The Humboldt County Farm Bureau recently donated $ 5,000 to support the $ 850,000 capital campaign to build a new building for several uses to accommodate the farm’s office, flexible space for meetings and demonstrations, handicapped accessible toilets, a small kitchenette and a store.

“The building is up and we start the final work in the office and boardroom,” said Doug Adams, head of Humboldt County Farm Bureau.“We have received and continue to apply for grants. We appreciate Humboldt County Farm Bureau’s support for this project. “

The 173 -hectare research farm is located just south of Kanawha and regularly arranges field days in conjunction with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Extension specialists from agronomists to climatologists share the latest, science-based research on soybean and corn production, weed management and more.

“We need more useful space for larger equipment that is more favorable for research,” Said research farmintendent Matt Schnabel. “We would also like more people to visit the farm and want to give enough room for educational programs focused on agriculture and the environment.”

The current capital campaign is led by the North Central Iowa Research Association, which owns the research yard. This non -profit group comprises almost 70 farmers, agricultural companies and landowners in northern central Iowa. Ncira is guided by a board of 19 members.

“We launched this capital campaign after we re -evaluated the future of research a few years ago,” said Greg Guenther, Ncira president and farmer in northern central Iowa. “With the increased size of modern agricultural equipment and progress in digital agriculture, we felt that a larger store, a large classroom and a new office complex are important to help support the farm’s mission to share research results that help increase the farm’s profitability.”

Northern Research and Demonstration Farm is unique among the various research farms in Iowa. While ISU researchers have conducted research at facilities in and around AMES and central Iowa for decades, Northern Research and Demonstration Farm is the oldest remote research association in Iowa.

In the early 1930s, leaders for American Crystal contacted Sugar Charles Curtiss, dean at Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and head of Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, on the need for research on sugar beets to support farmers in northern Iowa.

Kanawha Chamber of Commerce also saw this as an excellent opportunity. Around 1931, local farmers and businessmen collected in northern central Iowa $ 12,000 to buy 93 acres for an experimental farm. (This is approximately the equivalent of $ 250,000 in 2024 dollars.)

With the support of 350 shareholders, the North Iowa Experimental Association was formed. Project manager built a lab and a machine shop in the yard. They also collaborated with Iowa State to conduct research that would benefit local farmers, based on soils and weather conditions in northern Iowa.

As the research yard was developed, Clarion-Webster Experimental Association was organized in 1946. In 1952, the group bought 80 hectares south of the original research farm to focus on drainage research.

In 1995, the two associations were merged and formed Ncira, a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization. Over the years, the research yard in Kanawha has served as a role model for other association -owned farms in Iowa, as well as similar research farms in other states and countries around the world.

NCIRA continues its partnership with ISU to conduct relevant plant cultivation, plant protection and water quality research to serve farmers and agricultural sellers in northern Iowa. The association also collaborates with ISU Extension and Outreach to offer several field days, demonstrations and youth training every year.

“Many of ISU’s recommendations for plant cultivation for soybeans, corn, little grains and soil fertility come from years of research carried out on this farm and other research farms throughout the state,” said Angie Rieck-Hinz, an ISU extension Fältagronomer serving northern central Iowa. “We appreciate this long -standing partnership with Northern Research Farm.”