Ever have a wild dream about what you wanted to be when you grew up? For several years of my childhood, I was convinced I wanted to become an Egyptologist. From mummies and pyramids, to the famous pharaohs, I was fascinated by the history and culture of ancient Egypt, and […]

Rural Iowa is home to many faded map dots and little-known communities. Drive just one mile west from the Banwart family farm and you’ll stumble across Rodman, the “Small Town with a Big Heart” that was once a thriving mini metropolis to its residents and country neighborhood. Today, few buildings […]

Sometimes the smallest events in life leave the biggest impact. The unlikely star of this story is Lilly, the little bottle calf who taught me valuable lessons about life, loss and endless determination. Learning Responsibility Lilly arrived on our farm in the spring of 2004. Orphaned shortly after birth, she […]

“But from the necessities of his calling, the farmer’s battles are mostly with the forces of nature, and where he carries on his fight comparatively alone and in silence.” – William H. Brewer Banwart #Harvest19 is in the books, but we wish the best to those who continue to work […]

On more than one occasion as an undergraduate at ISU, I was mockingly asked if a major in agricultural communications meant I talked to plants and animals… While a component of the discipline does involve being knowledgeable about crop and livestock production, a career in ag comm is so much […]

When you grow up on a farm or in a small community, you never forget the fellowship you share with your neighbors. Favors aren’t paid for in dollars, but by mutual transactions of kindness, services are exchanged through gestures of goodwill, and generosity is measured by time and labor spent […]