When I was elected to represent Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, I made a solemn promise to Iowa farmers and producers that I would be the strongest voice for agriculture and our farm families in Congress. From the farm bill to energy policy, I believe that the hardworking men and women who feed and fuel our country deserve a loud voice and a seat at the table when lawmakers craft legislation that impacts their livelihoods and pocketbooks.

Mums are a favorite fall flower that adds weeks of seasonal color to containers, gardens and fall displays. They are also a popular gift plant in garden centers and floral shops. Choosing the right one for the purpose and providing proper care will help you achieve your desired results.

There are days when I really lament Facebook, and then there are times when I come across messages and information which strike me, leaving me compelled to share it here. This is one of those columns.

When social media is used for attacking and aggressive purposes, a tool weaponized for uncivil dialogue, it can be truly dark. But occasionally I come across something which compels us to take pause and look at our own lives. And when I say “us,” I include myself in that grouping.

Denzel Washington is back for a third go-round as Robert aka Roberto McCall — “two Cs and two Ls” — finding himself once again thrust into the midst of conflict, this time beyond the U.S. borders in Italy.

Often in Christian conversations and sermons these days, we are told to “stand up for your faith.” It seems like a rallying cry to protect Christianity from an onslaught of perceived threats to moral purity, to individual expressions of faith, to the right to refuse service on the basis of religion, etc. The stance is one of defensiveness.

We have been to Lahaina on Maui and can relate somewhat to their recent wildfire catastrophe. Most people cannot fathom how quickly a wildfire can spread and neither could the people living there. Many people incorrectly assume they can outrun it. There were reports of the fire jumping at roughly 1 mile each minute. An Olympic runner could not do that on their best day.

The calendar, and the quality of the air we breathe, insist it’s state fair season. The competition is great to watch, no matter what it is. You know, like trying to knock down a pile of cinder blocks with a ping pong ball at 50 feet.

But there is also love and devotion and great pride and tremendous work on display there. With the kids and their prize animals.

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has been all over cable and network TV about how China is buying up our farms. She says she'll stop it (she can't without help from state legislatures and Congress) and even take back what they already have (something only done in places like the USSR and Zimbabwe).

 I want to congratulate the Windmill Cabal. Your control of August 2023 meeting of our Planning and Zoning Committee was a masterpiece.

Showing you are getting what you paid for.

You had a supporter from Carroll, Iowa — that spoke in your favor for over 10 minutes.

Then, when the people’s attorney got up to speak — your committee shut her off. Then your committee — shuffled some papers, mumbled to themselves — meeting adjourned.

President Biden’s economic agenda — which he has coined “Bidenomics” — has failed our families, farmers, small businesses, and rural communities by every measure possible. Sixty-one percent of Americans reported living paycheck to paycheck, 71% of Americans have a negative view of the state of the economy, and gas prices continue their upward trajectory.

Fall is a great time to plant trees in the landscape. The soil is warm and air temperatures are generally cooler, creating a better environment for the tree and the gardener doing the planting. The cooler temperatures promote root growth which helps the tree establish a more robust root system before new growth begins the following spring.

It’s that time again; yep, Clay County Fair time! This year my challenge for you is to try something new. I am sure you have been to the Clay County Fair, tried a new food (chicken n’waffles, poutine …), so what haven’t you tried?

It's bad enough that the stores rush ahead the holidays; Christmas decorations and gift ideas out before Halloween, winter clearance and spring clothes out by February, etc., etc.

I read editorials in this and other newspapers about the emerging “carbon economy” and the importance of keeping ethanol viable in the alternative fuels market. As a Clay County, Iowa, land owner and retired farmer, I understand the importance of carbon capture and what it means to the future of ethanol, to Iowa farmers and ultimately to our planet. The government is providing BILLIONS in tax credits as a carrot to companies to pursue the capture of CO2 and its sequestration.

When questioned about eminent domain during the 2022 Gubernatorial Candidate Debate, Governor Reynolds answered many times that “there is a process in place.” That process is playing out now at the Cardiff Event Center in Fort Dodge where Summit Carbon Solutions is making the case for its hazardous CO2 pipeline and landowners are being forced to defend their land. Seeing events unfold, it’s questionable if Reynolds understands the process.