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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Take the Road Less Traveled
As a kid, I loved seeing new sites but despised road trips. I would’ve preferred to take an airplane to a single destination to enjoy five straight days in someplace like Orlando, Florida. Meanwhile, my parents preferred to “see the country” through the windshield of their Ford extended cab. I’m sure that I sighed loudly each time they ventured off the paved path. I may have even rolled my eyes when they weren’t looking. For sure, I cried when we were lost in the middle of Montana with our gas tank nearing “E.” (I can still hear my mom saying, “We’re not lost, Honey. We just don’t know where we are.”)

But as an adult, I can truly appreciate the lessons my parents taught during our annual family vacations. Some of the best memories happen when we take the road less traveled!

We’ve munched on fresh cherries while traveling through Napa Valley, California. We’ve sampled fresh crab from a shack in Maine. We’ve eaten around a cowboy campfire in Wyoming. We’ve enjoyed making s’mores and listening to crickets near the start of the Mississippi River in Itasca, Minnesota.

My family and I have also traveled to big cities… I nearly got engaged in The Rainbow Room before attending a Broadway production in New York City. I’ve shopped the Magnificent Mile and had tea at The Drake in Chicago. I’ve enjoyed barbecue & blues on Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn. Yes, I’ve even taken in the sights and sounds of Las Vegas including a $4.99 all-you-can-eat buffet with the most delicious Belgian waffles.

But none of the glitz and glamour found in the big cities feeds my soul like quiet times spent in the Midwest’s rural areas! That’s why one of the things I enjoy most about my job is traveling the countryside, visiting with Latham® dealers and farmer-customers. I’ve gained an appreciation for the differences in the landscape across six states. I enjoy the raw beauty of each area, whether I’m in the Loess Hills of Iowa or along the Mississippi River.

Here are just a few of the fun stops that I’ve made in the 10 months:
- New Ulm, Minnesota (celebrating my German heritage with bratwurst and potato salad)
- Historic Tyden Farm No. 6 in North Central Iowa
- J& J Hideaway in Northeast Iowa (for a tranquil getaway to fish and hunt – yummy morels!)
- The Farmer’s Kitchen in western Iowa (award-winning pies, chili and burgers)
- Hansen’s Farm Fresh Dairy near Waterloo, Iowa (the creamiest, homemade ice cream ever)
- Iowa State Fair (nothing else compares to pork chop on a stick or beef sundaes)
- Franklin County, Iowa (Yes, I was a tourist in my home county last fall!)
That’s why I’m inviting The Good Traveler, Aric S. Queen, to drive through “Latham Country” as he embarks on a Classic American Roadtrip for National Geographic. After all, Midwesterners are as classic as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie!

To get involved in our campaign to bring The Good Traveler to the Midwest, follow these easy steps outlined by Iowa Traveler Jody Halsted (@iatraveler):
- Send a tweet to @GoodTravelerNG. Tell him what he’s missing. Use the #TravelMidwest.
- Leave a comment here. Share your story of inspiring people and passionate communities.
- If you have a blog, share your story there and link it back here.
Team Latham

May 14, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Time to Begin Early Crop Scouting in 2011

Many Midwest farmers will wrap up the 2011 planting season this week, but there won’t be much rest for the weary. As soon as seed is in the ground, it’s a good idea to start scouting fields.

Post-planting is an ideal time to begin scouting one’s crops. Many soilborne pathogens strike as soon as the seed begins to take on water; others strike young seedlings. Because seeds can germinate quickly and emerge in 3 – 5 days, it’s not too soon to start walking your fields.

Check plant populations, evaluate stands and be on the lookout for early summer diseases. Is there a germination problem? Do you see effects of chilling or crusting?

Assessing your situation ASAP will allow you to formulate a plan while there’s still plenty of time to implement it. You could replant in parts or in all of a field now, so you can attain the yields and returns you want this fall. Information on corn replanting decisions is available from www.agronext.iastate.edu/corn. Click on the “Planting” topic, then click on the “Replant Decision Aid Calculator” tab and use that tool and related information to help make a replant decision. For a resource on soybean replanting decisions, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm1851.pdf.

Another benefit of evaluating current stands is to help you determine what adjustments should be made before planting next year’s crop: Do you need to adjust your planter settings or your planting speed?

Once you get past the mechanical issues, look at the disease pressure. If soybeans are damping off, perhaps next season you should opt for seed-applied fungicides? Do you need to pay closer attention to a particular soybean brand or corn hybrid’s disease rating? Seed selection is one of the most important decisions affecting yield. Click here for tips on selecting soybean brands and selecting corn hybrids.

Team Latham

May 13, 2012

General, Season, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fun & Games on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13, and treating mom to a special breakfast tops the list for how Americans will celebrate. Another all-time American favorite is hosting a tea party, and that’s exactly what my troop of 10, fourth grade Junior Girl Scouts did last Saturday.

Hosting our “Green Things” Tea Party for 40 special ladies was a great lesson in menu planning, meal preparation, table setting and floral decorating with a lot of giggles along the way. Each girl took a turn helping me mix up a simple chicken and rice casserole, so we’re sharing this recipe today on TheFieldPosition. (It’s seriously simple but totally delicious!) They also made their moms a corsage from yellow roses, Girl Scouts’ signature flower. (Thank, Mom, for leading this session!) They also learned how to fold paper napkins and how to properly set a table. (Thanks to Kaleah’s mom for leading this session!)

At the end of our meal, we sang songs and then played BINGO the traditional way. Given more time, I would have been all over Tea Party Bingo. You make your own cards, filling them in with tea-related phrases. You also use tea bag tags as the markers. Another game idea is Tea Text, where you set a timer for two minutes. Everyone writes down as many words as she can think of that begins with the letter T. Extra points are given to those who have all three letters of t-e-a like team and steak.

However you choose to honor your wife, mother and/or grandmother on Sunday, I hope you’ll enjoy a relaxing and fun day with your family. I’d also enjoy hearing from you. What are your favorite party and/or family games?

Team Latham

May 11, 2012

General, Poultry, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Replant or Not?
While many Midwest farmers have yet to get their corn in the ground, others are contemplating whether or not to till up their poor crop and try it again. Poor stands have resulted in some fields where cool temperatures and wet soils put significant stress on seed germination and corn seedlings.

There are three important steps farmers should take when deciding whether to replant:
1. Evaluate the existing stand for population and uniformity.
2. Compare yield potential of the existing stand with yield potential of the replant.
3. If the decision is made to replant, consider various management practices to optimize yield by protecting your crop.
When evaluating corn stands, only count plants that have a good chance of survival. Observe the uniformity of the stand across the field to determine whether the entire field – or just portions of it – must be replanted. Click here to watch Steve Bailie, Latham’s Regional Sales Manager in Wisconsin, explain how to do a stand count. ISU Ag Economist William Edwards also has a developed a replant calculator, based on price expectations and the extra costs associated with replanting that might be helpful.

A chart in a recent issue of Integrated Crop Management will also give you an idea of potential losses from later planting dates. As Roger Elmore writes, however, this may be the kind of year where late planting has little or no penalty.

Another factor to consider on replanted acres is pest management. Most soil insecticides cannot be legally applied twice in the same growing season in the same field. With this in mind, replanting with Latham® brand corn containing the Genuity® family of traits provides farmers with more options to combat insects. Contact your local Latham representative or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1-877-465-2842) for assistance.

Agronomic Spotlight: Assess Corn & Soybean Stands
Webspec Admin

May 10, 2012

General, Season, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Old McDonald’s Farm and Disney Don’t Portray Modern Farmers

Photo courtesy of AgriNews.com

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
by Larry Sailer

During my talk last month at the 140confDM / State of NOW Conference in Des Moines, I mentioned Old McDonald’s Farm. Then conference founder Jeff Pulver (a city dude) asked Deb Brown (a country girl who lived for decades in Chicago) if today’s farms are really like Old McDonald’s Farm. Now I need to say that Deb does not farm, but even though she lives in the middle of farm country, she did not have an answer. Deb’s speechlessness made me realize how important it is for farmers like me to share our stories with all consumers, even those who live in rural areas.

Sharing my knowledge of modern farming with consumers, our customers, is the reason I agreed to speak at the 140 conference in the first place. As I stated in my talk, one of the things I try to do is first listen to what town folks have to say. I listened that day in Des Moines, and I learned that bacon is beloved! After I mentioned Bacon Fest, bacon was talked about the rest of the day!

Now back to Jeff’s question… Farming has changed greatly over the years. Unfortunately, people without a direct connection to farming often don’t see just how many improvements have been made. They only know what they hear and see through the media. Think of the images portrayed by Disney® cartoons. As a result, two or three generations have been led to believe that animals are like humans: They talk. They walk. And Porky the pig even hunts like a human. Being the old grumpy pig farmer, I can’t help but think how these shows have skewed the perception of farming.

The need is great to educate consumers about where their food comes from and how it is produced. It takes a real effort for a busy farmer to leave his/her farm and drive to a school or civic group meeting – or to a 140 conference – where people can listen, ask questions and share experiences.

There are many programs and groups in place to share the real story about farming and ranching, but we have a big job to do! Unless we make a concerted effort to educate, people like a young Desmund Adams won’t know how food gets to a grocery store. Desmund, who was raised in Chicago, commented during the 140confdm that he was 17 years old before he knew that meat came from an animal that was raised on a farm. His point is well taken: agriculture needs to do a better job of sharing farmers’ stories. You can help by sharing “Musings of a Pig Farmer” with your friends and family! Ask them to send me their questions by posting comments.

Larry Sailer, Musings of a Pig Farmer

May 8, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Row, Row, Row Your Corn

by Corey Catt, Forage Products Manager

Isn’t it exciting when you can finally “row your corn”? It’s such a milestone. It provides us with a sense of accomplishment. It brings some relief as hopefully no replant will be needed. And it makes us eager to see how the crop progresses throughout the growing season.
The average corn plant needs approximately 100 heat units to emerge from the ground. Depending on weather conditions, a seed/seedling will reach 100 heat units in 7 to 10 days. Some hybrids emerge faster than others, while others are slower to emerge but may grow more rapidly. These hybrid differences really depend on genetics.

Raising a corn hybrids somewhat reminds me of horses racing like the Kentucky Derby. Remember last Saturday how Bodemeister led the field around the first turn? I’ll Have Another was in seventh place early but went on to win the race. The same can be said for corn plants. Some emerge from the ground like a rocket, while others make up for lost time as the heat rises.

How quickly do you see hybrids emerging? One of my favorite parts of the job is hearing “from the field” about what you learned during emergence time as you walk and row your fields. I always enjoy hearing things from a farmer’s perspective and hope you’ll share this type of information with me as it adds to our pool of information about Latham® hybrids.

This season Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds will be sharing more stories “From the Field.” We’re following crop development from planting through harvest in several locations across Latham Country. You’ll find our Growing Season Gallery on our Facebook page at www.facebook/LathamSeeds. We also invite you to join us by sharing your own photos “From the Field.” Simply e-mail your photos of Latham® brand corn, soybeans or alfalfa to lathamseeds.fromthefieldtour@gmail.com.

Team Latham

May 7, 2012

Corn, Crop, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Celebrate Beef Month with Cream Cheese Burgers: Vote by May 7

Val and Ian Plagge with their son Klayton.

Farmers are known for wearing many caps, and Val Plagge is no exception. She’s a farmer, a farm wife, mother, as well as an independent leadership development and event planner.

Val met her husband, Ian, when they were students in the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University. Upon graduating from ISU, they got married and moved near Ian’s home farm in Latimer, Iowa. They began farming in 2005; today they raise corn, soybeans and finish hogs.

Active in their community, both Val and Ian serve on the Franklin County Farm Bureau board and are members of the Farm Bureau Young Member Committee. Ian is a member of the Franklin County Extension Council, and Val is the Franklin County 4-H Communications Project leader. Val is also a volunteer and vice chairman of the North Iowa Make a Wish Foundation. Together Val and Ian serve as youth sponsors for the Senior High youth group at their church, as well. Plus, Val teaches high school Sunday School.

When she has free time, Val enjoys experimenting with new recipes. It’s no wonder that her most recent charity project combines many of her interests. She developed a recipe for Cy’s Cook Off. Here’s how Val describes the contest in her Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids blog spot:

I produced my “Cardinal & Gold Cream Cheese Burgers” by modifying and coupling other burger recipes together. I created the burger for a Pinterest contest for Iowa State Athletics. There contest is called Cy’s Cook Off, and whoever receives the most repins and likes wins a $100 gift card to Cy’s Locker Room and an autographed Coach Rhoades mini helmet. I’m planning on giving the helmet to Make A Wish North Iowa for the Wish Upon A Par auction on June 27, and I’m planning on decking out the family in new ISU gear for football if I win.

Val does a fantastic job of showing each of the burger-making process in her blog post. The color photography makes me wish I could sink my teeth right into one of those burgers right now! From reading her post, I learned to place a thumbprint in the center of each patty to help them cook evenly. Who knew? You can bet I’ll give it a try now!

You can try your hand at making Cardinal & Gold Cream Cheese Burgers, too. In honor of May Beef Month, today we’re featuring Val’s recipe on TheFieldPosition.com. Remember to also either “like” or “repin” this recipe by May 7 on Iowa State Athletics Pinterest page.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Val Plagge on her WIN for ISU’s “Cy’s Cook Off Challenge”

Team Latham

May 4, 2012

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

GROCHOW RACING EAGERLY AWAITS THE “GREEN FLAG”

Ryan Grochow

Not only is the wet, cold weather affecting spring planting, it’s also affecting the start of the racing season in southern Minnesota.

“Fairmont and Arlington were both canceled this weekend,” Ryan Grochow posted April 20 on the Facebook page for Ryan Grochow Racing. “So far next weekend looks good… Let’s hope for a good weekend for some racing.”

It’s May 3 and Grochow is still eagerly awaiting the start of the 2012 racing season. The season was supposed to have kicked off Friday, April 13, but cold weather has prevented the wet track from drying. If Mother Nature cooperates, the green flag will wave Saturday night at the Arlington Raceway.

This year will mark Grochow’s fourth season in the Hobby A division, but it’s the first season he’ll be driving a car that he built himself. He used a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutless because he likes the boxy lines of that model.

“You’ve really got to know how to set up your chassis,” explains Grochow. “You also really need to be able to read the track. The dirt track is always changing from heat race to feature race. I was lucky that a local guy who’s been racing for a really long time helped me out.”

In previous years, Grochow raced cars that his dad has built with the help of some of his racing buddies. Ryan’s dad had raced at Arlington for a decade before turning the wheel over to his protégé.

“2009 was the first year I raced, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” says Grochow. “It’s an adrenaline rush like no other! Every weekend you’re fighting for the win.”

“Points racing” adds a whole new dimension to the race. Growchow races with the IMCA sanctioning body; IMCA pays drivers at the end of the year based on total points. Drivers earn points for their performance on the track, state, regional and national levels. Total points are tallied at each level of competition and this helps determine regional and national champions. Point totals also affect the amount of free parts drivers can earn from sponsors like Speedway Motors, Stevenville Starts & Electric, Performance Bodies, JR Motorsports, and Sunoco Race Fuel.

In his second year of racing, Grochow placed 5th in points at the Arlington Raceway. He had 12, Top 5 finishes in 2011 and ended the season placing 3rd in total points. If his trend continues, he should place at the top in 2012! But, Grochow isn’t thinking about all that. Right now he’s just looking forward to the start of the season and getting the first race – in a new car – under his belt.

Team Latham

May 3, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Keep Your Eye on the Ball: Remain Vigilant on Farm Youth Rules

Photo courtesy of AgriNews.com

I’d like to take about 10 seconds to celebrate the win agriculture experienced after the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it was withdrawing its rules that would have applied child labor laws to youth working on farms. I’d also like to thank all of the people who had the foresight to see what these regulations would have done to farm families and the disastrous effect they would have on 4-H and FFA programs. It took a strong voice to make the DOL back down, yet the agricultural community was heard.

However, I honestly believe those of us in agriculture can’t afford to celebrating for longer than 10 seconds. Why? That’s because when the U.S. government isn’t launching an investigation or issuing new rules, it’s developing a new program. This is also an election year, and history has proven that crazy things happen around and shortly thereafter elections.

Larry’s grandson, Darin, helping him last weekend. “I don’t make Darin work. He wants to help!”

After reading the DOL’s statement, I realized it really isn’t backing away from this issue. Oh, no! “The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers.” This statement is like a waving red flag because it’s a significant change in wording. When the new youth farm labor regulations were first announced, there was no mention about the Obama administration. It was all about the Department of Labor. Now the Obama Administration is stepping in and taking credit for a “win” in hopes of gaining rural votes prior to November.

That’s not to say this regulation won’t be pursued post election, say in 2013. In the meantime, the Obama Administration wants to develop education programs that promote farm safety. This is another example of government redundancy! Farm safety programs already exist. Just think of the positive impact that could be made if everyone – including the U.S. government – spent time supporting/promoting educational programs that are already in place through 4-H, the FFA and Farm Safety For Just Kids.

Let’s keep our eyes on the ball, so we’re not struck by cumbersome programs that could be just as restrictive as rules. This game’s not over! Perhaps this is just the 7th inning stretch…

Larry Sailer, Musings of a Pig Farmer

May 1, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

SOYBEAN PLANTING CONDITIONS ARE MARGINAL, AT BEST!

Seed Product Manager

It was another wet, rainy and cold weekend in North Central Iowa, and it looks to be another wet week ahead. There is about a 50% chance of rain every day in the 5-day forecast, so chances are we won’t get back in the field any time soon. The good news, however, is that this week’s rains looks like it will be warmer than the icy cold rains we received last week.

Time is also on our side. There’s no need to worry about the dates on the calendar and feel pressed for time to achieve those optimal soybean yields. For most of Iowa, I’ve always considered the optimal soybean planting dates as the last week of April to mid-May. That means farmers normally will not lose yield if they wait until May 15th to plant soybeans. Plus, that extra time will give soil temperatures a chance to warm up again.

Cooler soils tend to bring out the worst in Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) as early-planted soybean fields are historically more prone to it. There is also some evidence that early planted soybeans are also more prone to iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC). To lessen the risk of IDC symptoms, delay planting soybeans by a week to 10 days on soils with a high PH or with high levels of salts. Years of experience has proven the later you plant soybeans on some of these tougher soils, the better root system these plants will develop. Better root systems will help ward off some of these diseases.

Bottom line: you will likely be better off waiting until conditions improve before planting. Continue to work your crop plan; be vigilant about planting each hybrid and variety in the field where it was intended. (Yes, there is still time to plant corn without worry about switching maturities or switching from corn to soybeans.)

There’s a chance that many farmers will go straight from planting corn to soybeans this year. But given the field conditions, no one should even consider planting soybeans now. Current soil and weather conditions are marginal for planting soybean – at best!

Webspec Admin

April 30, 2012

General, Season, Spring