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Portfolio

Darcy's Selected Writing Samples

Storytelling

Heritage Tourism Thrives at Living History Farms. You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, and you can’t understand the essentials of life without experiencing the story of agriculture. Discover what makes Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, so special. (written for the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce)

From the CEO: Reinventing the Pork Checkoff as a Problem Solver. How do you use a personal story to capture readers' interest and bridge into key issues your organization is addressing, like teamwork, stratetic planning and problem solving, to serve members more effectively? Take a look at this examle. (Scroll down to the second article on the page to find the CEO report I wrote in the Pork Checkoff Report magazine for Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board)

Lean TECHniques Creates the Future. Modern technology poses the ultimate paradox. It generates exciting opportunities for business, yet it’s often a painful experience. “Technology allows you to create the
future,” said Brandon Carlson, CEO of Lean TECHniques, an information technology (IT) and software development firm in Urbandale. “But things are moving so fast that there are
always glitches to overcome and deadlines to meet. We help take away the pain of implementing new technology.” (scroll to page 2 of the PDF in the link; written for the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce)

Keep on Truckin': Liquid Propane Delivery Driver AJ More named Solutions Provider of the Year. How do you succeed in business today? Consider these three tips from this story of AJ More, the Solutions Provider of the Year at MaxYield Cooperative in northern Iowa. (written for Farm News)

Books

A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites and More. Released Aug. 1, 2016, by The History Press.

Dallas County (Images of America series), Published in 2017 by Arcadia Publishing.

Calhoun County (a historic view of of small-town and rural Iowa through the eyes of those who lived it), Published in 2015 by Arcadia Publishing. * Read the reviews on Amazon.com here.

Looking Back: Celebrating 50 Years at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital, published 2012

Food writing

Iowa Beef Booster: Lake City's Larry Irwin Takes a New Twist on Burgers. Not only do I love to shop local, but I love to eat local. This feature showcases not-to-be-missed recipes (including my famous Meatloaf Burger!) from my home town.

Ultra-Local Eating: Jennifer Miller Guides CSA, Iowa Food Cooperative. You'll love this city girl-turned-farmer's insights about how local foods add flavor life.

Very Veggie: Iowan's Farm-Fresh Recipes Offer Guilt-Free Eating. Call it a veggie revolution in the heart of farm country. You're now entering a meat-free zone.

Mediterranean Delights: Iowa Ag Influences Syrian-Labanese Orthodox Church Dinner. Kibbeh, yabrah, lubee, ruz or talamee, anyone? I’m serving it up, Sioux City-style, complete with recipes from St. Thomas Orthodox Church.

Cooking with Iowa's Radio Homemakers. Meet the remarkable farm wives and entrepreneurs who were the "Martha Stewarts of their day before there was Martha Stewart."

For the Love of Baking. Homemade caramel roll recipes, pumpkin bars and sugar cookies--oh my! See how these sisters create a sensation on Main Street.

Celebrating Pi Day with an Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie. Savor my classic recipe for comfort food at its best--along with the World's Most Foolproof Pie Crust Recipe.

Shakespeare Club Maintains 123 Years of Good Taste in Small-Town Iowa. Yep, I'm a club member, and I can vouch for the awesomeness of the Tortellini Corn Chowder and Celebration Slush (recipes included, of course)!

Redining College Dining with Pork. Chefs, foodies and students themselves are changing the way dining is defined on campuses nationwide. This feature story of mine was published in the National Pork Board's Pork Checkoff Report magazine.

H oliday Home Cooking: Gingersnaps, Caramels and More from an Iowa farm cook.. You're in for a treat when you're in the kitchen of of one of the best farm cooks around--my talented friend, Marie.