​    With the chill in the air finally is telling us it really is fall, ‘tis the harvest season. Before our crops are safely gathered in, I will spend many more solitary hours in the cab of our combine. Yes, being a farmer does mean living at a distance from “next door” neighbors; popping out to the store for us does take over an hour. But being a farmer means close relationships too. In addition to the faithful Cinnamon Ridge canine companions like Stella and Callie, we have developed strong connections with as seed salesmen, nutritionists, insurance agents, and veterinarians. In particular, our large animal veterinarian visits our farm several times a month to monitor the health of our dairy herd, check which cows are pregnant, give vaccinations, and, of course, respond to emergency calls. This frequency has built a strong and jovial relationship.
            In the days of party line phones, long before cell phones, our veterinarian and his colleagues would communicate via CB radio. This way a vet wouldn’t have to go all the way back to the clinic just to be sent out on another call. To facilitate their radio, our vet clinic had a tall tower. As all the vets in that clinic were loyal graduates of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, they proudly flew an Iowa State flag from their radio tower.
            One summer evening, being young and mischievous, I climbed the tower and exchanged their flag for an Iowa Hawkeye flag, myself being a graduate of the University of Iowa. While I was not caught, as you can imagine, my work did not go unnoticed. Word spread quickly through our rural community that our vets were looking for the culprit. Any non-Cyclone fans were prime suspects. When they were next on our farm, I asked if they would like to hire our “fowl” legal team Duck and Run to help with the investigation. We all had a good laugh, but I knew payback would be coming.
            I waited on edge many years for the retaliation. We were vaccinating calves for brucellosis, an important vaccine that must be administered by the veterinarian, after which the calf receives an ear clip and tattoo to verify they have been properly vaccinated. My daughters were helping us catch and restrain the animals, and our long-time vet saw his chance for revenge. Pretending to sniff the permanent green tattoo ink, he said energetically, “Mmm, smells like mint.” My youngest, Kara, being very curious, blurted out, “Let me smell!!” Before I could stop her, the vet held out the ink. Kara moved her nose in close, and, with a rapid motion only someone so experienced around large animals could muster, the vet smeared the bright green ink all over her face. To add insult to injury, the next day was school picture day! It took a lot of scrubbing to remove the bright green ink, and even still her upper lip still had a slight tint for her picture that year.
            Farm fresh eggs, meats, cheeses and baked goods are available for both Cyclone and Hawkeye fans alike at the Cinnamon Ridge Country Cupboard, located on our farm north of Donahue. Our products are also available at the I-80 Truckstop, North Scott Foods, and the Freight House Farmers Market.

​     Grandparents often lament if they had known how fun grandchildren are, they would have had them first. I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more and thoroughly enjoy the time we have with ours. Mason and Aubrey, 2 of our grandchildren, spend most Sundays with us on the farm. One of their favorite activities is feeding calves and heifers. It reminds me of my days on the farm as a kid, as well as raising my girls on the farm.  Every day is special and grandchildren make it even more so.
     If you are looking for a great field trip activity with your children, grandchildren or group of friends, look no farther than Cinnamon Ridge Farms. Appointments can be made at www.tourmyfarm.com. Or come to our farm store, The Country Cupboard, and select some beef, cheese, and baked goods fresh from our farm. We now have honey, made from the hive at Cinnamon Ridge – which can be viewed on the farm tour!

​November is election month. This November, I am running for my 3rd term for the North Scott School board. Here are some of the things that we have accomplished as a board in the past and what we hope to have happen in the future. The following is our two questions that I answered for publication in the North Scott Press.
           
1) What experiences, education and accomplishments best prepare you for elected service?
The most valuable experience that I have is serving the last eight years on the North Scott School Board. I have had the pleasure of serving with some outstanding people. Together we have accomplished many great things. Some of the one I’m most proud of are:
            1) Unifying the district as one North Scott
            2) Keeping the district financially sound and growing
            3) Making school safety a top priority
            4) Developing a strategic plan, implementing it, and continuing to keep it relevant
            5) Working with legislators of the state to advance North Scott, both financially and educationally
            6) Being part of the team the negotiates with the teachers union for the best possible outcomes given the budget
            7) Seeing a top five nationally ranked FFA team and the growth the has happened with this program
            8) Seeing a home building program start, grow, and flourish
            9) Watching an Industrial Arts program accomplish great relationships in the community and become known throughout the state
            10) Seeing students become part of the community service in so many ways and going on to great careers
            11) Developing a reading, writing, and math wall to track the progress of all our students
My formal education is a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. By far the most valuable education for me has come from the North Scott Community. Fellow board members, administrators, teachers, staff and the community have helped, taught, and guided me to become the best board member I can be. I am grateful to all of them and proud to serve.
 
2)What are your priorities for the district if elected?
            Student growth is predicted to decrease by approximately thirty to forty students this year. The vast majority of the school district income is generated by the number of students in the district. Looking at the past five to twenty years, the district has slightly more than three thousand students. Decreasing the number of students places a challenge on the general budget, most importantly teacher salary which is 84% of the general budget. This challenge makes it difficult to retain employees, pay employees what they deserve, and attract the best and brightest to our district.  While we are doing a great job with what we have, my vision for North Scott is to attract more students to the community and work with the state legislators to grow the Supplemental State Aid.
            Another priority is to continue to help our students to be college and career ready upon graduation.  Facility renovations, great teachers and staff, and community cooperation all contribute to preparing graduates for life after North Scott.
            Mental health is also a growing concern in our schools. Governor Kim Reynolds and our legislature have made it a priority to implement mental health resources into our schools. I agree with their intentions. By working with the Area Education Association and the teachers, counselors and staff at North Scott, I hope to implement a plan that would track mental health for every student.
Other issues I have an active interest in monitoring and improving include school security, bullying, Special Education integration, and Strategic Planning. I’m grateful for my past eight years of service on the North Scott School Board and, if elected, am devoted to serving four more.