Farm-girl ingenuity can take you far in life, even as far as space, said former NASA astronaut and Iowa native Dr. Peggy Whitson recently in Des Moines.

Whitson, the keynote speaker at Iowa Farm Bureau’s 100th annual meeting, said the lessons she learned growing up on an Iowa farm taught her the resilience and adaptability she needed to become a record-breaking U.S. astronaut.

“Set your goals high, but en­­joy the journey of getting there,” Whitson told Farm Bureau members, after they greeted her with a standing ovation for her courage and achievements.

Whitson completed...