Views of a Farm Boy--Dedicated to promote Iowa agriculture and Iowa values--Robert Vaughn--Urbandale, Iowa  EMAIL:   vaughnrobert@me.com

Last year (2024) was the first time in many years that I missed the Iowa Farm Progress Show when it came to Iowa. So today was "catch-up" day for me to check out the new agriculture related features and products. I look back at my farming days in the early to mid 1950's. This was the general era when Iowa farming was making the big transition from "horse power" to tractors and self powered machines. Now fast forward to today. The new technology in farm and agriculture related products is almost beyond imagination. For example, the farmer can send his sprayer or robotic drone to the field without even being aboard. Automated intelligence (AI) allows the machine to identify the good plants from the bad weeds and make the correct application--only where needed. Kinda scary, isn't it? And this is just one example of the "speed of light" changes in the agriculture industry in my lifetime.

For as rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed for the sower and bread for the eater. (ESV) (Isaiah 55: 10))

The Iowa Ag Expo at the Iowa Events Center is always a big deal for our state. This year's show (February 4-6, 2025) featured almost 700 exhibitors and occupied 1950 spaces. Let's take a look!

My View for the Month: There is one thing that hasn't changed throughout these years. That is the resilience, steadfastness and determination of the Iowa farmer. I am thankful for the Iowa farmers who are willing to look beyond the financial and personal risks that seem to go with the territory. Bless the men and women who keep those wheels rolling as they move forward with a common goal--to feed a hungry world.