Central Iowa is at the center of a state renowned internationally for feeding the world. Our rich soil and high-tech agriculture produce abundant corn and soybeans as well as hogs, cattle, and turkeys, among many other food items. Our high-tech research facilities include a Bio Century Research Farm, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Virtual Reality Applications Center, a Power Film Solar industry, and various research centers and industries related to extracting energy from crops. The first digital computer was developed at Iowa State University and a model is displayed on campus. Ames, the center of our membership area and the home of Iowa State University of Science and Technology, is known for its educated people involved in community concerns from the local to the global level.
In addition to feeding the world through high-tech agriculture, Ames is culturally vibrant, attracting world class symphonies, theatre and musical groups, and international agricultural and engineering events. It is home of Reiman Gardens with its 365 days a year Butterfly Wing and University Museums, among which are the Christian Peterson Art Museum, Brunnier Art Museum, Anderson Sculpture Garden, and the Art on Campus collection which includes important Grant Wood murals. Annual celebrations of ethnic and cultural heritage showcase African American, Dutch, German, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Scandinavian, and Vietnamese cultures; Art in the Park draws artists and musicians from around the Midwest; VEISHEA is an all university event which celebrates spring, while I’ll Make Me a World celebrates our vast diversity.
Iowa State University attracts international scholars as students, as visiting professors, and as permanent residents, adding to the vibrancy of our community. In Ames, one can worship in numerous Christian churches, a Friends Meeting House, a Unitarian Fellowship building, a non-denominational chapel, a Hindu temple, a Jewish synagogue, or a Muslim mosque.
Hands-on experiences at an artist’s studio might be a highlight of your visit as you meander around Ames, a nearby small town, or even on a country back road. Ames has extensive bike trails and bikes for rent. Our weather is hot in summer (June -September), moderate in the spring and fall, and crisp and snowy from December to February. The community boasts activities related to each season, and our club members participate in all of those activities, rotating from cool summer attire into cozy winter attire to fit the season!
Whether in our home, at a group outing, or an event in another member’s home, the time shared in the kitchen and at the table over a meal are the most special parts of the exchange and are the cornerstones of lasting memories. We design a journey to help you see how we live and what we value, while at the same time getting to know you. Through our friendship we hope to better understand each other and to appreciate all that we share in common and the differences that make each culture unique.
We hope you will remember your time with us with joy and a smile!! Members of the Friendship Force of Central Iowa look forward to your visit with us!