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Griffieon Homestead Griffieon Family Farm

The Griffieon’s are a family-oriented century farm located just north of Ankeny. Craig and LaVon have four children - the sixth generation to be raised on the land. Currently the Griffieon’s have a diversified farm with beef, laying hens, broilers, turkeys and sheep and they raise corn soybeans, oats, and alfalfa.

Caite's daughter and a calf A Visit with Caite Palmer

Caite Palmer is a small farmer located on a century farm in Northeast Iowa. Caite and her husband raise grass-fed and grain-finished Angus cross and Normande beef cattle, as well as Katahdin lambs. Rather than take animals to the sale barn, she markets these meat products directly to consumers. Caite got started direct marketing because it allowed her to decide and control prices for her products. It began with selling whole and half animals.

tapped tree Maple Syrup Production

A new publication from ATTRA offers an overview of maple sugaring from business planning to marketing to equipment to regulations and quality control.

grass Answering Your Fall Lawn Care Questions

We talked to turfgrass specialist, Adam Thoms, to answer your most pressing lawn care questions as fall approaches.

retrofitted cattle barn Solving Ventilation Challenges in Calf Production

Raising dairy beef calves has been a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Over the course of the past 16 months raising baby calves, there have been many things that I have learned. There is no system that works for everyone in every situation, but I hope that sharing my experience can help you on your farm.

adding plastic to the greenhouse Learning Something New - Starting Seeds

One reader shares her story of constructing a greenhouse and starting her own seeds for her garden this year. Have something to share with our readers? Drop us a line!

bee hive What's New?

We've added a bee hive to our acreage this year. A few stings later, we are anxiously awaiting our first honey harvest! What's new on your farm?

raspberry twigs Raspberry Patch and Meat Goats

The meat goats have discovered the raspberry bushes.