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
LIFE
Type: Farm
Produces: Aronia Berries
Location: Keota, IA
Miles from Coop: 36
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.”
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.
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!
Ferndale Market
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Jefferson County Ciderworks
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Backpocket Brewing
Jake Simmons set out to make full flavored, sessional, go-to beers.
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Kerns Homegrown
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Marmalade Sky
I had a mission: to find a way to bake everyone’s favorite treats without sacrificing anything to taste or texture. Malak Nour is a local artisanal baker specializing in gluten-free baked treats.
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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
Frontier Co-op
Founded in 1976, Iowa based Frontier Co-op is a leader in branded organic and natural herbs, spices, and essential oils. As a co-operative owned by wholesale customers that buy and sell its products, Frontier sources hundreds of different botanicals and oils from over 175 suppliers in 50 countries.
Norway, IA