The Preserve Iowa Summit was held late last week, and one local community was one of 10 selected for a special award. The non-profit organization, Preservation Iowa, is one of the hosts of the annual event and each year selects projects in 10 different categories with the Preservation At Its Best awards. Coon Rapids was recognized as the Rural Preservation winner for the historic Garst farm house. The property is now owned by Whiterock Conservancy, and is a visual representation of the Roswell Garst innovations that changed the face of farming here at home and around the world. This was the sight of the famous meeting between Garst and Soviet leader, Nikita Khruschev, during the Cold War in 1959, which is attributed to not only easing tensions between the two countries, but also with opening up dialogues about worldwide agricultural practices. The farm home was restored back to the condition of that 1959 visit with the assistance of RDG Planning & Design.
