Collaboration makes Borlaug mural possible

— Dedication taking place Aug. 27
CRESCO - Dr. Norman Borlaug is known as the man who fed the world, but it took the collaboration of many individuals, businesses and organizations to paint a mural to honor him 50 years after he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The dedication of the mural, which is located at 110 1st Ave. West and is visible from Hwy. 9, will take place during opening ceremonies of Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest (NBHF) on Aug. 27 at 4:30 p.m. in Beadle Park.
Dr. Borlaug was born north of Protivin on March 25, 1914, and attended high school in Cresco. He went on to attend college at the University of Minnesota.
He did research on creating high-yielding varieties of wheat, which improved the food security of the people of Mexico, Pakistan and India. Besides the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977) and the Congressional Gold Medal (2006). He died on Sept. 12, 2009 at the age of 95.
Because 2020 was the 50th anniversary of him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, NBHF was going to feature Borlaug and his accomplishments, especially his impact on agriculture. That celebration was held off until 2021.
Spiff Slifka of Howard County Business & Tourism (HCB&T) said it has been a dream of hers to honor Borlaug in a mural and show the importance of agriculture in Northeast Iowa.
She shared her vision with Robin Macomber, who designed and painted the Wrestling Hall of Fame mural outside the Cresco Welcome Center, and asked her to draft a sketch.
The duo then talked to Jim and Barb Holstrom about using  the old armory/garage wall for the two-story project. It was a quick “Yes” from them, who will be supplying the electricity to show off the mural at night. “It is an honor to do something with the building that will help preserve it and showcase Norman Borlaug,” Barb said.
It is very personal to Jim, who is related to Borlaug through marriage. The Holstrom and Borlaug families spent lots of time at Norman’s sister’s house (Charlotte Culbert) when he was a youth.
The project kept moving forward as the design was finalized and the building was found. The only thing left to do was get financing. That’s where even more collaboration came about. Farm Bureau, HCB&T and Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation got the ball rolling. 
Joining the group were ag-related businesses and organizations, Howard County Community Foundation and City of Cresco.
Mark Henry prepped the work area, and Macomber started painting the 50 feet by 30 feet on the metal siding on July 6. It took about six gallons and 24 quarts of paint and three weeks to finish.
Each section of the mural has a special meaning.
• The top left shows a horizon of Cresco and Howard County, with wind turbines, an elevator, farms with traditional silos and a water tower.
• “Every barn has a barn quilt, and so does the one on the building. It has Hawkeyes and Iowa State colors,” Macomber said. It sits in the center peak.
• The earth represents how the life of a man from rural Cresco, Iowa touched the entire world.
• Borlaug is in front of the earth holding sheaths of wheat. His face is about six feet tall, and the wheat is 14 feet tall. Macomber explained, “When I was ready to paint the wheat, I didn’t sleep the night before. I was worried it wouldn’t turn out and I would have to redo the world in the background.” Luckily it turned out great.
• The children with their animals represent how important youth are to our future. “We need to have children interested in agriculture to feed us in the future,” the artist said.
• On the left is a field being planted. When painting the tractor, Macomber asked if there was a preference on the color of the equipment. When she didn’t get an answer, she flipped a coin. “Red was heads and green was tails. It came up tails,” she laughed. “Red would have shown up better, but I made the commitment and followed through.”
• The corn stalks on the right stand about 18 feet high, which isn’t a far stretch from how tall they grow in the field. Borlaug’s genetic work brought corn and all crops to a new level.
Borlaug’s quote on the door to the garage at street level seemed very fitting for the mural, “Food is the moral right of all who are born into this World.”
Slifka said, “It was a fun project to work on.” Residents of Cresco also enjoyed watching the progress.
Macomber said she loves working in Cresco. “People are so nice. Sometimes you need to hear that you are doing a good job.” And that’s what she heard while working on the mural.
Tom Spindler of the Borlaug Foundation stated, “The mural is a great addition to the City. We celebrate Borlaug Fest, and Norm should be the center of it. This is just another way to honor this great man and promote his legacy.”
He added, “It really grabs your attention. It shows the countries that benefitted from his innovations down to the small farmer.”
The mural is big and bold and tells the story of a man who lived his entire life with the focus of feeding the world.

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

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