This winter, Iowa experienced some unbearably cold days — like, face-hurting, snot-freezing cold.

My husband, Craig, and I tried to avoid being outside as much as possible, but he did have to check a few grain bins during the two-degree weather. His gloves stuck to the ladder leading to the top of the bin, and the 45 seconds it took me to help him open some of the bin’s roof vents was enough cold for me.

It definitely had me thinking about how Iowa’s livestock farmers are always...