John Latham, president of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, was elected as North Central Regional Vice President of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) during its 129th Annual Convention in Washington D.C.  The North Central Region includes Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“We’re excited to have John serving on ASTA’s Board of Directors,” said Andy LaVigne, president and chief executive officer. “He brings a wealth of experience and a strong family history of seed industry leadership.”

As North Central Regional Vice President, John will serve as a member to the ASTA Executive Committee and Board of Directors for three years.  He will serve as a liaison with state and regional associations on national legislation, reporting to ASTA Vice President of Government Affairs Leslie Cahill on state legislative matters relating to the seed industry.  As regional vice president, John also will be responsible for recruiting new members in the region and representing ASTA at state and regional association meetings.

“It’s a real honor to have been nominated and elected by my peers in the seed industry for this important position. The seed industry has such an important responsibility to help feed the world and I look forward to helping to advance a great cause and association.”

Founded in 1883 and located in Alexandria, VA., ASTA is one of the most established trade organizations in the United States. Its membership consists of more than 700 companies involved in production and distribution, plant breeding and related industries around the globe. As an authority on plant germplasm, ASTA advocates science and policy important to the industry.  The trade organization promotes the development of better seed to produce better crops for a better quality of life.

“Is help from corporate agriculture beneficial?” was a headline that grabbed my attention in the July 5^th issue of The Des Moines Register.  Columnist Rekha Basu goes on to write:

“An Iowan launched the so-called Green Revolution, and the World Food Prize that he created annually honors others who have made important innovations in agriculture. Iowa today is in the vanguard of the biotech revolution.  So it may be hard to contemplate the paradox that even as we have helped block world hunger, we might also inadvertently be contributing to it.”

The “so-called Green Revolution” seems like particularly patronizing and disrespectful statement about someone who literally altered history.  Dr. Norman Borlaug’s breeding of high-yielding cereal crops helped avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s.  “Countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grain,” according to a New York Times article.  It’s no wonder that in 1970 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Dr. Borlaug for saving hundreds of millions of lives.

Thanks to biotechnology, crop yields have increased six times since 1940!  Corn yields were flat between 1866 and 1939 at about 26 bushels per acre.  Due to the development of hybrid seeds in the 1940s, yields increased dramatically in the 1940s.  The widespread use (not overuse) of nitrogen fertilizers and herbicides is credit for increasing yields even more.  By 2009, average corn yields reached an average of 165 bushels per acre.  In 2011, Iowa corn growers harvested an average of 172 bushels per acre.

Not only have U.S. farmers learned how to produce more grain, but they’ve learned to do so more efficiently.  Farmers today grow five times as much corn as they did in the 1930s on 20% less land, according to the Corn Farmers Coalition.  Commercial fertilizer is another reason North American farmers produce the most abundant, nutritious food supply worldwide.  It’s also one of the main reasons why Americans spend less of their income on food than any other nation.  In fact, farmers today produce one-third more corn for each pound of nitrogen they apply as compared to 20 years ago.  Just think of the amount of land we’d have to put into agriculture production – land is currently now serving as parks and wildlife habitats – just to be able to produce enough food to feed the world’s growing population.

So given all the good that has come from it, tell me again why biotechnology is getting a bad rap.  Biotechnology has been around since the 1850s when Gregor Mendel began crossing tall and short garden peas to create hybrid plants that resembled the tall parent rather than creating a medium height blend. His observations led to two terms that are still used in present-day genetics: dominant and recessive.

The hybridization of plants, as well as improved production methods, are just a few of the ways farmers around the world benefit from “technology transfer.”  Let’s take a look how Iowans, just in the year 2012, have made a positive impact on farmers from other countries:

• Iowa/Uganda Farmer-to-Farmer Exchange – objectives were to improve post-harvest grain quality for Ugandan farm women and improve their record keeping skills
• Meals from the Heartland – Iowa FFA students, in just 2 days, assembled 250,000 meals that were sent to feed starving Haitians
• Homes for Haiti – Thanks to efforts initiated by Iowa-based Global Compassion Network, 48 Safe T Homes® are being erected on the Village of Hope near Port au Prince, Haiti.  Each dwelling, manufactured by Sukup, can provide shelter for 10 people.

If we care about people around the world at all, then Americans must share their knowledge so others can benefit.  I believe that it’s our moral obligation to help share information and technology with fellow farmers – whether they’re from Uganda, Haiti, Mexico or even the U.S. – that can help them produce more food with fewer resources.  I just can’t see how it can be more compassionate to let people starve than it is to provide them with jobs or to help teach them how to provide jobs for themselves (i.e. to become self-sufficient farmers).

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is becoming known for its untraditional field days, so it goes without saying that our company’s 65th anniversary will offer more than just plot tours.

Bring your entire family to company headquarters in Alexander, Iowa, on Saturday, Aug. 25!  From 9 AM to 3 PM that day, we’ll be offering programs and activities for the whole family.  Kids’ activities range from face painting and inflatable rides to a petting zoo.  Experience some old-fashion fun like gunny sack races and peddle tractor pulls.  We’ll also feature cooking demonstrations and a craft fair.

Our full lineup of speakers includes:

9:00 AM               Craft Show opens / Genetic Garden tours begin
9:30 AM               “7 Wonders of the Corn World” by Dr. Fred Below
10:30 AM             Tips to side-dress nitrogen
11:00 AM             John Latham welcomes guests to Latham headquarters
11:15 AM             2012 Farm Bill update by Congressman Tom Latham
11:30 AM             Picnic lunch
12:30 PM             “Consistently producing 300-bushel corn” by Dr. Fred Below
1:30 PM               “Selecting the Right Grain Cart for your operations”
2:00 PM               “Pushing soybean yields beyond 80 bushel”

We’d also offer tours of our production facilities and research plots to anyone who’s interested.  We’re especially excited about our Genetic Garden, which is a living museum of corn.  Our corn field tours will showcase new Latham® Gladiator Hybrids, which were developed to battle our field’s continuous corn challenges and win.  Our soybean plots showcase Ironclad Soybeans that protect your fields against Iron Deficiency Chlorosis, Soybean Cyst Nematode, Phytophthora Root Rot, and depending on your specific needs, either White Mold or Sudden Death Syndrome.

Make plans now to join us Saturday, Aug. 25, for some Good, Old-Fashioned Family Fun!  What would an anniversary celebration be without cake and ice cream, too?  We’ll serve up good times and good food as we celebrate 65 years of business and look forward to another great year ahead.

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
by Larry Sailer

It was the week of Valentine’s Day 2012, but pork producers weren’t feeling the love.  That’s when McDonald’s announced it would begin phasing out suppliers’ use of gestational crates.  Since that time,  more restaurant chains like Cracker Barrel and food suppliers like Oscar Meyer have joined the “ban wagon.”

“I understand the desire for people to return to the bucolic days of farming in the past, where the hogs were raised in the barnyard, but the economics of the business just don’t support that anymore,” said Howard Hill in The Des Moines Register article  published July 7.

Hill, who will become president of the National Pork Producers Council in 2014, continues by saying: “This is the perfect example of the law of unintended consequences.  The effect of the end of gestation crates will drive up prices for pork, and it will drive producers out of business, which will have the effect of consolidating the pork-producing industry further.”

Ironically, gestation stalls were first developed to protect the animals. They were used because sows can be vicious.  Occasionally, they kill one another. Their fights often prevent them from getting the right amount of feed and water.

Does allowing some hogs to overeat while others are underfed sound “humane”?

Crates have actually helped increase the number of live pigs produced by each sow.  Statistics released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that the state’s hog population is at an all-time high of 20 million although Iowa’s sow population decreased over the last year.  The number of live pigs per breeding animal has been trending upward, and the average sow now produces 10 pigs per litter.

Even though we’re seeing positive results from modern hog production techniques, consumers (or at least those who market to consumers) are telling us to change our way of thinking. Why are pork producers the ones who need to change?  Perhaps we just need to do a better job of telling our story!

Mike Haley, who farms with his wife and his father in Ohio, says there seems to be a lack of outreach to help answer questions about humane husbandry practices.  In a June 23 post on Feedstuffs Foodlink, he writes:

“As HSUS and other activist groups gain momentum and credibility with food distributors and retailers, the pork industry seems to be stuck in a rut communicating the same way it always has hoping to magically end up on solid ground. Don’t get me wrong, there is some good advertising I see about the other white meat.  However, there seems to be a lack of outreach to help answer questions about humane husbandry practices, and the few that exist don’t stack up well with the marketing campaign animal rights groups have perfected.”

Rather than regulating gestation stalls out of use, let the marketplace decide.  Do consumers really feel strongly enough to pay more for their meat?  That’s exactly what happened in England and in California! If some consumers want to purchase “crate-free” products, that’s their prerogative.  Willing consumers can pay more for these specialty products, but I don’t want them to force their values on me.  In my opinion, crate-free pork is no different than free-range chicken or organically grown vegetables.  Label it, price it and let the marketplace decide.  Just don’t legislate it.

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
by Larry Sailer

The eve of our country’s Independence Day seems like an especially fitting time to discuss the merits of free markets and free enterprise. It’s my belief that farmers should have the freedom to manage their own farms as they see fit.

The whole idea of government mandates to control how farmers and ranchers operate is a bad precedent. Instead, let the free market dictate how animals are raised. If consumers feel strongly about free-range chickens or pork, they can choose to buy from producers who operate in that manner. If buyers wants organic produce, they can buy food from organic growers.

Not everyone shares my thoughts on animal agriculture, however. Thanks (yes, I’m being sarcastic here) to groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), additional regulations for the livestock industry are being debated by Congress as part of the 2012 Farm Bill.

Allowing groups like HSUS to dictate how livestock is produced is like inviting the proverbial fox into the hen house! Why? My friend Michele Payn-Knoper does a great job of summarizing the situation on her Gate to Plate blog:

Best known for their cute kitten and fuzzy puppy propaganda, the Humane Society of the United States has “come out of the closet” with their emotional pleas to stop abuse of “factory farm animals.” It should now be clear that HSUS is more about driving animal agriculture out of our culture than they are about caring for abandoned pets.

Whatever you do, please don’t misunderstand the point I’m trying to make. Animal abuse – whether pets or livestock – is indefensible. If there is abuse, it must be addressed and the guilty party charged. The last thing most farmers want is for any animal to be abused. It’s not the way we operate. However, we don’t need more rules to define “proper care” of animals. We simply need to enforce rules that are already on the books.

There are many regulations and laws already in place to protect against animals being treated badly. New regulations and more government control won’t assure less abuse or a safer food supply. You can rest assured, however, that additional government regulations will make production costs higher for farmers and food costs more for consumers. No one wins when this happens!

It’s no secret that one of my great loves is travel.  Nothing gets my heartbeat pumping like an opportunity to see new things, experience new adventures and taste new foods.

Last week our family had the opportunity to do “all the above” when we traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 129^th annual summer convention of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).  We arrived at our hotel about 7 p.m. on Monday, June 18.  We grabbed a burger at the Cadillac Grill and called it an early night.

It’s a good thing we were well rested because “Day 1” was packed full of activities and fun memories!  We left our hotel by 6:30 a.m. for the White House, where we were scheduled for a 7:30 a.m. tour of the White House.  (Remember, this early hour felt like 5:30 a.m. since D.C. is in the Eastern Time Zone and we live in the Central Zone.)

Our kids greatly enjoyed the White House tour and were eager to see more of the city.  Our next stop was the Newseum, or the Museum of News.  This is probably my favorite museum of all time.  As a journalism major, I could’ve spent a couple more hours there.  (Well, maybe even the day!)  This museum was fun for the whole family because it was so interactive.  We got to try our hand at reporting the news live, complete with a teleprompter and microphone.  We saw pieces of the Berlin Wall, watched an emotionally griping movie about the journalists who covered 9/11, and peeked Inside Tim Russert’s office.  Our kids greatly enjoyed the 4-D Time Travel Experience.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to visit all Top 10 Things to See at the Newseum because we had scheduled a mid-afternoon tour of the U.S. Capitol.  Lucky for us, our Capitol Hill tour was filled with great suprises.  As we were walking through the halls of the Senate, The Honorable John McCain stepped through the chamber doors.  He took time to talk with us and even posed for a picture.  (This was a true “wow” experience for our 11-year-old son.)  After such an event-filled day, we spent a low-key evening in our hotel.

“Day 2” of our trip marked the first day of the ASTA convention, so John was tied up in business meetings and general sessions all day.  I opted to “take a vacation day” and joined our kids for an ASTA-sponsored spouse’s / children’s trip to the International Spy Museum and the Smithsonian.  I’m so glad that I went on this tour as the live-action spy adventure is a must-do for anyone who meets the age requirements.  Here’s how it’s described online:

Think of it as a live-action spy adventure. Only you’re the spy. This one-hour-adrenaline-fueled fest is no exhibit. It’s simple, really. You have to locate a missing nuclear trigger before it ends up in the wrong hands. No pressure. Just crack a few safes, decode some messages, and interrogate a suspect double agent.

Our adrenaline was pumping.  Our imaginations were running wild. And our creative juices were flowing.  It was a fun time for our entire ASTA group.  After we “captured the double agent,” we toured the museum where we learned about buttonhole cameras and lipstick pistols.  It was crazy stuff – just perfect to hold the attention of my two pre-teens.  That afternoon we toured the National Museum of Natural History.  My kids expected it to look like scenes from A Night at the Museum.  Although it didn’t really resemble the movie, they couldn’t have had a better time looking at all the unique animals.  They had fun with the computerized cameras, one which shows how you would’ve looked as a homo sapiens in prehistoric times.  (Personally, I found my prehistoric photo to be frightening! But, I greatly enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Hope diamond.)

“Day 3” included a water taxi ride to Mount Vernon, which includes a beautiful mansion overlooking the beautiful Potomac River.  This 50-acre estate, formerly the home of George and Martha Washington, also includes fruit and vegetable gardens, a pioneer farm site and even a distillery and gristmill.  Even though I have visited Mount Vernon at least three times previously, there is still more that I’d like to see on my next visit.  Someday I’d love to attend an Independence Day Celebration at Mount Vernon to watch as costumed staff make one of George Washington’s favorite desserts.

To celebrate the Fourth of July “Washington style” in the Midwest, click here for Martha Washington’s Great Cake recipe.  NOTE:  This recipe makes enough to feed an army.  Other recipes are featured in the book, Dining with the Washingtons.  Someday I think it would be fun to make some of these dishes and host my own 1776 dinner party.

Speaking of trying new foods…  I’d like to take a minute to share with you the sweet treat we enjoyed while visiting Georgetown area last Saturday night.  Have you heard of Georgetown Cupcakes?   You might know it better as TLC’s hit new show, DC Cupcakes.  As their site states:

DC Cupcakes is about Georgetown Cupcake, a cupcake shop in Washington, D.C., owned by a sister duo! They traded careers in fashion to pursue something a little different. They’re both lifelong bakers inspired by their grandmothers. They opened their shop on Valentine’s Day 2008, the first cupcakery in D.C.!

It pays to be first as these ladies literally have a corner on the market.  We waited in line for 45-minutes for a taste of these famous cupcakes, and we all thought it was worth the wait as soon as we took our first bite.  While I was surfing their site, I was drawn to the link, “Holiday Cupcake Ideas.”  Take a look at the “cool” idea I found under July 4^th Cupcakes.  SnoCones and cupcakes are always a hit with kids, so I can only imagine how much my kids will delight in SnoCone Cupcakes this Fourth of July.

Sorry, Martha Washington – You’re cake will just have to wait.  This Independence Day I’m baking up some SnoCone Cupcakes.  Click here to try a batch yourself.

Today I’m also including a recipe for Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce because “crab cakes” are synonymous with “D.C.” in my book.  I always eat crab cakes at least once whenever I’m in Washington, but I have yet to try making them at home.  Let me know if you make this recipe.  I’d appreciate any “cook’s tips” you’re willing to offer.