Hi everyone, I’m Gary Fandel, new photographer and writer on the staff of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. It’s great to be part of the talented team that keeps farmers and their families informed and helps tell their stories in words, photos and videos.

I look forward to learning more about agriculture and meeting some of the people who provide food, energy and so many other agricultural products to Iowa, the nation and the world.

I grew up in Emmetsburg, Iowa, not far from my mother’s family farm. My career as a photojournalist spans more than 30 years, much of it covering the great state of Iowa.

Since starting in June, I’ve traveled a good portion of the state already and have visited a couple of great county fairs, like the Delaware County Fair in Manchester. Some of the sights and sounds are captured in the accompanying video, a celebration of Iowa.

If you have a photo or story suggestion, please drop me a line at ‘ gfandel@ifbf.org.’