×
×
homepage logo

Local News

The dairy life

SPENCER — Spencer-based Jones Dairy will host its fourth “Breakfast on the Farm” June 21 from 7 to 10 a.m. at the dairy. Aaron Titterington, who co-manages the dairy with her brother, Nate Jones, said the reason they do it is simple — they want to promote the dairy industry as it ...

Inaugural Choose Iowa Farm Crawl set

DES MOINES — Choose Iowa will host its inaugural statewide Choose Iowa Farm Store Crawl on Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22. This two-day event coincides with the Iowa Barn Foundation's (IBF) Spring Barn Tour in Cedar County. Iowans and visitors are invited to discover the state’s rich ...

AgState announces agronomy warehouse expansions

CHEROKEE — AgState is excited to announce the expansion of its Emmetsburg and Fonda agronomy businesses with the addition of new seed and chemical storage warehouses. This investment underscores AgState’s long-term commitment to strengthening our agronomy services, supporting local ...

The father he never knew

WEBSTER CITY — What a reunion it was to have been. It had been years since this young couple had seen one another eye to eye. But now he was on the way home from halfway around the world. It would be a journey that ended almost before it began, when a transport plane carrying several ...

Supercharging soil with algae

Ever wonder how farmers like Russell Hedrick of North Carolina win national corn growing contests? While there’s no silver bullet, Hedrick used a system of biological inputs and regenerative management practices to help him reach 459.1 bushels per acre in 2022 — a milestone many corn ...

An emotional day

DES MOINES — Sen. Dave Rowley, R-Iowa, District 5, said it was an emotional time in Des Moines on the day Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that prohibits Iowa drivers from using their electronic devices while driving, unless they are in hands-free mode. Reynolds was surrounded by ...

‘Every tractor has a story’

POMEROY — Remember when finding vintage tractors wasn’t as easy as a quick online search? In the 1990s and earlier, the hunt required persistence, connections and a sense of adventure. “It was called networking and usually involved road trips,” joked Steve Rosenboom, a vintage ...

A tale of two tractors

CLEAR LAKE — Ron Franks lives on the farm where he grew up north of Clear Lake. At age 85, Franks is mostly retired but still helps Jim Barkema, who operates the farm, as needed. In his farming career, Franks has raised crops, fed hogs and was a Pioneer seed dealer for many ...

Back in the family again

SPENCER — Farm family ties can run as deep as a plow’s furrow. That notion became evident in the physical sense in the Bob and Linda Neppl family, when Bob Neppl purchased his father’s tractor at a bitter-cold 1970 farm auction. “It’s a 1968 John Deere 3020 diesel,” said ...

Time on the fender with Dad

DAYTON — Leroy Jones spent a lot of time on the fender of a tractor just like the one that is now among his favorite restored tractors. The fender is round and narrow — and not at all where anyone is supposed to ride — but farm kids of the 1950s had no problem sitting up here for hours ...