FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Bruce Neeley
Heartland Acres Agribition Center
www.heartlandacresusa.com
2300 Swan Lake Blvd.
Suite 300
Independence, IA 50644

May 27, 2005

Heartland Acres Agribition Center to Break Ground

INDEPENDENCE – Heartland Acres Agribition Center will officially break ground on Thursday, June 2nd at the future site located off Iowa Avenue and North of US Highway 20 in Independence.

Heartland Acres members and city and county officials would like to invite anyone interested to come celebrate with them at the ground breaking on June 2nd. The ground breaking will begin at 1:00 and refreshments will be available. “What was once a vision is now becoming a reality after two years of planning”, stated Project Coordinator Craig Johnson. “We hope that as many people as possible will come celebrate this endeavor with us.”

The ceremony will include city, county and state representatives and will be highlighted by a speech from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge. “We are extremely excited to have Patty kick off the construction of Heartland Acres”, stated Independence City Manager Alan Johnson. “When we presented this idea to our state leaders, Patty was a great resource for us and it makes perfect sense to have her here to help us celebrate this agriculturally driven attraction.”

Deemed as an educational and entertaining tourist attraction, Heartland Acres Agribition Center will feature an interactive salute to agriculture and will serve as an educational, historical and instructive exhibit to the past, present, and future of America’s Heartland. Heartland Acres will be composed of displays featuring livestock, grain research/test plots, farm machinery and items of historical importance to Buchanan County and Northeast Iowa. “This spring, we partnered with AgVantage FS and have our first test plot planted”, said Craig Johnson.

Not only will Heartland Acres attract thousands of visitors to Buchanan County each year, organizers also hope that it will continue to spark economic development initiatives for Independence and Buchanan County.

For more information about the ground breaking ceremony, please contact Alan Johnson 319-334-7497.

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