McCormick Chianina Traditional Cache
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A small detour off the interstate will net you this easy grab. Do not stop on the interstate for this find!!
The farm to the NE of the GZ is where I spent most of my time during high school years and a bit beyond. The two prominent features are the sign on the machine shed advertising the livestock operation in the 70's and the grove of trees bordering the farm on the North and West. By today's standards this was a small farm, only around 200 acres in 1972, when I started working for Bob McCormick, taking care of cattle and crop while he traveled the roads as a rural mail carrier. Chianina is an Italian breed of cattle known for high growth rates and lean meat.
In the late 70s early 80s Bob decided to give a bit back to the land by planting these 4 miles of trees and bushes to provide a shelter from wind erosion. As always, Bob researched the project, talking to extension officials, forresters and tree growers to determine the best species for the task. He had a particular affection, as I do now, for the Concolor Fir and included it in his plan. These trees have been lovingly cared for over the last 20+ years by Bob and Lavone, his wife, hand watered and fertilized, pruned and replanted as necessary. You might notice that on the hill along the interstate the trees are thinner, a bit sickly looking. This is most likely the effect of salt blowing off the interstate in the winter, stunting the growth of and sometimes killing the trees. Bob was somewhat ahead of his time as the DOT now has planted hundreds of miles of natural snow fence along roads in Iowa, a practice not highly utilized in 1980.
Bob has now passed, but lived well into his 90s still making frequent trips to his farm and grove of trees. His ashes were spread here as a fitting place where he spent most of his life. His legacy is now carried on by his son and grandsons, soon to be joined I'm sure by "Grandpa Bob's" great grandchildren, who still farm the home place..
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