Big as a Barn News: October 2023

Abundance at Farmers Market

WCI is taking the goodness of the farm to the people! For the second year, WCI will have a booth at the Downtown Farmers Market in Des Moines. This year's Saturday dates are October 14 and October 28. The market runs 8 am to noon in the Court Avenue district. You can find WCI on the north side of Court Avenue, between First and Second streets.

Staff are busy producing nearly a dozen different varieties of Abundance preserved food products ahead of market days. Customer favorites include Whiskey Apple Butter, Tomato Compote, Smoked Garlic Salt and Lavender Sugar. Most products come in jars, but some of the salts are available in bulk bags for refilling. Stop by to say hi!

Geothermal Greenhouse

A big change is on our horizon at the Wallace Farm! The 17' x 96' geothermal greenhouse is ready for planting. This innovative facility will allow WCI to grow produce year-round for farm to table meals and our line of Abundance preserved products.

Part-time facility manager Dean Irving is responsible for overseeing the greenhouse's construction. He and other staff traveled to LeMars, Iowa and Wakefield, Nebraska to examine other geothermal greenhouses and talk to their owners. One of those owners, Ryan Lorenzen and his daughter Hannah, helped Dean complete some of the final steps of WCI's project.

As the harvest season winds down, Garden Production Manager Sheryl Schroer will be moving plants and materials into the greenhouse. Public tours and programming is expected in the spring. Thanks to Wallace Global Fund, Wallace Genetic Fund, Empowering Adair County Foundation and Farmer's Electric Coop for project support.

Thanks for a great Pizza season!

The 4th season of Pizza on the Prairie wrapped up on September 29 with perfect weather, great pizza, terrific music and even a huge orange harvest moon!

Thanks to everyone who has supported us this year!

Pizza on the Prairie, with pizza, sides, desserts & signature drinks, live music, yard games, & prairie art, would not have been possible without support from our 2023 sponsors: MidAmerican Energy, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Frederick Real Estate Services & FNB.

Next season will be here before you know it. If you'd like to help sponsor this award-winning event, now's the time start a conversation with Ann.

Pick up your Prairie Art!

Do you want your Prairie Art painting returned? Let us know by sending a quick email to Lisa via the button below. We'll be in touch later with details on where and when.

Thank you for sharing your artistic talents! A conservative estimate is that more than 2,000 people walked through this year's display.

A special thanks to the Knock Family Charitable Fund for another year of support! If you'd like to support next year's exhibit, please contact Ann.

We need your support!

Have you enjoyed one of WCI's programs during 2023? Would you like to see those programs grow and reach new people? Then please consider a financial gift of support.

Reaching new people while meeting increasing operational expenses is a challenge. A gift from you of $50, $100, $250 or more will help WCI remain vibrant and strong. It's easy to make a secure online gift with a credit or debit card. Just click below.

Make it monthly

A monthly gift is a great way to show your support for WCI. It breaks down your gift into more budget-friendly chunks and eliminates writing a check. Once your monthly gift is set up, you don't have to do anything else until you want to make changes. Monthly gifts provide WCI with a consistent revenue stream so we can better manage our budget. Visit our Support page and choose "Monthly".

Legacy giving

Do you want to ensure that the Wallace Centers of Iowa continues connecting people to food and the land for a long time to come? Consider a gift to one of WCI's two endowment funds. A distribution is issued each year from these funds for operational support and maintenance needs at our two historic sites. Gifts of any amount are welcome, and one of the funds allows for Endow Iowa tax credits. Contact Ann via email or at 515.243.7063 with your confidential questions and without any obligation.

Connect with us!

Visit us online at wallace.org

The Wallace Centers of Iowa

Wallace House: 756 16th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50314

Wallace Farm: 2773 290th Street, Orient, Iowa 50858