Special to the Times Vedette

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Brent Johnson honored 439 Iowa farm families with Century or Heritage Farm designations at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. The program celebrates farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 and 150 years, respectively. 

This year, 277 Century Farms and 162 Heritage Farms were recognized during ceremonies in the historic livestock pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. To date, more than 21,000 Century Farms and 2,000 Heritage Farms have been recognized throughout Iowa. The Century Farm program began in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. The Heritage Farm program began in 2006.

“The families that own and steward Century and Heritage Farms play a crucial role in maintaining Iowa’s rural tradition, contributing to our state’s identity, and sustaining our agricultural economy. Year after year and decade after decade, through hard-won successes and by overcoming obstacles, these innovative families embody remarkable strength, resilience, and grit,” said Secretary Naig. “The opportunity to celebrate each family’s legacy, hear their inspiring stories and personally congratulate each family makes this unique event my favorite of the entire year.”

The recognition is made possible through a partnership between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. 

“Being recognized as an Iowa Century or Heritage Farm is a testament to the work ethic and perseverance required to reach that milestone,” said Brent Johnson, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President. “It’s a privilege to honor these hardworking farm families and celebrate their family farm legacies and the positive impact made on our state.”  

Two Guthrie County farm families were honored. The John A. Finnegan Trust farm of Guthrie Center originated in 1871 and was named a Heritage Farm.  The Earl E. and Marilyn L. Newman farm originated in 1917 and was named a Century Farm. 

To search for previous Century and Heritage Farm recipients, visit the database on the Department’s website. 

Special to the Times Vedette

The Guthrie Center-based donations warehouse that housed Greenfield tornado material donations closed on Aug. 6.  Two Guthrie County Fair buildings were used for this space. This local tornado relief effort consisted of collecting early donations late May through June, and then sorting, boxing and putting them on pallets by category. Needed products were then trucked back to Greenfield donation distribution sites as requested.

In early August, through a joint effort of volunteers from both Guthrie Center and Greenfield, all of the remaining donations were returned to Greenfield where they will continue to distribute supplies.

Iowa-Missouri Adventist Community Services managed this local warehouse. The organization, when called on, provides support for disaster response locations in Iowa. On-site efforts in Guthrie Center were directed by the Guthrie Center Seventh-day Adventist Church.

“We thank the Guthrie County Fair Board for the use of two fair buildings so that we could fulfill our portion of the relief efforts, and that Guthrie Center could be a good neighbor to Greenfield,” Guthrie Center Seventh-day Adventist Church Pastor Steven Goodenough said.

“A big thank you goes out to Hy-Vee and Fareway for their disaster support,” Goodenough continued. “We appreciated the support from the Penske organization that provided trucks for the transport of the donations. We also want to thank the local merchants who donated supplies and assistance to our efforts and the many people of Guthrie Center and surrounding towns that assisted at the warehouse.”

Goodenough said the project could not have been completed without the support received from the community.

“And our work would not have been effective without the tireless leadership of Jeremy Cooper, EMA Coordinator and his teams,” Goodenough said, noting that the loaning of support equipment was essential to the movement of the goods.

“It is important that at times like these that we pitch in together to support the need at hand. In this case, the need was obvious and the support plenteous,” Goodenough said. “So, once again, we thank our community for the support of this project where we could be a good neighbor to Greenfield. And they appreciate all of your support to help them in their time of need.”

The crew at Guthrie County Veterinary Clinic includes Dr. Doug Frels, Dr. Donna Paglialunga, Dr. Abby Frels, Anna Wilson, Clint Frels, Dr. William Frels, Shelby Gustin, Jorja Hoover, Brittney Lyon, Brianna Rutherford and Kennidi Patrick.

Every day is different in their business.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times

If you go to the Guthrie County Veterinary Clinic and ask for Dr. Frels, you’ll need to be more specific. All four of the veterinarians at the clinic are related. Dr. Doug Frels and his wife, Dr. Donna Paglialunga, started the clinic, and have since been joined by their son, Dr. William Frels and his wife, Dr. Abby Frels.

William recently took time to explain his path in becoming a veterinarian in Guthrie Center. Growing up with parents who are both veterinarians, William was around the practice and the animals, but he doesn’t remember a specific moment when he decided to follow in his parents’ career footsteps. 

“I definitely always saw it as an option. As I grew up, I saw the good and the bad, but I decided when I was in college,” William said.

The Guthrie County Veterinary Clinic is located at 2305 Maple Ave. in Guthrie Center.

In 2015, William graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a minor in agronomy. He then went on to the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2019. Along the way, he met another veterinary student, Abby, and the couple is now married and has one young son.

William explained that this path has obvious similarities to his parents’ path.

“My parents met in veterinary school at Ohio State University, and they ended up in Guthrie Center,” William said. “My parents went out on their own about 1998. They started the practice, and this building has been here since 2005.”

William described the two main types of services that are involved in operating a veterinary clinic in farming country.

“We’re probably close to 50/50 taking care of small animals, mostly cats and dogs, and then another 50% would be the large animals. In this area, it’s predominantly beef cattle,” William said. “I do a lot of the cattle work, and I also do some small animal when necessary. We’re a true mixed practice.”

One of the small animal services the clinic provides is cat boarding and dog boarding.

“The dogs and cats are kept separately, obviously,” William said. “The kennels have in-floor heat, and we have a large fenced-in yard for the dogs to run. It’s pretty busy this time of year with people going on vacation.”

The clinic offers another service for smaller animals.

“For small animals, we offer laser surgery. That can reduce inflammation. That’s an option that not all clinics have,” William said.

The clinic is located at 2305 Maple Ave., just across the road from the county fairgrounds. William said the clinic supports the Guthrie County Fair and the Iowa State Fair and provides some services for animals large and small that are being taken to the fairs.

“For 4-H and FFA, if they’re going to the State Fair, we write health papers for things like that,” William said. “We like to support those young people, and for a few years, my wife has judged the pet show at the county fair.”

Regarding livestock, William said there’s a clear philosophy.

“We like to be a valuable part of the producer’s team in livestock production,” William said. “On the large animal side, we’re pretty traditional there. We offer on-farm services, and we also have a haul-in facility, and we offer reproductive ultrasound on beef cattle.”

Although four veterinarians in one clinic may sound excessive, William explained.

“We’re the only veterinary clinic in Guthrie Center. Other clinics would be at least 20 miles away,” he said.

Though the bulk of the practice is dealing with large livestock and cats/dogs, the clinic does deal with other creatures at times.

“We do work for some producers that have elk,” William said. “And the most unusual animal I’ve worked on was a tortoise. Every day is different in this business.”