CommunityLink

Decorah, IA

When one imagines Iowa, visions of rolling farmland and lush fields ripe for the harvest instantly spring to mind. These visions are quite accurate, as 89 percent of the land area in the state is composed of farms. In 2005, Iowa led the nation in the production of pork, corn, soybeans, and eggs. The state’s total cash receipts for farm communities in 2004 totaled $15.9 billion — the third highest in the country. Iowa’s total agricultural exports for 2004 were valued at more than $3.6 billion, ranking Iowa second in the nation in agricultural exports. As a result, Iowa produces approximately 19 percent of the nation’s corn for grain and about 17 percent of the nation’s soybeans.

Northeast Iowa, which includes Winneshiek County and the city of Decorah, is a diverse area of rural communities. Because of its hilly terrain, northeast Iowa is one of the few remaining strongholds for small to medium livestock and dairy products in a state where the dairy industry annually contributes more than $1.5 billion to the economy. In this region, dairy farm families own 72 percent of the Hawkeye State’s dairy cows. A recent survey of laborers in Winneshiek County resulted in 14.5 percent of the respondents identifying themselves as members of the agriculture, forestry, and mining industries — a category second only to health care and social services.

The dairy industry is a major component of Iowa agriculture, contributing more than $561 million to the economy through the sale of milk, cull cows, and calves. The annual economic contribution of dairy to the Iowan economy, including the value of labor, support services, and materials, is in excess of $1.5 billion. Seventy-two percent of Iowa dairy cows are owned by nearly 3,000 dairy farm families in northeast Iowa. At the Northeast Iowa Dairy Center in Calmer, visitors can see dairy artifacts from the past, nutrition displays, the hall of breeds, and cows being milked in a state-of-the-art facility. Self-guided tours are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The daily 12:30 p.m. milking is not to be missed. The Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation is a private, nonprofit charitable foundation composed of dairy farm families and other citizens who care about the future of the dairy industry. This grassroots foundation has partnered with Iowa State University and Northeast Iowa Community College to develop a strategic plan for the long-term success of the region. The foundation has created a dairy advocacy, education, and applied research center that will improve the quality of life for dairy farmers. The governor of Iowa has designated this effort as the first Iowa “Center of Excellence for Value-Added Agriculture.”

The area is leading the way in local food production as well. In 1998, producers formed GROWN Locally, a for-profit cooperative that grows, markets, and distributes a variety of local foods within a 35-mile radius. Today, they supply food to more than 200 families and 15 institutions. In addition, Luther College faculty, students, and local producers market local products in three counties through a Buy Fresh/Buy Local pilot campaign. Luther College continues to be a leader in this arena, as producers from three counties and Luther faculty and students help harvest and provide locally grown food to the college’s cafeteria and cafés. This allows the students to learn the connection between the producers, the food they consume, and sustainable agriculture. Also, 40 members of the Winneshiek Farmers Market offer a variety of local products, averaging $200,000 annually in gross sales.

Top-down initiatives in Winneshiek County have produced a number of local food systems. Seven Decorah citizens established the Oneota Food Cooperative Expansion in 1974. Today the cooperative purchases food from more than 60 northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota producers and boasts 2,300 members from more than a dozen counties in Iowa and several counties in three other states. Sales expanded by 22 percent in 2005, and they are on pace to do nearly $2 million in sales for 2006. Members also provide social activities for shoppers, including demonstrations, kids’ days, and live music.

More than 1,500 individual farms on more than 380,000 farm acres in Winneshiek County serve as harvested crop areas, pasture or grazing areas, or woodland acres. Winneshiek County ranks second in the state for oat production and fifth in the state for hay production. Corn, grain, and soybeans comprise the remaining top crops for the region.

Residents can shop for seeds locally at the Seed Savers Exchange, a heritage farm just north of Decorah that maintains 20,000 rare vegetables and 2,000 traditional varieties. The farm also maintains hardy grapes and more than 650 varieties of 19th-century apples. Furthermore, Seed Savers is the home of 50 head of ancient White Park cattle; only 300 of these rare wild cattle exist worldwide. Seed Savers Exchange’s new 4,000-square-foot Lillian Goldman Visitors Center features a majestic Amish-built, oak post-and-beam frame and includes a large gift shop and garden center. The garden center offers seeds, plants, garlic, potatoes, books, tools, and garden furniture. The center also houses informational exhibits and the Seed Savers Wall of Fame. Visitors can relax on the large shaded porches before strolling through the beautiful display gardens to find gardening inspiration.

For an unusual educational family activity, be sure to visit Decorah Chick Hatchery in downtown Decorah. Since 1923, Decorah Chick Hatchery has served the area as a working hatchery. In recent years, the hatchery has expanded to a popular retail store. In 2006, Steve and Peg Matter completed their 83rd hatching season. Steve represents the third generation of his family to operate the egg hatchery, which sells chicken, duck, turkey, goose, quail, guinea, and pheasant eggs and chicks to farmers in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest. The Matters’ business is located in downtown Decorah and has become a popular destination for visiting children and adults eager to hold a baby chick or to watch one hatch, or for those interested in purchasing fleece clothing, “Quality Chick®” t-shirts, Amish rockers, fly-fishing equipment, and wild bird seed and feeders.

The agriculture industry is a sophisticated business in northeast Iowa; corn and cattle are key players in the state’s economy, serving an important role in food production in distribution throughout the entire United States.