Mason City, IA- A North Iowa county ordinance is coming between what some area farmer's do for a living and their religious traditions.
Yesterday the Mitchell County Supervisors suspended an ordinance banning steel wheels on public roads for two months. The county supervisors say after that, “the rubber has to meet the road.”
Members of the Mennonite Community are still hoping to work out some type of deal with the board.
Supervisor Stan Walk says once this 60 day suspension is up farmers will have to get rid of their steel wheels.
One steel wheel farmer says it may force Mennonites to leave and hurt the area's fresh produce market
Wednesday was the last Cedar Valley Produce Auction event of the year.
Board President Daniel Reiff who is a Mennonite says steel wheels are part of the Old Order Mennonite tradition of staying one step behind society, since they first arrived from Germany.
"When the steel wheels versus the rubber wheels came out they decided to go with the steel wheels and that sort of set into the community," he said.
Steel wheels helped plant, harvest, and transport 80 percent of the produce at the Cedar Valley Produce Auction. Harrington Sweet Corn Buyer Dale Miller says it's the best.
"We know what his produce is, and they have top produce every week for us," Miller said.
Mennonites like Reiff moved to Iowa 17 years ago from Pennsylvania. He says the steel lugs haven't changed. Stan Walk says road repair has.
"It's called White Topping, and this is where we put four to five inches of concrete over asphalt," Walk said.
Walk says the lugs chip the concrete, and could cause serious damage over time. Mennonites offered to pay for repairs, but the county supervisors won't budge. Reiff says the ordinance may wipe out their community.
"The people are going to leave the church or move out, that's basically what it boils down to, I mean for myself, I'd probably just move back to Pennsylvania because I can't operate if I can't run my tractor," he said.
He says it takes just one trip three days out of the week to get his produce here. Without his tractor it could take two or three by truck. He's hoping for a solution.
"I think there's misunderstandings on both sides and I just hope we can get together on it and do it peacefully I guess."
Reiff says finding some rubber lugs is one possible option for the steel wheel farmers. At least they'll be able to get this year's crop out of the field, after that, their next concern is spring planting.
Howard and Floyd County are neighbors of Mitchell County. Leaders from both counties are reviewing Mitchell’s ordinance and will consider enforcing one of their own.
