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Editorials

Century Farms celebrate history

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 ...

Buffer Pilot Project just got better

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 ...

Fruit, vegetable growers deserve recognition

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 ...

Celebrating Beef Month

During the month of May, it is worth noting that it is a time to celebrate an important meat product. May is Beef Month. For many of us, every month is a time to partake of a food that ranks high on the list of culinary favorites. It’s no secret that Americans have a love affair with ...

Use of wind power must be encouraged

Spend any time outdoors in Iowa and one thing becomes immediately apparent — the wind is always blowing. We Iowans are accustomed to the corn stalks rustling in the summer breeze. And we complain when the wind chill factor makes a cold January day feel even colder. But wind is a fact of ...

Nitrogen project is worthy of support

A project just getting underway offers a chance to address two issues that affect the state of Iowa every year: water quality and the cost of fertilizer. It is called the Nitrogen Soil Sampling Project. It involves the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Iowa Nutrient ...

Keep Iowa’s roads safe during planting

We are entering one of those times of the year when big, slow-moving farm machines rumble out onto roadways dominated by faster-paced traffic. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who lives in farm country. Even so, all of us should pay special heed to safety considerations as we share the ...

It’s time for spring — and farming

It’s getting to be that time of the year. Although it is early in the season, you may have seen a tractor rolling down a rural road already. If you are a farmer, perhaps you have been looking over the fields and getting the machinery ready. All that activity means one thing — the time ...

Enjoy the Progress Agriculture section

This edition of Farm News includes the annual Progress Agriculture section. It provides a comprehensive look at how a wide array of developments in our region are shaping the agricultural tomorrow. While every issue of this newspaper is filled with articles, features and advertisements that ...

Is your family eligible?

For those area families that have a long, proud history of farming, it is not too early to think about the 2026 Century Farm and Heritage Farm awards. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging eligible farm owners to apply for the 2026 Century and Heritage Farm Program. The ...