Homegrown: September calendar

Following are gardening and eco-events coming to Eastern Iowa in September, 2010:

Wed. Sept. 1, 9:30 a.m., Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. Monarch butterflies in REAL Walks series – educational saunters for  Retired Engaged Adult Learners.  Programs are conducted on the first Wednesday of each month and include a presentation by our naturalist and casual walk followed by coffee and discussion. The magic and mystery of the annual monarch butterfly migration is the focus for REAL walkers on September 1.   Participants will help to catch and tag monarchs traveling through the Nature Center's prairie, learn about the hurdles facing the migration and then return to the barn for coffee and conversation. Cost is $3 for ICNC members; $4 for non-members.  For more information or to register, call 362-0664. Program will be moved inside in case of inclement weather.

Fri. Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m., Explore Nature at Night at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Take a walk with a National Park Ranger on the prairie trails after sunset. Explore the prairie at dusk and learn techniques for nature study at night. The walk will last about 1 hour. Meet in front of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum. Then at 8:45 p.m. join a National Park Ranger for stargazing in the prairie and to discover the night skies of your National Parks. Bring your own telescope or binoculars. Stargazing will last until about 9:45 p.m. Please park at the Presidential Library & Museum. You may bring a flashlight, but its use is discouraged on the trails. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes for walking a half-mile or more on the trail. Insect repellent is recommended. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum are in West Branch at exit 254 off I-80. Call: (319) 643-7855.

Mon. Sept. 6, Celebrate Iowa's prairie heritage on Labor Day at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum. Guided walks of the 81-acre tallgrass prairie start outside the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Park rangers will discuss how the National Park Service is restoring this endangered habitat as part of the landscape commemorating Herbert Hoover's life. The walk is one half-mile and lasts about one hour. Bring water, dress for the weather, and wear comfortable walking shoes. Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, and insect repellent are also recommended. From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., living history interpreters demonstrate historic crafts, games, school teaching, and other activities from 19th century West Branch. Games and home crafts demonstrations by costumed volunteers take place near the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage. Visit the 1853 West Branch Schoolhouse for historic school teaching activities. “Laura Ingalls Wilder Remembered” begins at 1:30 p.m. inside the Hoover Presidential Library & Museum with musical selections by the widely acclaimed Marengo Civil War Band. Following the music, Sarah S. Uthoff, reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College, will portray Mrs. Wilder. The program repeats at 3:00 p.m. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space.

Wed. Sept. 8,  6:30-8 p.m., Heirloom Tomato Taste Testing, Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, Toddville.  Let Dennis Schlicht and Bob King introduce you to heirloom tomatoes.  You will have an opportunity to taste some delicious recipes made from the best heirloom tomatoes. Then you be the judge, try over 20 different varieties in a taste testing.  Learn about these old-time fruits with colorful names like Hillbilly, Wapsi Peach and the sweet Orange Cherry. All varieties are at least 50 years old or older.  Get some growing tips for next year too. To preregister, call 892-6485 or go online to www.linncountyparks.com/events   Cost is $2.50/adult, $1/child 16 and under, or $5/family.

Wed. Sept. 8, 5:30–8 pm Culinary Walk, A Benefit for the Johnson County Local Food Alliance (JCLFA.) Tickets $25/person, $15 with current student ID through September 7

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, all tickets are $30. Tickets sold at New Pioneer Food Co-op stores. Take a stroll through Iowa City and sample hors d'oeuvres from 126 & Hearth, Atlas, Chef's Table, Devotay, The Motley Cow Cafe, New Pioneer Food Co-op, and The Red Avocado.

Wed. Sept. 8, 7 p.m., Prelude Concert at the Night Garden at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids. Enjoy a preview of Orchestra Iowa's 2010-2011 season opening concert with a reception in the Night Garden. Call Brucemore at 319-362-7375 for more information. See: www.Brucemore.org

Fri. Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. (gates open at 7 p.m.) Indian Creek Nature Center, Creekside Concert. The Deep Dish Divas serve up a blend of sweet songs, time-tested tunes and wholesome harmonies on the lawn at the Indian Creek Nature Center for the final Creekside Concert of the season.  With Deb Hunemuller on fiddle, Carrie Kriz on bass and flute and Karen Pierce on guitar and hammered dulcimer, these ladies will dish up a banquet of tasty tunes the whole family will enjoy. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic basket with your favorite snacks and beverages and come out for an evening of great music under the stars.  Gates open at 7pm, music starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are $5 for Member Adults, $8 for Non-member Adults, $1 for Children 5-12 and are available at the gate.  The Nature Center is located at 6665 Otis Road SE in Cedar Rapids.  In case of rain, the concert will be moved inside to the Nature Center's auditorium.

Sat., Sept. 11, 1 p.m., Monarchs in Motion, Indian Creek Nature Center, MEMBER:$4-NONMEMBER:$5-CHILD 5 OR OLDER:$1-The mass monarch migration to Mexico is occurring! Learn about this unique insect phenomenon and help us catch monarch butterflies to tag. Learn about their migration behavior. Call 362-0664 to register.

Sat. Sept. 11 and Sun., Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Daylily sale, Noelridge Park Greenhouse, Collins Road and Council Street NE, Cedar Rapids. First come, first served.  All the plants are labeled and there are over 190 different varieties to choose from Price is $5.00 for each clump. Bring your own bags/boxes. We will dig right out of the display bed that day and will cancel only if there is heavy rain. For more information, contact Kristie Benzine at (319) 286-5762.

Sun., Sept. 12, 1:30-4 p.m., The Good Earth Garden Club will stage the 36

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Annual Flower Show in cooperation with Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation at Noelridge Greenhouse, 4900 Council Street NE. Anyone is welcome to enter this judged competition with ribbons awarded. There are separate categories for adults and children. Exhibits will be accepted from 6:30-11:00 a.m. They range from floral designs and flower photos to onions and zucchini. Call Helen Venneman, (319) 393-8964, for more information on rules and categories. The show is open to the public free of charge from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

Tues., Sept. 14, 6:30-8 p.m., Basic Backyard Chicken Workshop, Indian Creek Nature Center. Interested in keeping backyard chickens? It's now legal in Cedar Rapids, but urban chicken keepers must complete a basic workshop. Rich Patterson and Rebecca Mumaw will facilitate this workshop that will detail the ins and outs of legally and successfully keeping hens in urban and suburban environments. Those who complete the workshop will receive a certificate of completion that meets the City of Cedar Rapids' requirements for keeping backyard hens. Call by 4 PM on Monday, Sept. 13 to register: (319) 362-0664. M: $7, NM: $10.

Tues. Sept. 14, 6-8 p.m., Build Your Own Rain Barrel, Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Rain barrels are a great way to collect and save rain water for your garden. Participants will make a rain barrel to take home from a food-grade plastic barrel. Instructors: Jason Grimm and Kevin Somerville. Fee: $55.

Tues., Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m., Flower Pounding Fun at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. Learn how to “paint” with flowers. We will explore the prairie to find our flowers and then use them to decorate a card. This event is open to all ages but children under the age of 12 may need adult help. Cost is $3.00 per card. To preregister,  call 319-892-6485.  Please bring a hammer. 

Registration deadline for the following event is September 14: Join the Linn and Buchanan County Conservation Boards on Thursday, October 14 for a one-day bus tour to experience the beautiful Reiman Gardens in Ames and the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. We will spend part of the day in Ames touring the gardens and butterfly house with over 80 species of butterflies.  Our trip will include a view of fall colors while having a hot meal during the train ride. Bus pick-up will be at Oelwein, Independence and in Hiawatha.   Cost: $99.  Call 892-6485 or 319-636-2617 for more information. 

 Thurs., Sept 16, 6-8 pm, Preserve Terry Wahls' Garden, with Roxane Mitten. $15/person, at the Coralville Co-op. Register at www.newpi.coop

Colorful fruits and vegetables are the foundation of the Dr. Terry Wahls' "Build your Health" diet. Come learn how to preserve the nutritious colors of the summer season for use in the winter. Can we supply ourselves with squash, onions, garlic and sweet potatoes from our root cellar, and tangy tomatoes from the food dryer? How about red and blue local berries, and healthy greens from the freezer? Roxane will show how to preserve these foods, and then demonstrate their use in a variety of recipes, including Spicy Squash Soup, Berry Pear Dessert, Mushroom Pilaf, and Sun Dried Tomato Onion Chutney. Sample size portions will be served.

Thurs. Sept. 16, 6-8 p.m., Companion Planting and Organic Pest and Disease Control for Vegetable Gardening, Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha.  Companion planting is a technique used in gardening that groups beneficial plants together so that they naturally support each other. The workshop will include a variety of tried and true ideas for the vegetable garden. In addition learn organic methods to protect your vegetable and flower gardens from unwanted insects and common diseases. Methods will include information about or­ganic sprays and powders, techniques for protective planting and ways to attract beneficial insects. Come and share your ideas and success stories. Instructor: Master Gardener Ellen Skripsky. Free.

Thurs., Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., Prairie Heritage Week - Walk the Prairie with our Resource Specialist. Dana Kellogg, the Linn County Conservation Department Resource Specialist will lead a hike on the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center prairie trails and discuss prairie management and restoration with participants. If you have plans for a prairie restoration project or wish to enhance one you have already started, this is the place to be. Cost is $2.50/adult, $1/child 16 and under or $5/family.  No preregistration is required.

Sat., Sept. 18, 10 a.m., Monarch tagging; Forevergreen Garden Center 125 Forevergreen Rd. Coralville. Contact:  Lucy Hershberger for more information: 319-626-2774   E-mail lucyh@forevergreengrows.com  Presented by:  Kathleen Ziemer Butterfliz of Iowa. Recommended for adults and children ages 4 and up. Pre-register by Sept. 13th to tag a butterfly. $7.00 fee for tagging supplies and a Monarch butterfly. There is no cost to attend the seminar, fee is to tag and release a butterfly. Have you ever wondered how something as delicate as a butterfly travels over 1500 miles to Mexico?  Participants in this event will learn how Monarchs are tagged, registered, and released so scientists can study and protect their migration routes.  They will have an opportunity to tag a butterfly, receive a certificate with tracking codes and information on University of Kansas Monarch Watch program.  This hands on presentation, is a great opportunity for all ages to learn about Monarchs, their habitat, lifecycle and amazing migration.

Sat., Sept. 18, 1 p.m., Lewis & Clark Sketching Hike, Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids. Experience the trail just as Meriweather Lewis did, journal in hand. Begin with a dozen or more thumbnail sketches taken from observing single images like a bird, flower, or plant, drawn in pencil in a small notebook. Upon returning to the barn, artist Micky McNiel will teach you how to enlarge your favorite thumbnail sketch using the grid method and create a watercolor painting. All are successful! Geared to the absolute beginner, so have no fear to express yourself. Call by 4 PM on Friday, Sept. 17 to register. M: $5, NM: $8, Students (4th grade and up): $3.

Sun. Sept. 19, 1-4 p.m., Honeyfest at Indian Creek Nature Center. $2/PERSON-ALL CHILDREN THREE YEARS AND YOUNGER: FREE-We're abuzzz with excitement over this year's activities! See bee-utiful art being created along the creek and try your hand at making some of your own! Play games, listen to music, bee amazed by the American Gothic-inspired bee beards. Author and scratchboard artist Claudia McGehee will bee signing her books from 1-3pm and helping with a special art project. Buy some honey-laced baked goods at our bee-licious bake sale! Plus, take a look at the results of our own "worker bees" who helped us recover from the 2008 flood. BEE here for the fun! Also see flood recovery accomplishments at the nature center. CALL 362-0664 FOR DETAILS.

Sun., Sept. 19, 2 p.m.,  “American Terroir: Savoring the Flavors of Our Woods, Waters, and Fields”, Discussion by author Rowan Jacobsen, Iowa City Public Library Room A, 123 S. Linn St.  This JCLFA event is sponsored by ECO Iowa City. ECO Iowa City is a grant-funded initiative to improve environmental sustainability in Iowa City.  Rowan Jacobsen writes about food, the environment, and the connections between the two. Whether visiting endangered oystermen in Louisiana or cacao-gathering tribes in the Bolivian Amazon, his subject is how to maintain a sense of place in a world of increasing placelessness. He is the multiple–James Beard award-winning author of A Geography of Oysters, Fruitless Fall, The Living Shore, and American Terroir.. More information at www.jclfa.org or http://www.icpl.org/eco-iowa-city/

Wed., Sept. 22, 7-8:30 p.m., Farm to School, Iowa City Public Library Room A. Learn about the newly formed Farm to School chapter of the Iowa City Community School District. The panel will include Kamyar Enshayan, Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at UNI; Diane Duncan-Goldsmith, ICCSD Food Services Director, a local grower and Heather Widmayer, ICCSD Farm to School Coordinator. Participants will hear success stories of other Farm to School chapters in Iowa, gain information on the local Farm to School chapter and learn why it is beneficial to our students and how to get more involved.

Thurs., Sept 23, 5-7 pm, Fall Equinox Earth Source Garden Tours. NE corner N. Scott Blvd and Rochester, Iowa City. FREE and Open to the Public. Fall Equinox means the days and nights balance in length. It's time to gather in the gourds, squashes, decorative corn, and the last of the summer crops, as we prepare for shorter days to come. We'll enjoy samples of the entire garden's abundance. Join us as we present food preservation tips, including root cellaring, canning and drying.

Fri., Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Things that go Bump in the Night, Indian Creek Nature Center. Local legend tells us that strange things happen along Indian Creek Nature Center trails after the autumnal equinox. Enjoy an educational, fun, guided trail adventure in woods and prairie to discover the source of nighttime sounds and sights. Meet costumed critters along the way who will share their unusual stories. This non-scary activity is appropriate for adults and children of all ages. Rain Date: Friday, Oct 1. M: $3, NM: $5, Child: $1.

Fri. Sept. 24 to Sun. Sept. 26, 2010 Women's Outdoor Weekend, Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha.  This week­end is for the woman who loves the out­doors or who maybe hasn't had an opportunity to try outdoor activities. Activities will include things like camping, yoga, Dutch oven cooking and hiking at beautiful Palisades-Kepler State Park. Plus you'll learn how to make your own bug repellant using essential oils, get creative with outdoor arts and take part in a traditional sweat lodge ceremony. Plus you'll have fun around the campfire. Most activities are optional so you can pick and choose exactly what you want to do. Bring your friends and meet new ones. Fees-$195 includes guesthouse lodging, meals and activities. Camping & commuter option-$135 includes meals and activities. You provide the camping equipment and we provide the space. Optional canoe trip fee $20 per person. Pre-register by Sept. 20 at 319.395.6700. Scholarships are available. See: www.prairiewoods.org

 Sat. Sept. 25 to Sun., Sept. 26, 8 am – 5 pm each day; Evolve With Your Garden Class. Willowwind School, 950 Dover Street, Iowa City.  Cost: $125. This class helps you work with the rhythms and patterns of nature to grow with your beautiful landscape. Through careful observation, you will learn to create a balanced ecosystem for your plants to thrive within by incorporating and inviting in beneficial insects and animals. Ecological principles form the foundation for extending the growing season, creating management plans, and maintaining balance. More information at www.BackyardAbundance.org

Sat., Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - The Linn County Conservation Department is hosting a Wild Foods Sampler program at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center.  Participants will hunt for edible wild plants with wild foods expert Mike Krebill. Taste a variety of wild food dishes brought in by participants for a potluck lunch. Learn the best ways to make consistently good sumac lemonade.  See a simple technique for rendering acorns edible. Examine, and if you wish, buy the best book ever written on edible wild plants. Limited to 30 participants. Bring a wild food dish to share. Preregistration is required; please call (319) 892-6485. Cost: $2.50/ adult, $1/child 16 and under or $5/family.

Sun., Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m., Field to Family Harvest Dinner, Sheraton Hotel, Downtown Iowa City. Tickets available at New Pioneer Coops, $40, through Sunday, September 19

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annual Harvest Dinner will delight the senses by putting Iowa's abundant harvest into the hands of some of the area's best chefs delighting you with a dinner that will not soon be forgotten. This year's dinner will feature these area chefs: Eric McDowell from Chef's Table, Sky Huffman from Share Restaurant, Naftaly Stramer from Oasis, Seth Hershey from Vesta & Derek Perez from El Banditos.

Tues., Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Menu for the Future, Indian Creek Nature Center. First in a series of discussions on our food, and the effects of modern industrial eating habits on culture, society and ecological systems. This six-session discussion course from the Northwest Earth Institute explores food and sustainability. Other sessions will be on Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26 & Nov 2. Register by Sept. 20. Fee for course and discussion book: $40.

Tues., Sept. 28, 6:30-8 p.m.,

Make Tofu from Iowa Soy, with Mieko Basan and Lucille Gregory,  Coralville Coop. Register at

www.newpi.coop $15/person. Legend has it Chinese alchemists seeking to make gold created the first tofu 2,000 years ago. Since that time generations of people have prepared this healthful, economical, and satisfying soy food. Join Mieko Basan, a native of Kyushu Island in southern Japan, and innovative local foods enthusiast Lucille Gregory, as they share their tofu-making alchemy.  Mieko makes tofu because she misses her grandmother's delicious handmade tofu. Lucille began making tofu as a high quality source of protein for her nursing years, and as an easy to eat food for her small children. Whether you seek the authentic and amazing flavor of traditional Japanese tofu, or merely wish to have food security for your family in uncertain times, tofu offers quality protein. Mieko and Lucille will serve samples of the tofu they make at this class, as Chilled Fresh Tofu with   Traditional Japanese Garnish, accompanied by Sake.