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The purpose of Etzel Sugar Grove Farm is to establish an environmentally and economically self-sufficient farm using regenerative and organic practices. This farm models what the future of agriculture needs to look like for a more resilient and sustainable world. The Nature Center shares what it learns, and encourages others to adopt effective regenerative practices.
As a Champion of Nature and a leader in sustainability, Indian Creek Nature Center is uniquely suited to this challenge.
In February 2018, the Nature Center unveiled a two-phase plan to establish ecologically sustainable permaculture farming practices at Etzel Sugar Grove Farm. Phase I included certifying the 8-acre Frontier Co-op Permaculture Field as organic, hiring a full-time farm manager, establishing a chicken flock and planting perennial crops using permaculture practices.
Now in phase 2, we are:
- Expanding organic produce production
- Transitioning all tillable acres to certified organic
- Working towards providing an economically viable and environmentally responsible agriculture model
- Providing public programs and field days that focus on organic practices, diverse crops and the impacts of regenerative farming
Permaculture is an agriculture system that creates efficient, self-sustaining ecosystems, effectively reusing energy and resources as much as possible before they leave the system – rather than solely pulling resources from the earth, as industrial agriculture does. The benefits of permaculture farming include improving water quality, producing valuable goods for market, providing habitat for wildlife and creating corridors for their travel, sequestering carbon and other greenhouse gasses, and more.
Sustainable agricultural practices core to regenerative farming include:
- Rotating crops to reduce pests and eliminate the need for chemical pesticides
- Establishing prairie buffer strips that support beneficial insects, birds while increasing crop yields and reducing erosion and run off
- Planting perennial crops, trees and shrubs that require reduced amounts of fertilizer after establishment
- Repurposing chicken bedding as compost that feeds nutrients back into the vegetable beds
- Producing a wide variety of nutrient-rich fruits, nuts and vegetables that stay in our community
- Organic certification provides an independent audit that verifies the farm meets USDA organic standards. This includes growing crops that are free from synthetic chemical inputs and are non-gmo, that chickens are fed organic feed and can roam freely outdoors, and that we work to protect the soil and water.
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Community Support
Frontier Co-op, supporter since 2016
Cargill, supporter since 2018
Diamond V Corporate Fund of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, supporter since 2018
Linn County, supporter since 2022
This project is being supported, in part, by federal award number SLFRP0336 awarded to Linn County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Wings2Water, supporter since 2023
Practical Farmers of Iowa, supporter since 2024
The 120-acre Etzel Sugar Grove Farm, located about four miles northwest of the Tuma Soccer Complex in rural Marion, was donated to Indian Creek Nature Center by George Etzel in 2016 and is one of the largest gifts in the Nature Center’s history.
The Nature Center’s board took advantage of this incredible gift by making an investment in regenerative agriculture that could transform the future of farming in Iowa.
By working toward making agriculture more ecologically friendly, ICNC is carrying out its mission to create a more sustainable future. The farm includes a mature woodland, a pasture, tillable fields, vegetable beds, berry bushes, and fruit and nut trees. The team is weaving prairie buffer strips throughout the cropland and is restoring the woodlands to encourage ecological diversity and wildlife.
Eggs
Our certified organic, pasture-raised hens enjoy life at Etzel Sugar Grove Farm. The flock’s diet, full of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals in the seeds, grasses and insects they eat, is supplemented by organic grain. The fresh air and sunshine make for happy hens and delicious, farm-fresh eggs that can be found at stores across Linn County, including the Creekside Shop at Amazing Space. People looking to raise their own chickens can get the local certifications they need in our Backyard Chicken Classes.
Produce
The Frontier Co-op Permaculture Field has been certified organic since 2021. The field produces fruits, nuts, vegetables and herbs. Etzel Sugar Grove Farm’s organic produce is used in area restaurants and is available for purchase in the Creekside Shop. See an updated list of locations below.
Honey
A 15-hive apiary produces honey and serves as a resource for our hands-on Beginning Beekeeping Series. The honey has been used in collaboration with Lion Bridge Brewing Co. to make a golden ale, and the honey is used in our signature honey lemonade, which is available at our annual Monarch Fest. The Creekside Shop also carries honey jars ranging from 8 oz. to 5 lbs, and honey sticks.
You can also find Indian Creek Nature Center’s eggs or produce for sale or used in the menu at the following local businesses:
Roasters Coffee House
Frontier Coop
Lion Bridge Brewing Company
Aroma Artisan Pizza
Scout of Marion
Julia’s Kitchen
Lori Ann’s Candies
Saatvik Swad
Feedwell Kitchen & Bakery