My small vegetable garden is where an old tree used to stand before my wife and I bought this place. The garden is framed by what used to be a wooden base to the tree. Unfortunately, the soil is nothing compared to the famed northern Tama County soil. While no longer farming, the process of ...

Welcome back to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! This week I decided to give you all a break from my recipes and try something new! With the Iowa heat finally showing its face, I knew I didn’t want to turn on the oven unless absolutely necessary. ...

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July and celebrated America’s 250th Birthday! I want to thank everyone who voted for me in the June Primary Election. I was unopposed and will now be on the November 2026 General Election ballot. I appreciate everyone’s continued support and your trust ...

A little more than a year ago, egg prices were through the roof. Cartons of eggs were missing, and the avian bird flu was in full force. This had been an ongoing problem since 2022. After March 2025, egg prices dropped to lower prices, though still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Maybe the ...

Welcome back to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! I wanted to share a crowd favorite that I have been making for...well...let’s just say a long time. Picture it: You’re in a house covered in patriotic decor, it’s hot outside, so you decide to ...

Being my first Father’s Day this past Sunday, here are 40 pieces of learned knowledge. I thought I would share the wisdom of what I have learned over the last six months. 1. Always respect Asher’s bedtime. If the bedtime is not respected, chaos ensues. 2. No matter how hard (i.e., crying ...

Welcome to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! You may be asking yourself why you should trust my expertise, so let me tell you a little bit about myself. Besides the fact that I have been enjoying food for over 30 years now, I am a self-described ...

I don't know about you, but summer always feels like the season when Dysart really shines. One of the things I love most about my role with the Chamber is getting a front-row seat to all the great things happening in our community. Sometimes it's a large event that brings hundreds of people to ...

Nothing is better than seeing fields of green. While it can be debated on what type of plants should be creating the green, seeing the beauty of growth is amazing. Winter can be dreary with the browns and grays, but nothing puts the soul and mood in a better place than seeing green. As I drove ...

In olden days miners took Canaries into the mine to give them an early warning if toxic gases were present. Now birds in the natural world are giving us a warning. Over the past 50 years, more than 60% of the wintering North American bird species have shifted their winter range northward, ...