more than a dozen or
grazing grounds, protect them from coyotes and do whatever else two birds, but as market demand increases, so will their flocks.
needs to be done to make sure they are happy. So add the heritage turkey to your own Thanksgiving
There are eight heritage turkey varieties raised in this country: traditions. You can help preserve a bird, even if you don’t take
Standard Bronze, Narragansett, Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, Blue time out for National Homemade Bread Day.
4 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 5
 edible imbibables
by katie roche
brewing up autumn in iowa
Just when the Iowa summer is at its most lush, the trees heavy with
leaves, the waves of prairie grass rounding out the landscape like a
muse for a Grant Wood painting, I inevitably start longing for fall.
They say that you can’t appreciate an Iowa winter until you’ve
sweated through an Iowa summer, but for me the reward for the
long, hot summer will always be the instant feeling of coziness that
comes with the colors and the cool of autumn.
As the fields are taken in, the way that we eat and drink naturally
changes. As a beer connoisseur I find autumn’s beers to be reflective
of the season’s flavor, earthiness and spice. Just as a chilled Pinot Gris
cannot be beat on a blazing July day, it is hard for me to imagine
anything more perfect than a pint of Pumpkin Ale to mark the
moment. In fact, where winter beers often lean on the heavy side,
offering a higher alcohol content to warm us nose to the toes, autumn’s
beers are often surprisingly lightweight, though many brewers do
preview the winter’s heavyweights by introducing some spice and body
to their fall beers.
Here are some the
best Iowa beers and
road trip-worthy
breweries to keep
you comfy:
After visiting the
charming and
historic Amana
Colonies you’ll find
that you need
something to wash
down the requisite
jams, mustards and
fudge that inevitab-
ly weigh you down
at the end of your
explorations. At the
traditional Mill-
stream Brewery you’ll find that it’s just as hard to leave this town
without a sampler six-pack. Their Oktoberfest Beer is one of the
most true-to-form German-style lagers available. Nothing
dramatic here—you won’t be pondering over remnants of
cinnamon sticks as with some other fall beers. This is just a good
malty beer with full, strong, smooth flavor. It usually sells out to
locals and visitors to their Oktoberfest celebration and is almost
always gone by the middle of October. The Millstream Brewery
produces about 1,600 barrels a year and only distributes in
eastern Iowa. So, if you want to taste the lovely and light Schild
Brau Amber they’ve been making for 21 years, leave your
lederhosen at home and get ye to the Amana Colonies.
6 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley
Details
Bricktown Brewery & Restaurant
Over the years if I’ve learned one thing about beer sampling, 299 Main St. (at 3rd)
it’s that a good base of fried food might allow you to imbibe for a Dubuque, IA 52001
bit longer than, say, a stomach full of field greens. Beer requires a (563) 582-0608
solid base to stand on and one of my favorite weird brewery foods www.bricktowndubuque.com
that does the job right has to be deep-fried pickles. So shimmy up
Millstream Brewing Company
to the bar at the Old Capital Brew Works in Iowa City and order
835 48th Ave.
up a plate of these strange craveables with Harvest Moon Belgian Amana, IA 52203
Wit. Brewed with Curacao orange peel and coriander seeds, only (319) 622-3672
a great microbrewery could convince a palate that orange and www.millstreambrewing.com
pickle should be paired. And now that the scaffolding is in place,
please don’t leave without trying the Pumpkin Splitter Ale. Served Old Capitol Brewworks and Public House
only in October, it’s the perfect prelude to November’s full-herbed 525 S. Gilbert St.
and bitter Big Cock Country Indian Pale Ale (IPA). American Iowa City, IA 52240
IPAs have been the subject of debate because they are a totally (319) 337-3422
www.oldcapitolbrewworks.com
different experience than their weaker and less citric English
ancestors, but this is one gulpable IPA that brew snobs can agree Raccoon River Brewing Company
on. 200 10th St.
Oh, beer! How you make everyone a better dancer … at least Des Moines, IA 50309
that’s how we feel when we’re getting a boogie on with one hand (515) 362-5222
around a frosty pint at the Raccoon River Brewing Company in www.raccoonbrew.com
Des Moines. The menu is full of fresh foods that beg you to forget
the concept of pub food altogether, and I’m further convinced by
the great live music and a serious selection of hand-crafted in-
house beers. If the smoky soul sisters of Public Property, Iowa’s subscribe ■ Yes, I want to become a subscriber to Edible Iowa River Valley. I have filled out the form below
most danceable reggae band, on October 27 aren’t enough for and am sending it, along with my check made payable to Edible Iowa River Valley in the amount of
today! $28, (for 4 issues), to: Edible Iowa River Valley, 22 Riverview Drive NE, Iowa City, Iowa 52240-7973
you, blaze up your taste buds with a MacCoy’s Scotch Ale.
Imported smoked malt gives this self-described “highland Just fill out the card on the right
Start my subscription with the ■ current ■ next issue
alternative” a distinct flavor. It’s one of the strongest and darkest and send it in. And we’ll make
beers of my fall picks; be prepared for a beer that’s more a sipper sure you don’t miss a single,
■ Renew my subscription
than a quencher. So when you need to replenish your system after mouth watering issue. You may
Public Property’s ukulele surprisingly presses your funk button, I ❈ ❈ ❈ Gift Subscriptions Available ❈ ❈ ❈ photocopy
recommend a sweet and hoppy West Coast Wheat to help you this form.
feel as creative as the scene at Raccoon River. Name:
Last but not least, I have to give a shout out to my hometown SUBSCRIBE online at:
brewery in Dubuque, aptly named Bricktown. Housed in a www.edibleiowarivervalley.com Address:
massive, renovated turn-of-the-century warehouse that in a deal- or call (319) 400-2526 City: State: Zip:
turned-down could have been the manufacturing site of a long-
shot idea known as “the automobile,” this brewery does not suffer email (optional):
from the same lack of vision that plagued its former tenants.
For more information or to submit story ideas, call or email us at:
When Dubuque Star Brewery sadly closed doors in 1999 after (319) 400-2526, or info@edibleiowarivervalley.com.
being in operation since 1898, this river town, which was already
Photographs, Carole Topalian
on the road to a major renovation, did what river towns do best: 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 region and nationally by subscription. All rights reserved.
bounce back with something shiny and new, housed in history. Subscription rate is $28 annually. Call the number above to inquire about advertising rates, deadlines, or subscription information or email
So, as you’re sipping a Laughing Ass, which gives American-style us at: info@edibleiowarivervalley.com. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher.
© 2006 All Rights Reserved.
beers a good name, take a moment to reflect on Big Miss out the
window and the abundance that she’s brought to the valley that Edible Iowa River Valley is printed on recycled paper.
she forged.
Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 7
 what a difference a day makes
by kurt michael friese

a day trip from iowa city to decorah

and all day Saturday.
It’s only 30 miles up Highway 52 from Postville to Decorah,
past the Bily Clocks Museum & Antonin Dvorak Exhibit in
Spillville. Decorah is home to one of Iowa’s greatest gifts to the
food world, Seed Savers Exchange, where they care for more than
30,000 varieties of heirloom seeds, 80 head of rare Ancient White
Park cattle, beautiful gardens and a new post-and-beam visitors’
center. In downtown Decorah, you could enjoy a frosty treat at
the 50-plus year-old Whippy Dip, shop at Oneota Co-op, and
then sit down to a fantastic supper at La Rana Bistro. La Rana is
a cozy place with a nice wine list and excellent, carefully prepared
food from local ingredients.
If you can stay the night, consider the Hotel Winneshiek, just
a block from La Rana, and recently restored to turn-of-the-last-
century grandeur. Or, double back to Spillville and the homey
Taylor-Made B&B.
Now’s the perfect time to take this trip, while the fall colors are
at their best and the air is crisp with apples and pumpkins.
For a wonderful way to enjoy autumn’s abundance, take a day
trip or overnight jaunt through some of eastern Iowa’s most scenic
small towns. If You Go
Start on a crisp October morning two miles north of Interstate Backbone State Park La Rana
80 at Wilson’s Orchard, just off Highway 1. Take in the cool 1347 129th St. 120 Washington St.
orchard breeze as it mingles with hot apple turnovers from their Dundee, IA 52038 Decorah, IA 52101
(563) 924-2527 (563) 382-3067
bakery. Be sure to ask to see the Hawkeye Apple trees, source of http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/
the original Red Delicious. state_park_list/backbone.html Lincoln Cafe
Solon is just 5.2 miles north on Highway 1, and you can stop 117 1st St. West
at Savvy for a great cup of coffee, or, if your timing is right, Bily Clocks Museum Mount Vernon, IA 52314
Redhead is a delightful little restaurant. & Antonin Dvorak Exhibit (319) 895-4041
323 S. Main St. www.FoodIsImportant.com
From there, another 6.4 miles up Highway 1 will bring you to Spillville, IA 52168
Kroul’s pumpkin patch, which is a treat to visit anytime, but kids (563) 562-3569 Oneota Co-op
especially like it in October when the pompous pumpkins are www.BilyClocks.org 415 W. Water St.
everywhere and scarecrows watch over the dry decorative corn, Closed December-February Decorah, IA 52101
gourds and squash. (563) 382-4666
DeVine Wines www.oneota.net/~foodcoop/
Then it’s on to Mount Vernon, where you can stroll through 125 1st St. W.
the leaves of the beautiful Cornell College campus, and do a little Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Seed Savers Exchange
antiquing. Before settling into a delicious meal at the Lincoln (319) 895-9465 3094 North Winn Road
Cafe, one of the area’s true hidden gems, consider selecting a Decorah, IA 52101
bottle of wine from DeVine Wines, just a couple doors down. Hotel Winneshiek (563) 382-5990
104 E. Water St. www.seedsavers.org
Taking Highway 30 west from Mount Vernon just a few miles Decorah, IA 52101
will bring you to Highway 13, which will take you north to the (563) 382-4164 Taylor-Made B&B
quaint village of Strawberry Point, home of the world’s largest (800) 998-4164 330 Main Street
statue of a strawberry, and nearby Backbone State Park, Iowa’s www.hotelwinn.com Spillville, Iowa 52168
oldest. (563) 562-3958
Jacob’s Table
Photograph, Kurt Michael Friese

Next stop, an unusual town that was made famous by Stephen 121 West Greene Whippy Dip
G. Bloom’s book Postville: A Clash of Cultures in the American Postville, IA 52162 130 College Dr
Heartland (Harvest Books, 2001), which tells the story of how a (563) 864-7087 Decorah, IA 52101
Lubavitcher rabbi bought a declining meat-processing plant there
and turned it into a kosher processor, simultaneously turning the Kroul Farm Gardens Wilson’s Orchard
245 Highway 1 S. 2924 Orchard Lane NE
tiny town of Postville into the city with the largest percentage of Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Iowa City, IA 52240
rabbis in the world. Don’t miss the kosher market, Jacob’s Table, (319) 895-8944 or 895-8999 (319) 354-5651
but remember they close two hours before sundown on Friday,
8 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 9
 on good land
by Kurt michael friese
preserve the apples, preserve the orchard
Simple Methods of Apple Preservation Can Also Help Protect Iowa’s Treasured but Dwindling Orchards
One sure sign of autumn in the Iowa River Valley is the
increase in traffic on Highway 1 just north of Iowa City. Not only
is it a scenic drive (see “What a Difference a Day Makes” in this
issue), but it is also the way to the famous Wilson’s Orchard. Here
Joyce and Chug Wilson care for 80 rolling acres and nearly 140
varieties of apples that people drive well out of their way to enjoy.
Strolling amid the well-tended rows of apples, you can feel
almost instantly at peace. There is no traffic noise, no blaring
advertisements, no background static—only the occasional
tickling buzz of a honeybee flying by to see who is appreciating
his work. In mid to late October, the trees are usually heavy-laden
with yellow, blush, red and gold, and this year is no exception.
Chug Wilson calls the 2006 crop “a limb-buster,” which is a
welcome relief after 2005’s disastrous late-spring freeze, which
wiped out the blooms on Wilson’s trees and left a harvest of zero.
“We had to import apples from Wisconsin” to sell in the
orchard store, Chug told me on a recent visit. “Never had to do
that before.”
Like all farming, growing apples is a very challenging
undertaking, subject to the whims of weather and the market,
insects, environment and urban sprawl.
Iowa was once the second largest apple producer in the
country, not behind Washington but behind Michigan. The
ubiquitous Red Delicious apple was originally called the
Hawkeye, and was developed in the late 1800s by Madison
County farmer Jesse Hiatt. He sold the rights to the Stark
Brothers Fruit Company of Missouri, which propagated cuttings
from the original tree near Peru, Iowa, and hybridized it out of all
resemblance to it’s origins. Today, Red Delicious apples found in
grocery stores are bred for appearance and durability, not flavor.
On November 11, 1940, the “Armistice Day Freeze” swept
across the Midwest, devastating many states, and none was more
hard-hit than Iowa. Because its storied orchards, known to be the
best nationwide, were still heavy with leaves and fruit, the ice
storm destroyed them. Lightning split Jesse Hiatt’s Hawkeye in
half. Since orchards are expensive to replant and can take up to 10
10 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley
apple recipes
Big Batch Applesauce To can applesauce, pack in hot jars to
1/4 inch from the top. Process in pints
Choose your favorite kind of apples, or quarts for 25 minutes in a boiling
since nearly any kind will do. You’ll water bath.
adjust the sweetness at the end. Leaving
the peels on will change the texture, Apple Pie Filling for Canning
years to come to fruition, and with war on the horizon, Iowa’s flavor and sometimes the color (red ones
10 cups water
orchards were plowed under and replaced with corn and will) of the sauce. This is entirely a matter 1 cup cornstarch
soybeans. of personal taste. 4 1/2 cups sugar
But Hiatt’s little tree resprouted, phoenix-like, from the 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
severed trunk. It grows there today, cared for by its own 1/2 bushel apples, peeled (if desired), 2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
horticulturalist from Iowa State University Extension, serving a quartered and cored 1 tsp salt
Joyce Wilson pulls another fresh batch of delicious apple turnovers
from the oven at Wilson’s Orchard store.
symbol of what was and still could be in Iowa’s apple market. 2 quarts (or so) water
Combine 2 cups of the water with the
Joyce and Chug Wilson know these challenges all too well and Sugar to taste, perhaps as much as 4–6 cornstarch, and stir until smooth and milky. This is a “slurry.” Set
have had plenty of offers from land developers to plow their trees cups, depending on your taste and the type of apple. aside.
under in favor of zero-lots, split-level ranches or “McMansions.”
They’ve been tempted, but have never relinquished the land. It’s Place the apples in a large, heavy-bottomed kettle or stockpot, with Mix the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a
enough water so that they won’t stick to the bottom while cooking. boil. Mix the slurry again and add gradually to the boiling mixture,
far too valuable to them as it is, which the glint in Chug’s eye stirring it constantly. Turn down to a simmer, cook 2 or 3 minutes
shows you when he so much as talks about his apples, or when Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer
about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. more, stirring constantly, then set aside.
you see Joyce pull her magnificent apple turnovers from the oven
in the orchard store. Peel and slice enough pie apples (Granny Smiths are the classic) to
Enjoy one of those hot turnovers as you ride behind Chug and When apples are tender, remove to one or more large cookie sheets fill 7 or 8 quarts. Fill the jars with apples. Pour cooked filling over;
until cool enough to handle. seal. Cook in pressure canner at 5 pounds pressure 5 minutes more,
his wide-brimmed hat aboard his big old tractor, towing you and
or for 20 minutes in boiling hot water bath.
many others on a tour of the land on a crisp October morning.
For a chunky sauce, use a fork or potato masher to achieve desired
Preferably, share the experience with one or more children. Pick a Editor’s Note: Always follow the instructions that accompany your
consistency. For a smooth sauce, pass the apples through a food
basket of Suncrisps, Blushing Goldens, Spigolds and Crispins. In canning equipment.
mill. Sweeten to desired level after mashing.
fact, pick two baskets full, or even three. Don’t worry about
having too much; they store very well, and you can preserve even
more by saucing, drying, canning or freezing them.
Treasures like Wilson’s Orchard, and the other orchards
around the state, will survive only so long as there is demand for
their luscious products. Buying more and preserving the excess is
a good way to support the artisan-orchardists of Iowa, while also
getting lots of tasty treats for your family.
To store your fresh-picked apples, Joyce says, place them in a
plastic bag with a dripping wet cloth or paper towel. Refrigerate
them as soon as possible (ideally at 35 degrees and near 100
percent humidity) apart from other fruits and vegetables. The
early summer apples will keep this way for a week or so, but later
apples like Gala, Honeycrisp and Blushing Golden will last for
three to six months.
Canning apples is not as daunting as it may seem. As with all
canning, cleanliness and organization are the keys to success, and,
done right, you’ll have the perfect filling for a hot apple pie on
New Year’s Day or beyond.
Details
Wilson’s Orchard
Photographs, Kurt Michael Friese
2924 Orchard Lane NE
(On Highway 1, 2.2 miles north of I-80)
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 354-5651
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.,
August, September and October
Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 11
 movers and shakers
by kamyar enshayan

rudy’s tacos: waterloo’s model of local food

A few years ago, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier ran an article
headlined “Chains vs. Independent Restaurants” in which the
independents complained about how the chains are taking their
market share. A few days later, I noticed a letter in response by
Barry Eastman, owner of the local independent restaurant, Rudy’s
Tacos in Waterloo.
“As restaurant owners our job is to create the best food
possible. In order to take the chains head-on, we have to produce
a better product, period. To achieve this goal, we must first
improve the quality of our ingredients. This can easily be done by
purchasing fresh, local ingredients directly from local farmers.
This is something the chains cannot do. And the chains are going
to keep coming. Now is the time for independents to prove what
being local is all about.”
In 1997, a couple of my students and I tracked two chickens
all the way back to the eggs and wrote a report called “A Tale of
Two Chickens.” One chicken was raised locally and organically;
the other came all the way from Alabama, from a ConAgra
processing plant. The chicken contract grower (one of 160) was
raising 140,000 chickens eight times per year, was dissatisfied
Rudy’s Taco’s owner Barry Eastman with some of his locally grown produce
with the price ConAgra was dictating to him, and did not even
know what was in the feed. ConAgra brought him the feed,
which contained two kinds of antibiotics, on a routine basis from come from, and he knows the farmers. He is supporting the
a ConAgra feed mill. Based on ConAgra’s most optimistic livelihood of the farmers, who, in turn, support a variety of other
projections, the net annual income of the contract farmer I spoke local businesses.
with—after growing nearly a million chickens per year—was Now, nearly 10 years later, Eastman buys chicken, beef, pork,
$21,000. cheese, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cut flowers and soy-based oil
After trying the locally raised chicken, Eastman started serving locally. Nearly 70 percent of food purchases for Rudy’s come from
local, organic chicken as a standard part of Rudy’s menu. His 15 or so nearby food and farm businesses. That’s huge compared
chickens come from Welsh Family Organic Farm near Lansing. to any high-end restaurant in the nation. And Waterloo’s Rudy’s
They buy the chicks from an Iowa hatchery, raise the feed is simply a popular local diner serving excellent food at a very
organically and do not give animals any drugs. They raise a total reasonable price.
of 150,000 chickens per year, setting their price so that they can Barry Eastman’s work has been an inspiration other restaurants
make a living (“far better than $21,000 a year,” they told me). in the area. Last year, 21 buyers (restaurants, grocers, retirement
On the dinner plate, these two chickens would look identical, homes, hospitals and colleges) purchased $600,000 in locally

“Puppets” by Matt Kollasch. “Barry Eastman” by Arion Thibourmery

but they represent two different rural economies, two different grown foods, a quarter of it by Rudy’s alone. Eastman says it is
futures, two different qualities. In the much shorter, local food- easy to buy from local farmers, it has worked great for him and
supply chain, Eastman knows he is getting the freshest, highest his customers love it. As Eastman wrote, it is time for
quality ingredients; he also knows exactly where the ingredients independent restaurants to show “what being local is all about.”

Details
Rudy’s Tacos
2401 Falls Ave
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 234-5686

Welsh Family Organic Farm

1509 Dry Ridge Dr.
Lansing, IA 52151
(563) 535-7318

12 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 13
 iowa forager
by damian pieper
visiting old friends in the woods
Inside an Iowa Wild Food Foray at Squire Point with Mycologist Damian Pieper
and Members of the Prairie State Mushroom Club
After Dean Abel and I passed the Squire’s Point Sign, an American
goldfinch led us down the shady lane toward the parking lot. The
weather was perfect, and no mosquitos were out, perhaps due to the
previous chilly night. Through the open window, I heard a house wren
sing and then a cardinal flew across the lane. Out from the woods
beside the parking area appeared two earlybirds, my friends Tom
Schulein of Iowa City and Roger Heidt of Robins. A cottontail rabbit
dashed across the gravel as Roger explained the four-letter notation for
listing birds. Tom said he heard a great-crested flycatcher, but none of
us could see it.
The miniscule white flowers of honewort and windflower greeted
us along the broad trail as well as thread petals (or daisy fleabane). As
I snacked on the intensely lemon-flavored yellow wood-sorrel and
somewhat less lemony green fruit of gooseberry, I looked up to see
myriad little purple-brown, four-petaled flowers looking down at me.
They were the flowers of Native American wahoo. Dean pointed out a
very large crown coral fungus, two or three yards off the trail on a
length of dead tree branch. I pulled branches down to pick the fruit of
a Siberian black mulberry overhead.
Tom said he heard the call of an ovenbird. Then he spotted the little
white bird’s nest fungus. Roger admired the ebony spleenwort
scattered here and there in the area. Dean recognized a lady fern and
we all saw the maidenhair fern. Dean thought he found the poroid
version (meaning “having pores”) of coral slime. Checking it later,
under the microscope, proved that it was, indeed, the poroid form.
I noticed a small population of apparently very young sensitive fern
on the opposite side of the path near the place where I picked and
chewed a few prickly gooseberries. We all admired the airy patches of
white-flowered Eurasian marsh bedstraw. At first, I thought it might be
the fragrant bedstraw, but no one could detect much fragrance from it,
including a young man who had been jogging up the path toward us
and was pressed into service to sniff the flowers. He agreed with
everyone else that they had no detectable fragrance.
Roger collected a Scutellinia species and some Hemitrichia
calyculata (nearly microscopic yellow pom-poms in yellow Martini
glass-shaped cups) while Tom collected an identifiable eyelash cup.
Roger found a Phellinus shelf, some little black foot polypore and a few
carbon balls.
“What’s this?” queried Tom, who had got ahead of the rest of us. It
took only a glance from three yards away to convince me that he had
located Galiella rufa, or rubber cups. “Squeeze them,” I ordered. He
demurred. “Go ahead, squeeze them hard,” I repeated. He must have
thought they looked delicate for he gave one such a hesitant touch that
it couldn’t possibly have shown how squeezable they are. It was a new
species for Tom, so he was quite excited about finding it. I came across
an old dry branch with a lot of split gill on it and scribbled that into
my notebook. “What are these little gray balls?” said Tom, to no one
in particular. Could these be—hey! I think—yes! These must be
insect larva it had parasitized and killed. “This is an old artist’s conk
isn’t it?” Tom asked, as he showed it to me briefly before tossing its
dead, rotting carcass aside. Then he drew everyone’s attention to a bit
of hair on a log. Dean identified that as Stemonitis. It seems to have
been a slime-mold day for Tom and Roger.
“Nice, soggy, moldy log. Oh boy!” exclaimed Dean. Who else but
a mycologist could sing the praises of such? Up ahead I saw a large,
dead, oak snag. Likely a century old before it died. Odd that the largest
oak in sight had died while slightly smaller ones thrived all around. It
was well covered with small brackets, which, on closer inspection,
proved to be ancient, decayed remains of Trichaptum biforme, the
“purple edge” or “purple tooth” fungus.
“Here are some dead man’s fingers,” I heard Tom say. But I did not
go to investigate those, because just in front of me, small groups of ET
fingers peeped out from under an enormous fallen log. Judging from
the number of fingers, the log must have squashed the entire ET crew.
Both finds, of course, are fungal and not animal.
I wandered off to another log that no one had yet inspected. Right
on top was a young Agaric, which I guessed to be of the species
Tricholomopsis platyphylla, but Dean pointed out to me that its gills
were free and slightly pinkish. He later identified it as Pluteus pallidus,
the little fawn mushroom. A few inches away, and on the same log,
were half a dozen holes through the bark, each large enough to hold a
pen or fat pencil. From three of those holes, fungous structures had
emerged that seemed to have a micro-suede, deep-brown surface. Their
shape was somewhat irregular and each stood on a stout, green-black
stipe. I had discovered the “Mystery Mushroom” of the day. I glanced
back to see Roger had whipped out his collapsible saw. While Roger
sawed away at the log, Dean searched for a suitable container to hold
the unknown life form for further study. It now rests in a moist
chamber, an antique glass tumbler with glass lid, in Dean’s kitchen. He
inspects it daily, waiting for developments, hoping it will identify itself.
None of us could.
Dean announced the finding of Coprinus radians, and Tom
replied, “Dean taught me that one last year.”
We trekked uphill into a small remnant of a pine plantation,
hoping to locate other species in the different habitat, perhaps some
blue mushrooms. Instead, I found a single well-dried specimen of
earthstar, too weathered to be identified to species.
Tom, Dean, and Roger chatted about the future possibility of
arranging a Bioblitz, or all-species inventory at Hickory Hill Park.
Roger collected a small cluster of mushrooms, which I was able to
immediately identify as Coprinus quadrifidus, shingle top inkys.
We returned to the parking lot for a well-deserved, and well-
anticipated, picnic lunch. We lingered on there, enjoying the perfect
weather and marvelous surroundings. On the way home, I saw a Robin
and then, a great surprise, a Falco sparverius, the American kestrel, flew
across the highway, so close in front of us that narrow tan and white
Photograph, Carole Topalian
notes from the foodshed
by ken meter
traceability: finding food in iowa
With its lush, sprawling expanses of corn and soybeans, and
with numerous livestock operations scattered across its plains,
Iowa is often viewed as the epitome of a farm state. Indeed, Iowa
ranks third in the nation for farm sales, selling $15 billion in
2004, and leads the nation in production of grain, hogs and eggs.
Northeastern Iowa is a national leader in organic food
production. Food sales at Oneota Coop in Decorah are rising 30
percent per year.
Yet immense clouds loom on the horizon. From 1998 through
2004, Iowa farmers lost $2.8 billion dollars raising food
commodities, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For
five of those years in a row, farm losses averaged $1 billion a year.
Rising energy costs may inflict greater losses. Already production
losses are deeper than during the credit crisis of the 1980s.
This downward spiral is a long-term one. Iowa farmers earn $3
billion less per year by farming (adjusted for costs of living) than
they earned 35 years ago, despite doubling their farm
productivity. This gives Iowa the dubious honor of posting the
greatest loss in production income of any state in the nation.
To compensate, farm families take on off-farm work. Federal
subsidies also help, averaging $1.7 billion per year. Yet this is still
a striking dependence on public moneys, at a time when political
leaders say that, after Iraq and Katrina, we cannot count on
federal money being available. Further, the World Trade
Organization has ruled that U.S. farm subsidies harm developing
countries, and must be scaled back.
Even in their best years, farmers ship billions a year out of the
state, buying farm inputs that are sourced elsewhere. Their
purchases of petroleum products, livestock feed and farm
chemicals each year would be enough to pay for all food eaten at
home by all state residents.
Tragically, farmers who work at a loss have also helped cheap foods raised far away, may be in for a rude surprise. That
undermine the region’s water quality. The Iowa DNR reports illusion has been based on cheap oil, also subsidized by the federal
that nitrogen and phosphorus levels in Iowa streams are “two to government. Now, roughly 17 percent of all energy used in the
10 times the levels considered appropriate for healthy waters.” U.S. is required for bringing food to our tables—a total of $139
Manure and commercial fertilizer, it adds, cause one-third of billion per year. Moreover, oil supplies are peaking. Our food
nitrogen inputs and 99 percent of phosphorus inputs. choices are highly dependent on the price of oil, and upon
Yet Iowa suffers from an even more curious dependency. political and military decisions made far away. This leaves the
Living in one of the most productive farm states, Iowans buy state highly vulnerable.
almost all their food from other states. Farmers currently sell only As Iowa consumers become divorced from the supplies of their
0.1% of their production directly to consumers. The Leopold food, they suffer in other ways; 61 percent of Iowans are
Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University overweight. The medical costs of obesity total $790 million per
calculates that on average, food is consumed 1,500 miles away year.
from the farms where it is produced. This means most of the $6.5 Many Iowans are tired of feeling helpless in the face of such
billion dollars Iowa residents spend buying food each year leaves trends. They have set to work building new local food networks.

Lycogala epidendron, the exploding “Pepto-Bismol balloons.” He was
not afraid to squeeze those until they exploded with a most satisfactory
pink ooze.
Then we heard Dean shout “Eureka! I found it.” Always on the
lookout for the miniscule and the unusual, he had spotted Cordyceps
varibilis amid the moss of a well-rotted log. We all took time out to
inspect both sides of its sporocarp, and the mummified remains of the
stripes that cover its underside in flight were clearly visible.
Back home in the kitchen, the fragrances of cooking fawn
mushroom and shingle top inkys made my mouth water. Supper was
a delicious finale to a fine day thoroughly enjoyed.
Damian Pieper and Dean Abel are editors of the Prairie State
Mushroom Club newsletter, Symbiosis. This article is adapted from field
notes first published in Symbiosis, Volume 22, Number 4.
the state—even as farmers struggle.
Moreover, as the Wall Street Journal reported late in 2005, the
U.S. itself is becoming a net food importer on a permanent
basis—with imports of Iowa’s most prized commodities, such as
grains and meats, rising.
Iowa consumers, who have taken for granted the availability of
Their work has been strengthened by the Leopold Center’s crucial
role in convening campaign leaders to deepen strategic efforts.
With Leopold Center support, I have been privileged to work
with six regional foods efforts in 26 Iowa counties, analyzing farm
and food economies in each place.
One example is the Northeast Iowa Food and Farm Coalition,

14 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 15
centered in Decorah (see page 9). Here, a combination of
farmers, lenders, Main Street businesses, input dealers and
consumers has launched a bold strategy to localize the food
supply.
Woodbury County’s resolution requiring county offices to buy
local, organic foods when available has inspired like-minded work
nationally, including a similar resolution in Cherokee County.
Woodbury also gives a property tax break to farmers who convert
to organic food production, apparently the first county in the
nation to do so.
University of Northern Iowa’s local foods project is also
nationally revered. With sparse funding, it has fostered
tremendous growth in local food sales from farmers to
restaurants, institutions and schools. Sales have risen from
$100,000 to $600,000 over the past eight years.
New food manufacturers are also springing up. In Clarinda,
Naturally Iowa produces organic milk, yogurt and ice cream—
and molds its own bottles from a corn-derived plastic. Food
Alliance Midwest has worked with Naturally Iowa and with
Practical Farmers of Iowa (see page 20) to identify new markets.
Consumers are also organizing. Here’s to Our Health in
Wright County found there is already a quarter-million-dollars’
worth of local food sales there. They’ve helped new farmers’
markets emerge, and have publicized the established word
missing here? as well. ZJ farms in Solon raised special funds so
that low-income neighbors could buy shares in their
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm (see Food
Security, page 15). Several Slow Food chapters hold taste
education workshops and build gardens in local schools, buy fresh, buy local moving forward
promoting higher quality cuisine.
Importantly, Iowa’s Resource Conservation and Development by mallory smith
districts have begun to realize they cannot attain good water
quality, or stable farms, unless they focus their attention on “It is somewhere between idea and institution.” That is my
answer when people ask about the progress of the Buy Fresh, Buy The eight Buy Fresh, Buy Local
economic development that builds local food, energy and
campaigns in Iowa are listed
recreation businesses. Prairie Rivers (six central counties near Local program in Iowa. Rolled out by
below. The chart includes the
Ames) and Golden Hills (eight counties in the southwest) Kamyar Enshayan in the Black Hawk
year each campaign began,
districts have taken the lead. Now the discussion is moving County area in 2003, Buy Fresh, Buy name, support agency and the
statewide. Local Iowa is a marketing campaign that counties served.
promotes the consumption of locally
PFI also brings producers together to learn more effective
produced foods in our fair state. Iowa is ’03 Black Hawk County Buy
production methods. Coalitions such as Women, Food and one of more than a dozen states with Fresh, Buy Local University
Agriculture Network and Iowa Network for Community campaigns doing the same good work. In of Northern Iowa
Agriculture have added vision and vitality to these efforts by fact, Iowa is one of the founding Butler, Bremer, Fayette,
raising public awareness. The National Catholic Rural Life collaborators, thanks to the folks at Grundy, Black Hawk,
Conference has assisted several Iowa communities in mapping Practical Farmers of Iowa, who Buchanan, Tama, Benton
their local assets. Food Policy Councils, such as the state council enthusiastically stepped forward a few
housed at the Drake University Law School, helped coordinate years ago to participate in the initial ’04 Des Moines Metro Buy
policy attention to these efforts. Iowa State University scholars market research and campaign design. Fresh, Buy Local Drake
have often lent expertise. Other Buy Fresh, Buy Local states include Agricultural Law Center
California, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Polk County
These are still fledgling efforts to stem immense losses. Yet
Montana.
indisputably, these lay the foundation for regional food networks ’04 Upper Iowa Local Food
The campaign cycle begins in the spring
of the future that will be essential, if we are to reverse the losses with a membership drive and annual Campaign
that are structured into the prevailing farm and food economy. planning. In early summer local food directories are printed and NE Iowa Food & Farm
Strangely, these courageous pioneers remain obscure to the distributed. Once that enormous task is taken off the to-do list, Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee
mainstream media, and most consumers. campaign focus shifts to events and educational outreach. Evaluation Coalition ’05 Buy Fresh,
Buy Local Southeast Iowa Geode RC&D
and planning wrap up the year. Fall and winter campaign activities
Louisa, Henry, Des Moines, Lee
Sidebar shown at bottom of next page include local meals at restaurants, farms tours, cooking classes and
winter farmers’ markets. ’05 Fairfield Buy Fresh, Buy Local
In Iowa the state campaign is an umbrella organization for a Pathfinders RC&D
network of local campaigns, each with its own oversight committee, Keokuk, Washington, Wapello, Jefferson,
coordinator, support agency and evaluator. Local campaigns recruit Davis, Van Buren
members, manage budgets, print local directories and host events
that highlight the benefits of eating local foods. Practical Farmers of ’05 Quad Cities Buy Fresh, Buy Local Scott
Iowa, as the statewide coordinator, provides technical assistance, County Extension (ISU)
facilitates coordination among campaigns, encourages the Clinton, Scott, Muscatine
development of new campaigns and seeks funding to provide
challenge grants to catalyze campaign efforts. The hope is that by ’06 Johnson County Buy Fresh, Buy Local
developing strong local support networks Buy Fresh, Buy Local Iowa Johnson County Local Food Alliance
will become sustainable—in other words, make the journey from Johnson, Linn
idea to institution.
Prairie Partners RC&D
Editor’s Note: Mallory Smith will provide updates on activities of the Kossuth, Humboldt, Pocahontas,
various local programs in upcoming editions of Edible Iowa River Valley. Calhoun

What You Can Do Invest in local “value-added” firms.

As a consumer, there are many things you
can do to gain a more secure food supply.
Buy local. Look for local and sustainable
labels when you shop, and ask your grocer
to carry these foods.
Eat at restaurants that serve local foods.
Question the menu. Ask where your food
comes from, and ask if the restaurant
supports the Buy Fresh, Buy Local
campaign.
Southeast Minnesota is now forming a
regional investment fund, the Hiawatha
Fund. Iowans are making similar plans.
Convince your school, hospital, nursing
home and local government to buy local.
Support local foods planning through
regional and state food councils.
Support a “food” bill in Congress, rather
than a farm bill for 2007 that will direct
federal investments toward regional food
networks and better conservation practices,
and away from commodities.

16 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 17
 incredible edibles
by brian morelli
food finds in ames
Buzzing 25 miles up
Interstate 35, I detoured to
Des Moines to shake down
my old chef, Steve Feig,
executive chef of Hotel Fort
Des Moines and Raccoon
River Brewing Company,
for a few names that could
help me navigate Ames’
sustainable food map.
Ames is a university
town in central Iowa, host
to one of the state regent
schools. A beacon of
agriculture and technology,
the 26,000-student Iowa
State University houses the
Leopold Center for
Sustainable Agriculture and
makes up about half the
town’s population.
Pat Breen, co-owner
of Aunt Maude’s, spun out
of my old chef ’s Rolodex.
On the western edge of
downtown’s Main Street,
Aunt Maude’s has been a
fixture in Ames for more
than 30 years.
“We have always bought local stuff whenever we could,”
Breen said. “Why? Because it tastes better.”
Wooden trim, stained glass, green floral wallpaper, wine
bottles and mounted fish line the 100-seat dining room. First
impression during my pre-dinner service visit was of an upscale
bar and grill.
Aunt Maude’s performs a major menu overhaul about four
times a year and makes little tweaks year-round. In the heart of
the season, July to October, Maude’s incorporates more than 50
percent local products, from milk, eggs and cream to chicken,
beef and lamb to heirloom carrots and basil.
“If we can get it we’ll try it, and if the quality is there, we’ll
buy it,” Breen said.
His nominee for best local dish might be the Grilled
Berkshire Pork Chop for $21.95. The pork comes from Eden
Farms, which is down the road in State Center. It is served with
garlic-mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Onion Creek
Farms in Ames grew the garlic; the potatoes came from Small
Potatoes Farms in Minburn and the asparagus spears from
Reinhart Family Farms in Boone.
“You can go on and on about sustainability and supporting
the local economy, but the bottom line is flavor,” he said. “I
think it makes a difference to people.”
18 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley
behind closed doors
Rummaging Through My Fridge
by Rob Cline
I am prone to feelings of anxiety. I feel anxious about the next up in our informal taste test is Ellie Mae’s Gourmet
medical conditions I learn about via pharmaceutical Popcorn out of Breda, Iowa. Will it be the perfect combination
After showing me through his kitchen, Breen directed me to advertising; I feel anxious about my fluctuating coolness factor of texture and taste? We’ll find out the next time the family
a three-year-old neighborhood cafe on the west side of town. with my three children; I feel anxious about ever-looming gathers around the TV to watch our beloved St. Louis
Called The Café, it is set in a new residential development, freelance deadlines. Cardinals.
Summerset Village. Inside, mustard yellow walls contrast with But until I agreed to pen “Behind Closed Doors” for Edible A huge chunk of fridge real estate is currently occupied by
brick floor and black exposed ceiling. A bakery and coffee bar sit
Iowa River Valley, I had never felt a watermelon. This, like the
beside an open, full-throttle kitchen.
any anxiety about the food in my popcorn, is an experiment for us.
“It’s casual farmhouse chic,” said Kurt Chausse, who is
refrigerator. After all, other than my The seedless melon, which sports a
executive chef of both The Café and Aunt Maude’s.
wife and kids, nobody really knows label that admits, “May contain an
From its in-house bakery and artisan breads, to breakfast,
lunch and dinner service, it’s basic but hardly standard fare.
what’s in there—and they’re just as occasional seed,” was grown by
The simplest details, the ones that in many restaurants are an culpable as I for its contents. Bell’s Melons in Conesville, Iowa.
afterthought, you can tell have been thought out. Even Yet somehow I agreed to open my Does genetic engineering rob these
something that sounds basic, like the sausage and cheese omelet own magnet-adorned door to set a melons of great taste? Don’t know
with potatoes and toast for $6.95, is made with house-ground baseline for future investigations into yet, but I’m betting much less
sausage, free-range local eggs and homemade bread. the iceboxes of others. The anxiety spitting is involved than with your
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that people are interested in kicked in almost immediately. standard melon.
where their food comes from,” Chausse said, noting he uses After all, when I was warned And that’s where we are at
about 85 percent local produce. upfront that we didn’t want “a the moment: a few local treats
Relationships with local farmers are at the heart of The Café. guided tour of organic Wal-Mart scattered among more mundane
Chausse starts planning menus during winter strategy meetings Cheetos and Diet Coke.” My first fare. I know there are plenty of
with farmers. They look at what the farm wants to grow, what thought was, “Whew! At least the other interesting edibles out there
the restaurant wants and what the farm can grow. Coke is of the sugar-filled classic and I’m headed into the
Winding northwest out of town, I head for one of their variety.” I shuddered at the thought community and into area
growers. of what “organic Wal-Mart Cheetos” refrigerators to find them.
Handmade Onion Creek Farms signs point toward a rustic might be. Then I started to worry. So this column is about
dirt road that ends under shade trees. Contrasting traditional Did the contents of my fridge more than peeking inside the
Iowa farm images—parcels of corn or soy blending into the measure up? And measure up to crispers of local luminaries for the
horizon—Onion Creek offers diversity. Native prairie grass what, exactly? Perhaps to an idealized simple voyeuristic pleasure of it—
waves in a northern field, while purple basil and beets mix refrigerator filled with food that is though that would nearly be
among arugula, tomatoes and leeks, not far from rows of local, luscious and expressive of my reason enough for its existence. It
recently picked filet bean plants. family’s idiosyncratic personality. If also represents an opportunity for
I park in front of a flower and herb garden. Joe Lynch, owner that’s the standard, I have work to do. me—and by extension, you—to learn about the unique and
and operator of Onion Creek (with Lonna Nachtigal), meets me That said, all is not lost. The Amana Colonies are fairly well quirky foodstuffs that might deserve a spot in both our fridges
in his driveway. represented in our Amana refrigerator. At a recent meeting of and, ultimately, our mouths.
Despite Ames’ commitment to agriculture, Lynch says he is the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance held in Main Amana, I I’m already stalking my first few fridges and will be back in
one of the few organic, diverse-crop farmers in town. And The rediscovered the delicious offerings of the Millstream Brewing this space with the results of my forays. Meanwhile, I have to
Café and Aunt Maude’s are some of the only restaurants that in Company. The only beer I drink is of the root variety, and file this column. The anxiety is getting to me.
Ames that use local goods. Millstream’s contribution to the category is exceptionally
Lynch stopped vending at the four weekly farmers’ markets
(Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and two Saturday
smooth and delightful. It’s just one of several great flavors.
A lot of toast in the Cline household is topped with Get into Rob’s Fridge:
morning) because they are in flux. There is a struggle over preserves that bear the Amana name. I’m particularly fond of
regulations. The markets are organized by farmers, as opposed the peach, which has a subtle flavor that isn’t too sweet. I have Bell’s Melons Mad Butcher Salsa
to city-backed markets in other areas, which leads to competing no complaints about the cherry, either. 303 Burlington St. P.O. Box 219
interests. We also spice things up at our house with Mad Butcher Conesville, IA , 52739-8530 Ruthven, IA 51358
With bushels of onions, boxes of tomatoes and bags of lettuce Salsa. Not only do I enjoy the taste, I like this company’s (319) 725-6631 (712) 837-5511
mix already set to go, Lynch opts for his own venture on an in- www.MadButcherSalsa.com
Photographs, Chris Lynxwiler
attitude. As it says on the website
town friend’s porch. About 40 regular customers stop by weekly, Ellie Mae’s Gourmet Popcorn
(www.madbutchersalsa.com): “Mad Butcher Salsa was P.O. Box 160 Millstream Brewing Company
and some people visit his farm through the week to get produce. developed by real people from garden fresh vegetables in
Also growing for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) 610 Main Street 835 48th Ave.
Northwest Iowa—not produced in some food laboratory by Breda, IA 51436 Amana, IA 52203
program, he manages to carve out a living. geeks who know nothing about flavor!” (800) 742-0228 (319) 622-3672
“It is very satisfying to sell food to people who appreciate it,” My wife and I are on a quest for the perfect popcorn and www.MillstreamBrewing.com
Lynch says.
Edible iowa river valley fall 2006 19
edible endeavors
Iowa is home to a multitude of nonprofits and organizations includes over 500 farmers and
focusing on the state’s formidable population of artisanal producers nonfarmer members. In addition
and small farmers. Some groups focus on the production side— to gaining access to sources of
helping farmers and small businesses that specialize in unique food sustainably produced food,
products to stay on their feet and keep their doors open. Some nonfarmers who join the
organizations support the other side of the supply chain by helping organization become an integral
consumers and customers easily access some of the wonderful part of the growing movement
products made with care in Iowa. Some organizations do other work toward a food system that
across Iowa to keep Iowa’s cuisine alive. supports local farmers, rural
Edible Endeavors is our way of recognizing some of these communities and a healthy
incredible organizations. Each issue, Edible Iowa River Valley is proud environment.
to use this space to feature an organization so you can learn more For more than 10 years, PFI has spearheaded a program devoted
about what it does, and how to assist these amazing efforts. If you to helping farmers market products raised in an ecologically sound
know of an organization that is an Edible Endeavor and supports fashion. The program also connects PFI’s growing number of
Iowa’s unique food culture, please let us know at nonfarmer members with local foods and the people who produce
info@edibleiowarivervalley.com. them. Some of these programs include The Pork Niche Marketing
Group, which addresses the burgeoning market for niche pork; the
PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA: 21 YEARS OF SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign, which provides a direct marketing
In the midst of the 1980s farm crisis, Story County farmer Dick outlet for farmers, and other ongoing workshops that provide
Thompson and a group of fellow farmers were touring the state in a farmers and food related businesses with the tools they need to
Winnebago camper, holding impromptu conversations with farmers succeed. PFI also holds an annual conference in Des Moines to foster
and citizens about what was happening in agriculture. Thompson’s networking among farmers and producers.
survival as a farmer was directly linked to his application of PFI is recognized around the country as a prototype organization
sustainable farming methods and his belief that the farm was a full supporting sustainable agriculture. Many groups across the country
ecosystem, with each part working together to create a dynamic and are replicating PFI’s model. The growing demand for organic food,
efficient whole. CSAs and farmers’ markets in Iowa, and across the nation, has been
In 1985, Thompson helped found Practical Farmers of Iowa partially spurred by PFI’s quiet yet pioneering work.
(PFI), with the idea of putting resources, information and ideas into
farmers’ hands. In 1987, PFI initiated a statewide network of Practical Farmers of Iowa
producer-researchers. More than 100 farmers have been part of the 300 Main St.
network, opening their gates to the public at farm field days across
PO Box 349
the state. These events combine practical management tips, data and
observations derived from the on-farm trials and information from Ames, IA 50010
Iowa State University. Since 1987, 19,000 people have attended. (515) 232-5661
PFI has grown into a complex and diverse organization that now www.practicalfarmers.org

advertiser directory
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20 fall 2006 Edible iowa river valley