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Tanner Sanness, age 26, of Reconnected Farms near Dorchester was named the first-place winner of Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) “Grow Your Future” Award.

The award promotes young agriculturalists, ages 18-35, with a niche market, unique ag service or specialty business. Sanness was announced the winner during the 2023 IFBF Young Farmer Conference, held January 27-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, and took home $7,500 to grow his mushroom growing business.

“I was in college when I heard a podcast about the health benefits of Lion’s Mane mushrooms,” says Sanness. “I wasn’t involved in farming at all at the time. When I couldn’t find them locally, I bought a grow kit.”

Sanness now grows 300 to 500 pounds of mushrooms per week that can be found in local grocery stores and 20 area restaurants. With his winnings, he plans to purchase a delivery van and walk-in cooler.

Area residents invited to learn how to clarify values and set meaningful goals in an interactive workshop

Over the past year, Allamakee County residents have had the opportunity to attend a series of six free resilience education workshops delivering practical ways to cultivate trust, manage stress, build hope, cope with adversity, find meaning in hardship, and grow personal resilience skills.

With a recent grant from the R.J. McElroy Trust, more residents will now have the opportunity to attend a final “What’s Your Word?” workshop that guides people to clarify their values and set meaningful goals. The workshop will be held Monday, February 13 from 12 -1 p.m. in the large community room at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Participants will receive a personalized bracelet or bookmark with a compass word they choose to remind them of their intentions.

Award nominations due by February 20; Dairy Banquet scheduled for March 25

The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board is asking for assistance from the general public in identifying worthy candidates to be recognized as this year’s top producers in Allamakee County at the2023 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet scheduled for Saturday, March 25. Every year, top producers and several other awards are nominated from members within the county. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension office are accepting nominations for the following awards:

Outstanding Young Dairyman/Family Award - Honors young dairy farmers who have achieved excellence in managing their dairy enterprises, have contributed leadership to the dairy industry, and are respected in their communities. Dairy producers must be 35 years of age or younger to be nominated for this award.

Award nominations due by February 20; Dairy Banquet scheduled for March 25

The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board is asking for assistance from the general public in identifying worthy candidates to be recognized as this year’s top producers in Allamakee County at the2023 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet scheduled for Saturday, March 25. Every year, top producers and several other awards are nominated from members within the county. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension office are accepting nominations for the following awards:

Outstanding Young Dairyman/Family Award - Honors young dairy farmers who have achieved excellence in managing their dairy enterprises, have contributed leadership to the dairy industry, and are respected in their communities. Dairy producers must be 35 years of age or younger to be nominated for this award.

Participation in the Little Britches Rodeo of Wisconsin over the past several years has gained Waukon Middle School eighth grader Mackenzie Herman some good memories, good friends, and within this past year or so, some high-end awards to show for her work.

But her parents, Rick and Cathy Herman of rural Waukon, say the greatest thing they have seen their daughter gain from participating in the rodeo is confidence in herself and growth as a young lady in most everything she does, even beyond rodeo.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library hosted a presentation Thursday, January 12 updating the community about the historical and archaeological work continuing to take place for the Black Hawk Bridge replacement project. Addressing a standing-room only audience in the library that evening were (pictured left to right in photo at right) Clayton Burke, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) overseeing engineer on the bridge project; Ray Werner, historian with Tall Grass Prairie Archaeology LLC, Iowa City; and Brennan Dolan, cultural resource project manager, District 2, with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

Dolan told attendees that a special bid letting - the Lansing bridge project is the only project in this letting - will take place in the summer 2023. The contractor for the project should be known by late August or early September. “This time next year folks will likely see work underway for the new piers,” Dolan said.

Physicians and staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon are pleased to announce that the first baby born to an established patient at the hospital in 2023 has arrived. Zachary John Baumler, son of Liz and Dustin Baumler of Ossian, was recently celebrated as the First Baby of the Year at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Zachary was born January 13, 2023 at 12:33 p.m.  He weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and was 21 inches long at the time of his birth. He joins siblings Raelynn and Conner at home. His grandparents are Dave and Janette Heitman of rural Lansing, Natalie Hemesath of Calmar and the late Joseph Baumler.

When Liz learned she was expecting, she established her care at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinic-Waukon, seeing Halie Ruff, Nurse Practitioner for her prenatal visits. Then, when Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife, joined the maternity services team at Veterans Memorial Hospital, Liz chose to continue her prenatal care through the actual delivery with Katy Maker.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will continue its program series for 2023 with a program about Allamakee County on the Home Front during World War II. The program is scheduled for Thursday, January 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the new Veterans Museum in the former Vet’s Club building at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon.

There is no admission charge, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. The program will be repeated Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m.

Scrap drives were held in Allamakee County to support the production of war materials and equipment during the war. In 1942, Cote’s Town Theatre put on a free movie for those who donated scrap items. The accompanying photo shows the pile of scrap in front of the theatre. Rationing of food, fuel, rubber, metal, clothing and other vital materials was required.

As an Iowa high school football official for the past 35 years, Ron Herman of Waukon has made a number of calls impacting a number of youth on playing fields across northeast Iowa. With one final call he made this past fall he wanted to make an even bigger impact off the field in honor of his final year of officiating high school football.

December 28 of this past year, Herman, his wife, Susanne, and his three children, Jonathan, Sydney and Samantha, all made the trip to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, where he presented a check in the amount of $930 to the hospital. That dollar amount represented the total pay he collected officiating high school football games this past fall, which marked his 35th and final year of working as an Iowa high school football official.

“I saved up all of my pay stubs from the games I officiated this past fall, totaled them up and wrote a check to the children’s hospital,” Herman explained.