Iowa

Iowa has nice crops of corn and soybeans. The state isn’t as flat, more hills. Interstate highways are good, but the side roads (which we usually take) definitely need work. There was a lot of construction. We stopped at Amana Colonies and stayed at Amana Colonies RV Park; I’ve done a separate blog post for that. There’s a lot of farming, and barns with quilt squares painted on them. And, of course, road construction.

Some Iowa state facts listed below the pictures.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them in a new window.


Some Iowa facts from netstate.com:

1. Agriculture: Iowa's top five agricultural products are corn for grain, hogs, soybeans, cattle and calves, and dairy products. Hogs are Iowa's leading source of livestock income followed by beef cattle. More hogs are raised in Iowa than in any other state. A leader in milk production, Iowa also produces chickens and eggs. Less important livestock products of the state are turkeys, sheep and some horses. Iowa leads the states in the production of corn and ranks among the leaders in production of soybeans. Other major field crops include oats and hay, red clover, flaxseed, rye and wheat. The primary fruits produced in Iowa are apples. Vegetables grown in the state include cabbages, cucumbers, green beans, onions, potatoes and sweet corn.

2. Manufacturing: The largest manufacturing industry in Iowa is the food processing industry. Meatpacking plants producing canned hams and breakfast sausages are important. Other plants produce corn oil, cornstarch, corn sugar, and glucose. One of the largest cereal mills in the United States and the country's largest popcorn-processing plant are located in Iowa. Machinery production (farm machinery, construction equipment) is Iowa's second-ranking manufacturing activity followed by the production of electrical equipment (household appliances).

3.Mining: Limestone is the primary mined product of Iowa. It's ground up for use in roads and in cement. Other mineral products include clays, gypsum and sand and gravel.