Iowa

An Iowa family lived on and worked its farmland for 84 years as Tom Woods gradually expanded the operation; now 1,209 acres are being split into 13 tracts and auctioned, ending a family land chapter

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An Iowa family lived on and worked its farmland for 84 years as Tom Woods gradually expanded the operation; now 1,209 acres are being split into 13 tracts and auctioned, ending a family land chapter

For 84 years, the Woods family lived on and worked a growing patchwork of farmland near Randalia in northeast Iowa. Tom Woods, who grew up in the area, steadily added acres to the operation as properties and funds became available, raising grain and cattle while also helping run a family wholesale business. Now that long … Read more

Two Iowa farmers gave up pigs and started growing mushrooms; their abandoned livestock buildings became an artisan food business

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Two Iowa farmers gave up pigs and started growing mushrooms; their abandoned livestock buildings became an artisan food business

Two Iowa farmers have transformed their family’s former hog operation into a speciality mushroom business, turning infrastructure once built for thousands of pigs into spaces for growing lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms. The Faaborg family, which once raised about 8,000 hogs a year, ended its animal-farming contract in October 2022 after decades in the industry. … Read more

Iowa woman left a $3 million estate for 485 libraries and 128 senior community centres; her quiet final act is now transforming education and elder care in small towns across the state

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Iowa woman left a $3 million estate for 485 libraries and 128 senior community centres; her quiet final act is now transforming education and elder care in small towns across the state

Norma Jean Warner lived a quiet life in Des Moines, Iowa, working at an optical shop, saving carefully and volunteering through church organisations. She and her husband, Waldo, had no children and lived modestly, but Warner spent years planning what would happen to her money after her death. When she died in 2023 at 85, … Read more

In 2005, an Iowa carpenter who never went to college left nearly $3 million in savings; 14 years later, 33 strangers whose education he funded gathered to remember the man they had never met

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In 2005, an Iowa carpenter who never went to college left nearly $3 million in savings; 14 years later, 33 strangers whose education he funded gathered to remember the man they had never met

Schroeder had never had the opportunity to attend college, but he wanted other young people to have that chance (AI enhance image, source: CBS) Dale Schroeder spent 67 years working as a carpenter at the same business in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up poor, never went to college, never married and had no children. … Read more

An Iowa farmer gave about 2 acres to two wind turbines and related infrastructure; by 2021, the $25,000 annual lease was what he called the most profitable part of his corn-and-soybean farm

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An Iowa farmer gave about 2 acres to two wind turbines and related infrastructure; by 2021, the $25,000 annual lease was what he called the most profitable part of his corn-and-soybean farm

An Iowa corn and soybean farmer found that using less than two acres of his cropland for renewable energy equipment created the most reliable financial return across his entire property. According to a feature published by Progressive Farmer in April 2021, the farmer agreed to host two industrial wind turbines, along with access roads and … Read more

An Iowa developer bought the 58-acre Valley West Mall for $11 million; a nearly 50-year-old JCPenney lease now stands in the way of redevelopment as the city considers up to $110 million in incentives

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An Iowa developer bought the 58-acre Valley West Mall for $11 million; a nearly 50-year-old JCPenney lease now stands in the way of redevelopment as the city considers up to $110 million in incentives

An Iowa developer has bought the 58-acre Valley West Mall site for $11 million (£8.2 million). The company is now starting a major redevelopment project, but it must first deal with complex lease agreements and get support from the city. Brian Martin, president and chief executive officer of Threshold Capital and Threshold Development, completed the … Read more

At 98, Iowa man Paul Little finally received his high school diploma 80 years after leaving school in 1946 to support his family

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At 98, Iowa man Paul Little finally received his high school diploma 80 years after leaving school in 1946 to support his family

Paul Little was supposed to leave Dallas Center High School in Iowa with his graduating class in 1946. Instead, circumstances at home meant school had to give way to work while he was still a junior. More than eight decades later, the qualification he never received was brought to him at the nursing home where … Read more

In 2024, 75-year-old Iowa farmer Evie Haupt said three wind turbines on her 160 acres were bringing in about $35,000 a year while using under 3 acres and had helped reduce $350,000 in farm debt to $67,000

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In 2024, 75-year-old Iowa farmer Evie Haupt said three wind turbines on her 160 acres were bringing in about $35,000 a year while using under 3 acres and had helped reduce $350,000 in farm debt to $67,000

On a 160-acre farm in central Iowa, three tall wind turbines quietly rise above the fields. Each turbine uses less than an acre of land, but together they provide an annual income that has changed the financial future of 75-year-old farmer Evie Haupt. According to a CBS News report by Janet Shamlian and Alicia Hastey, … Read more

An Iowa rescue mission is closing its downtown thrift store and turning the retail floor into a 46-bed emergency shelter; the move will also free space for 25 beds for women and children

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An Iowa rescue mission is closing its downtown thrift store and turning the retail floor into a 46-bed emergency shelter; the move will also free space for 25 beds for women and children

Representative Image (AI-generated) As winter approaches, a rescue mission in Dubuque, Iowa, is making a major change to its downtown operations to create more emergency shelter space. The Dubuque Rescue Mission plans to close its downtown thrift store and convert the retail floor into a 46-bed emergency shelter for men. The move is also expected … Read more