An advocacy group that’s pushing for responsible land use is using Burma-shave style signs to get its message across to riders on RAGBRAI. Ed Fallon is Executive Director of the group “1000 Friends of Iowa.” He says these seven sets of signs are a follow-up to the first set of signs the group put out near Ankeny.Fallon, who is also a legislator from Des Moines, says each set of signs has a different message. The sign nearest Des Moines has the slogan: “Urban Growth on Rural Ground? How ‘Bout Raising Hogs Downtown!” Fallon says it tries to make the point that urban growth on farmland makes about as much sense as raising hogs downtown, when there is existing land in Iowa cities for development. Fallon says the signs are more than words as three different artists have created artwork to go on the signs — such as the set that talks about raising hogs downtown.Fallon says a new set of signs is set up outside of each city where the RAGBRAI riders will spend the night. He thinks they’ve already made an impact.Fallon says they hope to move the signs around the state after RAGBRAI.
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