In the 2016 elections, rural turnout increased by more than a half million voters nationwide – quite a feat, considering rural turnout had fallen by more than 18 percent from the 2008 presidential election to 2012. Iowa’s electric cooperatives are dedicated to building on the momentum from 2016 as we continue to partner with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to help keep voter turnout climbing in Iowa for this year’s midterm elections through the “Co-ops Vote” program.

Imagine your daily life without electricity – a reality that was common on most Iowa farms as late as the 1930s and 1940s. It was a truth that struck me time and time again as I wrote my “Culinary History of Iowa” book, which details the evolution of Iowa’s delectable, distinctly Midwest cuisine. Many of these stories reflect the sobering realities of farm life before rural electrification.

Recently, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives began offering a four-year linemen apprenticeship training program. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)-certified program includes 7,000 hours of online and hands-on training, study and tests.