Iowa Section IFT

Iowa IFT November Meeting – November 20th, 2025

Timeline:

2:00 pm: Horticulture Research Station Tour

3:30 pm: Travel to Iowa State Food Science Building

4:30 pm: Social Hour & Networking

5:00 pm: Presentation from Adam Schonert

5:30 pm: Dinner catered from Schonert’s Corporate Catering

6:30 pm: Iowa IFT Business Meeting

About:

Horticulture Research Farm

Horticultural field research has been active at Iowa State since the beginning of the institution. The work was moved to the current site in 1967 from the former location at Sheldon and Knapp streets in Ames. The station has extensive horticultural plantings and projects, including apple orchards, vineyards, pest control in muskmelons, demonstration home gardens, vegetables, fruit, hops yards, turfgrass, and ornamentals. The farm has active research related to turtles, honeybees, wasps, and tree swallows. Scientists from horticulture, forestry, botany, ecology, plant pathology, entomology, and natural resources are active at the station. The station has a headquarters building with offices, laboratory, meeting/classroom, cold storage, and an apple sorting room. Other improvements include a shop, pesticide building, equipment storage, turf research building, a 15-acre lake, an extensive irrigation system, and six 0.2-acre ponds.

Schonert’s Corporate Catering

Adam Schonert started his business when he was a Junior in high school, selling homemade pies and cheesecakes for the holidays as a way to save money for college. In the fall of 2021, Adam started his concurrent MBA in the Ivy College of Business. At the same time, he pivoted his business from holiday sales to offering premium and handcrafted breakfast catering. In the following years, Adam would graduate from Iowa State University with his B.S. in Food Science and a Master of Business Administration in May 2023. He has continued to grow his business, expanding to encompass everything from baked goods to lunch menus, hot dinners, hors d’oeuvres, and even tailgating options, all with the goal of eliminating stress in catering through reliable, relational, and intentional service.

If you have any dietary restrictions please let us know!

Register by November 18th

$30 for industry professionals

$10 for students (reimbursement upon check in)

Past Meetings

Iowa IFT September Meeting – September 25th, 2025

Tour Location: Grainwell Puffed Grains – Dyersville, IA

2360 Industrial Parkway SW

Dyersville IA 52040

*Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for the tour*

Dinner/Social Hour Location: 7 Hills West – Dyersville, IA

703 13th Ave SE

Dyersville IA 52040

April 17th virtual lunchtime POP Quiz! meeting with guest, Jenna Ramaekers from Farmers Best.

12:00 PM Presentation & Q&A by Jenna Ramaekers from Farmers Best Popcorn in Worthington, Iowa. Farmers Best is available at most Hy-Vee and Fareways. You could purchase some and pop it for your virtual lunch meeting. Nothing draws an office crowd like the aroma of popcorn.

12:40 PM Popcorn Pop Quiz! Online popcorn trivia Kahoot with a popcorn-themed prize for the winner!

12:55 PM Iowa Section IFT Announcements

Martin Bros. Distributing Tour February 27th

We will tour Martin Bros. Distribution Company in Cedar Falls with a social hour, dinner and business meeting to cap off the event. “Martin Bros is a leading independent, full-line food service wholesale supplier serving restaurants schools, senior living communities and more throughout the Midwest with Foodservice with a Difference. “

3PM Tour of Martin Bros. Distribution Company

406 Viking Road, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

4:45PM Social Hour, Dinner and Business Meeting

Mulligan’s Brick Oven Grill and Pub 205 E 18th Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Student Night November 14th

Tours of the new Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex and the Student Innovation Center followed by a social hour, dinner by Cornbred catering and student night business meeting.

3PM Tour of Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex

4PM ISU Student Innovation Center Tour

5:30 Social Hour, Dinner and Student Night Meeting to follow