Community Garden Tour

  Theresa Carbrey considers herself part of the vegetable lobby. “We've got the pork and beef lobbies – somebody's got to be the vegetable lobby,” said Carbrey, the education coordinator for New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.

    New Pi and Harvest Farm & Preserve in Iowa City this year established community gardens called the Earth Source Gardens, at 3402 Rochester Ave. in Iowa City. Carbrey said the effort has gone well and the gardens will be showcased during a free tour from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009.

   Samples of food prepared from the gardens, such as salsa and pesto, will be provided at the event.  Carbrey said New Pioneer Food Co-op made private garden plots available to Co-op members with the agreement that growers use natural pest management and help build the soil. Each of the plots is 10 foot by 50 foot. As long as the weather cooperates, Carbrey will host a tour of the educational Co-op sponsored plots, which demonstrate innovative garden practices.

    Visitors can learn about traditional and worm-based composting and taste heirloom tomatoes and the annual fruit ground cherries. Visitors can also see immense sunflowers, colorful rainbow chard and how birdhouse gourds can take over a plot. Visit www.newpi.com for more information.