Farmer The Eastern Iowa Spring 2024 A Publication of Sycamore Media <strong>Where</strong> we COME FROM Eastern Iowa farmers began settling the land almost two centuries ago. Today, their descendants are world-class producers. This is the story of who came and how they got here. Chilly Chores: Every day farmers battle the elements during winter months to protect livestock and keep operations humming. Hands-on Learning: <strong>From</strong> soil health to caring for animals, students attending the Muscatine Agricultural Learning Center experience the real thing. Soup’s on: Plan your garden planting with all the veggies you need to make a hearty soup after harvest. PLUS: Photo pages of your friends and neighbors! The Eastern Iowa Farmer ® Sycamore Media President: Trevis Mayfield Advertising: <strong>We</strong>ndy McCartt, Trevis Mayfield, Connie Myers, Faith Jones, Bobbie Husemann, Misty Robinson and Dean Upmann Creative: Brooke Till, Elizabeth Goodman, Brittany Nopar, Erica Mohr Editorial Content: Nancy Mayfield, Trevis Mayfield, Brittany Nopar, Kristine A. Tidgren, Jenna Stevens, Jessica Yuska Photography Content: Nancy Mayfield, Trevis Mayfield, Brittany Nopar, Dana Royer, Brooke Till, contributed Editors: Kelly Gerlach, Nancy Mayfield, Trevis Mayfield, <strong>We</strong>ndy McCartt Published by: Sycamore Media 108 W. Quarry St., Maquoketa, IA 563-652-2441 Cover: Brooke Till SCOTT | CEDAR | MUSCATINE | LOUISA | JOHNSON The Eastern Iowa Farmer is a specialty publication of Sycamore Media Corp., 108 W. Quarry Street, Maquoketa, Iowa 52060, 563-652-2441. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sycamore Media Corp. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sycamore Media Corp. cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sycamore Media Corp. cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine. VIEW THE ENTIRE MAGAZINE ONLINE <strong>EIF</strong>ARMER.COM ® MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER Story ideas are easy, mostly thanks to you! There’s one question we hear more than any other while we work on this magazine. “Aren’t you going to run out of things to write about someday?” Farmers ask us that while we sit at their kitchen table during interviews for stories, and advertisers ask the same during sales calls and photo sessions. Our reaction is always the same. A knowing smile and a chuckle first, and then the same old, honest answer we’ve given what seems like a hundred times. “Never. There are so many interesting people and Trevis Mayfield stories in agriculture we won’t live President, Sycamore Media Corp. long enough to write them all.” The fact is, it is the people who ask us that question who make us sure the trough will never go dry. All we need to do is listen. Some of the story ideas we have garnered from listening are of a technical nature, such as futuristic ways to apply cover crop seed from the sky using remote control drones. Others are driven by current events or shifts in the industry people are talking about, such as new drought-resistant hybrid seed or changes in input costs. My favorite story ideas are the ones that bring out family histories, capture personalities or connect the farming community through common threads, and we are working on one of those now for a future issue. And, yes, the story sprang to mind while I was talking (but mostly listening) to a farmer explaining the history of an ancient tractor in a tattered, black-and-white photograph of his grandfather putting up hay. It was an Alice Chalmers from the first half of the last century, and it made me think of the first tractor I drove, and that’s when I realized that for most farmers, there is a single tractor that stands out in their mind as being special for one reason or another. Mine is an Oliver 1850 that my father bought in 1968, the first new tractor he ever owned. A decade or so later, it was the first tractor I learned to drive. That’s how it works. You say something that makes us think, wow, I can relate to that, and the next thing you know, we are working on a story. So, stay tuned for our fall issue, which will include a story about favorite tractors. If you have a good tractor story to share, email me at tmayfield@sycamoremedia.com. Note to readers: I’d like to take a moment to say thank you for reading this magazine, and I want to give an extra especial thanks to our advertisers. Without their support, this magazine wouldn’t be possible. Lastly, if you did not find this magazine in your mailbox but would like to receive it at home, please email your address to eifarmer@sycamoremedia.net or call us at 563-659-3121 and we will add you to our mailing list. Cheers, and have a great spring! Sincerely, Trevis Mayfield, Sycamore Media president 10 EASTERN IOWA FARMER | SPRING 2024 eifarmer.com
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