This American value is rooted in Iowa's family farms

Ahead of America’s 250^th anniversary, I began to watch documentaries, listen to podcasts and read several pieces about the American Revolution.

As I take in the stories of ordinary men—many of them farmers—working to build something the world had never seen, it’s hard not to feel a deep sense of patriotism.

They didn’t know what freedom would look like, or if this idea was even achievable.

Sometimes, as diary entries from soldiers in the U.S. Continental Army show, it felt like it wasn’t.   

That perseverance in the face of the unknown during this eight-year battle for the pursuit of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is nothing short of inspirational.

Despite these aspirations, however, historian and author David McCullough once remarked our founders “knew what they created was no more perfect than they were.”

“It needed to be constantly attended to,” McCullough said. “And improved and made to work better.”

That mindset of learning, adapting and looking toward the future is one Iowa farm families take to heart.

Previous generations didn’t hand over the “perfect” farm.

They worked with the skills, knowledge and technology they had at the time, and each generation added their own improvements to carry it forward.

That commitment is visible in the animal care and conservation practices Iowa farmers have adopted just within the last decade:

• More than 11,000 cattle farmers and 14,500 pig farmers in Iowa have completed “quality assurance” programs to continually learn and implement the latest science-based animal health practices.
   
• Iowa has re-emerged as a top 10 milk-producing state, with many dairy farmers using monitoring technology—similar to Fitbits— to track each animals’ health needs and improve detection of any health and mobility issues.
   
• Farmers have planted nearly 3.9 million acres of cover crops—up 92% in the past six years—to hold soil in place and reduce runoff. 
   
• Seventy percent more acres are protected by wetlands than a decade ago. The restoration of these water quality practices that reduce nitrates have also led to a 17% increase in nesting pairs of trumpeter swans between 2022 and 2025. 
   
• Iowa farmers have exceeded the state’s phosphorus reduction goal through soil protection practices like no-till and installing grassed terraces on sloping terrain to slow water that may carry nutrients with it to nearby streams. (Iowa farmers have installed so many of these terraces, they could circle the earth nearly 3.5 times!)

Yet, there’s more work to be done. Agriculture—like America—isn’t perfect, even after 250 years! But perfection is not what makes farming or our nation great.

This greatness comes from what our founders originally set out to do: give power to the people and instill in them a sense of integrity to make the next right choice.

Those are our roots of freedom. And the best part? It’s a story that’s still being written.

Learn more about author Caitlyn Lamm here.