Type: Farm

Produces: Aronia Berries

Location: Keota, IA

Miles from Coop: 36

lyle-berries.png

Farmer Levi Lyle believes taking care of one's own health is the first step in caring for the soil.

That's why LIFE (Levi's Indigenous Fruit Enterprise) began over a decade ago. When looking for crops to diversify their family farm, Levi wanted to grow fruits known for their healthful qualities. 

“I wanted to promote something that is native to the Midwest.”

lyle-family.png

Tart and juicy, aronia berries look similar to blueberries, but with three times the antioxidants and a much more astringent flavor.

Aronia berries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit tested by the USDA. 

“My kids eat them by the handfuls. They aren’t supersweet, but as a native and wild fruit, they have more nutrition.”

Levi's farm now boasts other native Iowa fruits like paw paws, sour cherries and honeyberries. 

levi-lyle-collage.jpg

By diversifying with indigenous plants, the Lyles are able to lean into the seasonality of their crops and connect even more to nature. 

“Growing aronia berries has become a great analogy for how we can work sustainably with nature to grow food.”

Levi is a leader in conservation no-till farming practices and carbon sequestration. 


Other Local Producers

Be sure to check out these others great local producers!

Cedar Witch Goods

Cedar Witch Goods

Katie's handmade soaps are made from scratch in small batches using high quality ingredients like aloe vera, cocoa butter, and mango butter.

Cedar Rapids, IA

Little Deb's Berry Farm

Little Deb's Berry Farm

Little Deb’s Berry Farm, situated just outside of Newhall, Iowa is the pride and joy of Jeff and Deb Sindelar. Here, you'll find a vibrant mix of crops like kiwi berries, honey berries, nuts, and asparagus.

Newhall, Iowa

Maestro Empanadas

Maestro Empanadas

When Christian Bejarano and Marta Hamity moved to Iowa from Argentina, they had trouble finding their favorite food: the empanada. They got cooking and quickly earned a cult following.

Coralville, IA

Blues Best Mushrooms

Blues Best Mushrooms

Blues Best Mushrooms is a family-owned specialty mushroom company in Eastern Iowa that supplies fresh mushrooms to the Co-op including Shitake, Oyster, and Lion's Mane.

Vinton, IA

Buffalo Ridge Orchard

Buffalo Ridge Orchard

The best thing about being an apple farmer is that, unlike a ripe tomato, [an apple] doesn’t have to be picked right now. It can wait until tomorrow. It is a nice pace.”

Central City, IA

Hue Hill

Hue Hill

Hue Hill crafts farm grown vegetables into vibrant, live cultured, powerfully probiotic fermented foods.

Iowa City, IA

Crane Creek Farms

Crane Creek Farms

Jeff and Jesse Eichenberger are sugaring the old fashioned way, with wholesome-looking metal taps and pails on each tree they empty every day the sap flows.

Lawler, IA

Wilson's Orchard

Wilson's Orchard

They have a robust pick-your-own apple business at the farm, where they also make apple cider, apple turnovers, and apple cider donuts, and they grow pumpkins. What more could you ask for?

Iowa City, IA