Richard L. and Verda M. Alleman Farm Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Richard L. and Verda M. Alleman Farm Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2701 NW. 158th Ave. |
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| Nearest city | Slater, Iowa |
| Area | 157.02 acres (63.54 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000192 |
| Added to NRHP | May 1, 2015 |
The Richard L. and Verda M. Alleman Farm Historic District is a special farm located near Slater, Iowa. It is known as a historic district, which means it's a place with important history. This farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. This list includes places that are important to the history of the United States.
The Alleman family has owned this farm since the 1880s. This makes it a true century farm, a farm that has been in the same family for over 100 years. The farm became famous because of a special visit in 1955.
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A Special Visit from the Soviet Union
In 1955, the Soviet Union was having trouble growing enough food. Their farms were not producing well. Nikita Khrushchev, who was a leader in the Soviet Union, wanted to learn how American farmers were so successful.
An Invitation to Iowa
A newspaper editor named Lauren K. Soth wrote an article. He invited the Soviet Union to send people to Iowa to see how farmers here worked. He thought they would never accept. But to his surprise, Premier Khrushchev agreed!
The Alleman Farm is Chosen
On July 7, 1955, the Alleman family got a call. They were asked if a group from the Soviet Union could visit their farm. Just ten days later, on July 17, the visit happened.
The group included Vladimir Matskevich, a top agricultural expert from the Soviet Union. He came with 11 other Soviet farm scientists and managers. They wanted to see how the Allemans ran their successful farm.
A Prize for the Idea
Lauren K. Soth, the editor who wrote the invitation, won a special award. He received the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. This award is given for excellent journalism.
A Return Visit
Years later, in 1971, Vladimir Matskevich came back to the Alleman farm. By then, he was the Soviet Union's Minister of Agriculture and Food. This showed how important the farm's visit had been.
The buildings and areas that make up the historic district today were all part of the farm when the 1955 visit happened.
