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~SITE
PHILOSOPHY~ This site is provided by
enlighten technologies, inc.�, an Iowa based
corporation, and is intended as a resource
rich research site aimed at giving back to the
community and the state of Iowa in
appreciation for all those who have helped us
these past thirteen years to succeed in the
law service industry. We feel that
helping to promote the State of Iowa Caucus is
an important part of the political process and
is beneficial to both our community and the State of Iowa.
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"Our liberties we
prize, and our rights we will maintain."
-
Iowa State Motto
The State of Iowa was established in 1846 and was the 29th state to be
admitted to
the United States. It is centrally located between the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers, and is part of the central region in the
united States known as the Midwest. The state is made up of sweeping
prairies, rolling
hills, and winding rivers. A large percentage of the land in Iowa is used for
agricultural purposes. The Capital of Iowa is Des Moines, which is located in the
southern part of the state. Iowa is
named after the Ioway, a Native American tribe that had settled in the region
before the Europeans.
(For more Iowa History, see http://publications.iowa.gov/
& Iowa
Official Register.)
Iowa Statistical
Dynamics Circa 2000-2005:
Population
& Land Size:
Population |
3,002,555 |
Land Size |
55,869 square miles |
Number of People per
Mile |
52.4 persons per square mile |
Race:
Descendents |
European |
Hispanic / Latino |
African |
Asian |
American
Indian |
Mixed Race |
Population |
2,708,263 |
119,734 |
77,477 |
47,365 |
11,642 |
26,670 |
Percentage |
90.6% |
4.0% |
2.6% |
1.6% |
0.4% |
0.9% |
Age:
Years Old |
Under 5 Yrs |
Under 18 Yrs |
Between 18-65 Yrs |
65 Yrs |
Population |
195,916 |
711,403 |
1,656,788 |
438,448 |
Percentage |
6.1% |
22.6% |
56.6% |
14.7% |
Education:
Level |
High School
|
Bachelors Degree or
Higher |
High School Not
Completed |
Age |
25 & Older |
25 & Older |
25 & Older |
Percentage |
81% |
21% |
19% |
Economy:
Civilian Labor Force |
Unemployment Rate |
Average Income per
Capita |
Average Earnings per
Job |
Private Non-Farm
Employment |
Farm Related
Employment |
1,659,800 |
4.6% |
$31,058 |
$35,955 |
1,241,864 |
418,136 |
(For more Iowa Statistics, see Census
Statistics, Census
Map & Population
Map.)
THE
'TALL CORN STATE.'
Corn
and corn components can be
found in thousands of products including cleansers, cosmetics, drugs, and
food. Beyond food and
consumer product uses, corn is replacing petroleum in industrial
applications from plastic containers to ethanol. Because corn
products are a biodegradable and renewable resource, they're better
for the environment than their petroleum counterparts. According to 2005-2006 USDA Industry
Statistics, Iowa's corn crop is used for the following:
Animal
Feed
Livestock in Iowa consumed about 550 million bushels of corn: 53% for hogs, 29%
for beef cattle, 12% for
poultry, and 5% for dairy cattle.
Exports
750
million bushels from Iowa�s crop left the state. More than 55% went to
foreign markets including
Algeria, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Mexico,
South Korea, and Taiwan.
Corn
Sweeteners
755 million bushels of Iowa's crop were refined into corn sweeteners used in
products such as candy, cola, ice cream, jelly, lunch meat, and salad
dressing.
Ethanol
Iowa's
growing ethanol industry used about 450 million bushels of corn. The
corn is fermented into fuel alcohol, which makes gasoline burn cleaner, reducing air
pollution and eliminating water pollution. By replacing gasoline, our
need for petroleum, which isn't renewable, is reduced.
Other
Uses
275 million bushels were processed into starch for food and industrial uses
such as paper, textiles, adhesives, plastics, baked goods, and soups; 190 million bushels became
cereal, chips, tortillas, and other
corn foods; and 135 million bushels were fermented into alcoholic beverages.
(See http://www.iowacorn.org
for additional corn resources. All corn references and statistics
courtesy of Iowa Corn Promotion Board/Iowa Corn Growers Association.)
UNTIL THE COWS COME
HOME...HOME ON THE RANGE.
Cattle are one of Iowa's main agricultural outputs. Iowa
saw a large increase in farming of beef during
World War I, but farmers saw economic hardships after the war. These
hardships were the result of the removal of war-time farm subsidies. Total
recovery did not occur until the 1940s; however, with the Farm Crisis of the 1980s,
Iowa saw a major decline in family farms.
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa.)
Iowa
is ranked second in the nation in the production of red meat. Iowa
farms account for 3.8 million head of cattle and calves. The annual
total of cattle and calves marketed is 2,110,000 head. A cow produces
an average of 20,722 pounds of milk per year. That's equivalent to
about 2,410 gallons, or 38,560 glasses of milk per year per cow. In
2005, there was an average of 194,000 milk cows in Iowa.
(See http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/quickFacts.htm.)
Iowa farmers earned
$6.07 billion in 2003 from the sale of livestock.
Thirty-two thousand
Iowa farms have cattle; 47 percent have less than 50 head,
20 percent have 50-99 head, 30 percent have 100-499 head, 2
percent have 500-999 head, and 1 percent have more than
1,000 head.
(See http://www.nass.usda.gov/ia/agriculturalfacts.htm.)
THIS
LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET.
Iowa
is the nation's number one pork producing state, responsible for almost 25
percent of total U.S. pork production. With its supreme environment and
availability of corn and soybeans for feed, Iowa's 10,000 pork producers
maximize quality and produce the type of meat in demand by both domestic and
overseas buyers. Research
is a big part of Iowa's effective pork production. With the help of
researchers at Iowa State University and the university's Meat Export
Research Center, the Iowa pork industry keeps abreast of new
products and processing technologies, export-related technology, and market
and economic studies.
Iowa's
independent farmers, who market more than 21 million hogs a year, raise a
variety of outstanding hog breeds in Iowa. Through superior genetics and
selective breeding, Iowa's animal herds have become the envy of pork
producers everywhere. Regardless of breed,
however, Iowa hogs are recognized as being the best in America. And that translates
into a high demand for Iowa pork products among international customers.
Iowa
pork has become the standard for excellence in pork products
worldwide.
(See http://www.iowapork.org/bestpork.html.)
10 Reasons the Pork Industry is Important to Iowa:
1.
Iowa's hog farmers produce high quality, affordable pork that consumers enjoy. The state of Iowa has often been referred to
as "The Food Capital of the World" because our soil, climate,
transportation systems and capable farmers allow us to grow abundant corn
and soybeans and raise hogs, cattle, turkeys, poultry and sheep.
2.
The Iowa pork industry creates jobs for over 65,000 Iowans. From farm to
table, it takes thousands upon thousands of jobs to get that wholesome Iowa
Chop or pork burger to the dinner table. A strong pork industry means
good jobs for Iowans.
3.
The pork industry generates $12 billion annually in economic activity. Pork production is a multi-billion dollar
industry for the state of Iowa. Local, state and
property taxes from the pork industry contributes over $70 million dollars
to the state's rural economy alone. Every pig raised in Iowa results in an additional $2.75 in local
tax revenue that directly benefits that county's communities and schools.
4.
The pork industry serves as a strong foundation for our rural communities to
grow. Pork producers keep businesses thriving and rural residents
employed by purchasing feed, building equipment, machinery, gas, energy and
numerous other inputs from local suppliers. Property, income, and sales taxes generated from pork
production fund local schools, neighborhood improvement, road maintenance and many other public
programs.
5.
The pork industry makes use of Iowa's excellent transportation system and
infrastructure, production, and labor supply. With two
major interstates, access to railways, and two major rivers bordering each
side, Iowa has an advantage for livestock production over other
states. With pork production flourishing, it makes sense to
locate packing, processing, marketing, and transportation logistics jobs in
the state.
6.
Pork production provides a market for and adds value to over 30% of Iowa's
corn and soybeans. Corn, a cereal grain that provides energy, is the major
ingredient in swine feed. Soybean meal provides a protein source, and
vitamins and minerals are added to ensure the pigs are getting
all the essential nutrients of a healthy diet.
7.
With
more people moving out to enjoy the peaceful rural countryside, farmers are
committed to being good environmental stewards of the land and good neighbors by using technologies
to protect the environment and reduce farm odors.
8.
Iowa farmers realize the value of hog manure, or swine nutrients. It contains the essential elements
(nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) that are needed to replenish the soil
for next year's corn and soybean crops, and the largest market for this grain
happens to be Iowa hogs.
9.
Iowa farmers take pride in giving back to their communities, as they continue the long-time
tradition of helping out friends, neighbors, and pitching in for the good of
the community. The Iowa Pork Producers Association is made up of county pork
producer groups who have been organizing community projects for years.
10.
From "Pork Chops on a Stick" at the State Fair to thick
and juicy Iowa Chops in our grocery stores, Iowa has rich food traditions enjoyed by farm families and urban consumers alike. The
name 'Iowa Chop' was chosen because of the high quality and quantity of pork
produced in Iowa. By definition, it's a 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch thick, fresh, center cut pork chop,
weighing in at 10-15 ounces.
(See
http://www.iowapork.org/about_us/topteni.html.)
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