If you’re driving Iowa’s roads this fall, you’ve probably seen the usual sights.
Foliage is starting to change colors, pumpkin spice and apple cider flavors are everywhere.
And harvesters and farmers are out in the fields right now, bringing in the crops of seed corn, soybeans and other crops that drive most of Iowa’s community.
If you know any farmers, this is one of the busiest times of their year, with long hours in harvesters and semis to get their crops from the farm to market, and praying for either the rain to hold off or if it’s been a long stretch in the crops, maybe see some of that rain to give them a needed day off.
As drivers on Iowa’s roads, be advised that you may meet farm equipment on the roads early in the morning or late at night. Just like other vehicles on the roads, they deserve attention to keep us all safe from injury or crashes that could be avoided.
As Iowans, we know first hand the importance of farming.
This year’s inductee to the America Needs Farmers wall of honor Saturday, Oct. 9, was Anamosa’s Marshal Yanda.
Yanda, a fifth generation Iowa farmer and 13-year NFL star, was raised on his family’s dairy farm five miles north of Anamosa.
“The things I learned growing up on the farm, like pride and work ethic, took me to the highest level of professional sports and winning a Super Bowl, but that all started right here on the farm,” said Yanda. “Those values were instilled in me by my parents, and it’s how I live my life today, and I still carry those lessons with me every day.”
Yanda’s not the only local who has been named to that Wall of Honor. Mount Vernon’s own Matt Kroul was named to that wall in 2019.
Iowa’s a leading producer of the U.S. food supply, and leads in corn, ethanol, egg and hog production to meet global demand.
We literally feed the world. Well, five percent off the population of this state who work on farms do, at least. But still, agriculture and farming is a key part of our economy.
October is also National Pork Month, and the impact of the pork industry in the state provides thousands of jobs and roughly $40.8 billion of revenue in sales.
According to the Iowa Pork Producers, in Iowa there are 147,105 jobs created by the pork industry.
Iowa’s high production of corn and soybeans benefits the pork industry, as roughly a quarter of soybean and corn crops are used to raise the pigs to market.
Pig farms in Iowa are increasing, with the majority of pig farms in being 2,000 to 4,999 heads.
LIke many jobs, the tools of the farm trade are changing, and we can appreciate the resiliency and innovation farmers use to adapt to new economic and environmental conditions.