Iowa is an agricultural state. Before you skip over this article, let me assure you that I am not going to use this forum to keep pointing out the painfully obvious. I am not saying we are an agricultural state like it is a bad thing because it isn?t. For the most part, people here wear that like a badge of honor. Much of Iowa?s urban workforce is also tied to the agriculture industry. That is why events like the Iowa State Fair are necessary. We can showcase all the hard work being done in our industry and educate our consumers with information about why we do things the way we do.
The Iowa Farm Bureau (IFB) has a prominent location on the Grand Concourse at the fairgrounds. When you arrive at their area, you are presented with information for both the producer and the consumer of our state?s agricultural products. Even the farmer who has been raising commodities for years might find something out that they did not know was being done with the fruits of their hard work. That?s what organizations like the Farm Bureau are for. They are educating people about the latest in the agricultural industry.
I had one of those moments earlier this week at our booth. A gentleman came over with his family. He was a programmer for the precision Ag tools at an agriculture company. He was originally from a large urban area. While he understood the programming aspect of his job, he wanted to know more about how his work was being used. He wanted to understand the lives of the people who were benefitting from the hard work he does. I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with him and really give him some perspective. I also thanked him for the hard work he does. If not for people like him, farmers would not be getting better at what they do. This is something we need to understand as we tell our story. Just because somebody works at an Ag manufacturing company, does not mean they are totally understanding how their work benefits the industry. We need to make sure we are understanding and patient as we engage with these people.
This is why the Iowa Farm Bureau makes sure they are out in a conspicuous spot, to help educate the masses at the fair. IFB President Craig Hill tells me that their theme this year is ?Real Food. Real Farmers. Real Meat.? On Wednesday they hosted a cookout competition.
The winner was Rashawn Parker and his ?Picanha Steaks.? Hudson Salle captured the youth title.
On Thursday, Iowa Farm Bureau helped celebrate the Century and Heritage farms in Iowa. Hill talked about how everything agriculture is here at the fair, including the families.
Hill says that the outlook is mostly positive from their farmer members. The prices are better than they were a year ago, and that is helping farmers support their rural communities more as well.
You can learn more about the work of the Iowa Farm Bureau and their events at the fair, by visiting their website.
