Our sympathies to the 60 or so employees who were terminated in cutbacks. The layoffs, “done virtually,” were indeed “a little jarring” – all across the Farm Belt.
Ralston is like Lebanon, Iowa, only on a bigger scale. Lebanon in the 60s was easily 55 people. About six today. Oh, and the neighboring farms are mostly husks of their former self--lived on by hired guys and owned by someone distant to the area...and unknown.
Thank you for this story. There’s nothing quite like sitting on a bench outside a small town establishment and listening to the local people talking. I did a lot of walking and sitting and listening in Bloomfield last year when I visited the town during the Davis County Fair.
This is a story that will continue to repeat itself in the coming years and decades, as industrial ag becomes even more "corpratized" and political leadership in Des Moines continues its culture war gamesmanship with Iowa. We continue down that road to Kansas. And voters continue to vote against their own interests.
Way to go Chuck. Way to hold their feet to the fire. This is awesome journalism.
Were the fired employees offered severance or outplacement assistance?
And regarding online terminations - so you don’t have to face the music and cut someone’s livelihood with a mouse click?
Well my dad had a word for that. It started with “chicken” and ended with what comes out of the back end of one.
Thank you for standing up for these folks by telling their story.
Ralston is like Lebanon, Iowa, only on a bigger scale. Lebanon in the 60s was easily 55 people. About six today. Oh, and the neighboring farms are mostly husks of their former self--lived on by hired guys and owned by someone distant to the area...and unknown.
And everyone...like about 88%...vote Republican.
Is that the Lebanon in Davis County? It’s near Troy.
Wow! Thank you for this amazing reporting, Chuck!
Big money, Big Agriculture. The beat goes on while the beat down of little people and little towns continues.
I hope Dems pick up the woe and hurt inrural communities and run with it. For little towns like Baysrd the Coop is all they had.
Great article, Chuck. Community journalism for the win with a mix of coffee shop communications.
Very interesting, Chuck!. Thanks.
Another great column. Loved your introduction of yourself and “That pretty well ended the conversation.”
Didn’t they know who you are? 😉
Poor Iowa small towns. 😢
I marvel with delight seeing You and Mary enjoying life so much 👍🏽🤩
BTW my profile picture was taken with Mary sitting on the other side of Pete 😁
Thanks for this report. Seems like Iowans need to learn social economic enterprise and practice it over capitalism.
Good reporting, thank you!
Thank you for this story. There’s nothing quite like sitting on a bench outside a small town establishment and listening to the local people talking. I did a lot of walking and sitting and listening in Bloomfield last year when I visited the town during the Davis County Fair.
This is a story that will continue to repeat itself in the coming years and decades, as industrial ag becomes even more "corpratized" and political leadership in Des Moines continues its culture war gamesmanship with Iowa. We continue down that road to Kansas. And voters continue to vote against their own interests.