Iowa musings

After spending ten days in Iowa we decided not to run in the next primary but we did get to know a lot more about Iowa. We didn't see any locals that weren't Caucasian and a lot of the small towns are still rooted in their German, Danish or Dutch cultures. 

We saw a lot of signs saying " The churches of ----- welcome you and then about 4 different Christian churches were named underneath. A lot of the town social life is through the churches so they are the main parts of the community. On the other hand there were probably more bars than churches in each town. Another vibrant part of the social scene. 

We saw help wanted signs in windows of restaurants and shops in almost every town. We also saw a lot of local businesses for sale. The farmers say that most of their kids don't want to farm so the farms are becoming bigger and more corporate. Farmers are retiring into the towns and young people are looking for jobs in bigger cities. A lot come home, though, when they are ready to retire. Some towns are offering free lots to families if they will build a house and stay. Some towns are offering finder's fees if you get a physician to move to their community. Some of these things must be working because a lot of the rural areas are showing growth. 

In general the people we've met are happy and interested in conversation. The air is fresh except near the pig farms and food is plentiful.