Question: When is the best time to plant a tree?
Answer: 10 years ago!
Do you want your trees to look like this photo below?

Then plant now! Fall is the third best time to plant a tree, says DeBoer Tree Farm owner Kevin DeBoer. The second is Springtime. "You plant when the tree is dormant," Kevin explains. With DeBoer's 1-year tree garuntee policy you may as well get a start on the planting by taking a trip to the farm this Fall. It's the perfect time of year to take the National Loess Hills Scenic Byway Loop as well as stop off at DeBoers to contribute to the natural beauty you just witnessed.

Take a peek at DeBoer's large selection at www.deboertreefarm.com. If it is fruit trees you are looking for (this is a food blog, after all), he has those, too. Notify him by March or earlier this Spring to request special varieties that interest you. Or maybe you've heard to buzz about the aronia berry? He's hoping to supply those healthy berry bushes soon! Whatever you're looking for, you'll enjoy the drive out to the tree farm (and the prices).

A special bonus about shopping locally at the farm is that you might get a glimpse of the oh-so-soft alpacas...

Or the barn that's suspect to have hosted the elusive Jessie James gang on their exploits through Iowa barns!

DeBoer tree farm is located 4 miles north of LeMars, IA on Highway 75 and 9.5 miles West on C-16 or 0.5 miles East of K22 at 23575 C16, Akron IA. Happy fall tree planting!

So what have the locavores (see definition here) in the area been up to?

This bare wall and bricks room in the back of the Upper Missouri Valley Local Foods Farm and Market (108B E. Main Street, Vermillin, SD 57069) is on its way to being transformed into a small-scale local foods processing center. And from the looks of those gathered at the first planning meeting for the formation of a new local food coop and local food non-profit organization, also a gathering place (or food hub, if you will) for some tasty local specialties. Tony Heisterkamp of Eden Valley Orchard and Martin Kleinschmit, an organic grassfed beef farmer out of Hartington, NE both stood to talk about their operations and hopeful future involvement.

Check out the slideshow of the local food meal we had at the meeting:

 After that I caught up with Dennis McDonald at his presentation at Buena Vista University. He's also been working with a group of farmers, a little further east from Vermillion based out of Spirit Lake, IA. The Iowa Lakes Local Food Initiative aggregates locally grown food from farmers to distribute to various restaurants, schools. They're looking to add universities to that list in the near future!

The group of students from SCATE (Students Concerned About Tomorrow's Environment) like the sound of that idea after helping preparing and sampling locally grown and grilled onion, potato, and zuchinni. Homemade butternut squash, sage, and onion soup was also part of Dennis's presentation about the state of our current food system and local solutions.

So basically, the locavores have been up to some great new projects. We have, of course, been eating very VERY well too!