How much do you love healthy, local food? How hard do you have to work to find it and get it to your table? How important is it to you to have your kids eat healthy food that’s grown close to where you live? There’s all kinds of research about how important it is to eat food that doesn’t travel … Read
Hold the Center
Toward the end of the hike there were times I wasn’t sure I could make it. So I took another page from yoga and just breathed. And took one step and another. I passed groups, and groups passed me. Strangers cheered me on, and we told each other we were glad to be there.
Settle, Create & Play. Then Grow
Cyndy Erickson gave me a book and an invitation last Christmas. The book is My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem. The invitation was to connect remotely with her, and others to talk about the book, its impact on us, and America’s relationship with race. As we read and talked about the book over several months, I decided to create a … Read
Take the Learning Outdoors
When things feel turned around and upside down, turn to nature for solace and safety. Breathe the fresh air and find joy among the trees and rocks.
Get Kids Moving
The outdoors is the best place to be as we fight Covid-19 and experience the beauty of fall. Don’t miss the opportunity on warm days for water play, bike rides, creek walking and neighborhood mapping. Go ahead and get lost!
A Fresh Perspective
New resources for exploring fruits and veggies, along with some nuggets for appreciating the farmers, truckers, grocery clerks, parents, and all the others who bring them to our table.
19 Trails in 19 Days
Explore the parks around central Iowa with Shelly Johnson and her family. You’re sure to have an amazing adventure!
Be a Soil Detective
Discover the amazing critters in your own backyard! And the ways they create healthy soils to grow vegetables, flowers and people!
Thank You, Turkey Vultures
Turkey vultures are nature’s cleanup crew; we have cleanup crews that pick up our garbage, recycling and yard waste. Here are a couple lessons to take on your next trip to the woods!
Sprouts
Stretch your parenting skills for your stay-at-home kiddos with the Next Step kids’ Garden Curriculum! Easy-to-use activities, experiments, and gardening tips for first-time AND experienced gardeners as well.