KEVIN HARDY
EYSTONE, Iowa — Like many farmers, Becky Herman bounces from enclosure to enclosure, feeding and watering her livestock.
There are thousands of them, but Herman knows some well enough to assign them human traits. Those two over there are bullies, she says.
And though she’s new at this gig, Herman has already learned not to name her stock, lest she grow too attached.
While farmers are no rarity in this eastern Iowa town of 600, Herman’s operation stands alone. Her farm, the Iowa Cricket Farmer, is the state’s first insect farm growing critters for the purposes of human consumption.
It’s believed to be among a handful of cricket farms across the country capitalizing on a trend of health-conscious foodies munching on insects.