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"People in cities may forget the soil for as long as a hundred years, but Mother Nature's memory is long and she will not let them forget indefinitely." --Henry A. Wallace Inspired by the Wallace family legacy, The Wallace Centers of Iowa provides a variety of programs and services to build awareness of local food, sustainable agriculture, and civility. WCI serves both urban and rural communities with locations at the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center in rural Orient and the Wallace House in Des Moines. Activities include: Production and Sale of more than 40 organically-grown fruits and vegetables to local grocery stores, farmers markets, and Prairie Harvest Community Supported Agriculture subscribers. The Gathering Table at the Country Life Center offers dining nearly year-round that utilizes locally-grown food. A kitchen renovation at the Wallace House in early 2013 will expand locally-sourced dining to the Des Moines area. Community-Building & Educational Programs: Real Soil, Real Food, A Real Difference educates teens about critical food issues such as food insecurity, food safety, and nutrition with a short-term intensive and long-term self-guided project. Culinary Classes inspire cooks to use fresh, locally produced ingredients and expand their tastes. Civility Dialogue Lunches gather concerned community members around the table for discussion about civility in our community. Everyday Civility helps to build civility in the workplace with a two-hour learning session for employees. Community Conversations facilitate conversation about current issues with community members and local experts. Hearts & Homes Historic Teas share household tips and issues of the day from the women's section of the historic Wallaces' Farmer farm journal. Farm-to-Table Dinners showcase in-season produce grown at the Country Life Center in a gourmet menu at the Wallace House. Garden Workshops offer advice from local and regional experts to both new and experienced gardeners. Entrepreneurial Food Production Processes and Activities shares practical advice and methods for other producers: One Step at a Time helps emerging food entrepreneurs develop, test, process, package and market local food products to retail outlets. Small Farm Field and Business Apprenticeships bridge the gap between a typical internship and independent farming with practical experience managing a medium-sized organic produce production garden. Community-Building Consulting for neighborhoods, towns, non-profit organizations, and people who share a common interest. Using seven unique components, The Wallace Centers of Iowa's community efforts foster civil dialogue; shape a broad, grass roots-supported vision; and translate that vision into action. Agri-Tourism Programs, Historic Tours and Archives: Provides information about the achievements of Wallace family members to students, authors, researchers, and the public for reports, articles, books, historical exhibits, and general interest. Winner of the 2011 Better Together Award from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines | |
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2773 290th Street, Orient, Iowa 515-243-7063 (Des Moines) • 641-337-5019 (Orient) Email: info@wallace.org | |||||||||||||
