By JACK BACON
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa student-athletes joined peers from 15 other Big Ten schools on June 26 at Kroul Farms in Mount Vernon, Iowa, as part of the Big Life Agricultural Experience.
Participating Hawkeye athletes included football players Kenneth Merriweather, Kamari Moulton, Zach Twedt and Rhys Dakin, as well as gymnast Gianna Masella.
“I was chosen because I am from a city,” said Moulton, who plays running back and is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “They felt I could benefit from a new perspective, and I agreed. I wanted to see something new and explore farm life to see how things are done there.”
The “Big Life Series” is an initiative led by the Big Ten’s Community & Impact team, which serves to create world-class educational experiences for student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
The Big Life Agricultural Experience consisted of 28 student-athletes, 14 administrators, as well as staff members and senior leadership from the Big Ten Conference. The visit was designed to create an immersive experience for student-athletes, creating new cultural experiences and exposure to careers in farming.
“To put it in perspective, I think I was one of two people there with boots and jeans on,” said Twedt. “It did seem like, for at least 95 percent of the people, it was a culture shock.”
Masella, a junior from Palm Harbor, Florida, concurs.
“It was definitely a culture shock for me,” Masella said. “I am a huge animal person, but I think the reality of being on a farm was a lot different from the image in my mind. The bugs, the smells and how hands-on everyone was with the animals and produce were all new to me.
“There is a lot that cannot be done by a machine. It was cool, and not what I expected.”
Twedt is a fourth-generation farmer of corn, soybeans and cattle. He was glad for the cultural exchange opportunity, and felt obliged to play the role of ambassador.
“There were quite a few people that came up and spoke to me, and I was able to explain to them what I do and my journey as a student-athlete and farmer,” said Twedt. “I was able to talk about implementing the values and virtues that I was raised with on the farm here into my college football life and education.”
Back in March, Twedt attended the F3: Future Farmers Forum in Des Moines where he met with Iowa state legislators and officials about the future of farming practices and retaining young farmers in the industry. He says he called upon considerations at that conference when relating to fellow student-athletes at Kroul Farms.
“One of the key points was getting younger generations involved in agriculture,” says Twedt. “We’re continuing to try and develop new government programs to incentivize retention and more sustainable farming practices. Our motto was to make farming cool again.”
Twedt describes the Kroul Farms visit as one small way to help the next generation of leaders connect with the farming experience.
“It was fun to build new relationships with other players throughout the conference,” Twedt said. “I mean this in a good way, to see how city folk responded at the chance to get their hands dirty and do some real farm work was pretty interesting.
“I believe it is through events and programs such as this that we can inspire and engage the next generation. It’s so cool to have all these people come in, even the newcomers from the coast. It is great exposure and is something those kids will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Kroul Farms is operated by former Iowa football student-athlete Matt Kroul and his wife, Nicole.
The farm supports 100 beef-producing cows, soybeans and corn, 5,000 pumpkins, five greenhouses and a farm store. Activities began with a tour of the 600-acre property, followed by educational rotations and hands-on experiences of various farm tasks.
“We started the day feeding the baby cows some milk. That was one of my favorite parts of the day,” said Masella. “We also rode on a trailer behind a tractor, which was the most Iowa thing ever.”
Other activities included collecting eggs and picking fresh produce. For lunch, the group ate salad made from vegetables they had gathered.
“It really stood out that I was staring at this plant which happened to have all these peas on it,” Masella said. “People have to pick off each pea, then they have to clean them, transport and sell them to a store, who has to package and sell them again.”
Along with initiating the city dwellers, Twedt said the event was a valuable development experience for his own farming practices.
“They do cattle, they do row crops, they do chickens, they have some pigs, four acres of produce,” said Twedt. “They also have a little flower farm, and then I believe they work hand-in-hand with a honey farmer right down the road. They have a little storefront setup.
“I mean, it’s a magnificent operation. My biggest interest in this event was to compare and contrast, to see what I could learn for my future farming operation down the road.”
Lecture topics included farm finances, the harvesting process and marketing for agriculture.
“Matt Kroul and the guest speakers were very passionate about what they do and spreading their goals and purpose to others,” Masella said. “They shared their past and family history and the legacy they plan on continuing. They gave us a lot of statistics about farming and food availability in the world. There is less food available in the world than people think.”
"In my opinion, that is what life is all about: to go out and experience the world."
Zach Twedt - Hawkeye junior linebacker
The event also highlighted diverse approaches and backgrounds represented across the span of agricultural practices in Iowa and the United States. Speakers highlighted the perspectives of Indigenous cultural identities, agricultural laborers, sustainable farming and farm ownership.
Moulton said that meeting with black farmers affected his perceptions of how food is sourced and how different cultural backgrounds fit within the industry.
“I didn’t realize how many people of our skin color were farmers,” said Moulton. “They taught us the ins and outs of that industry and how people from our background fit in. It was another thing to show that all people have ties in that world.”
Athletes saw Kroul’s background as a Hawkeye at work on his farm.
“How farmers work and carry themselves respectfully really correlates to our team,” said Moulton. “We want it family oriented, where everybody is one. That’s how it is in farming.”
Teamwork also stood out to Masella.
“I never realized how much coordination it takes to make a farm run,” Masella said. “Every detail requires a person to see it through, from hands-on tasks to the entire business side of things. In gymnastics, I would not be where I am without my coaches, teammates, athletic trainers and so many others. There are so many people that go into that success.”
For the Twedt, some of the best lessons came from introducing his home state to others.
“I am all about creating new perspectives,” Twedt said. “In my opinion, that is what life is all about. To go out and experience the world. All of us were raised on certain values and virtues, and it’s all about willingness to have a growth mindset and be open, explore new things and create a new perspective on life. New perspectives create new opportunities.”
