Country Heritage Community is a regional tourism organization that is "sewing" a variety of attractions, events, landscapes and historical sites into a four-county sized "quilt" that tells the story of agricultural heritage to visitors to Northeast Iowa.

The quilt design was created several years ago by Silos & Smokestacks, the umbrella tourism group covering all 37 counties of Northeast Iowa. Silos & Smokestacks, with the help of the National Park Service, is creating a National Heritage Area showcasing the American agricultural revolution in the 20th century. National Heritage Area status was given to the region in 1996 by Congress under Public Law 104-33, which authorized Congress to appropriate matching funds to assure the successful launching of this exciting program.

Many of the "blocks" that will make up the quilt have existed for years as successful attractions and tourism businesses in their own right; others remain to be developed or require some assistance to reach their full potential.

What was missing was the vision to assemble those blocks and sew them together into a beautiful pictorial travel experience that all could see and enjoy. In 1998, a group in the four most northeast counties formed with that purpose in mind. This grassroots organization came to be called Country Heritage Community (CHC).

With generous support from the McElroy Trust, the CHC stitched together nearly a dozen events and attractions including the Maze Maize, and the Decorah Area Artist’s Studio Tour. (more...)

CHC worked to publicize all its cooperating organizations and events which brought an estimated 40,000 visitors to the region with traveler spending estimated at over $3 million since its inception. Country Heritage Community also developed a teacher’s field trip guide to the heritage attractions and a grant and loan program to assist other groups needing development funds.

Quilt blocks by Jean Murray

For the first time, we are beginning to get a hint of what our quilt will look like.

Your organization or event can be a part of this wonderful opportunity at no cost to you. Sew your business into this ever-growing quilt this season! Tell your part of the story of our agricultural heritage to the world.

For more information or to volunteer in this project contact:

Country Heritage Community
c/o Ardie Kuhse
Upper Explorer land RPC
P.O. Box 219
Postville, IA  52162

1-877-4NE-IOWA
www.silosandsmokestacks.org/CHC