Trips to Oregon and Alaska top the “top do” list for Gary Bennett, who retired in December after serving nearly 28 years as a research coordinator for Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.  Then like any other Iowa farmer, he’ll look forward to spring when he can till the soil and plant the 2013 crop.

“I’m not sure how I ever had time to work!” says Gary with his signature easygoing smile.  He’s stayed busy this past month by insulating and paneling the garage, as well as remodeling barn stalls.  He’s getting everything in order for the spring arrival of bucket calves, which his grandkids will break to lead and exhibit at the 2013 Franklin County Fair.  Then they finish out the steers and sell the beef by the quarter.  This tradition started 10 years ago when his first grandchild was old enough to show in the open class.

“I really believe it’s important for kids to have responsibility,” says Bennett.  “Raising livestock teaches them every living thing has its purpose.  They learn the importance or completing a task and the feeling of accomplishment when a job is well done.”

Raising livestock is something Gary has enjoyed since he was a child himself.  He grew up on a farm in Howard County where he was a member of both 4-H and the FFA.  He had the honor and pleasure of attending state and national conventions.  During his junior year of high school, he earned the Iowa Farmer degree and was also runner up to the Star Dairy Farmer.  When his kids were old enough to join 4-H, Gary served as their Northwest Franklin club leader.

Gary and his wife, Diane, moved to Franklin County in 1975 when he accepted a position as Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) supervisor.  After working five years for DHIA, milked his own herd of dairy cows for five years before joining Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.

“I really enjoyed my career with the company,” says Gary.  “It was always fun to plant the new varieties and see which ones made the cut.  Technology continued to change and genetics improved – many changes happened over the years.”

Although Gary said he’ll miss seeing his colleagues, he’s looking forward to spending more time with family.  Oldest son, Kelly and his wife, Lisa, live in Ankeny, Iowa, with their son and daughter.  Middle son, Eric, and his wife, Peggy, live in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, with their son and daughter.  Youngest daughter, Karianne, and her husband, Scott, live in Altoona, Iowa, with their two boys.

Gary’s also looking forward to doing some landscaping around his farm this spring.  He’ll also enter a few tractor rides with his restored 1953 Super M Farmall.  We wish Gary many enjoyable days relaxing in the great outdoors this spring and summer.

There are still a few winter months that all Midwesterners must endure before we can turn our attention to gardening and farming.  To help get us through a few more weeks of wintry weather, today Diane shares with us a few of the Bennett family’s favorite recipes for soup & cookies.  Enjoy!

World’s Greatest Cookies (Gary’s Favorite):

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix in order given.
2.  Bake for 12 minutes at 350°.

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
by Larry Sailer

This past week was loaded with pork – not the kind that you hear about when Congress is discussed but really everything related to pork production.

Last week I had planned to spend three days in Des Moines at the Iowa Pork Congress.  Between uncooperative weather and farm chores, I was only able to attend on Thursday.  That morning I did hog chores in sub- zero temps, and it warmed all the way up to zero by the time I was ready to leave home!  I donned my favorite tie, snapped a photo for Facebook and headed out the door.  Turns out, my pig tie was a hit – my phone kept buzzing with comments about it during my entire two-hour drive.

The walk across the parking lot to the convention hall was bitterly cold, and the bone-chilling wind felt like it was coming directly off an iceberg.  I was relieved to get inside the climate-controlled auditorium, which made me think about how I now raise inside a climate-controlled building where their warm and dry with all the feed and water they could want.

A walk through the show site was a stark reminder of just how sophisticated pork production has become.  The amount of equipment and technology on display was amazing!  It’s really mind boggling when you consider everything that goes into building a new site for hog production today.  One day wasn’t enough time to take it all in, so I started looking at exhibits along the outside corridor.  I stopped at the booth for the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers and learned some older hog buildings are being used to raise fish in Iowa.  Since I have an old site that’s not suitable for raising pigs, this tidbit gave me all the more reason to be at this show!

Next I ran into Jeff Hansen and and Jen Sorenson.  Jeff owns Iowa Select Farms and Jen makes people aware of the great things that company does.  Since Jeff grew up on a farm near me, we shared concerns about the lack of moisture and rising feed costs in our area.  Then I stopped to talk with Rodney Dykstra, a recent past president of IPPA.  Because he lives in northwest Iowa, we talked about how farmland prices have topped $20,000 per acre in his area.

Time passed too quickly and before I knew it, I had to make my way to the seminars.  I listened to Laurie Johns with the Iowa Farm Bureau share insights on how pork producers can deal with the media.  Following her presentation, I sought Laurie’s professional opinion on how to handle some of my projects.

Next I attended a seminar about federal policies.  It’s important for farmers to understand how their operations might be impacted.  Former Iowa House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Chair Annette Sweeney provided valuable information and thought-provoking comments during this session.  Annette introduced HF 589, a bill making it illegal to apply for a job in a farming operation under false pretenses is close to becoming law in one of the nation’s largest livestock and commodity production states.  Thanks to Annette’s passion for animal agriculture and her tenacity, this bill was signed into law by Gov. Terry E. Branstad in March 2, 2012.

Honestly, the policy session gave me another wakeup call!  Hearing what folks in the Beltway are considering reaffirmed the importance of advocating for agriculture and the need to bridge the communication gap between farmers and consumers.  We must help them understand how their decisions impact our livelihoods.  #tellyourstory

Iowa State University NAMA, challenge accepted!

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is excited to announce that our entry for the ISU NAMA Paint-A-Pig Fundraiser is complete!  This 2’X2’ metal pig will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, January 23, for the Iowa Pork Congress where it will compete for top bid against entries from across the agriculture industry in a silent auction.

Our theme for this year’s entry features a Grant Wood-inspired painting by one of Latham’s own employees and ISU NAMA Marketing team alum, Laura Cunningham.  Our entry also includes a quote by Ryan Goodman of the I Am Agriculture Proud website and blog: “AGRICULTURE.  It’s a passion, a lifestyle, a resilient community that works hard to feed the world.”

This quote attests to a shared goal we have as agriculturists.  Be it a seed company or a pork producer, we all work together to feed the world.

We invite all Iowa Pork Congress attendees to visit the auction and check out our entry in booth 100.  Thank you ISU NAMA for the opportunity to participate!

“Musings of a Pig Farmer” by Larry Sailer

Every cloud has a silver lining or so the saying goes.  Last week I had a cloud over my head.  I was literally “down and out” with a torn ligament in my foot.  Fortunately, the silver lining was that my grandson Devin was still on winter break from college and was able to do chores.  That left me with idle time, which I used to catch up with some reading.

Today I’d like to share some of the information I read from a particular site called sourcewatch.com.  That site talks about Front Groups, or a group that claims to support a public cause while actually serving a special interest or another group that’s objective might be obscured or concealed.  It shocked me to see Source Watch call the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) a front group!

Here’s the first sentence:  The American Farm Bureau Federation is a right-wing lobbying front for big agribusiness and agribusiness-related industries that works to defeat labor and environmental initiatives, including climate change legislation. A side box on the Source Watch website reads: Front Groups…Appearances may be deceptive.

WOW… talk about deceptive!  This Source Watch website is truly deceiving readers about the AFBF.  I’m very involved in the workings of the Farm Bureau, and I can tell you that Source Watch is way wrong here.

While farmers in general tend to be a little conservative, the Farm Bureau does not represent huge agribusiness corporations.  I’m a small farmer, and I’ve been involved in the process of choosing candidates we believe will support our position.  During this selection process, we very much keep the candidates political affiliation out of the picture.  We analyze their positions and interview them to find out their current stance. Yet, sourcewatch.org makes it look like the entire agriculture community is made of big corporations out to make a quick buck at the expense of the environment and its citizens.

More than 90% of farms are family owned and managed.  Family farm come in all sizes, and yes, some are even incorporated.  I own an LLC myself.  An LLC is a business structure, and I use it just like any Main Street business would.

I’ve often said that urban and rural residents “speak different languages, and this is another example of that.  Some of the other things that Source Watch accuses AFBF of are completely hog wash!  (Yep, I’m using old hog farmer term because it’s fitting.)

We must communicate with one another.  I urge consumers to talk with and listen to the people who raise your food.  Ask questions.  Listen to the answers from someone who farms.  I’m always willing to listen to your concerns, too.

At the start of a new year, Americans often reflect upon the past and prepare for the future. One of my 2013 resolutions is to print a coffee table book that provides interesting stories about Franklin County farm families, as well as historical accounts of the 4-H organization. Proceeds from this book will go toward a permanent scholarship for county 4-H’ers who are interested in pursuing higher education.

Getting this book to print is going to be a “project,” no doubt! I put skill that I gained through 4-H to use in early 2013 by developing this project outline:

Goal: Print a coffee table book by December 2013 that will benefit the Franklin County 4-H Scholarship

Objective: Collect stories from 25 county farm / 4-H families

Tactics:

• Conduct a communications workshop
• Feature 12 county farm families on TheFieldPosition.com
• Feature “Franklin County 4-H Facts” each Friday this year
• Recruit each county 4-H club reporter to submit one story
• Invite residents to submit stories about their Century Farms or in honor of their loved ones.

Tactic #1 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 12. 4-H club reporters and anyone interested in exploring communications careers are invited to attend this workshop, from 10 AM to 2:30 PM, at the Franklin County Extension Office in Hampton.

Tactic #2 begins tomorrow when feature April Hemmes and Ruth Kazmerzak on TheFieldPosition.com. Be sure to “tune into tomorrow” for their story.

Tactic #3 involves sharing 4-H facts. Although it’s only Thursday, I couldn’t resist sharing a few facts today:

• Cooperative Extension in Franklin County began with the organization of the Franklin County Farm Bureau in 1918. Extension work was a service offered through Farm Bureau.
• The first 4-H club formed was a countywide Purebred Sow and Litter Club.
• Because of the success of the first club, the next year they started a Pure Bred Short Horn Calf Club.
• Girls clubs were organized with an emphasis on home furnishings, music appreciation and health.
• Until 1955, girls who wanted to raise and show livestock could only do so by belonging to a boys’ club. This was also the year they began a county girls livestock 4H club and the Livestock Queens were formed.

We hope you’ll join our efforts, too! “Like” Franklin County Extension on Facebook and watch for “Fun Fact Friday.” Watch for “Friday Farm Family Features” on TheFieldPosition.com. Share your own family’s farm and/or 4-H story. Click here to download a form and to learn more about the donor levels. Feel free to contact me directly to see how I might help tell your story.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We’re going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called “Opportunity” and the first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

It’s hard to believe that another year has already come and gone! Before we totally close the book on 2012, I have one more page to write about my hog enterprise. I recently loaded pigs into a semi during a cold, snowy December day. We began at about 6:30 p.m. and the last semi load left after midnight. With snow on the ground and a north wind blowing in our faces, it was a sharp contrast to the conditions we faced on Aug. 29 when this group of pigs arrived.

It takes about 120 days for little 35-pound pigs to become 290-pound market hogs.  I’m still amazed at how quickly and how large our market pigs grow.  When I was kid on our family farm by Geneva, we wouldn’t have dreamt of keeping pigs past 220 pounds because we’d be paid less for them.   “Back in the day” these pigs were considered too fat for market, yet today’s pigs remain lean at 290 pounds.

Changes to genetics and feed allow us to raise extremely lean pork today, which makes some really nice pork chops.  Iowa chops are some of my favorite food to grill, even in the winter.  But, I digress… (It’s funny how quickly food diverts my attention!)

Another huge benefit for the pig and the buyer of pork, or consumers, is the fact that pigs are healthier inside these buildings.  When I raised pigs outside, we had to worm them and treat them for mange.  I haven’t treated a pig for either of these since I began raising pigs inside.  Trichinosis is unheard of now that pork is raised inside, so you can cook most pork to 145 degrees for some really tasty tender pork.

By keeping our barns isolated and by cleaning and disinfecting our barns, I use way less medication than I did while raising pigs outside.  My outdoor pigs were always fighting the flu and colds!  It was a challenge to keep them warm plus supply them with fresh food and water in freezing temperatures.

I remember, during one winter storm about 20 years ago, I was trying to get to a neighbor’s farm in a blizzard because his Dad couldn’t get there to do chores.  I made it on a snowmobile.  Snow had blown into the hog sheds and made all of the bedding wet.  There were already some dead pigs because of the cold.  This is just one example of what our Iowa weather can do to livestock in old-style buildings.

As we changed the pig, we had to change the way we took care of them.  The modern hog barn has been a big help as it’s always warm and dry.  Pigs are safe from predators, and they have the best feed we can make plus fresh water available to them at all times.  As you can see in my pictures and video, these pigs are content and healthy.  I’m not alone.  Click here to see how this Nebraska farm family uses similar methods to keep their pigs safe and warm although the outside weather is frightful.

So much has changed during the last 50 years!  Thanks to modern pork production practices, we’re able to raise pork more efficiently.  I cannot even guess what the price of pork would be in the grocery store if we hadn’t made changes throughout the industry.  We certainly wouldn’t be able to produce enough to export pork to feed a hungry world.

I am very happy going into this New Year knowing that farmers and ranchers are always trying to improve and do a better job, doing what we do.  Happy 2013!

Annette Sweeney of rural Buckeye in Hardin County, Iowa, has worn many hats: farmer’s daughter, teacher, farmer, cattle producer, wife, mother and state legislator.  She’s starting the New Year with a new title as president of Iowa Agri-Women, the newly formed legislative advocacy arm of the Iowa Women in Agriculture organization and is affiliated with American Agri-Women.

Agriculture is Sweeney’s passion and advocacy remains her sacred cow.  She’s on a mission to make women aware of policy that affects their families and their farming operations.  That’s why she reaching out to women statewide, inspiring them to become involved with Iowa Agri-Women.

“Women in agriculture must be actively engaged in the lawmaking and rule-making processes because there are fewer people who understand the day-to-day workings,” says Sweeney.  “Ag literacy is a real concern.  Too many individuals in places of power have never set foot on a farm, yet their making laws and rules that greatly impact our businesses and livelihoods.”

Anyone and everyone who is concerned about how legislation could impact agriculture is invited to an inaugural meeting later this month.  The group will meet again in March at the Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines.

“We want to make ourselves known to legislators, so that if a related issue comes up, they will feel comfortable visiting with us to see how our farms and related businesses might be impacted. We want to provide a ‘local resource’ for in each legislative districts (50 Senate; 100 House).

For more information, call 641-373-4899 or e-mail annette@annettesweeney.com.

Cute tricks and easy tips for getting your house in order

Nearly everyone talks about making New Year’s Resolutions, yet only 45% of Americans actually do.  Six short months later, less than half of those who made resolutions are still committed to keeping them.

This year I’m determined to make only New Year’s Resolutions that I can keep!  I’ve set a goal to be part of the 10% of Americans who are still committed to their resolutions at the end of the year.  Here’s how I’m going to beat the odds…

“Make passion your true power” and “develop a community of support” are two strategies that experts say increase one’s probability of success.  I’m passionate about these three things: home, hearth (family) and health.  That’s why I’m going to make resolutions focused on my passions and then build a community of support online through TheFieldPosition blog, Facebook and Pinterest.  You’re invited to join the fun!

Today I’m kicking off a three-part blog series on “Setting Successful New Year’s Resolutions.”  I’ll share some Pinterest-inspired ideas for organizing the home, and tomorrow Rebecca Ramage will share some tips for healthy cooking. The third part of our series – and one I’m especially looking forward to reading – will feature fun ideas that Laura Cunningham “pinned” to inspire quality time together as a family.

GETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER

My personal philosophy is, “everything has a place and everything belongs its place.” Apparently, several hundreds of people on Pinterest feel the same way!  I was first Pinspired by Laura Cunningham’s Organize board.  Then I checked out On the Banks of Squaw Creek’s boards for Organizing and Organization.  These boards offered up so many unique and interesting ideas that I had 18 pins in a matter of minutes!  If I implement just one of these, I’m going to call it a success!

Here are some Pinterest-inspired ideas to help get a house in order:

1. ‘Tis the season to put away the holiday decorations.  I love this inexpensive and simple way to store glass ornaments.  Check out this clever way to store wrapping paper, too.  Thanks to an ordinary toilet paper roll, no wrapping paper will be ripped or wasted due to rubber bands or tape!
2. Spice up the Kitchen.  I already have a spice drawer, and yes, my spices are stored in alphabetical order.  I love not having to search for ingredients!  (I pinned this one just so my husband knows there are other people who think like me.)
3. When I saw the pitcher of flour and sugar, it was a “light bulb moment.”  My pantry will look tidier and there will less chance of me making a mess while measuring ingredients.
4. Garage Barrage.  I just happen to know where I can find a few pallets  This idea could even be taken to the livestock barns at the county fair.  I also like the  inexpensive idea of using PVC pipes with labels, so you know if something goes missing.

I’m always looking for ways to store an overflow of kids’ toys, whether its basketballs, footballs and baseball bats or video games.  Feel free to share your ideas with me via Facebook, Pinterest or our blog!