Jori Wade-Booth, Communications & Marketing Director
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area
jwadebooth@silosandsmokestacks.org
Office: 319.234.4567; Cell: 319.404.1311

WATERLOO, Iowa (June 27, 2025) – Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) celebrated the addition of seven new heritage area sites during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a significant step in its ongoing mission to preserve and share America’s agricultural story.

The newly designated sites join a growing network dedicated to honoring the people, places, and processes that define the nation’s farming legacy. Ranging from dairy farms and museums to vineyards and tractor assembly plants, there are 118 sites and attractions in the heritage area formally designated with preserving and sharing their own unique part of America’s agricultural story.

“We’re excited to welcome these seven new sites into the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area,” said Candy Welch Streed, Director of Partnerships at Silos & Smokestacks. “Each one adds a distinctive voice to the broader story of American agriculture. They help strengthen our collective efforts to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the rich heritage, innovation, and culture that define Iowa’s farming legacy.”

New sites include:

  • Barn Quilts of Black Hawk County, Black Hawk County. Featuring two self-guided driving tours highlighting 25 quilts. The tour includes viewing a quilt on the historic round barn at the Western Home Communities, local businesses, and farms. Along the way view, wetlands, the Cedar River, and rural communities within a short drive from Cedar Falls and Waterloo.
  • Country View Dairy, Hawkeye. Established in 2011 by Mennonite family Dave & Carolee Rapson, Country View Dairy built a new creamery from the ground up and now process milk from 80 cows into award-winning yogurt, milk and frozen yogurt. Visitors can see an active farm, get close to a calf, tour the farm, and watch the yogurt-making process. The farm store and visitor center are open daily.
  • Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center, Lansing. A 10,000 square foot nature center featuring exhibits on the flora and fauna of the Driftless Area as well as the history of the people from Native Americans to the present time and how they have used the natural resources to survive and make a living.
  • Earthmoving Legacy Center, Elkader. A 38,000 square foot facility that showcases the rich history of earthmoving machinery. The collection spans from the 1880’s to 1940, focusing primarily on the evolution of the Caterpillar Company, and features early track-type tractors from Caterpillar, Holt Manufacturing and C.L. Best Manufacturing.
  • Heritage Hall Museum, Slater. The Heritage Hall Museum thrives within a farming community with fields of grain surrounding the town. Many exhibits feature farming history, including an early 1900’s farm kitchen as well as a restored 1950 Ford tractor, farm tools, and our life size cutout of Betsy, a prize-winning dairy cow.
  • Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, Iowa City. Following its operational period from 1855 to 1988, the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm remained under county ownership but lay vacant. In 2017, the Board of Supervisors adopted a 10-year Master Plan to revitalize the site while protecting its history. Today the site offers interpretive signage, local food production, trails, accessibility measures, native plantings, and event space rentals.
  • Mississippi River Distilling Company, LeClaire. A family-owned distillery that crafts small-batch spirits from grains grown by local farmers, right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Tours and tastings are offered.

-30-

Through a network of sites, programs and events, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area tells the story of farm life and agribusiness—past and present. Visitors can learn about and experience agriculture at a variety of museums, historic sites, and farms. One of 62 federally designated heritage areas in the nation, Silos & Smokestacks is a member of the National Park Service National Heritage Area System. The heritage area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. To plan your visit or to learn more, visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org.

To download full image, right click and select Save image as

SSNHA Director of Partnerships Candy Streed, SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter and representatives from Country View Dairy, Driftless Area Education Center, Earthmoving Legacy Center, Johnson County Historic Poor Farm and Mississippi River Distilling Company cut the ceremonial green ribbon in honor of official designation as Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Site. (Not pictured, representatives from Heritage Hall Museum.)
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, and Becky Wagner, Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau.
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, and Ryan Burchett, Mississippi River Distilling Company.
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, Isla Dewald, and Julie Watkins, Johnson County Historic Poor Farm.
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, and Ross Geerdes, Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center.
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, and Walter Malone, Country View Dairy.
SSNHA Executive Director Cara Miller, Board of Trustees member Gail Carter, and Ross Kurth, Earthmoving Legacy Center.