Sustainable Farming Supporting Communities

Have you ever heard the phrase "it takes a village to to raise a child"? Well, when it comes to farming, it "takes a village" to support and create a sustainable community.

The view of my local community, Latimer, Iowa, from my front yard

How my Community Inspires Me

Community.  Community can mean a few things.  It can be tied to location or tied to common interests.  I'm lucky and get inspired by both realms of my community.

One of my communities - the women in agriculture of CommonGround

Comments for a Cause - Latimer Little Free Library

April is here and it is time to start a new month's worth of Comments for a Cause.  But before we move on to April's cause, let's go over the stats for The Do More Agriculture Foundation.  I believe mental health in agriculture is such an important issue that I added all of my comments from February and March to go towards their efforts.  During that time I had a total of 155 comments which resulted in a donation of $77.50 to Do More Ag.  Thank you all so much for your comments and support for spreading awareness and resources for mental health.

Now for April, I'm excited to helping a local project that is near and dear to my heart, the Latimer Little Free Library.  I am donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog in April to help the CAL Kindergarten Class's Book Drive for the Latimer Little Free Library.

In 2014 I campaigned to the Latimer City Council to use an open lot in downtown to put up a Little Free Library.  The Council unanimously voted to let me use the lot and I have been the steward of Little Free Library #11710 for close to four years now.  Thanks to the Latimer City Council and several community members, books have been available to citizen of all ages 365 days a year.  And now, thanks to my local school district's CAL Kindergarten Class, we'll be adding more books!

The CAL Kindergarten has been learning about taking action to help address local, regional and global problems in their Social Studies unit and as a class, they decided to do a Book Drive to get more books for the Latimer Little Free Library.  I was touched to get contacted by their teacher, Mrs. Koenen, and to hear about their excitement for the campaign.  The Kindergarten class made posters to spread awareness about their Book Drive, and they even made this commercial to share with the students at CAL Community School.

They are also planning on having a Lemonade Stand to raise money for the Latimer Little Free Library and after their campaign is over, they're going to help me give the Little Free Library a new coat of paint.  The Kindergartners enthusiasm is contagious and I wanted to help them out, so I'm donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog all month long towards their Book Drive!

What is your favorite book?  Do you have a Little Free Library in your neighborhood?  Remember to Comment for a Cause all month long to support the CAL Kindergartners taking action in their local community!  I look forward to keeping you posted on their efforts!

Wordless Wednesday - Latimer, Iowa Little Free Library

If you are ever around Latimer, Iowa be sure to check out our Little Free Library in Downtown.  We have a large selection of books for babies to adults - check out some of the titles circulating through the Library on my blog's new Little Free Library tab.

What is your favorite book of all-time?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

July Comments for a Cause - Little Free Library

It is the first of the month and time to give an update on my Comments for a Cause program.  In the month of June I couldn't get over the local support for La Luz Hispana.  During the month 258 comments were made, equaling a donation of $129 to this remarkable program that is helping and so many families and individuals in Franklin County.  I am very proud that my community provides these resources and support to our community members.

In the month of July I'm looking forward to donating $0.50 for every comment to the international Little Free Library program.  As some of you may know, I worked throughout this year to bring a Little Free Library to Latimer, Iowa and I'm happy to say that we installed the Little Free Library at the beginning of June.

"Take A Book, Leave A Book" today at the Latimer Little Free Library
You can even take a seat and enjoy a book while visiting our location

Latimer, Iowa's Little Free Library

So, what is a Little Free Library?  The Little Free Library movement began in Wisconsin five years ago and now has nearly 12,000 locations world-wide, over 100 of which are in Iowa.  I first read about Little Free Libraries through the "Parade" insert in our newspaper a few years ago and in the last couple of years I have started seeing them in the communities of a couple of my family members.  The traditional Little Free Library is a free-standing structure that kind of looks like an over-sized bird house that is then filled with a collection of books for members of the community or neighborhood to access.  The Little Free Library works by the "take a book, leave a book" philosophy.  When someone goes to the Library and picks out a book, they are asked to replace it with another book.

My love for my community and passion for childhood literacy is what drove me to set up a Little Free Library in the community of Latimer.  Reading is really important to me and raising my kids.  My kids and I read every day and always have books around.  The town of Latimer doesn't have a library and I know there are many kids in town that don't have an opportunity to go to a library, especially in the summer.  So I thought bringing a Little Free Library to Latimer would be great for all the youth of the community, and for the adults who love to read too.

And through this month's Comment for a Cause program I hope to help other small communities that don't have libraries of their own bring a Little Free Library to their town through the Little Free Library Small Town Initiative.  I was very fortunate to receive support from Post Alpha-Bits cereal and the Latimer City Council when setting up my Little Free Library, but I know every small community might not have access to those resources.  So that is why I'm supporting the Small Town Initiative this month.

If you are ever in the Latimer, Iowa, stop by and visit our community's Little Free Library.  It is located in Downtown Latimer on the west-side of Akir Street.  Do you have a Little Free Library in your community?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause all month long to help out this world-wide cause!

Little Free Library Coming to Latimer

Look what arrived at my door the other day:

Little Free Library

My Little Free Library!  For those that follow my blog's Facebook page, you know I have been working since the beginning of the year to bring a Little Free Library to my local community of Latimer, Iowa.  I've had to do some work to make this possible and after receiving the Little Free Library, it made it all more a reality!

My love for my community and passion for childhood literacy is what drove me to set up a Little Free Library in the community of Latimer.  Reading is really important to me and raising my kids.  My kids and I read every day and always have books around.  The town of Latimer doesn't have a library and I know there are many kids in town that don't have an opportunity to go to a library, especially in the summer.  So I thought bringing a Little Free Library to Latimer would be great for all the youth of the community, and for the adults who love to read too.

So how does it work?  After working with the Latimer City Council, I will now be installing the Little Free Library in Downtown Latimer sometime in the next month or so.  I got approval from the Council to use city property for the Little Free Library at their February meeting.  The Little Free Library will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.  It will be filled with a collection of books for both children and adults.  The Little Free Library works by the "take a book, leave a book" philosophy.  When someone goes to the Library and picks out a book, they are asked to replace it with another book.

The Little Free Library movement began in Wisconsin five years ago and now has nearly 12,000 locations world-wide, over 100 of which are in Iowa.  I first read about Little Free Libraries through the "Parade" insert in our newspaper a few years ago and in the last couple of years I have started seeing them in the communities of a couple of my family members.  After finding out about an opportunity with Post Alpha-Bits cereal where I could apply to receive a Little Free Library and a starter book collection through them, I then put my love and passion together with this opportunity and decided that I should bring a Little Free Library to my local community.

How can you help?  I am still looking for some adult books to help fill the Little Free Library.  If you have any good, gently used books you are willing to share with the Library let me know!  I'd love to add them to our collection.  Also, I am planning on putting together a "ground breaking" party for the Little Free Library after it is installed.  I hope the Little Free Library is a resource for all the Latimer community and that it helps them connect with a neighbor they maybe wouldn't have met otherwise.

I would like to thank Post Alpha-Bits cereal for the Little Free Library and a starter collection of youth books for my Library.  I think what they are doing with the Little Free Library program, the Super Why! television show and other literacy programs is really great.  You can encourage literacy skills in your home too by eating Post Alpha-Bits cereal.  Here is a fun breakfast treat that I make at my home, which isn't only good to eat, but also helps LP recognize his letters:

Breakfast Banana Split

1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt (vanilla, strawberry, strawberry-banana are all great flavors)
1/4 cup halved grapes
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup Post Alpha-Bits cereal


Peel and split banana lengthwise.  Place in sundae dish or cereal bowl.  Top with yogurt.  Sprinkle with fruit and cereal.  Makes 1 serving.

And enjoy!

Do you have a Little Free Library in your community?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Wordless Wednesday - Supporting Our Local Tree Farms

We are so lucky to have two great family tree farms

 in less than 10 miles of our farm!

Family photo next to our Christmas Tree
from Meyer Family Trees of rural Hampton, Iowa

Wreath Making Class
at Carlson Tree Farm of rural Coulter, Iowa