To the editor: Whether Republican or Democrat, politicians think that even though WE can’t manage our own lives, THEY are blessed with the superior intellect to do so. Facts prove them wrong. The founders of this country saw that guaranteeing us the freedom to choose in our relationships ...
Siloes and big barns are usually the first buildings someone spots when driving by a farm. But tucked somewhere in between them is the structure that is the real heart of any Iowa farm — the farmhouse. Farmhouses come in all shapes and sizes. Often, they are older buildings that have been ...
Nobody knows exactly how long humans have cultivated the soybean, but agricultural historians seem quite certain its domestication as a crop in China dates back three millennia. There are actually Chinese records documenting soybean growth as far back as the 11th century. There is some ...
To the editor: Five years ago, Summit Carbon Solutions rolled out its plan for the Midwest Carbon Express, a 2,000-mile pipeline designed to transport carbon dioxide collected from ethanol plants in five states and sequester it underground in North Dakota. The project has met fierce ...
The season for summer fairs and festivals is nearly at an end. For the countless Iowans and others who love county fairs, however, one big event remains — the Clay County Fair. The fair that opens in Spencer on Saturday and runs through Sept. 20 is not just any fair. It is by far the ...
Thousands of people will soon be converging on Boone for what is described as the largest outdoor agriculture show in the nation. That event is the 2026 Farm Progress Show to be held Sept. 1-3 at 1827 217th Road in Boone. Show hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show is a highlight of the summer ...
The time for eating all kinds of food on a stick while gazing at a cow sculpted in butter has arrived. Yes, we are talking about the Iowa State Fair, which begins Thursday and continues through Aug. 23. It may well be the grandest of our nation’s state agricultural festivals. Iowans ...
It’s been more than 180 years since land that is now the state of Iowa was opened for settlers. The America of the 21st century is far different from the nation presided over by President Andrew Jackson in 1833. There is, however, one constant feature for Iowans — agriculture is at the very ...
There are times when a good idea can be made even better. That is the case with the expansion of the state’s Streamside Buffer Pilot Project. It uses a comparatively small amount of money to help farmers plant vegetation along the sides of waterways, with the ultimate goal of cleaning up ...
There’s more than corn and soybeans growing in Iowa’s rich soil. Iowa’s farmers grow staggering amounts of corn and soybeans, so it makes sense that those crops are the first ones many people associate with the state’s farms. But there is also a surprising amount of fruits and ...