Iowa’s rural heritage was shaped by the immigrants and descendants of immigrants who settled the virgin prairies, wetlands and woodlands. With the state’s land mass now mostly converted to row cropping, Iowa is considered to be the state with the most altered topography. Now in its 175th year of publication, the Des Moines Register is looking back at the people who built the Iowa we live in today and looking ahead at the people who will build its tomorrow. Immigration was the key to Iowa's early growth, and it perhaps will be the most vital component in the future, but it will look decidedly different than it did almost 200 years ago, demographers say. Rural Iowa is expected to see an influx of people with different ancestry and skin color than the white Europeans who settled the state and have predominated in rural areas ever since, said David Peters, professor of agricultural and rural policy at Iowa State University. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #DesMoines #Io...