On the Farm

The past year was difficult for monarch butterflies. Iowans can help support the monarch butterfly by planting milkweed and other flowering plants in their gardens, yards and even road ditches.

The electrification of agricultural equipment presents a promising future for farmers. Farmers can improve operational efficiency and benefit from cost savings by embracing electric vehicles, machinery and drones.

The past year was a difficult one for the eastern monarch butterfly. Adding habitat will help conservation efforts. The state’s monarch conservation plan can potentially increase the size of the breeding monarch population in Iowa and the Midwest by 10-25% per generation. 

A significant new change for farming equipment is the trend of switching fossil fuel-powered equipment to electric equipment.

This month, when we honor a long history devoted to cooperatives and their relationships with those they serve, Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO) celebrates the 65^th anniversary of an initiative to “Power On” a farm in Ida County.

Imagine your daily life without electricity – a reality that was common on most Iowa farms as late as the 1930s and 1940s. It was a truth that struck me time and time again as I wrote my “Culinary History of Iowa” book, which details the evolution of Iowa’s delectable, distinctly Midwest cuisine. Many of these stories reflect the sobering realities of farm life before rural electrification.