Sprout Harvest Map

The sign reads:  

Sprout Harvest Map. Drake University Sprout Food Forest is home to more than 60 food producing trees and shrubs, hundreds of edible perennial plants, pollinator-attracting flowers 

and natives, three permaculture swales, a learning garden, gathering spaces, and a walking  trail.  

Picking encouraged. Only harvest what you need. No synthetic pesticides or herbicides have  been applied. Only eat what you can identify and leave some for others. Drake University does  not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the consumption of plants. 

On the left side of the sign, there is a map of the Learning Garden and Food Forest. The map is  oriented with the south side of the garden on top. The Learning Garden is at the top of the  map, above the Food Forest. The fence surrounding the garden has two gates, one, labelled  “Volunteer Entrance” on the west side of the garden, and the other, on the northwest side of  the garden leading into the Food Forest. The Learning Garden also features raised beds, a shed,  compost, and classroom areas. There are paths connecting the Learning Garden with the Food  Forest, which is located in the bottom two-thirds of the map. The location of this sign is marked  with a red information pin labeled “You are here.” The locations of many of the plants in the  Food Forest are featured on the map. 

Next to the map is a chart called “What’s in season?” This calendar provides an estimated  harvesting timeline. See each plant ID sign for specific harvest dates. From top to bottom, the  list is as follows: asparagus and rhubarb ripen in April and May; blueberries, gooseberries,  serviceberries, and strawberries in June and July; clover flower in June, July, August, and  September; Cornelian Cherry Dogwood and Apricots in July and August; aronia berries,  elderberries, peaches, plums, and spicebush in August and September; paw paws and pears in  August, September, and October; American cranberries and persimmons in September,  October, and November; apples, hazelnuts, and maypops in September and October; and  groundnuts, partridgeberries, and wintergreen in October and November. 

The far-right side of the sign reads: “engage your senses, smell the fruits and flowers, gently  feel the textures of the plants, listen for the birds and bees, taste the different fruits, and look  at all the colors. Test your knowledge, scan the QR code to take our quiz and share what you  have learned with us! 

The bottom of the sign says: Food Forest funding provided by Prairie Meadows, Drake Student  Senate, Iowa DNR, Suzie Glazer Burt, ChangeX, United Way of Central Iowa. Sprout was  established in 2012with a grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Originally designed  by Drew Maifeld and located on Forest Avenue, Sprout was relocated to this space in 2021 and  designed by Jeff Reiland.