CEDAR FALLS --- Barnes Building Materials mostly serves urban customers, but that doesn't mean agriculture isn't important.

The Cedar Falls business sells lumber and cabinets primarily for homes. After listening to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey Thursday at the Park Place Event Centre, Barnes President John Bates said he'll keep closer tabs on grain and livestock production.

Northey was the keynote speaker at the local National Federation of Independent Business and Waterloo/Cedar Falls Area Action Council meeting. Northey hammered home the point that farmers are small business owners, too, and agriculture drives Iowa's economy.

If farmers are successful, the Spirit Lake producer said they'll spend money. When times are tough, the opposite occurs.

"I wanted to show how important ag is, and how it impacts their businesses," Northey said.

According to Northey, Iowa farmers sell about $10 billion worth of crops each year. A few more billion dollars of corn and soybeans are fed to livestock, which are then sold for another $10 billion.

Iowa is No. 1 in corn, soybean, hog and egg production.

"Just like your business sometimes, people take (agriculture) for granted," Northey said. "People will say, 'That's just another corn field.' Suddenly, its adds up to billions and billions of dollars."

Eventually, ag-related revenue winds up in the pockets of all Iowans, including the 11 NFIB members at the meeting. For example, a profitable farmer may buy a new John Deere tractor. That helps keep people employed in Waterloo. A confident Deere worker, possibly with extra overtime pay, may decide to remodel or build a home and buy materials from Barnes.

"If ag in Iowa is doing well, that pulls everything else with it," Bates said, AAC chair.

Contractors, developers, realtors and a veterinary clinic were a few of the businesses represented at the meeting. Ag and business officials agreed they need to work together for their mutual benefit.

Health care reform, lowering property taxes and eliminating the estate tax were popular topics of discussion.

The NFIB has 8,000 members in Iowa, according to state director Andy Warren. Northey is a regular speaker at the organization's meetings since farmers and small business owners are one and the same.

"He reminds us all how much small business relies on agriculture," Warren said.