>> PATRONS OF NEW PIONEER FOOD
CO-OP EXPECT TO FIND FRESH,
LOCAL FOODS INSIDE ON THE
STORE'S SHELVES.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO FIND LOCAL
INGREDIENTS OUTSIDE GROWING IN
THE FRONT YARD OF THE NEW PI
OFFICE BUILDING.
>> HERE AT NEW PIONEER, WE ARE
ALL ABOUT FOOD, SO WE'RE USING
THE YARD AT OUR OFFICE TO SERVE
AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CAN
GROW FOOD LOCALLY.
>> THE OUTDOOR SPACE IS NEXT
DOOR TO THE STORE'S VAN BUREN
LOCATION IN IOWA CITY.
THE BUSHES, TREES, AND GROUND
COVER HERE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO
PROVIDE EDIBLE LANDSCAPING -- A
CONCEPT THAT REFLECTS WHAT SEEMS
TO BE A RENEWED INTEREST IN
GROWING OUR OWN FOOD.
>> THERE'S SORT OF QUIET, BUT
VERY PERVASIVE AND POWERFUL
INTEREST ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN
LOCALLY PRODUCED FOODS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT IN
IOWA CITY, IT'S THE SAME STORY.
WE SEE BOOMING FARMER'S MARKETS,
VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY
GARDEN, NEW PIONEER HOUSE EARTH
SOURCE GARDENS, WHICH IS TWO
ACRES, AND PEOPLE CAN GROW THEIR
OWN FOOD.
SO I THINK, A COUPLE GENERATIONS
BACK, EVERYONE GREW THEIR OWN
FOOD, AND THEN WE KIND OF
SKIPPED SOME GENERATIONS.
SO IT'S A FUN, HAPPENING,
DELICIOUS SUCCESS.
>> THE TRIUMPH OF THIS
PARTICULAR LANDSCAPE IS DUE TO
THE DILIGENT PLANNING OF
FRED MEYER.
HE HELPS PEOPLE DESIGN THEIR
OUTDOOR SPACES TO INCLUDE
DELECTABLE EDIBLES.
>> IN THE NEW PI EDIBLE
LANDSCAPE, WE GOT ALL KINDS OF
EDIBLES GOING ON HERE.
SO THERE ARE SERVICEBERRIES,
THERE ARE ARONIA BERRIES, THERE
ARE GOOSEBERRIES, CURRANTS, LOTS
OF APPLE TREES THAT ARE LOADED
WITH APPLES RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE SOME PERENNIAL HERBS
HERE, AS WELL.
THERE'S CHOCOLATE MINT, WHICH
MAKES A FANTASTIC TEA.
THE WORK THAT WE DO IN THESE
EDIBLE LANDSCAPES TENDS TO BE A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE
WORK THAT WE'LL DO IN AN ANNUAL
VEGETABLE GARDEN.
MOST OF THE WORK IS MANAGEMENT,
SO WE'RE GUIDING AN ECOLOGICAL
SYSTEM INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WE
WANT.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES, THAT
SIMPLY MEANS CUTTING THINGS
BACK OR PULLING THINGS OUT.
>> FRED SELECTED PLANTS AND
BUSHES THAT BENEFIT EACH OTHER
AND PROVIDE A BOUNTY OF FOOD.
FOLKS WHO WALK BY CAN GRAB A
SERVICEBERRY OR TWO, OR
EMPLOYEES CAN EAT A HANDFUL OF
RASPBERRIES DURING THEIR LUNCH
BREAK.
>> INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THAT'S
HOW EVERY CRITTER ON THE PLANET
EATS.
THEY SEE THE WORLD AS A GIANT
BUFFET, EXCEPT FOR ONE CRITTER,
AND THAT'S US.
WE HAVE THIS SELF-INDUCED
PARADIGM OF SCARCITY THAT WE
PLACED UPON OURSELVES THAT SAYS
WE MUST GO TO A CERTAIN PLACE AT
A CERTAIN TIME WITH A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEN WE CAN
EAT.
INSTEAD, WHY NOT CREATE THESE
EDIBLE OASES OF FOOD WHERE WE
CAN EAT YEAR ROUND?
WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST COMMON
SENSE.
IT'S JUST NOT COMMON PRACTICE.
>> IF YOU WANT TO CREATE AN
EDIBLE LANDSCAPE, FRED SUGGESTS
STARTING SMALL.
TRY SOMETHING LIKE ARONIA
BERRIES, SERVICEBERRIES, OR
STRAWBERRIES.
HERBS CAN BE A NICE CHOICE, TOO.
THESE TYPES OF PLANTS ARE EASY
TO GROW AND REQUIRE LITTLE
MAINTENANCE WHILE PROVIDING LOTS
OF NUTRITION AND BEAUTY.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU
CAN GROW THAT ARE ATTRACTIVE AND
EDIBLE AND FUN -- GREAT LITTLE
CHARMING ENVIRONMENTS OUTSIDE
THAT NOURISH YOU WITH FOOD AND
SERENITY.
>> EDIBLE LANDSCAPING CAN
DEFINITELY BE A TASTY WAY TO
ENJOY THE IOWA OUTDOORS.