CEDAR RAPIDS – Alyssa Aronson asks third graders at Kenwood Leadership Academy how many have been on a farm. A few raise their hands. Previous generations of Iowans often had relatives who farmed, but many children who spend their lives in the city, even in the Heartland, no longer have that connection to rural life. […]
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Category: Agriculture
Practical Farmers of Iowa brings farmers...
AMES, Iowa – Seasoned and aspiring farmers learned how cover crops can protect Iowa’s soil and water, brainstormed ways to revive rural communities and explored dozens of other topics during the 2019 Practical Farmers of Iowa conference. About 800 participants from throughout Iowa and beyond braved a winter snowstorm to join in the “Cultivating Connections” […]
Challenges to Iowa vegetable growers add...
For vegetable growers, some crops can be more challenging to grow than others. Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2019 annual conference, Jan. 17-19 in Ames, will feature three sessions focused on specific crops — cauliflower, eggplant and storage onions — that present unique challenges to Iowa’s vegetable farmers. These sessions are among a suite of offerings […]
Iowa Organic Conference set for Nov. 18-...
Early registration is still available through Nov. 11 for the Iowa Organic Conference, happening Nov. 18-19 at the University of Iowa. Learn more about the conference from Iowa State University Extension & Outreach: IOWA CITY – The 18th annual Iowa Organic Conference, a joint effort between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa Office […]
Earth, Wind and Fire (and lightning) and...
DES MOINES – A thunderstorm that rumbled through central Iowa on Thursday, Aug. 16, resulted in a one-hour delay for the Earth, Wind & Fire concert at the Iowa State Fair. Opening act Sinbad started off the grandstand event, but audience members began to peel off as lightning began encroaching on the fairgrounds. After the […]
What the Farm Bureau doesn’t want you to
Fairfield, Iowa, farmer and soil scientist Francis Thicke wrote a response to an editorial on water quality published in the Des Moines Register. Thicke said the June 28 editorial, by Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, contained the “usual misinformation on nitrate put forth by the Farm Bureau and other ag groups.” While the Register […]
Tribute to Feed Iowa First founder Sonia...
I don’t have the answers anyone is searching for in regards to Sonia Kendrick, best known as the founder of Feed Iowa First, and to her friends, so much more. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, where Sonia saw people suffering from hunger, she tackled that same problem when she returned to her home […]
Iowa farmer chosen for sustainability aw...
Practical Farmers of Iowa announced today that Earl Hafner was chosen for the 2018 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award, to be presented this Friday, Jan. 19, at the Scheman Building in Ames, during Practical Farmers’ 2018 annual conference. I had a great time touring the Hafner farm in western Iowa – during much warmer weather – […]
Locate an Iowa tree farm for a locally g...
Before Black Friday became a frenetic day for shopping, the day after Thanksgiving for many families meant a trip to the local tree farm. If your family still follows that holiday tradition, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship offers the following information to locate a locally grown Christmas tree: “Iowa is fortunate to […]
Iowa farmer: Corporate ag influence puts...
Organic dairy farmer Francis Thicke, of Fairfield, Iowa, who holds a PhD in soil science, attended his last meeting as a board member of the National Organic Standards Board this week in Jacksonville, Fla. The meeting brought with it a recommendation to allow hydroponic operators to remain a part of the organic program. Learn more from […]