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Devney Acres is a veteran-owned small farm with located near Beebeetown in Harrison County. Brennen, Lia, their son Aiden, and daughter Blakely grow apples, cherries, peaches, and make wine using grapes from their vineyard. Devney Acres also raises horses, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, guinea fowl, rabbits and a highland cow. They sell eggs, fruit, and small gifts, along with products made from their sheep’s wool.      Devney Acres first opened to the public in 2025. Their new wedding & event venues, The Rustic Shed and The Hen House, are opening in 2026 and accepting reservations. They are also looking to collaborate with local businesses and organizations to host on-farm events.  They offer farm tours to interact with the animals and learn about their farming activities. You can even pay to camp (tent or RV) on the farm! Visit their website to learn more, or follow Devney Acres on Facebook and Instagram.  photo provided by Devney Acres
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Golden Hills Project Coordinator Shaun Ahern recently finished the test plot portions of the Midwest Cover Crop Council’s Cover Crops Essentials course. The test plots consisted of two different cover crop mixes he created that each had two 3 feet x 3 feet test plots. The first mix consisted of red clover, sorghum sudangrass, and buckwheat. The second mix included crimson clover, oats, and mustard. He chose these mixes to see how the combination of different functional groups led to the mixes’ performance. For the first plot of each, all three species were broadcast seeded at a 100% seeding rate. For the second plot of each, the two colver species were broadcast seeded at a 100% seeding rate while all others were seeded at a 50% seeding rate. He finished up by taking biomass samples and measuring other ecosystem services indicators. The graphics below include a table of the measurements for 7 ecosystem service indicators and a spider plot of their axis scores to visualize how each mixture performed among those indicators.    Photos below include the test plots before samples were removed, including each of the species present, and the amount of each sample after they were removed. The total biomass collected of each species is as follows:
 oats  buckwheat  sorghum sudangrass  crimson clover  red clover  all four test plots  collected samples of all species that emerged These test plots allowed Shaun to get hands-on experience with cover crop research. Overall, the Cover Crops Essentials course allowed him to gain a better understanding of all the various factors to consider and that come into play with designing cover crop mixtures, planting, establishing, managing, and terminating cover crops. This should be helpful to Golden Hills staff with future projects that involve cover crops. Cover crops are an important in-field conservation and soil health practice that can provide a multitude of benefits, including the ecosystem service indicators in the graphics above and other benefits such as nitrogen scavenging, pest predation, and possible forage for livestock.
Cottonwood Hill Farms in McClelland, owned & operated by John & Gina Springhower, recently opened an on-farm store in McClelland. Customers must purchase a membership to shop at Cottonwood Hill Market. Memberships are $50 for one year, and annual renewals are only $25 every year thereafter. The market has a freezer stocked with their beef, pork and chicken, all raised with no antibiotics or vaccines. Their beef is 100% grass-fed and the chickens are free range, organic and soy-free. They also have soy-free eggs, rendered pork lard, and rendered beef tallow. Soaps, body washes and lotions made by a neighbor with natural ingredients are also available. Cottonwood Hill Market Hours: Mon: Closed Tues: 11am - 1pm Wed: 11am - 1pm Thurs: Closed Fri: 5pm - 7pm Sat: 11am - 1pm Sund: 11am - 1pm Learn more by visiting their website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.       photo from Cottonwood Hill Farms Facebook page. Golden Hills is excited to announce that Charlie Schilling has been hired as our new Trails Coordinator! Charlie will primarily be developing recreational trails in Pottawattamie County, in partnership with Pottawattamie County Trails Association and Pottawattamie Conservation. Charlie is energized to be the first-ever Trails Coordinator for Golden Hills. He has had past success bringing people, stakeholders and organizations together for a common cause and for the good of the overall community while leading some high-profile public projects. He also produces Tour de Nebraska, one of the premier bicycle tours in the Midwest. Charlie has fostered many industry, professional and personal relationships that have been established based on earned trust over three decades. This standard will continue while building relationships and trails throughout western Iowa. Join us in welcoming Charlie to the team!  Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year to go for a drive in western Iowa, but several factors can increase safety risk for drivers. Rowcrop harvest is underway, and many farm vehicles are large and slow-moving. Plan for extra time if you're driving on rural highways, and expect delays if you get caught behind a tractor, combine, or semi. Learn more in this post from Iowa State Extension.  photo from ISU Extension (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/drive-safely-iowa-roads-harvest-season) Most roads in Iowa follow the cardinal directions, and the sunrises and sunsets are almost directly east and west near the autumnal equinox. This can cause visibility issues, particularly on east-west roads around sunrise and sunset times  photo from Iowa Environmental Mesonet (https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2025-09-22) Earlier sunset times and later sunrises also coincide with morning and evening commuting rush hours during the fall, especially near metro areas. They also align with deer mating season when more deer are on the move and crossing roads at dawn and dusk. The end of Daylight Saving Time also causes an increase in traffic incidents, particularly vehicle-deer collisions. Other wildlife are also moving more with migration or to prepare for the winter season.  photo from Iowa Homeland Security Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/IowaHSEM/posts/pfbid02gCXDyyNFgT3mpQSgsWVWXMTjBnRoNbQbrGLL8dh5rhN2HEeso3My8caVNuYTH23gl) Other things to be aware of this time of year are people who are out for a slow, scenic drive to view the fall colors, especially along our beautiful scenic byways. Nice weather also means many people are out bicycling, walking, hiking, and running, which sometimes include on roadways or at least crossing roadways. Be extra cautious and plan for slower drive times this fall to keep yourself and others safe!   Golden Hills 2024 Annual Report is now available! Click the image below to download.  This post was originally published on July 11, 2025, and was updated on July 24 and July 30, 2025. In March 2024, a massive fertilizer spill in Red Oak caused significant ecological damage to the East Nishnabotna River, impacting more than 60 miles downstream and killing at least 800,000 fish of 20+ species. We wrote about it at the time here.  Map of affected area. Source: Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill NRDAR Preassessment Screen and Determination Since then, state and federal agencies have been working together to determine the severity of the spill's impacts on the river and restore aquatic wildlife. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are the designated natural resource Trustees for this spill. The Trustees initiated a natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR) to evaluate the impact of the spill on natural resources and ultimately to restore the injured resources. "Based on the damage assessment, the Trustees will seek compensation from NEW Cooperative Inc. for activities to restore or replace natural resources injured by the fertilizer spill." (Source: USFWS Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Preassessment Screen & Determination) USFWS' Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment & Restoration: 1 Year Later flyer explains the NRDAR process: The Trustees began Pre-Assessment Activities in March 2024, and then initiated a NRDAR for the Nishnabotna River in November 2024 .The NRDAR process generally follows these steps:  Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration 1 Year Later When the Trustees reach step 5, they go through a process known as restoration planning to develop a Restoration Plan:  Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration 1 Year Later On July 30, 2025, the Iowa Attorney General's office announced a settlement had been reached: "Under the settlement, NEW Co-op will pay a $50,000 penalty, pay $50,000 toward a supplemental environmental project with the Montgomery County Conservation Board, and agree to a three-year statewide injunction prohibiting future violations of Iowa’s water-quality laws." Additionally, Iowa DNR's Contaminated Sites Section is involved with this spill. Per DNR staff: "sometimes when a release is reported, and after the emergency is stabilized, the field office will transfer the site to the DNR's Contaminated Sites Section. In turn, the Contaminated Sites Section will determine whether additional assessment is required in response to the release. In this case, the Contaminated Sites Section did require a site assessment be conducted and submitted to the DNR. The enforcement case is related to the release itself and any violations related to the release. The site assessment is to address potential contamination related to the release and work through any remedial action needed. The DNR's OpenText website is a database that can be searched for public records. Within the database, you will find the DNR's Contaminated Sites Section request for a work plan to complete a site assessment, the work plan, the site assessment, and further documentation. You can find important documents about this spill on the USFWS NRDAR website. As the coordinator of the East Nishnabotna River Watershed Coalition, Golden Hills will share any additional updates as they become publicly available. We look forward to working collaboratively to help restore the East Nish's water quality and habitat. For questions related to the Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill, contact U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midwest Region 3 at the info below: Edward Karecki Illinois and Iowa Field Office 847-366-2349 / [email protected] or Leslie Lueckenhoff Missouri Field Office Phone: 573/234 2132 Email: [email protected]  East Nishnabotna River. photo by Lance Brisbois Guest blog by Emily Jensen When you think about wedding planning, a few things likely come to mind. First, the stress and effort associated with orchestrating a major event – perhaps the largest event you’ll ever host. Next may come the overwhelming task of creating and sticking to a budget, prioritizing how to spend your money strategically while also creating a beautiful day to remember. Not to mention creating (and narrowing down) a guest list, selecting vendors, travel… the list can seem endless. It’s for these reasons a growing number of couples are opting for smaller, more intimate weddings days. More couples than before in recent history are choosing to trim guest lists, book cozier venues, and plan simpler wedding days. This can go by different names – smaller weddings, microweddings, or elopements – but the focus on simple and meaningful is the same. This was the position my now-husband, John, and I were in when we began to plan our wedding. As we talked about what we wanted our day to look like, we aimed for a quiet, intimate event that focused on things that mattered to us. Deciding we wanted a microwedding was easy… the harder part was selecting where to get married!  Katie Decker Photography John and I spent lots of time early in our relationship driving around to various sites in Iowa. Both our families’ farms are just a few miles off the Western Skies Scenic Byway, so scenic drives in Iowa hold an extra special place in our hearts. We’re both western Iowa natives and love history and the outdoors, so the Loess Hills area is one of our favorite destinations in Iowa. As we considered destinations near and far for our wedding, we kept coming back to the Loess Hills as the canvas for our special day. Our wedding eve was marked with ice cream from Dairy Sweet in Dunlap and a scenic drive around the Preparation Canyon scenic loop (one of our favorites!). For my family, at least, Dairy Sweet has long been a staple. Though we didn’t have time to grab an award-winning tenderloin, we did get some ice cream for the road before taking in the sights of Preparation Canyon. We made a reservation at County Road Cabins near Moorhead to stay in the night before our wedding. The accommodations were wonderful and serene, and it made the perfect setting for relaxing the night before the event. John and I enjoyed sitting on the deck and listening to the turkeys in the area chatter. The morning of our wedding, it also made for a great spot for a few photos. We enjoyed our stay and hope to return for a hunting trip in the future.  Katie Decker Photography  Katie Decker Photography The weather on our wedding day was amazing. After getting ready and checking out of the cabin, we headed off to start our day. Since we planned a mid-morning ceremony, we took some early morning photos at the Loess Hills Scenic Overlook and near the campsites at Preparation Canyon State Park. We’ve both hiked these areas, so it felt a little out of character to stomp around the trails all dressed up! Thankfully, both areas are well-maintained, so it was the perfect location for some scenic photos.  Katie Decker Photography
 Katie Decker Photography Even for a small wedding, having nice floral arrangements can make the biggest difference in photos, and having beautiful florals that matched the “vibe” of the day was important to me. Exira Flower Supply created my bouquet and other arrangements for the day and everything looked amazing!  Katie Decker Photography We chose to have our ceremony at the Ingemann Danish Lutheran Church near Moorhead. John and I both have Danish heritage in our family lineage (our families originate from the Danish Villages near Elk Horn and Kimballton) so having our wedding at the Danish church felt fitting. We were the first couple to be married in the church in around 10 years, but the church grounds are open daily for people to visit and explore. The church was built in 1884 and features beautiful hand-built pews, artwork, and amazing history.  Katie Decker Photography  Katie Decker Photography After the ceremony, we further channeled our heritage with a Dane-inspired luncheon. We enjoyed smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches) with Havarti cheese and Rullepølse (cold cut made from rolled pork belly) on Danish rye bread, all from the Atlantic Locker. We also had Kransekage (traditional Danish wedding cake), aquavit (a spiced Nordic spirit, courtesy of a collaboration by the Museum of Danish America), and of course Danish beer!
We capped off our day by heading into Onawa for ice cream and coffee at Downtown Coffee & Cream. I love this place and was excited to include it as part of my wedding day. They had so many fun ice cream flavors and, of course, coffee. The ice cream they “import” from Wisconsin is well worth a trip, and they offer so many fun flavors and toppings. It was the perfect space to relax and hang out that afternoon!  Katie Decker Photography John and I set out to plan a wedding day that was equally as meaningful as it was unique. This task was easily accomplished by choosing the communities adjacent to the Loess Hills as the setting for our best day ever. Whether for a work trip, a weekend, or a wedding, the beauty and character of the loess hills are sure to please! Writer’s note: John and I again want to thank our wonderful vendors, especially those in the loess hills region as mentioned in this blog post. We also want to give a special shoutout to our photo vendor, Katie Decker Photography, who provided us with the beautiful images you see here. The 2025 LoHi Trek traversed portions of Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties from April 23-27. This was the fifth annual LoHi Trek, which has now included sections of all seven Iowa Loess Hills counties. The event was inspired by Kelly Madigan’s 2020 hike through Iowa’s Loess Hills. LoHi is short for Lo(ess) Hi(lls). In addition to hiking, the event includes educational programs about conservation, history, geology, and other aspects of the unique landform. About 40 Trekkers camped at Crescent Hill at Hitchcock Nature Center from Wednesday evening through Sunday. Trekkers came from 8 states and 30 zip codes, including as far as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, and Washington. On Wednesday evening, dinner was provided by Juggs BBQ of Onawa. Chad Graeve with Pottawattamie Conservation gave a brief talk about the history and land stewardship of Hitchcock, then led the group to a scenic off-trail ridge not typically explored by the public. (photos by Lance Brisbois, Golden Hills RC&D, unless otherwise noted)    Thursday morning, hikers did an 8-mile loop through Hitchcock Nature Center. The route included parts of the following trails before lunch: Crescent Ridge, Westridge, Ironwood, Wildwoods, Heritage, Bluestem Meander, Angel’s Dead End, Fox Run Ridge, Hohneke, Oak Avenue, and Moonseed.            Block 16 catered lunch at the new Heartwood Pavilion.  After lunch, the hike continued on the Lodge, Badger Ridge, and Lotus Loop trails back to camp. The weather was gray, but trekkers were all finished and back at camp before severe storms developed in the area later in the afternoon.        A severe thunderstorm warning, tornado warning, and flash flood warning all hit the area, and the group sheltered in the basement of the Crescent Hill Lodge. This happened while some Trekkers were doing a yoga session. This was the first LoHi with severe weather, and we were fortunate to have a safe shelter available. We are grateful to Pottawattamie County Emergency Management for keeping us updated on the weather and ensuring our safety! We lucked out and avoided the worst weather, but heavy rains lasted through the evening. Thursday evening dinner was provided by Iowa Western Culinary Arts program. Nic Salick with The Nature Conservancy gave a presentation about TNC, and discussed birding in the Loess Hills.  Friday morning, Nic returned to lead a group birding walk at Hitchcock.  After lunch (also catered by Iowa Western), the group shuttled to Old Town Conservation Area in Harrison County and hiked a 5-mile loop that included stretches of the Buffalo Run, Stagecoach Loop, Bendy Oak, Bird Dog, and Blazing Star trails.          Friday evening dinner was catered by Rotisserie Urban Bistro of Omaha. Trekkers were treated to an interactive improv session by Big Canvas Comedy.  Saturday morning, the group shuttled to Council Bluffs for a day of urban hiking. Glenn Pollock and Tabitha Panas discussed the history and stewardship work at Vincent Bluff State Preserve before the group hiked through it. Tabitha also discussed a remnant prairie located in Fairview Cemetery, which the trekkers passed by that day. The route included a piece of private land with special, pre-arranged permission, then some city streets and sidewalks through residential neighborhoods to the trails of Fairmount Park.        From Fairmount, the trek went through downtown Council Bluffs, where hikers had lunch at various restaurants. Some of the group stopped for a tour of the Historic General Dodge House.      The last mile was uphill to the historic Black Angel Statue, then ending at the Lincoln Monument.   Saturday evening dinner was held at the Loess Hills Lodge at Hitchcock Nature Center. Malvern artist Anna Stoysich led a printmaking activity, and trekkers each made their own 2025-LoHi-branded bandana as a souvenir. Block 16 provided dinner on Saturday.   An important feature of the LoHi is a processing circle during which hikers share ways they have been impacted, both big and small, by the experience. It is often emotional, because for many the LoHi Trek is more than a hike— it is a life-changing event unlike anything they’ve experienced.  Sunday morning, the group shuttled to Folsom Point Preserve for their final hike. The route included a loop at Folsom Point, managed by The Nature Conservancy, and a portion of Green Hill Wildlife Management Area.             Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Trek a success, including:
Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Angie Remington as its permanent Executive Director. Angie officially began her role on January 24, 2025, bringing with her a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership and a passion for conservation. Angie joins Golden Hills with two decades of nonprofit experience, including her most recent role as the Director of Strategy and Development for the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table. She is also the former board chair of the Earth Day Omaha Coalition, now part of the Green Omaha Coalition. With a strong background in nonprofit management, fund development and organizational culture, she is poised to strengthen Golden Hills’s impact in Southwest Iowa and further its mission to protect and preserve the region’s unique natural landscapes. "We are thrilled to welcome Angie to our team," said Susan Miller, board member of Golden Hills. "Her leadership and passion for conservation will be instrumental as we continue to grow our efforts in land stewardship, water resources, local foods, and outdoor recreation and tourism throughout Southwest Iowa." As Executive Director, Angie will oversee the organization’s daily operations, guide strategic planning, lead fundraising initiatives, and work closely with local communities, stakeholders, and partners to advance conservation goals. The new Executive Director will also be a key figure in securing funding for ongoing and future projects, ensuring the long-term sustainability of Golden Hill’s work. "As an Iowa native myself, I am excited to join Golden Hills and to collaborate with the team, the community, and all our supporters," said Remington. "Together, we will continue to protect the unique biodiversity of Southwest Iowa, create meaningful environmental opportunities, and build a more sustainable future for generations to come." Welcome, Angie!  |
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