A HISTORY OF GREENHOUSESConvivium is located on North Jackson Street in Dubuque, Iowa. The facility is actually an old greenhouse complex. It was originally built in the late 1920s by the Muntz family and was known as Muntz Greenhouses until 1952.
In 1952 the Eimer family bought the greenhouses and built/lived in the house next door to the greenhouse, to the north. Eimer’s ran the greenhouses until 1974, when the Hopper family took over. Many of our customers have stopped in to say they remember Hopper’s Greenhouse — they used to get their Easter lilies or poinsettias, or prom corsages here. After a hail storm caused major damage to the greenhouse in the 1990s, the Hopper family decided to close up shop. |
Architectural renderings of Convivium Urban Farmstead
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The greenhouses then served for a while as River Valley Nursery, but after the death of the owner, the property fell into disrepair. It was sold at auction to a developer who had plans to build low income housing apartments on the property. Luckily for us, funding for the project never materialized and Mike and Leslie bought the property in October 2013 and starting putting together their plans.
That plan started by hiring an architect. It was going to take a special firm to take on a non-traditional project like this. Our ideas did not fit into any preconceived formula or traditional type of project. Mike and Leslie found their partner in Nick Carnahan, a principal at Gailbraith Carnahan Associates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carnahan had ties to the area and understood the ethos of the city, the neighborhood as well as Mike and Leslie’s passions and goals. After many meetings and a scouting field trip to Milwaukee, Carnahan and his team set about the design process.
That plan started by hiring an architect. It was going to take a special firm to take on a non-traditional project like this. Our ideas did not fit into any preconceived formula or traditional type of project. Mike and Leslie found their partner in Nick Carnahan, a principal at Gailbraith Carnahan Associates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carnahan had ties to the area and understood the ethos of the city, the neighborhood as well as Mike and Leslie’s passions and goals. After many meetings and a scouting field trip to Milwaukee, Carnahan and his team set about the design process.
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The Current FacilityThere are still two greenhouses on site, situated side-by-side, each about 5,600 square feet, plus an enclosed building of about 2,600 square feet. The idea was to take one of those greenhouses, plus the enclosed building and turn those into distinct areas that would help support our mission to create community around food.
The enclosed portion of Convivium is powered by 99 solar panels on the roof and heated and cooled through geo-thermal heat. The second greenhouse plans are still being defined, but we know it will house paths and gather spaces as well as off-grid water and heating technologies. Part of the space will also be a Resource Shed to house a variety of our processing equipment – including our maple sap boiler, fruit press, and compost harvester. |
How it looks today:
Restaurant & Coffee HouseThe coffee shop is located in the front retail space of the original greenhouse. Here you can enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee, a cup of tea made with herbs dried from our gardens, or our made-from scratch breakfast and lunch options.
The Coffee House is also a space to highlight local artists and a number of Convivium products made from the produce we grow in our neighborhood gardens. |
Event SpaceThis is where we enjoy food and celebrate life and community. At Convivium we believe the food we eat and who we enjoy it with are vitally important – and the Event Space is where that happens. This space serves as seating for our restaurant and coffee shop and can also be rented out for private events. Best of all, proceeds from the weddings and parties held here directly support our programming and help feed local families!
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Training KitchenThis is where people learn to prepare, preserve and connect with food. From learning how to cook healthy meals on a budget to pairing wines and cheeses – this space brings people together to empower and educate them on how to use real food ingredients and feel more confident in the kitchen.
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Commercial KitchenThis is where we prepare the food that we serve in the restaurant, on our catering menu, and in partnership with HomeFresh Prepared Meals. Windows allow our guests to take a peek inside the kitchen and see their food being prepared.
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Learning CenterThis is where people gain and practice skills of self-sufficiency and creative repurposing. The Learning Center is designed as a flexible workshop space where we host hands-on classes like composting, traditional woodworking, and beekeeping.
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TAKE A TOURWe offer interactive, guided tours of our gardens and facility for large and small groups. Tours are offered throughout the year, but are most fun (and tasty) during the growing season (May through September). Fees apply for guided tours.
We also have a free, self-guided tour you can take at your convenience. |