“Being a mom is a tough job. Looking out for others first. Hardly ever getting a thank-you. Long hours. But that’s what you do when you love your family.”

Looking out for others first. Very few thank-yous. Long hours. Why does that sound so familiar?

Because it describes the farmer’s life as well. It’s not easy working 12-hour days. Or feeding the family by feeding the cows at 4 a.m. But farmers do it because they love farming, and they love their families.

In this section, you’ll meet some of the people who work so hard to provide you with so many food choices from different farming methods. We’ll explain some of the work they put into food safety and animal care, and even give you a link to a directory of more than 200 Iowa farmers’ markets. Iowa is ranked third nationally in the number of local farmers’ markets.

Meet Greg Rinehart
Row-Crop and Organic Farmer, Iowa

If you thought conventional and organic farming methods were at odds with each other, we’d like you to meet Greg Rinehart, who’s comfortable with both. Things are busy around the Rinehart place: There’s a conventional row-crop operation, a huge organic vegetable garden, and ten kids to help harvest the bounty. “We think it’s important to give consumers a variety of food choices,” he says, “and we take pride in providing safe, quality food regardless of the production method used.”