Iowa - A Place to Grow

I recently returned from a trip to Iowa where Bruce and I visited his parents and a few nieces and nephews.  Bruce is from Iowa and we actually lived there a couple years in our early days of marriage and the main thing I remember about those days is all the corn.

Lots and lots of corn growing in Iowa.

Everywhere you look.

I didn't know until I moved to Iowa that all this corn you see is growing to feed cattle, not for people.  I remember when Bruce started explaining to me how it all works.  The Iowa corn goes to animal feed, or for seeds to grown more corn, or for making inexpensive additives for processed foods.  I was so confused about it at the time.  But it did explain why Bruce always called corn-on-the-cob "sweet corn". I finally said to him during our early days of dating in Seattle, "why do you always say 'sweet corn', all corn is sweet!"  I wasn't from Iowa so I didn't know that there was 'seed corn' and 'feed corn'.  I was slightly shocked when we first arrived in Iowa in 1981 and I saw how much corn they grow for animal feed!  Iowa corn is explained really well in one of my favorite documentaries called King Korn.  I love this story about two guys who go to Iowa to find out where all this corn comes from that is in our food supply.  They remind me of how confused I was about it when we first moved there.  They tell a very humorous but informative story about corn's journey from planting it as a seed to processing.  Now, the popular trend is to eat local and to know where your food comes from and what is in your food.  Popular books like Michael Pollan's Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food really jump started the eating local movement. Lauren was required to read Omnivores Dilemma the summer before her freshman year of college since Seattle University really promotes eating local.  I try to do my part by supporting our local Brown Box Organics.  Iowa has farmer's markets around for locally grown food so not all the farms grow corn but that's what you mostly see, miles and miles of it.  

We went to Iowa because Bruce needed to attend meetings for work with the Bratney Companies, the family business his father started in 1964.  They have an office in Boise, although the main office is in Des Moines, Iowa.

We stopped into the office while we were there and took a quick look at things.

Bruce has his picture on a wall at the entrance. 

In the photo is Bruce, his dad, his nephew, Peter, and his brother, Paul, who all are involved in the business - like I said, a family business.

And they promote healthy employees, I'm so impressed!

They have won many awards and honors in their industry.

We did a few fun tourist things while we were visiting like going to see the bridges of Madison County. This is the Roseman Bridge that is from the movie, built in 1883.

They've even named a street after Meryl Streep's character in the movie.

There use to be over 20 covered bridges but now there are 6 remaining bridges that have been preserved.  This is the Holliwell Bridge built in 1880.

They are all so old and even smell old.

One was rebuilt after if burned down but the others are all original.

The covers were built to protect the wooden structure of the bridge from the weather.  We learned that fact at the Visitors Center in the super cute town of Winterset.

All the bridges are located just a few miles from town.

They have a very active community preserving historical buildings and structures all over the county.  It is all very picturesque.

 The birth place of John Wayne is also there.  The actual house is just down the street from main street. 

There is a statue in a local park of John Wayne.

You wouldn't think there is so much to see in such a little town but there was and we really enjoyed the sights here.  But the best time was just hanging out with the folks and being back in Iowa for a great visit.