Hear Iowa Veteran’s Stories In Their Own WordsSurviving a Prisoner or War (POW) Camp, describing the sight, sounds and smells of Vietnam, feeling the bitter cold of a Korean winter. Sara has heard them all and wants to share these amazing first-hand accounts with you. No one speaks better about the experiences of war than […]

Nancy Drew: Iowa’s Heroine to the WorldNancy Drew is the most popular female detective in fiction. Few know, however, that Nancy is an Iowa heroine and that her creator was Mildred Augustine of Ladora. Nancy Drew and Mildred Augustine are extraordinary role models for Iowa girls and boys, women and men. An academic pioneer (the […]

Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa’s Bird LadyThe late Gladys Black of Pleasantville was widely known throughout Iowa as a conservationist, educator and amateur expert on birds. Larry and co-author Jon Stravers have written a book about Gladys. Larry’s slide program acknowledges this colorful woman’s impact on so many Iowans.

If Barns Could TalkOld barns are more than just solid functional buildings. They represent the soul of our farming heritage and perhaps more! What is a barn, architecturally and emotionally? Barn design was based on experience, needs and ambition. Their function indicated both the farm operation and the farmer’s personal touch. Barn construction was a […]

Glimpses of Iowa’s Capitol: Its History, Art, Architecture and RestorationJoin former state restoration painter, Rosa Snyder, as she divulges untold stories and reveals hidden treasures of Iowa’s most recognized landmark. When the building was constructed back in the 1870s-1880s almost every one of the 120 rooms was decorated with intricate designs on the ceilings and […]

Hope for the HopelessJoseph HatchettJoseph Hatchett believes everything in life is art, and he loves all forms, from a walk outside to music. For Joseph, art is therapy, and he likes to share his art with the broken people--the misfits, the people that others give up on--as he relates to them and understands what they […]

Adventures Along the Historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa Nothing says freedom like the great American road trip, especially when you cruise the historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa. Better known today as Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway revolutionized Iowa and America when the historic route was developed more than a century ago. If you’ve ever traveled […]

Homeless or a Business Owner? Both!Jayden HensleyJayden is a 48 year old man who has been on both sides of the tracks. He's had it all, and he has lost it all. He is from a small town in Indiana where he left as soon as he found out the road went in four directions. […]

If Barns Could TalkOld barns are more than just solid functional buildings. They represent the soul of our farming heritage and perhaps more! What is a barn, architecturally and emotionally? Barn design was based on experience, needs and ambition. Their function indicated both the farm operation and the farmer’s personal touch. Barn construction was a […]

Metamorphosis of a MonarchLorena Dorado-RoblesLorena Dorado-Robles is the Iowa 4-H Recruitment, Retention and Engagement State Specialist, specifically working with diverse and untapped audiences. She is doing state-level work in the areas of College and Career Readiness, while improving ways to specifically impact volunteer development and management with new audiences through Iowa 4-H programs.Lorena was born […]

2 Walks with Friends: A Year of Intentional Connection and GratitudeTracy CodelTracy Codel is a Des Moines native whose childhood home sat on a cul-de-sac in the Beaverdale neighborhood. Summer days were spent in endless games of kickball and hide-and-seek or exploring the deep woods, creeks, and ravines of two nearby parks. She developed her […]

Iowans You Should Know: Stories from the Iowa Almanac (new in 2021)Did you know that the Eskimo Pie® was invented in Iowa? So was the electric razor, the clip-on bow tie, and the self-filling fountain pen. Iowa was also the childhood home of four Academy Award®-winning performers, and three different Iowa-born musical acts had national #1 […]