Editor's Note: Ode to the Color Green

Ode to the Color Green

Green is often associated with nature, growth, freshness and tranquility. It’s a color commonly found in the natural world, from lush fields and grassy meadows to leaves on trees and plants. Green symbolizes life, renewal and fertility.

In various cultures, green can symbolize different concepts. For example, it’s often associated with luck, hope and the environment in Western cultures. In some Eastern cultures, green can represent life, youth and prosperity.

Green is considered a calming and soothing color. It’s often used in interior design to create a sense of relaxation and balance. Additionally, being surrounded by greenery or spending time in nature positively affects mental well-being.

Green may be best known in farming for its use on John Deere equipment. There are several theories on why the company chose green as its signature color. One is that green stood out from the competition, whose tractors were painted red and blue.

Another theory is that the competition needed their tractors to be painted red so maintenance specialists could quickly locate them when they broke down and got stranded in a field. Clearly, John Deere felt their tractors wouldn’t have this problem and went with green.

My favorite theory is that John Deere strategically chose its classic green-and-yellow color combination for what those colors represent — green is the verdant vibrancy of growth and yellow is the ripening and harvest of a crop.

When it comes to agriculture and farming in Iowa, green reigns supreme. It signals the start of spring and good things to come. When you drive on rural roads, green fields mean growth, vitality and economic prosperity for farmers and communities.

In this issue, you’ll find many stories celebrating the love of green and the emotions it invokes. Meet an Iowa-based company in the business of growing beautiful lawns, discover a cattle-farming family dedicated to cultivating grass on their land, and find recipes for hearty salads using green lettuces and veggies as base layers for Iowainspired ingredients.

Just as the seasons change, green returns to show its beauty across the state and provides feelings of growth, renewal and hope.

Enjoy the issue, Lydia Zerby