Books on Growing Food

March marks the beginning of the growing season here in Iowa, which also means the opening of our Seed Library! Our Seed Library offers a wide variety of seeds from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Here are some books we have available to check out about growing your own food that may be helpful on your growing journey! To see the full list of titles shown below, click here.

Books Mentioned:

Looking for more books about growing food or gardening? Check out our Seed Library displays for the month of March at each of our Davenport locations!

Our 2026 Seed Library is open from March 7th to September 30th. To learn more about our Seed Library, check out our Seed Library Growing Companion here.

Ripe by Cheryl Rule

Eat fruits and vegetables not because you’re told you should, but because you want them in every sense of the word. Because they are beautiful. And satisfying. And you want their freshness, flavor, and simplicity. That’s why Ripe is arranged by color, not season.

Author and food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule and award-winning food photographer Paulette Phlipot, have teamed up to bring inspiration to hungry home cooks. Their goal is not to deliver another lecture on eating for the sake of nutrition or environmental stewardship (though they affirm that both are important), but to tempt others to “embrace the vegetable, behold the fruit” because these foods are versatile, gorgeous, and taste terrific. Starting with red and progressing towards a calmer white, Ripe is arranged by color to showcase the lush, natural beauty of fruits and vegetables. Each is accompanied by a lighthearted essay, breathtaking photography, and one showcase recipe, along with three “quick-hit” recipe ideas. With 150 photos and 75 recipes, this unique cookbook will quicken your pulse and leave you very, very hungry. (description from publisher)