News briefs

Iowa County woman up for Farm Bureau award

WEST DES MOINES — Who will compete for the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Grow Your Future Award and its $10,000 grand prize is in the public’s hands.

The Grow Your Future award was designed by Iowa Farm Bureau to help young farmers, ages 18-35, expand their niche agricultural businesses, from ag products and specialty services to agritourism.

Alyssa Yoder, of Canaan Farms in Iowa County, is one of five applicants vying for online votes between Dec. 9-15.

Yoder sells beef and lamb directly to consumers and to local restaurants and has a beef tallow skin care line. She would like to purchase a mobile refrigeration trailer to make her products more accessible to people living in metro areas.

To vote for Yoder, visit iowafarmbureau.com/growyourfuture.

Also vying for the award are Michael and Maria Gallagher, of Holly View Acres in Woodbury County, who run a corn maze and pumpkin patch, selling 60 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds.

To grow their business, the Gallaghers would like to add children’s activities, hayracks, pumpkin wagons or a larger building to house their fall produce.

Another finalist is Taylor Getting, of Calyx Creek Lavender & Lodging in Johnson County, grows 5,000 lavender plants in six different varieties and sells them as skin care products, food ingredients and household cleaners.

Her farm also has lodging that overlooks their lavender fields. She hopes to expand her lavender fields, add additional varieties and add processing equipment to meet consumer demand.

Rachel Irwin, of Bushels & Blooms Farm in Wapello County, grows and sells cut flowers at an on-farm stand, an endeavor she began as a tribute to her parents who died in a car accident in 2023.

Her near-term goal is to build a greenhouse to start seeds and expand her growing season.

Tanner and Lakaya Tenley, of Tenley Farms in Cedar County, raise livestock and sell raw milk, beef and pork. They have dreams of building an on-farm store for their customers to purchase products and get a glimpse of farm life.

The three farmers with the most votes will compete in a pitch-off during the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference, Jan. 18. The grand prize winner will take home $10,000, and second- and third-place winners receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.

Local students named to Palmer dean's list

DAVENPORT — Iowa County and Poweshiek County students were among those named to the 2024 summer trimester dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic's Main Campus in Davenport.

Emma Cheney, of Victor, and Trystin Stille of Grinnell, made the list.