Lora Conrad lives on a small farm in Van Buren County.

Sassafras.

One of my favorite smaller trees, Sassafras albidum, is considered native to Iowa. However, it has been found in the wild only in one or two counties along the Mississippi River, one of which is Lee, adjacent to Van Buren where I set out two in my yard.

Sassafras is prevalent across the southeast and northeast, including adjacent Missouri and Illinois. It is a member of the Laurel family. The origin of the name is believed to be a mispronunciation by 16th century European explorers of the botanical family Saxifrage. Here is a map showing its native areas from BONAP:

John Deeth periodically updates readers on the growings on at the “smallest farm” (his vegetable garden) over at his blog.

I don’t even have a garden–just a sungold tomato plant and some basil growing in pots on our deck. Our yard is too shady to try to grow any food.

The first four sungold tomatoes ripened this week, and I’ve eaten two already. They were great. I’ve got a lot of blossoms and some other green tomatoes growing, but I didn’t pinch off the side shoots this spring, so I’m not going to get a very good yield from this plant. At least I’ve learned a lesson I can apply next year.

This is an open thread to discuss any fruits or vegetables you’ve planted at your home. You can’t do better for your health or the environment than to grow your own food.