Without a strong Farm Bill, outlook is bleak for farmers and everyone who eats

March 13, 2025

March 14 is a big date this year. It’s the second day of the Big 12 basketball tournament (Go State!); it’s Pi Day – you can celebrate with math or dessert; and most importantly, it’s also the date set for a government shutdown unless Congress can agree to increase the debt ceiling. A big part of that shutdown is the ongoing negotiation for a long overdue Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is up for renewal every five years and is already almost two years past due. Luckily, Congress has renewed the Farm Bill through September 2025, but that doesn’t mean it’s without issue. Farmers ...

Memories of Opa

March 9, 2025

This is the story of a man of humble origins who moved to a new country and worked hard but never acquired wealth or fame. This man was my maternal grandfather and this year will mark the 60th anniversary of his passing. My grandfather was born in an East Frisian village near Weener, Germany, in 1892. He was named after his father, Dirk Gelder, but I knew him as Opa, the German and Dutch word for “grandpa.” Opa’s father died in 1899 leaving his mother a penniless widow with seven children, Dirk being the youngest. According to family lore, Hinderk, the oldest of Opa’s ...

Wonder what Dad has been up to today

March 6, 2025

While reviewing bills recently I noticed my monthly cell phone bill had increased by $18. I searched the statement looking for a reason for the increase but found none. I’m not a parsimonious old coot, but I am frugal and I was upset by an unannounced increase in the bill with no explanation for the increase. I found the provider’s phone number and decided to call for customer assistance. “Upset” probably isn’t an accurate description of my mood at the time. I was ticked off. This big corporation was sticking it to me. I was ready to share my irritation with someone. Then ...

Good people

March 2, 2025

I was reminded not too long ago that good people voted for our current president and his standards. The message came from a social media acquaintance who called me out for my morality. The irony of this is that anyone who has known me long enough knows very well that I am far from perfect. My life, as I see it, has been a journey towards becoming a better person. In my heart, I always thought that was the intention of the path. FYI: I apply that to the actions of others, especially our public representatives. Which leaves me disappointed. In Iowa right now, it feels like the mean ...

Facebook friends can be real friends

February 23, 2025

The social media phenomenon known as Facebook turns 20 years old this year! It was a year or so after Facebook became a reality that I began hearing talk promoting the application and younger friends and acquaintances began urging me to get involved. Early on, I was reluctant to sign up for Facebook but by 2010 (or so) I became a member. In the 15 (or so) years that have followed, I have developed a love-hate relationship with it. For years I have I read complaints about Facebook and its policies, security issues, advertising, screening and on and on. Yes, I have been frustrated too, ...

Conversing with Chicago cab drivers

February 18, 2025

Forty years ago my job at the Sioux City Journal involved, among a host of other duties, regular travel to call on major advertisers headquartered in other Midwestern cities. Some of those sales calls necessitated air travel. The Sioux City Airport was only a 10 to 15 minute-drive from our home which made getting to and from the airport quick and easy. On most air trips, I rented a car at the destination airport and drove to appointments. Chicago presented a bigger challenge. I usually rented a car to make sales calls in the suburbs, dropped off the rental car at a downtown drop-off ...