15-YEAR RAGBRAI RIDER WINS FARMERS FEED US CONTEST - Iowa Farm Groups Connect with 2011 RAGBRAI riders

Gerald Ketterling of Clive not only enjoyed his 15th RAGBRAI ride last month, he also won an iPad2 through a contest sponsored by Iowa Farmers Feed Us (FFU). FFU hosted four stops along the statewide ride and handed out free food samples and four separate collectable FFU bike spoke cards to help riders understand more about their food and the farmers who grow and raise it. 

“We learned about the campaign before the ride started and we were looking for them at their stops,” said Ketterling. “We enjoy those fun things to do along the way.” 

Iowa Farmers Feed Us - RAGBRAI is the fourth project using the FFU platform to showcase the character of rural Iowa’s farming communities and the many farmers who provide a wide variety of nutritious, safe food.  FFU was launched in 2010 to highlight farmers’ commitment to providing people with safe, nutritious and wholesome food, caring for the animals and the land, and supporting their communities, as well. Iowa Farmers Feed Us stops were staffed with farmers to explain to riders what they were seeing in the barns and fields that they passed.

Ketterling’s teammates not only hunted for the FFU stops, but talked about the cards and the farmers they represented. “I know lots of riders were amazed by what they saw and learned about Iowa farming,” he said.  “We marveled at the size of the equipment and the amazing technology that farmers use today.”

Ketterling grew up on a farm north of Victor and remembers his grandfather using horses in the fields. (“GPS wasn’t on the radar screen yet,” he joked.) The family raised corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle and even milked cows for a time. 

“It’s always a good experience to talk to people about farming,” said Dale Zahurones, a farmer who hosted the fourth stop on his land near Baxter.  “We want people to have a better understanding of the state they are seeing and to understand what we do to raise crops and livestock.”

The front of each bike spoke card celebrated Iowa farming and RAGBRAI with exclusive drawings created by celebrated Iowa illustrator Brian Duffy.  The back of the bike spoke card had a link to the Farmers Feed Us website and a number to enter in a drawing to win the grand prize: a new Apple i-Pad.  

The 2011 RAGBRAI Farmers Feed Us sponsors include: the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Midwest Dairy Association, Iowa State Dairy Association, Iowa Turkey Federation and Iowa Soybean Association.

For more information about the 2011 RAGBRAI Farmers Feed Us event and to see photos, check out www.iowafarmbureau.com/ragbrai.