A mid-May Downtown Farmers Market doesn't always bring to mind bushels upon bushels of fresh produce in every booth. But that doesn't mean the early weeks of the market are all about packaged goods, crafts and kettle corn, either.

I called some Iowa farmers to ask what they're hoping to sell on the next couple of Saturdays, and in spite of this wet, cool spring, I found plenty of good things to bring to the table: 

• Hensley's Farm: Farmer Will Hensley says he hopes to have spinach, green lettuce, tomatoes from the greenhouse, radishes and maybe some wild asparagus. Also look for hanging baskets of flowers. Find them on Fourth Street, north of Court Avenue.

• Grade A Gardens: Grower Jordan Claussen has his sights set on five varieties of radishes, spring garlic, baby greens and rhubarb. Home gardeners should poke around his stall for vegetable transplants such as tomatoes, pepper, broccoli, cabbages and fresh herbs. Find them on Fourth Street, south of Court Avenue.

• Cleverley Farms: Look for seven varieties of radishes from farmer Larry Cleverley, along with spring garlic, arugula and other greens. He's also hoping to bring in some wild nettles and rapini (aka broccoli raab). Find Cleverley Farms on Court Avenue between Second Avenue and Third Street.

With a plethora of limited-edition plants, inventive displays, celebrity green thumbs and more, the inaugural Spring Garden Festival, May 8-11, is not your mother's plant sale. Still, mom no doubt would love a Mother's Day weekend outing to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden's celebration and fundraiser, where she can browse more than 430 varieties of plants for sale--many of them rare or unusual and unavailable at local garden centers. And mothers get free admission to the Botanical Garden on Mother's Day. (Garden geeks, hit the festival early for the best selection.)

The Botanical Garden's parking lot will become a tented pop-up shop highlighting edibles and drinkables, shade gardening, four-season gardening and urban gardening, with something for all levels of gardeners. Organized by a mostly volunteer committee co-chaired by Deb Wiley and Cynde Schreiber, the festival starts with a members-only sale (May 8, 5-6:30 p.m.). An opening night gala includes bubbly botanicals--champagne cocktails with roselle flowers and syrup--dinner and an auction.

You'll also find a mix of educational programs, with presentations by Joseph Tychonevich, author of "Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener"; Eddie Ross, East Coast editor for Better Homes and Gardens; and a range of experts in the "Pallet Pulpit Series." Except for the gala ($125) and Tychonevich's talk ($5), the festival is free. Buy tickets and learn more here.

One out of eight people will go to bed hungry
tonight, according to the World Food Programme.
If that unfathomable statistic leaves you feeling overwhelmed and powerless, let some local fifth- and sixth-graders inspire you. The 62 young volunteers from Valley Church in West Des Moines recently packaged 6,912 meals at Meals from the Heartland's new packaging center and warehouse 
at 357 Lincoln St., West Des Moines. The Route 56 youth group was the first to take part in Meals from the Heartland's new Wednesday-evening youth sessions at the new Patty Cownie Center.

Companies, churches and other groups can arrange private packaging events at the center or host Meals from the Heartland at their sites. Other easy ways to help:  

• Package meals. Individuals and families now can register online.

• Donate. Just $1 buys five rice-soy meals or four macaroni and cheese meals.

• Plan to help. The seventh annual Hunger Fight, Meals from the Heartland's signature event, is Aug. 27-30. Last year, 15,000 volunteers packaged more than 5 million meals. For more information, click here.  -K.C.

Talk about making a big impression! Local artists, along with college and high school art students, will use a steamroller to make fabric prints in the Urbandale Public Library parking lot May 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Part of the library's Art Gallery event series, "Art Under Pressure" is free and open to all ages.

Students from Urbandale, Johnston, Valley and Dowling Catholic high schools and Iowa State University graduate programs will work with local printmakers to create 8-foot-by-4-foot prints. Some will be displayed in the gallery May 13-June 30 and be available for purchase. For more information, click here. -K.C.