As a farm-grown, small town Iowa native, my big city college friends like to tease me about my state. They think Iowa is just a big corn field (with a few pig farms sprinkled in). Well I'm here to sit the record straight and prove just how great Iowa is. Of course, it was difficult to only list ten reasons why Iowa is so great. So sit back, relax, and learn!
1. Corn & Pigs
Funny how these are the number one things people tease about, yet I list them as great things. As a proud Iowan, I think I need to brag a bit. Iowa is 92% farmland. In 2015, farmers grew 140 billion pounds of corn. That's more than the whole country of Mexico produced in that same year! Think that's just a silly stereotype proven true? Corn is in everything. From food to fuel to plastic, I think it's safe to say we can't live without it. As for pigs, it's true what they say. Pigs do outnumber humans 3 to 1. But who ever said no to bacon? So next time you're in the store buying cereal and sausage remember to thank your friendly Iowan farmers.
2. We have the Largest Strawberry in the World.
No, you can't eat it. But the fiberglass strawberry sits in Strawberry Point, Iowa (no surprise there, I'm sure). The sculpture is 15 feet tall and was dedicated in the 1960's.
3. Sliced Bread
We invented sliced bread. Do I even need to say more? Iowan Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the bread slicer in 1912 and it began commercial use in 1928.
4. R.A.G.B.R.A.I.
The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa began in 1973 and is the oldest, longest, and largest touring event in the world. Only 8,500 riders are allowed to participate in the week long event each year to help maintain some control. Bikers come from all over the world to ride the route. The route itself changes every year to weave through different towns on its way from the Missouri to the Mississippi river.
5. Iowa Education Is Hard To Beat
Iowans boast an astonishing 99% literacy rate. Numbers like that easily put us at the highest in the nation. So much for a bunch of dumb farm hicks, huh?!
6. Ashton Kutcher!
Film star Ashton Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kutcher has been in a wide range of movies from Cheaper by the Dozen to Valentine's Day to No Strings Attached. He can also be seen in TV shows like "That 70's Show" and "Two and a Half Men". And which state gets to claim this good-looking actor? Come on, say it with me, IOWA!
7. The Field of Dreams
Another age-old stand in proving just how great Iowa can be. Just outside of Dyersville, Iowa, sits a farm with a baseball field. It is the location of the 1989 film Field of Dreams. As is famously stated in the film, "If you build it, they will come." And they have. The site has seen more than one million visitors from all corners of the world in its 26 year existence.
8. Iowa is a Leader in Equal Rights
Whether it be gender, race, or sexual orientation, Iowa is at the helm of equal rights. They granted women property rights and custody rights in the mid-1800's. When women got the right to vote in 1920, Iowa women also became eligible for jury duty. Iowa removed the ban on interracial marriage over 100 year before the rest of the country. In 2009 Iowa's Supreme Court unanimously voted that banning same-sex marriage was in violation of the Iowa Constitution.
9. Iowa or Iowa State?
This has to be the biggest rivalry ever. For one game a year past and present Iowans tune in to see who will be victorious. Bets are placed. Friendships are strained. Relationships are temporarily ended. I mean this game is bigger than Coke v. Pepsi or Ford v. Chevy. This is the Iowa-Iowa State game!
10. Iowa has AMAZING restaurants
Should you ever find yourself in Ames, Iowa with an appetite for barbecue, head over to Hickory Park. What if you're in Des Moines? Zombieburger is the place to be. How about Cedar Rapids? Then you definitely want to hit up Emil's Hideaway. Point is that no matter where you find yourself in Iowa you can always find a restaurant serving good homemade food. It must be all that love (or corn) we cook with!
So there you have it, written proof that Iowa is so great. Many people can't get themselves to look beyond our corn exterior to see the treasures hidden inside. We are more than just fields. Iowa has been great sites and treasures to share. So stop on by, no matter where your journey takes you you will always be greeted with a friendly face and a warm plate of food.
