Farmers markets: A great way to jump into spring

We can’t seem to shake the chilly temperatures here in Iowa, but rest assured that summer will soon return.

Looking for a sign that sunny days are ahead? How about the long-awaited return of the Des Moines Farmers Market, the state’s largest, which kicks off its season May 4. And despite the rainy weather in the forecast, the market will likely attract State Fair-size crowds looking for their first taste of summer.

As you can imagine, the unusually cold spring weather has delayed the growing season for Iowa farmers. However, many vegetable growers have built high-tunnel greenhouses to get an earlier start on the season.

So when you visit the farmers market this May, you’re likely to find cold-season crops like lettuces, radishes, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower.

The Iowa-grown asparagus, rhubarb and strawberry crops are a few weeks behind normal, but customers should start seeing these spring favorites popping up at local farmers markets by late May and early June.

A few vendors might also have greenhouse-grown tomatoes, although they might be a little pricey until the crop is more abundant when the weather heats up.

If you do happen to see melons or summer squash for sale, these veggies likely came from the southern states or California, where the growing season starts much earlier. Feel free to ask the farmer or vendor where the produce was grown.

Early May is also the best time to buy vegetable seedlings and bedding plants for your own garden. Mother’s Day weekend coincides with the last average frost date for most of Iowa, which usually means it’s safe to start planting tomatoes.

The farmers market is a terrific place to find unique heirloom tomato, herb and pepper varieties. Last year, I bought an “orange blossom” tomato at the farmers market, and it turned out to be my highest-yielding tomato during last summer’s drought.

If you are planning a trip to the farmers market, then be sure to come prepared. Bring cash, because not all vendors are able to take credit or debit cards. Also, keep a cooler with ice in your car if you’re buying perishable items like meats, eggs and cheese.

Iowa growers follow best management practices on the farm to deliver high quality, safe produce. However, make sure to practice safe food-handling practices at home. Rinse farm-fresh produce, including salad greens and melons, under running water before serving.

To find a farmers market near you, check out the Iowa Department of Agriculture’s online farmers market directory (http://www.idalsdata.org/fmnp/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.formFarmersMarketDirectory). Or download the Iowa Farmers Market app on your Android smartphone or iPhone (http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/press/2012press/press06292012.asp).

 Written by Teresa Bjork, senior features writer for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Court ruling could force farms to close gates to visitors

Farms in Iowa are almost synonymous with hospitality. Pretty much every farmer I know is more than happy to host visitors, whether they are from a local school, a civic group or from countries half-way around the world.

The visits, farmers know, are a great way to help urban folks get a better feel for today’s agriculture. And visits help urban dwellers to build a connection between a real farmer and the food on their supermarket shelves.

But in Iowa those farm visits are in serious jeopardy, thanks to a recent ruling by the state Supreme Court.

The ruling by Iowa’s top court dramatically reduced any liability protection for landowners who allow visitors on their land to hunt, fish or just learn how the farm works. Unless action is taken in the Iowa Legislature to restore the farm liability protection, legal experts say landowners now have little choice but lock the farm gate and severely restrict visitors.

This is a drastic change from how things have worked for decades in Iowa. Back in the early 1970s, the Iowa Legislature enacted a “recreational use” statue which provided private landowners an incentive to open up their property for recreational purposes. The statute offered landowners limited liability protection, giving them the peace of mind that they could allow visitors on their farms without the fear of a financially-crippling lawsuit.

Agri-tourism spots, such as apple orchards and pumpkin patches, also had liability protection as long as they did not charge a fee for folks to visit.

But the Iowa Supreme Court basically tossed out that protection with its ruling.

The court said that a northeast Iowa dairy farm could not claim liability protection in a suit that was filed by a chaperone injured during a kindergarten field trip. The court ruled the dairy farm, which had been hosting kindergarteners for 25 years, was liable for the injuries because the chaperone was not engaged in an activity specifically covered in the state statute. The activity in question: frolicking in the hayloft.

In its ruling, the court set some pretty high hurdles for landowners to be able to claim recreational liability protection. For example, landowners can be protected only if they open up their land to the general public, basically turning their private land into a quasi-park for anyone who wants to stop by. It also said landowners are only protected if the recreational activity occurs outdoors, not in a barn or shed.

And strangely, the Supreme Court ruled landowners lose liability protection if they act as tour guides on the farm. So, under the court’s logic, farmers are better off letting children and visitors run around the farm unsupervised, instead of guiding them and making sure they stay out of danger.

Iowa farmers who ask visitors to sign waivers won’t have much protection either, legal experts say. The waivers, they say, offer only limited liability from lawsuits filed by adults, while a separate Iowa Supreme Court ruling said waivers signed by a parent for a child’s activities are unenforceable.

So don’t be surprised if you find locked gates at your favorite fishing hole or if your child’s annual field trip to the farm is cancelled this year. Unless lawmakers correct the Supreme Court ruling, Iowa farmers really have little choice but to keep most visitors away.

Written by Dirck Steimel
Dirck is the news services manager for Iowa Farm Bureau