Musician Ed Fallon performed many of Chopin’s nocturnes and other pieces before hosting a discussion on food options at an event at Lisbon Library Saturday, April 12.
Fallon started many of the Chopin pieces with improvisations on the piano at Lisbon’s Heritage Hall, and then led into the nocturnes.
After the piano concert, Fallon and his wife Kathy Byrne presented information on urban farms. The couple runs Birds and Bees Urban Farm in Des Moines, where they use spaces outside of the property they rent to grow some crops, as well as beekeeping and chicken farming.
Fallon said that one of the things people need to remember is that in the Midwest, we’ve already seen crops disrupted by higher temperatures in growing seasons, and that citizens need to take more action to grow crops locally to avoid the impact of larger farming operations.
Jessica Wiskus said that Mount Vernon and Lisbon have community gardens that have been established in previous seasons. Their raised garden beds at Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center help to produce vegetables there and for Southeast Linn Community Center.
The community garden is also in the process this season of relocating community gardens behind the former Brothers’ Market and near the Rehabilitation Center of Lisbon to a
new location out by Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church.
“We know the pounds of produce that are grown locally and available to SELCC and the rest of the community are reported each season,” Wiskus said.
Both Mount Vernon and Lisbon do also have urban chicken ordinances, allowing for flocks of six or less chickens per property within city limits, another of Fallon and Byrne’s recommendation. Owners do have to have proper training and a maintained coop for the animals. Lisbon city council member John Bardsley said that Lisbon also has made exceptions for certain breeds of ducks for certain community members.
Another item they are exploring in Des Moines is the creation of urban orchards, where fruit trees are planted in community parks. It’s an idea that if it takes off in some parks may get folded into other parks in the metro.
Bardsley said there are restrictions on certain types of trees in the parking areas in front of homes in Lisbon, but fruit trees are allowed elsewhere in residential yards.
“When you grow your own food, you know more of what is in it,” Byrnes said.
Elizabeth Hoover de Galvez, Lisbon Library director, said that the library will be utilizing portions of the Ciha family donation for programming this summer, including another series of cooking classes. Phyllis Ciha was an avid 4-H member and helping to connect the community to food that is grown locally would be a great way to honor her, Hoover de Galvez said. If anyone knows chefs who would like to teach cooking classes, let Hoover de Galvez know for future summer sessions.