A Garden Junkie Goes to Heaven

For myself and 300+ like-minded people, heaven was in Iowa this past weekend. Decorah, Iowa to be precise, way up in the northeast corner of the state. Enthusiastic gardeners from across the country gathered at the Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm for the annual conference. The Heritage Farm is a magical place, a showcase for heirloom flowers, vegetables, fruits, and even livestock. Spending the weekend here gives gardener/seed savers the opportunity to connect with each other, swap seed, attend workshops, and to explore the display gardens, trial fields and orchards.




Tucked in a tree-cloaked valley, Heritage Farm is the heart of this network of seed savers who are passionate about growing and preserving the genetic diversity of plants. No matter how often I visit, it is always a treat for all my senses to wander through the plots of flowers and veggies. I always come away with new ideas for growing strategies and a few more "must try" varieties added to my already lengthy list of tomatoes and peppers.









In addition to plants, the Heritage Farm has a herd of Ancient White Park Cattle, a rare breed. Fifty calves were born this season, and on a hay wagon ride out to their pasture, we got to see some of the calves cavorting among their mothers. As all young creatures do, they were busy exploring, so it was hard to snap a photo that wasn't blurry.



Several breeds of poultry also live on the farm in the growing season. The chickens with the kooky headdresses were fun to watch but I thought the Chinese black ducks and the grey hens were especially beautiful.








The annual conference also features a wide variety of workshops presented by knowledgeable speakers. I learned something in each of the four workshops I chose. In one of the workshops I attended, author/gardener Rosalind Creasy explained how and why she dug up a 100 square foot patch of her lawn and raised $700 worth of fresh produce from it.



Meals at the conference are another treat. It goes without saying, everything is fresh and organic, and there are tasty selections for both vegetarians and omnivores. This year's conference marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Seed Savers Exchange. Check out this birthday cake at Saturday's supper. On top of being a culinary work of art, it had moist layers of pumpkin and chocolate - delicious!



All in all, it was a marvelous weekend, stuffed with enough "food for thought" (sorry, I couldn't resist) to keep me motivated for quite some time. Oh, and Decorah, for being a small town, has a lot more to offer in addition to SSE, but that will have to be another post.