This class for Thursday, April 18th, has been cancelled. Thank you for understanding.

The Jefferson County Extension Office will be having a FREE class on weather safety! This class is intended for all individuals interested in weather safety and preparedness. The presentation is by Rich Kinney of the National Weather Service. 

When: Thursday, April 18th at 6:00pm - 7:30pm
​Where: Jefferson County Extension Office, 2606 W. Burlington Avenue, Fairfield, IA
​Facebook: Click here

For further information, please contact Lori Padget at 641-472-4166, or by email at padget@iastate.edu. 

Come to Business After Hours at JC Huffman Cabinetry on Thursday, April 18th from 4-7pm! Appetizers and drinks will be served. JC Huffman Cabinetry is located at 3100 West Burlington Avenue in Fairfield.

"Quality custom cabinetry built exclusively for your home by JC Huffman. Since 1988, our family-owned company has been handcrafting custom cabinetry, cabinet doors, custom mantels and cabinet hardware. We are dedicated to making cabinets that are durable, functional and stylish. How do we do it? By focusing on absolute dependability and craftsmanship in our cabinetry. JC Huffman Cabinetry is known for our uncompromising quality, our hand applied finishes and our original designs."

The Chamber Business After Hours is a free, monthly networking event open to Chamber Members, their guests and the general public.  If you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours, please contact the Chamber at 641-472-2111 or by email at Info@FairfieldIowa.com.

AMERICAN PICKERS to Film in Iowa

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Iowa! They plan to film episodes of the hit series American Pickers throughout your area from May 27th-June 9th.

AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on History. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.

Mike and Frank have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them. AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to:

americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST (855-653-7878)
facebook: @GotAPick

Also, please note that Mike and Frank only pick private collections so NO stores, malls, flea markets, museums, auctions, businesses or anything open to the public.

The 2019 Chamber Annual Awards Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 11th, 2019 from 5pm - 9pm.

The Annual Awards Banquet is the premier annual celebration event for the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce, our Chamber members and the Fairfield community. The 2019 Banquet will be held at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Doors open at 5:00pm with Dinner served at 6:30pm. The Awards Ceremony will begin at 7:30pm and wrap up by 9:00pm.

Reserve your seat now! Reservations are per person or by table. Please click here to make your reservation. 
​Full Table (8 Seats): $500
Half Table (4 Seats): $375
Individual Seat: $38 Before April 5th
Individual Seat: $45 After April 5th

Every award the Chamber gives recognizes outstanding investment and innovation achieved by Fairfield business and community institutions. Honored achievements include capital improvements, community investment, innovation, and lifelong accomplishment. The Annual Awards Banquet evening culminates with the announcement of the Citizen of the Year Award. These honorees are selected by previous winners and are recognized for their outstanding volunteer service which significantly contributed to the betterment of community-life in Fairfield. The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet celebrates progress in our community.

Please click here to nominate a business or individual for an award! Nomination entries are due by 5pm on Thursday, March 7th.

The 2019 Annual Awards Banquet theme is Black & White! Please match your attire accordingly. ​

The following is a tentative schedule for the evening:
​

• At 5pm Registration begins and the bar opens
• 5:30pm - Social Hour begins, appetizers served
• 6:30pm - FHS Drumline performs
• 6:35pm - Chamber CEO - Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 6:40pm - Member Recognition
• 6:50pm - Invitation to start dinner
• 7:40pm - Chamber CEO recognizes Chamber team members (Ambassadors, Board, Past Presidents etc.)
• 7:50pm - Distinguished Awards
• 8:00pm - Leadership Fairfield Graduation
• 8:10pm - Distinguished Awards continued...
• 8:40pm - Citizen of the Year Award Presented
• 8:55pm - Closing remarks made by Chamber CEO
• 9:00pm - Banquet finished ~ Enjoy your evening!

In cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will provide viewing for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program 2019 webinar training for new and returning farmers market vendors March 28 or April 11. The webinar training will be able to be viewed at many Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county offices. This viewing option is for individuals who may not have Internet service or who may experience Internet service issues.

The Iowa Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) consists of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) FMNP and the Senior FMNP. The FMNPs are Congressionally-authorized programs that provide fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs from farmers markets and farm stands to nutritionally at-risk women, infants, children and low-income seniors.
 
The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship does not limit the number of vendors who may become certified under FMNP. For more information and eligibility, visit www.iowaagriculture.gov, Marketing, Horticulture and Farmers Markets.
To attend an ISU Extension and Outreach hosted webinar, simply show up at one of these ISU Extension and Outreach locations near you.
 
 
Thursday April 11, 10 – 11 a.m., Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county office locations:

 
Appanoose County:  Centerville  501 N 12th St, Ste 4, 52544. Contact:  lfirkins@iastate.edu
Des Moines County:  West Burlington, 1700 W Mt Pleasant St, 52655. Contact:  mhoenig@iastate.edu
Jefferson County:  Fairfield, 2606 W Burlington Ave, 52556. Contact:  tru@iastate.edu

​​A four-session course designed to give women strategies for effectively working with family and employees.

Extending Knowledge ~ Empowering Women
Women in AG - Courses in Iowa

Classes starting Tuesday, April 9, 2019 and continuing:
April 16
April 23
​April 30
6:00pm - 9:00pm (meal at 5:30pm)
Jefferson County Extension Office - 2606 West Burlington Ave., Fairfield, Iowa

Please Register by Tuesday, April 2! Cost is $75.
Register online at www.aep.iastate.edu/womeninag
641-472-4166

Annie's Project - Empowering Women in Agriculture

Heartbeat of the Farm is taught in the tradition of Annie's Project:

• Topics of importance to your future in farming
• Brief presentations and extended discussions with ag professionals
• Practical hands-on activities
• Decision making resources available to you
• Networking with other farm women

Educational programs dedicated to strengthening women's roles in the modern farm enterprise. The courses foster problem solving, record keeping, and decision-making skills in farm women.

Courses are offered through a network of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach educators, including farm management specialists, value added agriculture specialists, and county staff that have received Women in Agriculture curriculum training.

"When interviewing look for personality not skills because you can always teach skills."
- Jewel, Petersburg, Virginia

What is Heartbeat of the Farm: Human Resource Management?
The heartbeat of every farm business is the people involved. This course is designed to empower farm women to improve working relationships with both family and non-family partners and employees. Women will become more knowledgeable on effective strategies to manage human resources in the areas of employee supply, recruitment and law; family and farm business communication; employee supervision and retention; and health, stress and well-being. The course is taught in the tradition of Annie's Project and incorporates a comfortable and supportive learning environment.

At the end of four weeks, participants will know more about:

• Employee Supply, Recruitment, and Law

1. Strategies for identifying labor needs
2. Hiring and terminating
3. Legal, tax and accounting requirements

• Family and Business Communication

1. Strategies for sharing farm business goals
2. Managing interpersonal conflict
3. Conducting farm business meetings

• Employee Supervision and Retention

1. Strategies for clarifying expectations
2. Training family or non-family job tasks
3. Evaluating employees and increasing job satisfaction

• Health, Stress, and Well-being

1. Strategies for balancing personal and work energy
2. Increasing farm safety
3. Planning for continuity if one or more key persons is lost

Heartbeat of the Farm: Human Resource Management courses in Iowa are made possible by these statewide sponsors:
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture
Farm Credit Services of America - Agriculture Works Here.

Leadership Fairfield came together for their last and final session of the 2018-2019 Leadership Fairfield Class. The theme for April was Legacy; what legacy will you leave behind? All Leadership Fairfield participants will attend the Chamber Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 11th, to receive their graduating certificate and to commemorate the end of another great LF year!

Every Leadership Fairfield session includes one or two panels of individuals (speakers invited to attend Leadership Fairfield on that day to discuss a particular topic). For April, the morning panel topic was Fairfield Business Insiders and included Dick Smith of Agri-Industrial Plastics, Clayton Herman of H&H Mold & Tooling and Pete Nelson of The Nelson Company. The Afternoon panel, Taking Over a Family Business, included Kent Whitney of Whitney Monument Works, Alex Kessel of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Lori Schaefer-Weaton of Agri-Industrial Plastics and Jill Burnett of Libertyville Savings Bank.

Additionally, the Leadership Fairfield class toured two local businesses here in Fairfield, both of whom continue to leave a long-standing legacy in our town; Fairfield Glove and Creative Edge. ​
​

​There’s a new spot in town coming April 5th. The Local Fairfield offers diners a healthy and eco-friendly choice in casual dining. The new restaurant boasts the freshest ingredients and offers patrons locally inspired, hand-crafted bowls as well as the option to mix and match ingredients to their own taste.
 
Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive. The standard plate will be eight dollars and change.
 
The masterminds behind the restaurant are Soley Thorsteinsdottir and Benjamin Cooley. Born in Fairfield, Soley graduated The University of Iowa as an Engineer and turned Chef. Benjamin, a Nashville native, traveled extensively and incorporates a worldly vision to their work. Together, they are trying to make a better today by serving locally sourced, classically prepared, organic ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. 
 
Along with the freshest menu in town,  the restaurant was modeled with modern eco friendly materials and all the to-go packaging is biodegradable. 
 
The couple intends to bring the community into the restaurant by working with local farmers and artists, participating in local events and purchasing a greenhouse to guarantee an organic supply chain.

​The Local Fairfield - 51 N. 2nd Street, Fairfield.

The Local Fairfield Hours:

Sunday: 11:30am - 9:30pm
Monday: 11:30am - 9:30pm
Tuesday: 11:30am - 9:30pm
Wednesday: 11:30am - 9:30pm
Thursday: 11:30am - 9:30pm
Friday: 11:30am - 2:00am
Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00am
​