After visiting with the Iowa relatives this weekend and a couple days this week, I heard about the flooding they had in the basement after the last bad storm that went through Iowa. They had to tear out all the carpeting in a huge family room. The question was whether to replace the carpet and take a chance on the next big storm or do something else with the floor.
I pondered this and thought "Why not fill the room with sand and cater luaus?" They already have the hogs on their farm so a pigs would be no problem. Then I came up with this idea-still fill the room with sand but raise camels. With all the equipment and money we've given to the Mideast, surely a Arab would give them a few camels to start a breeding herd to go along all those red Angus. In Iowa surely they would find something to feed them. They could do for camels what Ted Turner did for buffalo. Maybe they could get camel meat on the menu at Hickory Park and then wait for the ensuing demand for camel meat. Where does the material for camel hair coats come from? Maybe there would be a demand for the hides. They could house them in the basement family room in the sand during the winter. Water would be no problem. I know the clean-up would be a little gamy but no worse than hogs. They're known for a lousy temperament but no worse than several other farm species.
This is a chance to get in on the ground floor. I'm glad I thought of this.