The Gems in our Midst

There are many photographers out there who capture images of people on their land, farmers working with bees or bison, fire or cattle. But rarely do we see these alternative farms in Iowa.

Bison at Broken Kettle by Amee Ellis. Taken at Broken Kettle.

And there are many places in the world that integrate hills and cropland, trails and kayak trips. But rarely have I walked such trails in Iowa.

Yet, I was lucky enough to encounter all of the above, together. In Iowa.

I went on a week-long artist retreat with photographer Amee Ellis, who is “interested in how connecting to place develops an individual’s sense of wonder, self, and belonging.” In her last project “This Place in My Hands,” Amee traveled around Iowa, photographing all kinds of non-conventional farms, using Aldo Leopold’s words as her guide.

“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

The River House at Whiterock Conservancy. Photo by Beth Hoffman

The two of us stayed at one of the most important farms in Iowa, Whiterock Conservancy.

Whiterock Conservancy is a 5,500-acre, nonprofit land trust dedicated to providing educational and recreational opportunities for the public, improving and protecting the land through conservation, and demonstrating sustainable farming methods.

But it’s much more than that.

For more than three generations, the Garst family has been experimenting how to make farming more economically sustainable, while encouraging the health of the land.

Adam Listens for Goats by Amee Ellis. Adam’s goats live near Brooklyn, Iowa

They’ve tried it all. Some of it has worked. Much of it has not.

They’ve planted different kinds of prairie strips, grown oaks too tightly together, and used seed mixes for their prairies that only sometimes grew. They’ve raised worms and rye, sheep and corn. They learned over decades about the art of using fire for habitat restoration (and about safety, via a few dramatic ah-ha moments) and mastered electric fencing—a real feat when you are trying to rotate cattle on pasture and maintain hiking trails at the same time.

But with 40 acres of trails for walking, biking, and cross-country skiing, Whiterock also gives people the ability to enjoy open lands (a rarity in Iowa) while seeing what an oak savannah or prairie or prairie strip or cover crop looks and feels like.

Likewise, Amee Ellis’ work lets us peek into the lives of “alternative” farms and farmers (growing everything from bees to bison). The images are voyeuristic in the best way, inviting the viewer to envision a different Iowa. They ask us to be curious.

“Have you ever wondered what making maple syrup looks like?” one photo asks. “Check this out!”

Making Maple Syrup (Maze Pan) by Amee Ellis.

One of my favorite experiences of the week was when Farm Manager Darwin Pierce took us out to see his vermicompost operation at Whiterock Consevancy. Growing worms to make compost? I wondered. He told us about the ups and downs of his work.

“We’ve killed worms every which way,” he explained, discussing all he has learned over the years. Today, he is the proud grower of tens of thousands of gallons of worm castings.

Darwin shows us his vermicompost at Whiterock Conservancy

Without “failure” there is no success. And without guides and imagery, it is hard to know what might be possible. Amee Ellis’ photos artfully show us the depth and breadth of what is possible in agricultural Iowa. Whiterock delivers the experience of walking through it in person.

They are gems in our midst.

Gentle Hand by Amee Ellis (that’s my hand and our goat at Whippoorwill Creek Farm).

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Wow, am I proud to be a part of this amazing, ever-growing, and morphing group that is the Iowa Writers Collaborative! Now “The Flipside” is coming to you midweek and the Sunday Roundup arrives on, you guessed it, Sundays.

And, if you want to check out another amazing farm in Iowa—come visit Whippoorwill Creek Farm. We sell grass-finished beef and goat, and host cooking and writing classes in our comfy barn.