Is your farmstead pretty enough to be the next “Field of Dreams”? The state is launching an effort to get Iowans to show off properties they’d like to see featured on the silver screen, on T-V or as the backdrop for a catalog shoot. Jeff Morgan, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, explains the campaign. Morgan says, “What we’re looking for is for Iowans who have a home or a property that could be featured in a movie and also if they know of a scenic view or a vista that might be appropriate for a film production to go onto www.produceiowa.com and register and submit their information and photographs.”

It’s free to submit photos to the Media Production Directory, but he says the home or property does have to be within the state of Iowa. Morgan says, “This is actually to build an online media directory that can be available to production companies from California and all around the world 24 hours a day for them to see what Iowa has to offer in terms of site locations.”

It’s not just farmsteads, but any Iowa homes, unique buildings and even entire main streets or downtowns which could be featured. Morgan says, “We’re looking to convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, homeowners, location scouts who work in Iowa, people from all corners of the state to submit information and photographs.”

Some tips for submitting photos include: use a digital camera, each photo should be no larger than 1MB, title each photograph, 10 total images per property, include distinct features and use a wide-angle lens or landscape view. Besides site locations, Produce Iowa is taking submissions about Iowa’s media production workforce and support service companies. He encourages local talent, production crews and hospitality businesses like hotels, restaurants and caterers to register their services and round out the directory.

(Radio Iowa)

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Deere & Co. says it will lay off 100 more workers from its plant in Ankeny plant. The Des Moines Register reports  that the layoffs are being described as adjustments to meet market demand.

The Moline, Ill.-based maker of farm and construction equipment says it told workers in mid-August that layoffs would take place in mid-September and early November. About 40 plant workers were placed on indefinite layoff in mid-September. Deere spokesman Ken Golden says the 100 or so workers were notified Friday about the layoffs in early November.