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
Seed Savers Exchange
Type: Farm
Produces: Heirloom Seeds
Location: Decorah, IA
Miles from Coop: 109
In the last century, the world has lost 75% of its edible plant varieties.
That might be hard to perceive when many of us have enough food on our plates, but consider this:
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, only five cereal grains make up 60% of our calories. A system that depends so heavily on so few crops is quite fragile. Think of the Irish Potato Famine – the use of only one variety of potato led to a catastrophe.
In the United States in particular, genetically modified (GM) plant varieties have had a devastating impact on biodiversity. In 2013, 170 million acres of GM crops were planted in the U.S., seeds that are patented and cannot be saved and planted again next year. That’s roughly half of all American cropland.
To protect our precious and dwindling seed diversity resources, Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy founded Seed Savers Exchange in 1975.
Diane’s grandfather entrusted them with the seeds of two garden plants: Grandpa Ott’s Morning Glory and German Pink Tomato. These seeds, brought by Grandpa Ott’s parents from Bavaria when they immigrated to Iowa in the 1870s, became the first two varieties in the Seed Savers collection.
Seed Savers formed a network of gardeners interested in preserving heirloom varieties and sharing seeds.
Today, with 13,000 members and 20,000 plant varieties, Seed Savers Exchange makes its home on 890 scenic acres in Decorah, Iowa, at Heritage Farm.
Abridged from www.seedsavers.org
Other Local Producers
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
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
Dogpatch Urban Gardens
Jenny Quiner is showing how a plot of land in her community can be transformed into an Urban Oasis.
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LIFE
Levi's Indigenous Fruit Enterprise is known for their aronia berries, which are native to Iowa, through sustainable farming practices that work with nature.
Keota, IA
Scream Frozen Desserts
When the pandemic had everyday life restricted, Kate Vigmostad began envisioning an ice cream brand to spark joy and humor while keeping a small carbon footprint with local ingredients.
Fairfield, IA
Jefferson County Ciderworks
"We’re always coming up with new flavors through using different fermenting methods, added natural flavorings, and aging techniques. If we land on something great, there’s nothing stopping us now from throwing it into some cans and sharing it with everyone."
Fairfield, IA
Hansen's Dairy
Switch to their butter and you’ll never go back: Hansen’s butter, cream, and long-lasting non-homogenized milks are known for their flavor.
Hudson, IA
Cafe del Sol
With a passion for great coffee and sustainability, Stephen Dunham developed a line of coffees with a clean flavor and footprint.
Iowa City, IA