Still a farm girl, Darcy is such a delight to listen to anytime she gives a program or a radio or TV interview about one of her books, or any number of topics–including about Iowans who were aboard the ill-fated Titanic.

The Author: Anyone who eats has a connection to the things Darcy Dougherty Maulsby is most passionate about, including food, farming and Iowa history. Described as an “artist with words” Darcy is the author of “Calhoun County” from Arcadia Publishing and “A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites and More” from The History Press.

Darcy is proud to be part of a farm family that operates a Century Farm in Calhoun County near Lake City and Yetter, where she also runs her own marketing/communications company, Darcy Maulsby & Co. She has covered agriculture and business for nearly 20 years and has worked with a number of leading ag organizations, including Syngenta, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the National Pork Board.

Darcy earned her undergraduate degrees in journalism/mass communication and history from Iowa State University (ISU) in 1996. She completed her master’s degree in business administration and marketing at ISU in 2004.

In addition to serving as an active member of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s FARM TEAM Speaker Corps, Darcy is also the president of the Calhoun County Farm Bureau, the Calhoun County Corn Growers, vice president of Central School Preservation in Lake City, and a member of the District Advisory Committee for the Iowa Soybean Association.

Darcy knows all things Iowa and is on a mission to make history cool. “Undiscovered treasures are hidden in plain sight throughout Iowa, when you know where to look,” she says. “I invite you to join an amazing, fun, tasty journey of discovery through my books.”

A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites & More

Book Description: Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. Classics like fresh sweet corn and breaded pork tenderloins are found on menus and in home kitchens across the state. At the world-famous Iowa State Fair, a dizzying array of food on a stick commands a nationwide cult following. From Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, discover the remarkable stories behind Iowa originals. Find recipes for favorites ranging from classic Iowa ham balls and Steak de Burgo to homemade cinnamon rolls served with chili, of course! Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a bountiful history of tasty tradition.

My thoughts: What a fun and mouth-watering way to soak up some local history, along with why we Iowans eat the things we do. Darcy Maulsby discusses they whys and hows of Iowa foods from our Native Americans and Lewis and Clark to Iowa State University and Dr. Norman Borlaug. She mentions so many local favorites from Jolly Time Popcorn to Younkers Tea Room recipes (chicken salad and my favorite Rarebit Burgers), and immigrant recipes like Czech/Bohemian Kolaches to newer ones such as Strawberry Pretzel Squares. Who knew there’s even a John Wayne Casserole!

Dallas County (Images of America)

Book Description: No Iowa county has influenced American history more than Dallas County. It propelled Harry Truman to an unlikely victory in the 1948 presidential campaign, following a fiery speech he delivered to 100,000 farmers on a sweltering September day at the National Plowing Match near Dexter. Just 15 years earlier, a shoot-out near Dexfield Park marked the beginning of the end for infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde and the notorious Barrow Gang. Dallas County, located just west of Des Moines, has produced several major-league baseball players (among them Bob Feller and Hal Manders), a US congressman (David Young), and Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner and University of Iowa football legend whose grandfather George Clarke, of Adel, served as Iowa’s governor from 1913 to 1917. Today, Dallas County is one of the fastest-growing counties in America and remains a region of opportunity with a rich heritage of small-town living, farming, coal mining, and the immigrant experience.

My thoughts: Who knew that Dallas County, Iowa, has an elephant graveyard? And that a winged monster terrorized one town repeatedly before disappearing. I didn’t, even though I have decades of history with several Dallas County towns. Dallas County is famous for a shoot-out with the Barrow Gang (Bonnie and Clyde), athletes Nile Kinnick and Bob Feller, President Truman’s 1948 speech to 100,000 farm families, one of the first amusement parks in the state, the Underground Railroad, and more. This enjoyable slim volume includes succinct histories of those towns, as well as dozens of historic pictures are accompanied by a pithy nuggets of information.

Calhoun County (Images of America)

Book Description: View the history of small-town, rural Iowa through the eyes of those who lived it. Images of America: Calhoun County showcases this unique heritage through remarkable glimpses into the past and intriguing stories that bring these images to life. Discover the region’s pioneer heritage, the birth of the railroad and prairie towns, and the growth of some of most productive farms in the world. Calhoun County claims two nationally acclaimed authors as native sons, welcomed Babe Ruth in 1940 (but not on the baseball field), and was the target of a bank robbery by Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s. Calhoun County offers a well-researched pictorial journey designed for native Iowans, transplanted Iowans, and those curious about the evolution of small towns and farms in the Midwest.