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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
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Pull Up a Chair in The Farmer’s Kitchen

When the Iowa Beef Industry Council announced its Top 10 Finalists for the 2012 Best Burger Contest, I decided to take a “burger tour.” I’m making a point to visit as many of these small town eateries as possible while traveling statewide to visit Latham® dealers and customers.

Meat, delivered fresh from Henningsen’s Locker in Atlantic, is key to the quality of these burgers. Ciabatta buns are made special by Rotella’s Bakery. Check it out at The Farmer’s Kitchen!

Recently I had the pleasure of joining a Latham customer for lunch at The Farmer’s Kitchen in Atlantic. From the time I parked in front of the restaurant, I got a feeling that I was going to enjoy my lunch. The flags waving on the building front are so welcoming, and there is one for every major collegiate team in the area including Cornhuskers, Cyclones and Hawkeyes.

Since collegiate flags are flying on the outside, it’s fitting that the signature burger is the Cy-Hawk Burger. It’s more than a five-napkin burger – It’s served with your own roll of paper towels. I have no idea how many calories are in this burger, but it’s worth every one! I justified it to myself by saying, “It’s not like I eat like this every day.”

CJ’s “CY-HAWK” BURGER is the winner of the 2009 WHO Radio Burger contest. It’s a 1/2-pound burger with 2 slices of smoked cheddar, crisp bacon, sautéed onion, leaf lettuce, tomato, fresh herb butter & roasted garlic BBQ chipotle mayo.

But if I did eat like this daily, I could choose a different burger from the menu. The Farmer’s Kitchen makes so many intriguing burgers including one with Coca-Cola Barbecue Sauce, which is especially fitting given that Atlantic is the Coca-Cola Capital of Iowa. The menu also includes tried and true favorites like the Wisconsin Butter Burger and the Bleu’s Burger.

It’s more than worth the drive to Atlantic for a meal at The Farmer’s Kitchen for award-winning chili, award-winning pie and award-winning burgers. But, don’t just take my word for it. Read this feature from the March 14, 2012, issue of Gourmet magazine:

Let’s get right to the point: peanut butter chocolate explosion pie. Blue-ribbon winner in Crisco’s National Pie Championship, this multilevel marvel demarcates its layers of smooth peanut butter cream and chocolate cream with a stripe of dark, devilish fudge. The Farmer’s Kitchen baker Charlene Johnson is also renowned for sour cream raisin pie—a fave in Iowa dairy country—as well as for crumb-topped apple pie that is guaranteed to have a whole apple in every slice. Pre-pie, don’t miss Charlene’s son Mark’s chili, also a blue-ribbon winner—of the People’s Choice Award in the 2007 World Chili Championship. (319 Walnut St., Atlantic, IA; 712-243-2898)

In addition to the menu, I love that The Farmer’s Kitchen is a mother-son partnership. Charlene bakes award-winning pies; Mark makes award-winning chili. Together they’ve created award-winning burgers. So, of course, I just had to try one of everything! The Peanut Butter Explosion is a wonderful mixture of peanut butter, chocolate and cream. It’s rich, but oh so smooth. I’d definitely recommend splitting it with someone, but it’s a great finale to a truly wonderful dining experience.

Today Charlene has agreed to share one of her top-selling, award-wining pie recipes with us.

Team Latham

April 28, 2012

Desserts, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Start Squeaking about DOL’s New Rules

Anyone who has spent time on a farm understands the meaning of greasing a squeaky wheel. Well my farming friends, it’s time to squeak! It’s time to contact your Congressman in an effort to put the heat on the Department of Labor (DOL) in regards to its new rules regarding child labor on farms.

The DOL, in spite of having agreed to re-propose the “parental exemption” portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), has yet to commit itself to backing off of any of the other changes in the proposal. Roger McEowen, director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University, was quoted in the Wichita County Ag Outlooks as saying, “Ranchers and farmers should not be lulled into complacency believing the issue is in their rearview mirrors.” DOL Child Labor Changes Will Hurt Farm Families.

According to the proposal as it currently reads, the Outlook article states that a child employed on his or her parent’s farm is exempt from hazardous occupations (HOs) rules. The proposal does not address, however, whether a child of parents who operate a farm that is owned by a legal entity qualifies for the exemption.

The Department of Labor should leave family farms alone, agrees State of Iowa Representative Annette Sweeney. As Chair of the House Ag Committee, she co-signed a letter opposing the federal regulations. She also sponsored HR107, a resolution opposing proposed federal regulations for agricultural child labor. You can listen to her comments on 1040 WHO Radio regarding the federal government’s attack on family farms.

Photo Courtesy of Erin Ehnle, Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

No one has a stronger incentive to protect and preserve their farms and their families than today’s farmers and ranchers. “Not only is the land and its resources a farmer’s lifeblood today, it represents the future for his family and its business,” reads a message that’s going viral. On a Facebook post yesterday, agvocate Wag’n Tales wrote, “This is so very, very true… and I feel the exact same way. It’s why Wag’n Tales exists!”

Even people who live in the city are seeing positive results that come when their youth learn what it means to get out on the range and work hard all day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this April 25^th blog post by Alisa Lynn Valdes, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:

A year ago, if you’d asked me whether the U.S. Dept. of Labor should regulate child labor on farms and ranches, I would have stood up, done a big ole fist pump, and shouted, “Heck yes! Go git ‘em!” Visions of Dickensian exploitation would have swirled in my head. But that was before this (formerly) liberal city girl actually met a traditional cowboy and started spending most weekends on a 10,000-acre cattle and hunting ranch. Let me explain…

After reading this post, I hope you’ll be inspired to take action. (Yes, I know it’s planting season. But I also know that if you want to get something done, you need to ask a busy person!) Contact your elected officials and help them understand how this issue will detrimentally impact your livelihood and your legacy. Ask Congress to turn up the heat on the DOL.

Team Latham

April 26, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Bacon Steals the Show at #140ConfDM
Musings of a Pig Farmer by Larry Sailer

Bacon – yes, bacon – took center stage yesterday at the 140 Conference in Des Moines. It’s interesting how sometimes the most off-handed comment becomes the one thing that “sticks.” Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the shout-outs and accolades that were given to this pig farmer from Franklin County, Iowa.

I have to admit that I really wasn’t sure how my message would be received by a group of bloggers whom primarily live in urban areas like Des Moines and even Chicago. It turns out that it was really well received! Many people spoke up in support of me and of farmers in general. They also reaffirmed people’s desire to reconnect with food and to learn how the food actually gets from the farm to their plate.

This is the reason I was invited to speak. It’s also why I’ve spoken to more than 70 civic and community groups throughout the state. I want to help demystify agriculture by starting conversations with consumers, so they can ask questions of a “real Iowa farmer.”

With less than 2% of the population engaged in production agriculture, it seems that fewer consumers have the opportunity to talk with local farmers and get their questions answered. I guess that’s was also part of CNN’s fascination when they introduced me last winter as “a farmer who blogs.”

It was during our trip to Des Moines last February to serve on a panel discussion from CNN’s “The Starting Point” when Deb Brown asked me to speak at the “local” State of NOW /140 Conference she coordinated in Des Moines. “A local conference,” I thought. “Surely, that wouldn’t be problem after appearing live on CNN.”

Little did I realize how just big of an event this would turn out to be! Unlike the approximately 20 seconds that I had to talk on CNN, I had 10 minutes to talk yesterday at the 140 conference. I also overhead someone say yesterday that this conference was broadcast live to two million people in more than 20 countries. WOW. I’m so glad that I didn’t hear that before I took the stage. I’m even happier that my wife, Janice, didn’t know how big the audience would be before we got there.

For the past two weeks, Janice kept asking me when I was going to write my speech and start practicing. I never did actually write one, which is just as well. There were so many great agvocates that everything I would’ve said would’ve already been said by them any way. Ag speakers yesterday included:
- Shannon Latham – You already know her if you’re reading this blog!
- Darcy Maulsby – Lifelong Iowan and farm girl from Calhoun County who writes mini blogs about agriculture, business, food and gardening.
- Heather Lilienthal – As communications specialist for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, she fields media calls and develops relationships that help farmers tell the story of Iowa agriculture.
- Janice Person – Although she was born and raised in Memphis, cotton communications became the major thrust of her career.
- Chris Chinn – She and her husband, Kevin, are 5th generation farmers. They live with their two children on their family’s hog farm in Missouri.
Other speakers whom I greatly enjoyed were Michael Libbie, who talked about the ROI of social media, and Gigi Belmonico and her Bombshells, who collected Purses for Panama. (Now they’re collecting reading glasses if you’d like to donate to their cause). Liz Nead, an inspirational speaker, had an entertaining talk about 30-day trials. For some reason, I can only remember one of them. As soon as you watch a video of her presentation, you’ll understand why! Angela Maiers and other teachers talked about how NOW technology is opening their classroom doors to international experiences. Denise Bonewitz Passehl talked about her online community helped provide support for a rare type of cancer.

It was also interesting to note that 5 of the speakers on yesterday’s panel were raised in Geneva, Iowa, my hometown. Considering the town has a population of about 100, it was well represented! You’ll be able to download each speaker’s presentation in about a week. I’ll be sure to share that link as soon as it’s available.

Because so many folks yesterday professed their love for bacon, I thought I’d close by sharing a link to the delicious sounding recipe for Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops. Think I’ll light the grill tonight!
Larry Sailer, Musings of a Pig Farmer

April 24, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Feeling "Pampered" in Pender
Farming was Rory Allen’s first love. His dad gave him a gilt when he was 9 years old. And by the time he was age 14, Rory was farrowing 60 sows. He first rented ground in 1974 as part of his high school FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and has continued to build his operation over the past 38 years.

After a tornado took half of the hog barn in 1993, Rory was forced to make a decision. He either needed to build new hog facilities or get out of the business. He decided, given hog prices at the time, to focus his attention elsewhere. The time and energy that Rory had devoted to raising hogs was then channeled into his seed business.

“I started as a Latham® dealer 22 years ago, and the quality of the seed has always been excellent,” says Rory. “We’ve had issues with lower germ with other companies in the past but never with Latham. Plus, we enjoy the personal service we get from Latham. It means a lot to have the company owners know you on a first-name basis, shake your hand as they greet you, and sit down and talk with you.”

Sitting down with customers and helping them select the seed that best fits their farming style is one of the things Rory enjoys most about being a seed dealer. He also likes being able to get a first look at new technology and is especially pleased with the results he’s been seeing with Latham® soybean genetics combined with the Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® trait technology.

Pride in farming and a love for the country life is evident when you pull into the lane of Rory and Carol Allen’s beautiful farmstead just outside the village of Pender, Nebraska. As newlyweds, the couple moved onto the farm where Rory was raised. It’s also where they raised their son and two daughters: Lance, 27; Courtney, 25; and Kayci, 21. Now they’re also the proud grandparents of a 15-month-old grandson.

“I’d never been on a farm before I met Rory, but I really enjoy living in the country,” says Carol, who has become adept at driving tractors and hauling grain. She’s also been a Pampered Chef® consultant for 18 years, which has given her the flexibility to work around kids’ schedules and farming. “Our kids enjoyed many freedoms by living here, yet we were close enough to town so they could be involved in many school activities and sports.”

While both Rory and Carol enjoy operating their own businesses, they also like to make time for family meals. Make-ahead meals are perfect for busy times of year like spring planting. That’s why Runza Casserole is one of Carol’s go-to recipes. Today she’s also sharing a recipe for Biscuits & Gravy Casserole that was a crowd pleaser at their church’s recent Easter breakfast.

I have to admit that I was feeling a bit pampered myself after sitting down with the Allens and being treated to a piece of angel food cake topped with pineapple. Perhaps that’s another recipe I can request from Carol…

Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 2 T butter
- 2 packages Sausage Gravy Mix (makes 2 cups per package)
- 12 eggs
- 1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tubes refrigerated biscuits
Directions:
1. Cook sausage, set aside. In large saucepan, make gravy according to directions.
2. Add sausage to gravy, set aside.
3. In large bowl whisk eggs, evaporated milk and salt.
4. Soft scramble eggs with the butter.
5. In a 9×13 pan (or the Pampered Chef Stoneware Rectangle Baker) layer gravy, eggs, gravy, eggs, gravy, then top with biscuits.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350° until biscuits are golden brown.
Team Latham

April 20, 2012

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Leave the Kids Alone!

Musings of a Pig Farmer
by Larry Sailer

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is apparently moving “full steam ahead” with its plan to implement new farm youth employment guidelines. Under the proposed rules, simple tasks like using a hand-held flashlight or even a garden hose or unloading a truck are deemed far too dangerous for a teenager.

While the DOL has pledged to take another look at the language pertaining to a parental exemption regarding youth employment for 14 and 15 year olds, this could just be a smoke screen or a distraction from the larger issues the DOL has yet to address. The DOL fibbed about easing up on farm youth labor regs, according to an article published yesterday by the American Agriculturist.

The DOL has not pledged to make any changes that would allow children to work on their grandparents’ farm, their aunt and uncle’s farm, or even that a family farm that is organized as a limited liability corporation, which is commonplace today. As a grandpa who enjoys having his grandchildren help with farm work, I’m personally concerned about the DOL’s intent to regulate work my grandkids can do on the farm.

Sailer's grandson Devin plays in ISU's Spring Football Game.

The strong work ethic and the can-do attitude that is developed through farm work was evident last Saturday as I watched my grandson Devin play in Iowa State University’s spring football game in Ames. Despite having an injury and tonsillitis, that boy played with heart! I’m very proud of Devin, and I know that kind of “toughness” is what it takes to play Division 1 football. But, I also believe a lot of that grit and determination on the gridiron was developed through farm work.

Devin has enjoyed spending time on our farm and helping me with pig chores from the

Working on the farm as a child builds a strong work ethic.

time he was a tot. He enjoys driving the four-wheeler and farm equipment. He comes home from college on weekends to help with planting, harvesting, and even cleaning out the hog barns.

While watching Devin play football last Saturday, I found myself thinking about a comment made during my recent visit with Senator Tom Harkin in Washington, D.C. Sen. Harkin said he thinks the DOL needs to protect farm kids. And if Sen. Harkin and the DOL get their

Larry Sailer watching his grandson play football.

way, kids like Devin would never have a chance to experience farm life. How do bureaucrats, living in urban areas where the only green space is a park, know more about keeping kids safe on a farm than farm families?

We cannot let misled Washington bureaucrats destroy 4-H and FFA and the way our kids learn! Farming friends, I urge you to contact your congressmen and the DOL, so the federal government doesn’t prohibit young people from participating in agriculture – and from carrying on your family traditions.

Larry Sailer, Musings of a Pig Farmer

April 17, 2012

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fluctuating Spring Temps Create “Wild Ride” for Alfalfa
by Corey Catt

What our alfalfa plants have experienced this spring reminds me of my experience as a kid riding with my grandmother in a car. She drove with both feet: one the gas pedal, the other on the brake. Grandma would speed way up and then apply the brakes, continuing this pattern for the duration of the ride.

Similarly to the wild ride I had with Grandma, alfalfa is getting “jerked around” this spring:
1. Quick Speed Up –The abnormal early season warmth made the alfalfa want to grow, which broke winter dormancy early and began the seasonal growth cycle. Fortunately, alfalfa’s unique growing style will initiate new buds from the crown to help recover from this event.
2. Quick Slow Down – The freezing conditions experienced in areas last week may have caused some damage to the plants. Some growers report that not all areas of the fields were affected. Low lying areas, such as hollows and valleys, received the full effect of Mother Nature’s crispy spring chill.
Although this type of cold injury event doesn’t occur often with alfalfa, universities have responded quickly. Recent publications by the University of Wisconsin Extension and by Iowa State University Extension provide some good stand evaluators that will help growers make decisions in the days and weeks ahead.

There will likely be leaf damage in areas where overnight temperatures dipped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit or below for several hours. Well established, developing forage plants have lost their winter cold hardiness, so exposed tissue is susceptible to cold temperature injury. Alfalfa and most legume seedlings have good cold tolerance at emergence, but spring cold snaps can hurt new seedings. Slope position, soil temperature, companion crop of oats, wind, snow cover, all will influence what occurs in a particular field or part of a field.

We’ll have to take a “wait and see approach” for about a week before we can determine the extent of the damage. The severity of damage with obviously effect yield and quality. Be aware this may alter the PEAQ forage evaluation, as well, as it’s dependent on plant height.
Team Latham

April 16, 2012

Alfalfa, Crop, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Growing Seed is a Coombs’ Family Tradition
Growing seed has been a family tradition for the Coombs family of Latimer for five generations, spanning 65 years. Clara Coombs, along with her son Ralph, began raising seed oats for Willard Latham in 1947. A few years later, Ralph’s son, Harold, began working with him. And walking in their shadows, from the time he was old enough to toddle, was Harold’s son John. Today the legacy lives on as John’s son, Andy, joins the operation.

“My grandfather traded work with Willard,” said John Coombs, who’s been farming since 1973. “They both had a nose for business: Willard liked wholesale/retail end of the business. My grandfather liked the details of production and getting a premium for his crop, so the partnership between the two really worked well. I have lots of good memories.”

John remembers how the two gentlemen’s relationship ran so deep that Willard even borrowed Ralph’s new 1949 Chevy pickup to Des Moines to pick up seed treatment. That pickup could pull a wagon holding 100 bushels of oats, which is quite a contrast to the 950 bushels of soybeans they can haul today with their semi.

“We still enjoy driving Grandpa’s Chevy and enter it in a couple of local parades each summer,” says John. “While we’ve had lots of fun over the years, I appreciate how new technology helps us do our jobs better. Soybean yields have doubled since I started raising seed. And new harvesting equipment makes it much easier to combine whole beans in the fall. Whole beans are key for quality seed; we pay particular attention to avoid splits.”

“We’re fussy in what we do,” adds John. “We like to get clearance before we go to the field in the spring. We try to groom the crop through the summer and keep the weeds out. We realize when we contract with Latham that “quality” is stamped on the bag, so we want to do all that we can to raise the highest quality beans.”

As spring planting gets underway, John and Andy are looking forward to working together. Andy graduated in 2007 from Iowa State University, where he majored in Ag Studies. Upon graduation, he went on the wheat harvest with a crew of four ISU students. They started in Frederick, Okla., on the Texas border, and combined their way through Kansas and Nebraska before heading to North Dakota. In North Dakota, they would cut wheat by day and canola by night. Andy says that he got more experience fixing equipment over the course of a few months than he ever would’ve imagined!

Andy, the middle of the Coombs children, is engaged to be married on July 28 to Emily Carr. John and his wife, Beverly, are also the proud parents of four daughters:
1. Jennifer, their firstborn, works in human resources at Principle in Des Moines. Her husband, Brian, is an architect and they have a daughter, Annabelle.
2. Jill serves as activities director for Walnut Ridge Senior Living community in Des Moines, and her husband, Derek, works for Wells Fargo mortgage. They have a son, Elias.
3. Amy lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is Program Coordinator with the Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Utah. Amy’s husband, Kyle, is attending the University of Utah where he is studying in computer science.
4. Youngest daughter, Laura, is enrolled in the master’s program in higher education / student services at University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She is engaged to Nick, a business student at Iowa State University.
With so many children to feed, John jokes that Beverly has had much practice honing her cooking skills. The family’s favorite is home-grown sweet corn. Another favorite is Almond Bars, so today Beverly is sharing her recipe with us.
Team Latham

April 13, 2012

Desserts, General, Recipes