To the editor:

When I moved to Iowa in the seventies, Bob Streit was doing agronomy updates on the radio for Dekalb Seeds. Then I lost track of him until he wrote his column in Farm News.

Farm media was mostly one big advertisement for purchased inputs … except for Bob’s columns. He put into perspective the science of living things from the standpoint of love. His columns always had a hint of mystery, as if he was unsure of how, exactly, this world really works. Real science.

That was the beauty of Bob. Whenever I went to the mailbox and found Farm News, I looked inside on my way back to the house to see what new perspective he was bringing to us.

When he replied to my emails he would furnish expansive links to back up his theories. Until his more recent columns he avoided some of those theories, maybe to retain readership in a world saturated with propaganda designed to make farmers dependent on quick fixes while ignoring long-term effects.

When I found the sad news of Bob’s passing, I said to my wife, “look at this.” There was my unanswered email to Bob asking where he’s been.

Bob’s unique questioning approach demands we carry on his legacy.

Fritz Groszkruger

Dumont