It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Kalona Historical Village in Kalona, IA gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Kalona, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Always Best Care in Cedar Valley IA realy helps me a lot. They have Reliable Caregivers who helped me to take care of my loved one for several years. They are highly trained and managed well the daily routines and activities like bathing and dressing. Caregivers of always best care is dependable and passionate to their work. I am satisfied and so glad that I chose their service. Highly recommend whoever needs their caregiving service!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Kalona City Park in Kalona, IA with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Tuscan Moon Grill on Fifth or visit Mennonite Museum Archives, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Kalona, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Kalona, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Kalona, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
KALONA, Iowa (KCRG) - A foot and a half of sewage water backed into basements in Kalona, damaging decades of belongings after what the city administrator called the most intense rainfall he has seen.Sandy and Gary Marner have lived in their Kalona home for more than 30 years. Sandy said sewage backed into their finished basement this past weekend - ruining her Peloton, the bathroom and multiple pieces of furniture.Marner pointed to the numerous dumpsters in driveways across town, along with city staff working late into the nigh...
KALONA, Iowa (KCRG) - A foot and a half of sewage water backed into basements in Kalona, damaging decades of belongings after what the city administrator called the most intense rainfall he has seen.
Sandy and Gary Marner have lived in their Kalona home for more than 30 years. Sandy said sewage backed into their finished basement this past weekend - ruining her Peloton, the bathroom and multiple pieces of furniture.
Marner pointed to the numerous dumpsters in driveways across town, along with city staff working late into the night, as evidence of a larger concern than just her own home.
“I feel like there’s a bigger issue at play. If it was just a small area of town, that would have been one thing, but it has hit many, many streets,” Marner said.
Roy and Roberta Wilson, who live several streets away, also lost several appliances, photos from their 47 years of marriage and Roberta’s mother’s wedding dress. Roy said the water reached above his knees.
Both couples had to install new water heaters in their homes.
Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said this was the highest intensity of rainfall in the shortest amount of time he has seen, totaling about 5.6-5.7 inches and causing flash flooding.
“We also saw a severe amount of infiltration into the sanitary sewer system that did cause some pressure back-ups into homes in certain areas,” he said.
As insurance helps the families move forward and recoup a portion of the lost value, Marner said she wants the community’s questions answered.
“We just want to find what happened, make sure it doesn’t happen again and try to find help for people in the city of Kalona,” Marner said.
The city says it is now focused on fact-finding by working on a heat map and camera studies to locate spots to fix. The city is also working with partners such as an engineering firm to determine next steps and meeting with homeowners next week to inspect connection points.
Kalona also has a link for residents to report damage on the city website.
Some Marion residents also saw flooding in their homes to a level Deputy City Manager Kim Downs said she has not seen in 15 years.
“The ground was already so saturated and then you add five inches of rain on top of that... Sadly that filters into our sanitary sewer, fills up the storm waters and the flood plains and the floodways and then it will look for those cracks in the different things,” Downs said. “This is why we do the studies and why we do maintenance programming.”
A recent stormwater study will help the city determine which areas need maintenance in the coming years.
The city is offering arranged pick-up to clear away damaged belongings, with 145 people already reaching out. The city also asks residents who experienced damage to their homes to fill out a form through the Linn County EMA to gather more information.
In the summer of 2017, while his oldest son was out on a tractor, Glen Mast explained to The Washington Post why so many of his Amish neighbors near Kalona, Iowa, had gone organic. “The Amish are more inclined to doing things naturally,” Mast said. “We have large families, and we have a close connection to the soil.” Organic prices keep those small farms profitable and their families on the land.That connection underpins Kalona SuperNatural, an organic dairy brand that sources milk from about 60 family...
In the summer of 2017, while his oldest son was out on a tractor, Glen Mast explained to The Washington Post why so many of his Amish neighbors near Kalona, Iowa, had gone organic. “The Amish are more inclined to doing things naturally,” Mast said. “We have large families, and we have a close connection to the soil.” Organic prices keep those small farms profitable and their families on the land.
That connection underpins Kalona SuperNatural, an organic dairy brand that sources milk from about 60 family farms, each with herds averaging about 40 cows. Most of the farms sit near Kalona, and most have been in Amish and Mennonite hands for generations.
Farms that size are getting harder to find. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service counted 24,811 dairy farms licensed to sell milk in 2024, down from 26,245 the year before, and Iowa lost 45 licensed dairy herds that year alone. Progressive Dairy reported that the national count has fallen about 45% since 2014.
Organic farming took root around Kalona long before the brand existed. More than two decades before 2017, Amish dairy farmer Eldon T. Miller began hosting meetings in his basement to share information about organic farming, and the approach gradually caught on locally. By 2017, more than 90 USDA-certified organic operations sat within 10 miles of town. “This is our living and our way of life,” Miller, then 71, told the Post.
The farmers also had to solve a practical problem. Amish families do not work on Sundays, and a milk truck that comes every other day would arrive on a Sunday twice a month, the Oneota Community Food Co-op explained after a 2015 visit. So, the community pooled its own money to build a creamery that could work on its schedule.
“They just feel strongly about that from a family and a cultural standpoint. So, they came together, they contributed money, and we started with Farmers Creamery,” Bill Evans said in a 2017 interview with SmartBrief. Evans, whose background is in finance and accounting, first got involved to help with the money. Evans founded Kalona Organics in 2005 to sell what Farmers Creamery produced, and the farmers kept their stake: in 2007, 29 Amish and Mennonite dairy producers held a majority share of the creamery. Perry Yoder, an Old Order Amish farmer with 34 Holsteins and 5,000 laying hens at the time, described the appeal to the Des Moines Register: “We can pool our products and they’re responsible for the marketing.”
When the company celebrated its 20th anniversary with a farm-to-table dinner in Iowa City in August 2025, Evans, now its chief executive, told the Corridor Business Journal, “Today, we’re proud to continue supporting the small family farms that make our mission possible.”
Photo Courtesy Kalona SuperNatural Dairy – Organic, Grass-fed, Regenerative Family Farms
On these farms, the cows harvest most of their own feed. “Our herd is 100% grass-fed,” farmer David Miller told the company in 2021. “Our cows graze on pasture for as much of the year as possible, and in the winter they eat the same forage that we’ve baled up from our farm.”
Federal organic rules require dairy cows to graze for at least 120 days a year and to get at least 30% of their dry matter intake from grazing during that season. Kalona SuperNatural says its farmers “go beyond this organic standard,” continuing to feed their cows organic grasses, forage and vegetables even in the winter, and that its farms use no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers or growth hormones.
Phil Forbes, the company’s senior director of supply chain, has spent 35 years in organic production. He described one Amish farmer who works about 120 acres with horses, and therefore, “must care for his fields and animals in such a way that the sustainability of the system is paramount. He can’t afford to abuse his animals or fields. He also must do this in a very, VERY cost-effective way.” Forbes argued that “when soil biology is prioritized, costs are lowered and the growing system is more sustainable. More resilient. Better able to withstand the shocks of drought, deluge, wind, pests, weeds, etc.”
The company backs that up with money. “We do pay our farmers extra for their product,” managing partner Joe Miller said as part of a company interview series. “We want to support them with a living wage. They need to be awarded for the product they make.” He added that the company hosts several trainings a year for its farmers on good practices, without trying to force standardization. “We give them guidelines,” he explained, rather than “trying to create a mega farm out of a bunch of small farms.”
Photo Courtesy Kalona SuperNatural Dairy – Organic, Grass-fed, Regenerative Family Farms
Kalona SuperNatural wanted proof that those pastures were improving. In early 2023, the company announced that Land to Market had verified 42 of its farms as regenerative, using a Savory Institute protocol that tracks topsoil, water, air, and biodiversity. “Many of our farms have used organic and regenerative farming methods for decades,” Joe Miller said in the announcement. “We don’t just want to sell more products. We want consumers to learn how regenerative farming is good for cows, farms, their families, and our planet.”
The monitoring continued. Forbes is listed as executive director of the Kalona Regenerative Network, a nonprofit that received a $50,000 grant in 2024 from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. The project’s final report found that all 36 farms monitored in 2024 and 2025, covering 1,767 acres, were rated as regenerating, and that 77% were improving. Over that time, they had benefitted from Kalona Regenerative Network-hosted presentations, farm walks and tours, and webinars. Their overall Ecological Health Index score rose from 213 to 277 year over year, even though the 2025 growing season ran hotter and drier than normal.
Photo Courtesy Kalona SuperNatural Dairy – Organic, Grass-fed, Regenerative Family Farms
Because the cows live on grass, the seasons set the supply. Grass growth after winter results in more milk. In the spring of 2025, as Iowa pastures surged, Phil Forbes said, “This year we’re flushing pretty hard. Lots of milk this year. Lots.”
The opposite happened in August 2025: as cows sought “comfort in the cooler barn rather than spending their days grazing under the scorching Iowa sun,” milk supply fell, and Kalona SuperNatural products ran short, according to the company. However, leadership decided not to use grain to artificially push yields back up. “We could easily supplement our cows’ diets with grain to maintain higher yields, but that would compromise the very integrity that makes our products special,” the company wrote. “Every decision we make comes back to this core principle: we stay true to our grass-fed commitment even when it means accepting lower production during difficult periods.”
The milk gets the same light touch. Kalona SuperNatural heats its fluid milk slowly to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit, holds it there for at least 30 minutes, and skips homogenization, so the cream rises to the top, “a sign of dairy in its most natural state.” The company also bought and renovated buildings from a former cheese company, opening Kalona Creamery, where it makes cheese curds, fudge and ice cream in view of visitors, with just as much attentiveness and care.
Photo Courtesy Kalona SuperNatural Dairy – Organic, Grass-fed, Regenerative Family Farms
Customers have followed. Emily Baxter started buying the milk for her toddler more than a decade ago, spent eight years demonstrating it in grocery stores and introducing it to shoppers, and now serves as the company’s director of marketing. Michelle, a homeschooling mother in Minnesota, said she appreciated being able to “get such great, healthy dairy for your family that really isn’t any more expensive than a lot of what’s already out there.” Plus, her son “genuinely enjoys Kalona SuperNatural’s chocolate milk. As a mom, knowing that he’s getting something nutritious that he actually wants to drink is such a win.”
Other buyers point to where the milk comes from. “I like supporting small American regenerative farms,” Jill, a Denver-based content creator, said. Garett Fogel, a data scientist in southwestern Missouri, put it another way: “By buying Kalona SuperNatural products, I am voting with my dollars for those things.”
The company says it sells its products in all 50 states. In January 2026, Harmons grocery stores across Utah began carrying its milk, cottage cheese, and chocolate milk.
For Forbes, the clearest sign of success is who is running the farms. “In my 18 years, I am now talking and dealing with the second generation,” he said in 2025. On farm visits, he makes a point of including them. “I’ll talk to not just the dad and mom, talk to the kids,” Forbes said. “Because you want those kids to continue this way of dairy farming.” He doesn’t doubt they will: “They understand deeply why their parents chose this path—the benefits for the animals, the soil, and the quality of the milk.”
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - More than $600,000 from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will help to build new wetlands in Linn County and Kalona.Teams with Linn County Conservation and the city of Kalona both hope the projects will improve water quality and create opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.The 72-acre Stark Settlement, just west of Morgan Creek Park, will be transformed into walking trails and a wetland. Linn County Conservation Naturals Resources Manager Mitch Ahrendsen said the project is specia...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - More than $600,000 from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will help to build new wetlands in Linn County and Kalona.
Teams with Linn County Conservation and the city of Kalona both hope the projects will improve water quality and create opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
The 72-acre Stark Settlement, just west of Morgan Creek Park, will be transformed into walking trails and a wetland. Linn County Conservation Naturals Resources Manager Mitch Ahrendsen said the project is specially designed as multipurpose.
“Any chance we can get to provide a service like recreation to people, but then also the wildlife, environmental component, is very important to us,” said Ahrendsen.
The county conservation team has made wetlands a priority, as Ahrendsen said the state was historically covered with them. Now, they serve as a natural option to lower nitrate levels.
A recently completed wetland at Morgan Creek Park covers about eight acres - a bigger space than the planned two-to-three-acre area which received the state funding. Both will act as preventative measures to filter water before it runs into the Middle Cedar watershed and eventually drinking water for Cedar Rapids residents.
“When [runoff water] moves through an agricultural field, there’s not this native prairie that’s around to slow the water down,” Ahrendsen said.
$147,600 from the state’s agriculture department, a $7,500 grant from Wings2Water with the Eastern Iowa Airport, and county bond dollars from the Water and Land Legacy Bond are funding the Linn County project.
Kalona is receiving half a million dollars from the state for a similar initiative, which equals about half of the city’s entire project cost according to City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh.
“The ultimate goal is to have mitigation and housing kind of on that 50 plus acres, along with recreational opportunities,” said Schlabaugh.
Water will flow down from farmland, with the wetland filtering it and holding floodwater. Eocene Water Resource Engineer Bailey Kelsay said it also serves as a chance to offer a new amenity, with planned walking trails and possible partnerships with regional partners.
“Part of the reason this is so cool is because Kalona set that space aside, we can do a bigger, cooler project instead of just trying to squeeze something in retrofit. It’s going to be a little gem here in Kalona,” Kelsay said.
Kalona plans to complete its wetland project by the end of 2027. Linn County Conservation said it is hoping for the spring or early summer.
Iowa CityKalona Mayor Mark Robe has a passion for photography, and some of his best work was recently displayed at the Iowa City Gallery Walk.The five photos Robe featured were taken in SouthTown, at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area in Iowa City and at the Washington County Emergency Communication Center.Three photos were taken in SouthTown: “Reflection,” showing houses reflected in the water on a sunny day; “Nesse,” featuring a branch sticking out in a snowy scene; and “Froz...
Iowa City
Kalona Mayor Mark Robe has a passion for photography, and some of his best work was recently displayed at the Iowa City Gallery Walk.
The five photos Robe featured were taken in SouthTown, at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area in Iowa City and at the Washington County Emergency Communication Center.
Three photos were taken in SouthTown: “Reflection,” showing houses reflected in the water on a sunny day; “Nesse,” featuring a branch sticking out in a snowy scene; and “Frozen Lake,” capturing the lake during winter. Speaking about “Nesse,” Robe said, “I call that Nesse because it looks like a Loch Ness monster.”
“Storm Clouds” was taken at the Washington County Emergency Communication Center, while the fifth photo, “American Beauty,” shows eagles perched in a tree.
Robe took “Storm Clouds” in April while at the Washington County Emergency Communication Center in Washington, capturing an approaching storm. “American Beauty” seemed to be a favorite among attendees.
All five photos were taken with his phone. Although Robe owns a camera, he prefers using his phone to take pictures.
The photos will remain on display throughout October, and anyone interested in purchasing one can buy it from Robe.
Robe has been taking pictures for many years. He told Cheryl Allen that he has been sharing his photography on social media for about a decade.
“I got started just taking pictures of the sky, sunrises, sunsets and clouds.” “I actually belong to a group on Facebook called ‘Keep Your Eyes to the Sky.’ I have probably been posting on social media for 10 years or more.”
The art reception took place Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Other artists displaying their work included local photographer Carol Carlson and Jo Myers-Walker, a lifelong watercolor artist, illustrator and art instructor.
During the reception, many visitors stopped by Robe’s display, where he discussed his photographs, why he took them and what inspired him.
His photos will be on display throughout October at the Historic Post Office Gallery at the Iowa City Senior Center, located at 28 S. Linn Street in Iowa City. Visitors can view the exhibit during business hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
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