Sunday, January 25, 2015

RAGBRAI 2015 Overnight Towns Announced

The eight overnight towns for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa XLIII were just announced at the annual Route Announcement Party: Sioux City > Storm Lake  > Fort Dodge > Eldora > Cedar Falls > Hiawatha > Coralville > Davenport. The starting and ending points, which are always on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, respectively, are for the first time both the same as for the inaugural ride in 1973.

This year's seven-day ride takes place July 19-25, 2015, and will be 462 miles in length with 15,948 feet of total climb, making it the 19th shortest and 13th flattest route since RAGBRAI began. Registration for the world's oldest, largest, and longest recreational bike touring event is currently open, with a deadline of April 1, 2015 for online applications. Lottery results will be announced May 1, 2015.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2015

Just over 50 years ago, on December 10, 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for Peace, concluding:
". . . I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners--all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty--and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.
The complete text of Dr. King's speech can be read on the Nobel Prize website. The text of King's Nobel Lecture, "The Quest for Peace and Justice," is also available on the site.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Plant the New Year with Heirloom Seeds

The tantalizing 2015 Catalog from Seed Savers Exchange marks the organization's 40th anniversary, and is now available online; alternatively, a copy in print can be requested free of charge.

Founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, Seed Savers Exchange is now the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States. With over 13,000 members, SSE conserves and maintains heirloom seeds for thousands of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Its mission is:
. . . to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.
Located on the 890-acre Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa, SSE is open to visitors from April to October, and sponsors special events such as seed starting, grafting, and gardening workshops. It also hosts an annual conference and campout. To learn more about Seed Savers Exchange and the benefits of membership, visit its website.