And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. (ESV) (Deuteronomy 8:10)

I love to talk about farming in Iowa. I like to travel through the countryside where the average farm, growing mostly corn and soybeans, is over 350 acres. In fact, many Iowa farmers are responsible for several thousand acres. But today I want to take you to a farm right here in Des Moines in a neighborhood called Dogpatch. This farm is just a few miles from our home. There is a big  contrast in size and quite a difference in production. Eric and Jenny Quiner grow organic fruits and vegetables on this little farm of well under one acre. They call it "Dogpatch Urban Gardens."

The high tunnel greenhouse is not heated, but plants can be grown here except for the coldest winter months.  Left: A tunnel full of tomatoes is a sight to behold (August 15). Right: Here it is just one month later (September 20) and the tomatoes are all harvested and the high tunnel greenhouse has been filled with fall and winter greens.

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I have so very many Iowa farmer friends. Now I am pleased to add Jenny Quiner to that list. Most of my farmer friends specialize in corn, soybeans and hay, but Jenny (and husband Eric) operate an organic fruit and vegetable farm right here in Des Moines, Iowa. They call it "Dogpatch Urban Gardens." They strive to apply sustainable  organic and biointensive principals to grow very high quality fresh food products for local use in Central Iowa. I called this story, "little farm in BIG CITY"--but this farm is only little in size. It is a big example of how a very small parcel of land--through lots of hard work and loving care--can provide food for so many people--and still maintain the integrity of our Iowa soil.