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!

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

Milton Creamery

Milton Creamery

The Musser family – Rufus, Jane, and sons Junior and head cheesemaker Galen – make artisanal cheese the old fashioned way, and source their added growth hormone-free milk from less than 30 miles away.

Milton, IA

Kerns Homegrown

Kerns Homegrown

Our local source for non-GMO sweet corn! In 1999, at the age of 15, Blake Kerns rented two acres of abandoned crop land, borrowed a planter, and seeded sweet corn. Twenty years later he's still planting, picking, and delivering fresh picked homegrown produce.

Oelwein, IA

Cortado

Cortado

People would say, ‘Show me what you can do,’ and I would make them a Cortado. The balance of it is great.

Iowa City, IA

Early Morning Harvest

Early Morning Harvest

Earl, Ronda (above), & son Jeff Haffner grow organic grains and stone grind them whole – germ intact (unlike commercial flour). Their organic grains are in many of New Pi’s breads, prepared foods, and on New Pi shelves

Panora, IA

Beau Laundry Co.

Beau Laundry Co.

Alex Beaumier started Beau Laundry Co. in 2024 to solve problems he was facing with his own laundry. After about a year of perfecting and finetuning, he created his signature Scented & Softening Wool Dryer Balls!

Marion, Iowa

Marieke Gouda Cheese

Marieke Gouda Cheese

"By providing a loving and relaxing environment for our cows we are able to get remarkably consistent full-flavored raw milk."

Thorp, WI

Trowel and Error Farm

Trowel and Error Farm

Carly Andrews was inspired to start farming after attending The University of Vermont, and learning about the local foods movement. After seeing a panel of all women farmers in her undergrad, she decided to try it out for herself.

Iowa City, IA