WEST DES MOINES — True or false: Iowa farmers rank number one nationally in many conservation practices such as water quality wetlands, bioreactors, grassed waterways, filter strips, buffer strips and conservation tillage?
Fairgoers who answer this or other trivia questions at Iowa Farm Bureau Park during the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 10-20, will receive a prize. (Hint: The answer is true.) Located next to the Varied Industries Building, Farm Bureau Park is celebrating “Generations of Conservation” and the family farms who help Iowa earn this number one standing.
“Each farming generation gets to build upon what the previous generation did, adopting a mindset of continuous improvement,” says Brent Johnson, Iowa Farm Bureau president. “And during that same time, new technology, innovation and research is being adopted to support family farm sustainability goals. That’s why we’re able to do more using fewer resources than ever before in the history of agriculture. For example, between 1990 and 2020, greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. agriculture dropped by 18% when adjusted for an increase in agricultural productivity.”
Win prizes
Iowa Farm Bureau members can present their membership card for a gift and enter to win $2,500 in groceries plus $2,500 in fuel. Fairgoers who sign up for an Iowa Farm Bureau membership at Farm Bureau Park are entered into a drawing for $500 in groceries plus $500 in fuel and receive a $10 Fareway gift card.
Everyone has a chance to win $500 in groceries by taking the Member Benefit Challenge at the park. Stop by the game tent for a chance to win great prizes while visiting with Iowa farmers to learn how your food is grown and raised.
“We understand consumers have questions about what we do on the farm today, and how we take care of our animals, as well as the land,” says Johnson. “We invite all fairgoers to stop by Farm Bureau Park and visit with a farmer to get their questions answered and have some fun winning a few prizes while they’re doing it.”
Special events
On Saturday, Aug. 12 Iowa Farm Bureau young farmers will provide kid-focused activities and prizes.
The 59th Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest will kick off Farm Bureau Day at the fair on Tuesday, Aug. 15 on the Grand Concourse. More than 50 backyard chefs will compete to earn the title of Grand Champion, along with a $1,000 cash prize.
On Aug. 17, 242 Century Farms, held in the same family for 100 years, and 156 Heritage Farms, held in the same family for 150 years, will be recognized. With the addition of this year’s recipients, more than 21,000 Century Farms and 1,800 Heritage Farms have been celebrated across Iowa.
Park guests and screenings
Farm Bureau Park will host Farm Rescue on Aug. 15. This organization assists farmers who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster that hinders them from tending to their crops or livestock.
Visit the Farm Bureau Financial Services (FBFS) tent to learn how safe driving habits could qualify you for auto insurance premium savings. Test out the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau “Seat Belt Convincer” to experience the impact of a 5 to 10 mph crash, underscoring the importance of wearing seat belts even at lower speeds.
Thanks to Farm Bureau health partners like Iowa Physical Therapy Association, Dental Connections, Health Gauge, Wolfe Eye Clinics, Wolfe Audiology, American Cancer Society, John Stoddard Cancer Center and the Grand View Nursing Student Association, Farm Bureau Park will offer free screenings for skin cancer, glaucoma, hearing, balance, stroke detection and blood pressure. Demonstrations of the new hands-only CPR method will also be conducted by the American Red Cross and Unity Point Health.
Visit IowaFarmBureau.com/StateFair for the daily schedule of park activities.
About Iowa Farm Bureau
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is the largest statewide, grassroots farm organization in Iowa, celebrating more than 100 years of creating a vibrant future for agriculture, farm families and their communities. For more information, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.