Iowa has many tracts of natural lands, both public and privately owned, scattered in a sea of corn and soybeans. These lands are important for outdoor recreation, habitat for wildlife and plants, and for scenic vistas and trails. In addition, studies by the Iowa Economic Development Authority ...

The beauty of the United States of America is we are an amazing country. Like other countries, the United States is not perfect, but no American should be ashamed of the United States. We can all strive to create a better country, to hopefully undo the sins of our past or do the best we can do. ...

While the Winding Stairs Festival is an important festival all must attend, there is a slightly bigger event in Iowa which also brings people together. It is the Iowa State Fair. Whether it is attending concerts at the grandstand, looking at or showing the animals, or trying the newest and ...

Another year, another successful Winding Stairs Festival in the books for the community of Traer. In an effort to do things differently this year, I made the trip for both Friday and Saturday. Double dipping on Friday at Lost Island Theme Park during the day while night-capping at the Winding ...

What is over four miles long, is full of dirt and has a potential power output of 50 megawatts? This is not a trick question but a unique idea to reduce our carbon emissions that even those who don’t care about global warming can appreciate. It is an energy-storage-by-rail project that is ...

“You make me dizzy Miss Lizzy…the way you rock and roll!” They are unbelievably gorgeous and Lisianthus is by far the hardiest flower that I grow – let me explain… I found one of the Lisianthus blooms I’d cut the day before lying on the ground in the high tunnel, looking as ...

Most churches don’t pay taxes. Right or wrong, it’s a fact. The logic behind it is that churches, and other nonprofits, are good for America. We bring people together. We serve our communities. We lift up the oppressed. So we get that little boon to help us get by. But there are ...

Resiliency is what the United States needs. Recently, a company named CrowdStrike had an outage which affected many businesses around the world including numerous airlines. This outage left fliers stranded across the globe for longer than they wanted to be. This is not resiliency. When ...

Let’s talk Zinnias. Who loves them? Who hates them? Who has a love/hate relationship with them like I do? I love the range of colors and styles (the pin cushion scabiosa variety is one of my favorites). I also appreciate their cheerful blooms and the tiny inner flowers that form around the ...

A boy can dream. While I do not have a ton of experience in agriculture outside of farming – and I do not have a formal education in it – coming from a different background with different perspectives can lead to one seeing agriculture in a different light. With this being said, the ...