Des Moines Register's Famer's Market Blog

The Des Moines Register has a blog online covering farmer's market in the Des Moines area.

Tom Perry interviews people who set up the stands and writes about the markets best finds. Last week, Perry wrote about the not-so green gardens...

Fresh, mushrooms, cultivated in Iowa, can be found at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. Raised by Jim and Brein Osborn of Vinton, the mushrooms fall in to the exotic category. The oyster and shitaki look great every week.

The Osborns call their mushroom-growing venture: “Anything But Green Gardens.” Find their table this week on 4th Street, south of Court Avenue.

and about some of the more sweeter goods found at the Des Moines farmer's market...

We’re not talking any ice cream here. But Mike’s Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream, made with milk and cream from Iowa’s Cloverleaf Dairy. It is easy to find Mike’s spot at the market — he’s the one with the small 1929 John Deere Hit-and-Miss engine driving blades in two wooden buckets on the east end of Court Avenue, north side. This is a great place to see the basics of ice cream making.

Mike Pettit of Norwalk launched the ice cream venture in July 2005. In just a few seasons at the market, he and his ice cream have become a popular fixture.

This morning I tasted the vanilla. I know this is a bit of a cliche, but this ice cream really did remind me of the ice cream that I remember from back in the 1960s. Rich and creamy, but not overly so, and just the right touch of sweetness. The ice cream can be purchased with homemade strawberry or chocolate syrup.

If you plan to visit the Des Moines farmer's market, make sure to check out this blog.