Every April, the Franklin County Farm Bureau hosts an Ag Fair at the Franklin County Fairgrounds for the third graders throughout county. Jennifer Healy has organized this event for many years. This year was no exception, although she was fighting cancer.

The Ag Fair on April 23 was bittersweet this year as Jennifer passed away one day before the event. Jennifer was as passionate as anyone about hosting this event, so kids can experience agriculture firsthand. Even in a rural county like ours, many kids don’t experience farm life.

Thanks to the staff of North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom for doing such a great job. These ladies provide hands-on learning experiences that are so much fun. Third graders experienced many different stations: horses, cattle, fire safety and llamas. Who knew we had so much diversity in our own county? Talk about a well-rounded farm day!

It’s important for people of all ages to understand how their food is raised. That’s why I accepted an invitation to attend a screening on the Iowa State University campus last week of Farmland, followed by panel discussion. The movie is about several young farmers from across the country with very different types of operations, and the ISU panel was set up the same way. The committee did a great job of bringing together a diverse group of Iowa farmers:

• Bill Couser raises cattle and crops.
• Mark Kenney grows crops and seed.
• Katie Olthoff raises turkeys.
• Andrew Pitts is an organic farmer.
• Mitchell Roush grows the famous Muscatine watermelons.
• And me… a pig farmer with a small crop farm.

Now his is the way to find out how your food is grown… learn about farming from farmers! Our group represented six very different ways to grow food. And guess what… there wasn’t a single argument. No one put down another farmer’s way of growing food. We had a great discussion about how what we do, and we discussed how our practices are “right” for each one of our operations.

We all grew up in different areas of the state, and we came from different backgrounds. What we have in common, however, is the desire to grow food and tell our costumers why we do what we do.

We talked about food choice, and how Americans can buy what they want. Consumer choices also creates diverse markets for farmers.

One member of the audience asked how consumers can find out more about food, and I believe this panel was a perfect way to do that! Special thanks to Natalina Sents for bringing together such a great event with a panel of high caliber experts to share about what they do.

If you’re interested in learning more about your food is grown, follow some of my favorite ag bloggers including:

• Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
• Home Again Finnegan
• On the Banks of Squaw Creek
• Farm Eats City Streets
• And, of course, “Musings of a Pig Farmer,” which posts every Tuesday on TheFieldPosition.com!

I’m not going to be politically correct because an attack on American’s freedom of choice is increasingly bothering me.

I always trying to understand all sides of any issue. I read all that I can get my hands on: newspapers, magazines, Facebook, blogs… But I learned a long time ago that if I read enough information, I can defend either side.

It’s no wonder today’s consumers are confused as to what to eat. Media reports are filled with mixed messages: Good fat. Bad fat. Eggs are good. Eggs are bad. Eat more beef. Reduce your red meat intake.

Big farmers. Little farmers. (Why can’t we just focus on a farm’s performance, not its size?) Organic. Conventional. (Why should we need raise food like our grandparents did when technology has transformed everyone’s lives?!)

There are many ways to raise food. There are many ways to prepare and eat food. Choices are fantastic… until someone tries to take your choice away!

We need choices. And in our vast country, we have choices! We don’t need Dr. Oz and the Food Babe scaring people about their food. We need parents to feel good about the food they’re choosing for their families. Seriously. Stop the food fights.

There is a huge amount of oversight keeping our food safe. We don’t need expensive regulation, just common sense. Let common sense prevail… Eat sensibly and work off what you consume.

Let’s keep our freedom of choice – and our abundance of food!

Guest blog post by Mary Hopper of Natural Plus Nursery

Want to add a little joy to your backyard? Plant a butterfly garden! Butterflies spread beauty as they feed on the flowers they help pollinate.

There are a lot of things to think about when planning a butterfly garden, but the most important – and also the most obvious – is the plants. Lure butterflies into your yard with flowers that produce the nectar they prefer.

Some perennial plants that work well to attract butterflies to gardens in North Iowa and across Plant Hardiness Zone 4 include:

• Blanket Flowers
• Black Eyed Susan
• Globe Thistle

Additional plants that attract butterflies include:

• Bugleweed
• Butterfly Weed
• Cardinal Flower
• Columbine
• Dianthus
• False sunflower
• Lupine
• Savia
• Creeping Thyme
• Shasta Daisy
• Swamp Milkweed
• Yarrow

Other things to think about when planning your garden:

1. Butterflies love oranges and bananas.
2. Butterflies like water and rocks to perch on. (Remember, water and food sources also are necessary to attract birds to your backyard.)
3. Butterflies are attracted to fragrance. Be sure to include good smelling plants like lavender, lilac and bee balm. These plants will be a treat to your senses, too!

April is National Gardening Month and a great time to plan your butterfly garden. Just click the links above to get started!

A self-described “born and raised Iowa farm girl with a passion for baking timeless recipes,” Food and Swine blogger Cristen Clark is teaming up with Des Moines native Iowa Girl Eats blogger Kristin Porter to “cook up” conversations about today’s farm and food system.

“I’m an Iowa girl through and through, but until I teamed up with Iowa FFP, my ‘farm visits’ were limited to seasonal trips to the farmers’ market, an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch,” said Porter. “… The biggest takeaway I had from each [farm] visit was the assurance that the farmer I just met does everything he or she can to raise quality food for their families, neighbors, communities and state.”

Starting this month, Cristen and Kristen will connect food-minded Iowans with the people who provide, prepare and serve food. They will partner with farmers and a dedicated team of chefs and dietitians from Hy-Vee, Inc. to share information about production methods, health information and food preparation.

Follow along with their journey at www. iowafoodandfamily.com. Watch for dates to be posted soon  about these activities:

• Iowa Food and Family (Iowa FFP) Cookbook: This recipe book features nearly 60 recipes from Cristen and Kristen, farmers and Iowa FFP sponsors like Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. (Words alone cannot express how excited I am to have some of my favorite recipes included in this cookbook!) Complimentary copies of this cookbook will be distributed during in-store events at Hy-Vee, the Des Moines and Beaverdale Farmers’ Markets and the Iowa State Fair.
• Recipe Refresh: You’ll have the opportunity to win a makeover and shopping experience — with food! Winners of “Recipe Refresh” events will be chosen statewide and will join Hy-Vee dietitians, area farmers and bloggers as they shop for ingredients to prepare their favorite recipes in-store while also stocking their carts with groceries courtesy of the Iowa FFP.
• Make it & Take It: This dinner club event welcomes food-minded Iowans to participate in an informational, hands-on cooking demonstration alongside farm group leaders, a Hy-Vee chef and dietitian.

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We no longer feel the isolation and loneliness that were common before instant communication. Through Facebook, I’ve been able to connect with old friends and meet new acquaintances with shared interests. Through Twitter, I’m able to follow a newsfeed filled with hot topics. There are so many people to communicate with – and so many opportunities to do so!

As much as I enjoy being active on Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogging, I’ve found that I am often misunderstood on social media! People reading my posts cannot see the twinkle in my eyes. They can’t hear the tone in my voice. Text messages – even with the use of emoticons – don’t allow us to look into someone’s eyes or read their body language.

Social media can be a very non-emotional form of communication. Comments can easily be taken out of context. Too often people make statements while hiding behind a computer. Facts can get twisted and feelings can get hurt when people post comments via social media that they would never say in during a face-to-face talk!

When I posted a blog taking a look inside #RealPigFarming on March 31, I received several unpleasant comments. Those comments hurt enough to make me question whether I should continue to keep blogging. That wasn’t the first time I’ve felt harassed online, and the negative effects are cumulative.

Think about it… what kind of communication are our young people having? My attention was focused on this very question while visiting with my granddaughter after one of her friends committed suicide this past week. This action was taken by a girl in Junior High!

After talking more with my granddaughter, I discovered that her friend was being bullied. Cyberbullying has become a new lethal form of bullying. Speaking of bullying, 85% of students witness bullying when adults are not present. I also learned that my granddaughter’s friend was a very troubled young girl. I understand that I’m only hearing one side of the story, but it brought mental healthcare to mind.

Why are so many kids today either involved in school shootings or taking their own lives? Many folks are quick to dismiss this topic by saying, “Kids have always been this way.” Or they ask, “What’s wrong with today’s kids?”

So many things can probably be blamed: social media, nutrition, the way we discipline our kids, and Common Core with all the testing. But I firmly believe that kids today must learn – and accept – that everyone is NOT the same. Not everyone deserves a blue ribbon. Not every team can win a game, so keep score at ball games. Teach kids how to win and lose! Kids need to learn that more effort often yields results. That way players, who don’t win every game, can feel good about their efforts. A kid who earns a red ribbon but desires a blue ribbon will be motivated to want to learn how to improve.

We need to stop making excuses and start looking for answers. Kids are dying! My granddaughter, like other teenagers facing a similar situation, is very hurt. She wonders if there was more she could have done, and the guilt she carries will be another problem. Suicide does not only involve one person; it has a huge effect so many people.

In the short term, my granddaughter needs to be reassured that she’s not to blame and that’s she’s loved! In the long term, this problem needs to be addressed by everyone. Empathy must be taught for bullying to stop, says internationally recognized educator, best-selling author, and bullying prevention expert Dr. Michelle Borba.

There isn’t a simple solution. A community must be willing to change. Community leaders, parents and educators must collaborate. What do you think is the best way to get a conversation like this started in a community?

Guest blog post by Sally Hollis of Lanehaven Farms

What answers do you get if you ask someone to list STEM careers?  My guess is you may hear things like mechanical engineering, architecture, medicine, computer programming, or research analyst.  I doubt you will hear farming very often.  However, STEM is a large part of everyday farming in the 21^st century!

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. You don’t have to look far to find STEM in everyday farming. Here are a few examples:

• SCIENCE – Midwest farmers will soon be planting #crop15, and one area that has seen a lot of science improvements is the seed that is planted.  Scientists are constantly working to improve seeds to better withstand different weather conditions (e.g. wind and drought) and overall improve yield.  Farmers do a number of scientific tests throughout the year to ensure all of their management practices are optimal.  These tests include things like soil samples, water quality samples, moisture testing harvested grain in the fall, feed particle size for livestock operations, and the list goes on.
• TECHNOLOGY – You can hardly open a farming magazine today without an article on new technology.  Precision farming technologies are being used in much of the equipment today to auto-steer equipment and attachments with increasing precision and accuracy, vary the rate of seeds and fertilizer, and send alerts or messages to farm managers.  Drones are being used for crop scouting and monitoring farm areas more efficiently.  Technology has also increased for livestock operations with hardware and software to monitor everything from feed ordering to building maintenance issues.  A number of farmers are also looking at installing solar panels around their operations for energy.
• ENGINEERING – Engineering is designing and building a new or improved product or process.  Farmers do this on a regular basis.  They may modify a tool bar to better meet their needs, design a new grain leg, or modify a sprayer to plant cover crops.  Farmers are also documenting their processes and looking for ways to improve efficiency.
• MATH – Math is something that is definitely used on a daily basis.  Farming is a business which requires solid financials to remain competitive in today’s environment.  In addition to financial performance farmers are constantly doing mathematical calculations to determine everything from acres of coverage to bushels of grain.

The future is so exciting! Science, math and engineering are applicable to nearly every career. That’s why I believe STEM education in Iowa elementary and secondary schools is so important.

As high school graduation approaches for many, I want to remind leave them with some great advice that was given to me 25 years ago: “If you like science and math, consider a STEM career in the field of agriculture