Even if I hadn’t been tuned into the Super Bowl on Sunday, news feeds on Facebook and Twitter accounts provided a play-by-play account – at least of the commercials.  Who would’ve guessed that “farmers” would be trending during the Super Bowl?

The top Super Bowl spot, at least during the first quarter, was the “Got Milk?” ad featuring Duane “The Rock” Johnson.  Soon thereafter Budweiser’s “Brotherhood” Clydesdale ad surpassed the Milk “Morning Run” as top ad, according to Forbes.

The commercial about the little Clydesdale is very much a true picture of how farmers feel about our animals.  This particular commercial did a masterful job of telling a farmer’s story and showing an emotional connection with his animal, which brings up an important point I’ve been trying to make: emotion attracts the attention of those whom we want to share our message.

For years and years, those of us in the ag community have talked about facts and science.  We’ve been armed with research and data– and we’ve been largely overlooked.  To get noticed for the right reasons, farmers must use emotion to gain attention of the non-farming public and to share our messages!  Why?  Because agriculture is relevant today – maybe even more so if you take into consideration the growing world population – as it was when 98% of all people were farmers.

Recently, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said rural America is less relevant now.  Really?  Farmers and ranchers provide food, fiber, and fuel for this country.  Products made from agricultural products are used to make medicines and other products used for healing, such as pig skin for burn grafts and heart valves.  Knowing that my pigs are helping feed people – and heal their hearts – is a source of pride.

There are many reasons that I Am Agrihculture Proud.  Nothing stirred Pride, Passion and Conversation on Sunday – and nearly every minute since it aired – like the Dodge Ram truck commercial featuring a poem recited by Paul Harvey during the 1978 FFA annual convention.  It was a nice, little piece that paid tribute to farmers and God, both of which have been getting bad press lately!

Dodge Ram’s ad is part of a campaign to support the National FFA Foundation’s hunger initiative “Feeding the World – Starting at Home.”  Each time this commercial is watched online, the National FFA earns $1 up to $1 million!  Check out this post by fellow Franklin Count farmer, Val Plagge, “for the rest of the story.”

Also be sure to check out these related blog posts from farmers across America:

• Dodge Ram Pays Super Bowl Tribute with “So God Made a Farmer”
• ‘God made a farmer’ – truck ad stirs pride, passion and conversation in agriculture community  (eatocracy.cnn.com)
• Who Won the Super Bowl? Agriculture! (Wag’n Tales)
• So God Made a Farmer (Val Plagge)
• So God Made a Farmer (@rimrockes)
• So God Made A Farmer – What About the Modern Farm?   (Chris Chinn)
• So God Made a Farmer. Dodge Superbowl Ad. (dairycarrie.com)
• So God Made a Farmer. (ruralgoneurban.com)
• Ram Trucks Wins Superbowl with “So God Made a Farmer” (thefarmerslife.wordpress.com)
• So God Made a Farmer, Thank You Dodge (thepinkepost.com)
• “So God Made a Farmer” and “America’s Farmers” Recognize Farmers In Super Bowl Ads (janiceperson.com)
• Dodge/Ram Silences Audience with God Made a Farmer During Super Bowl (buzzardsbeat.blogspot.com)
• So God Made a Farmer – Paul Harvey (dirtroadcharm.blogspot.com)
• “So God Made a Farmer” Featured In Dodge Super Bowl Ad (farmeronamission.blogspot.com)
• So God Made a Farmer (raybowman.wordpress.com)

While this list is long, I’m sure it’s not complete.  Feel free to share additional links. A special thanks to I Am Agriculture Proud for starting this list of great blogs!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE[/youtube]

Guest Blog from Dan Gogerty, Communications Editor for CAST

Dad, my uncle, and my grandparents farmed together and lived on three homesteads that were spittin’ distance from each other. The combined kid-count for the families eventually reached fourteen, so we could move like a swarm of locusts from house to house–playing in the yards, spilling kool-aid in the kitchens, and tracking in enough mud to start small indoor gardens.

Before we were old enough to chore and drive tractors, the adults tolerated this mayhem. As Mom recalls, “On a snowbound day, you kids could wreck my house in the morning and then move on to Aunt Ruth’s place for a second shift in the afternoon.” With no video games, cartoon networks, or battery-driven toys, we built pillow forts, played hide-n-seek, and concocted games with marbles, plastic army men, and knicked-up Lincoln Logs. When cabin fever reached a certain point, the folks would relent and let us brave the snow and cold. Even in the dead of winter, a Midwest farm in the 60s could be a vibrant playground.

We might start in the yard with snowball fights, snow angel designs, and our own kamikaze version of duck-duck-goose. With Mom’s home-sewn snow suits on, we survived tumbles on the ice and wrestling matches with the dogs, but as we grew a bit older, our boundaries expanded. Red plastic saucer sleds worked well on snow drifts and short inclines, but large runner sleds gave us more speed. We’d take off down the lane, often with brothers or cousins jumping on until a sled might look like a shaky pile of logs with a boy at the bottom groaning in pain until all three or four of the bobsledders crashed in a heap.

The creeks and pastures called us further afield even when they looked like silver arctic zones. The two streams on our farm provided a Jack London setting, and we would walk on the ice looking for muskrat trails and rare beaver dams. As in London’s famous story “To Build a Fire,” one of us would occasionally break through the ice and fill a boot with frigid water. Unlike the story’s main character, we all survived, although I’m sure we entertained the shivering victim on the fast walk home with tales of frozen fingers and amputated toes.

Survival was tougher when we became old enough to skate and play hockey on the creek. We’d make holes in the ice for goals and the pucks were rocks, clods, or maybe a frozen “road apple” from an old cow pie on the bank. Scores were low but wet clothes and near concussions came regularly from our awkward falls and lack of skating ability.

When cold winds started to numb our cheeks, we might seek refuge in one of the barns. Hogs and cattle provided a type of bio-heat that came from warm animal bodies and the steamy straw-manure bedding they lay on. The heat rose into the haymow where we’d make tunnels and play some type of king-on-the-hill turf war. It was a bonus if we found a nest of baby kittens and a bummer if someone crawled through a tunnel that the raccoons had used for a litter box.

A classic winter day on the farm ended with a peel-and-pain routine. We’d peel off wet gloves, four-buckle boots, and ice-laden coveralls and then complain as our fingers and noses burned with the stinging pain of the thawing-out process. We then huddled in front of the furnace vent and got warm with the help of fresh-baked rolls. Mom knew how to cure frostbite. She also knew how to acquire some sanity on snowbound days. In an era long before smartphones, Mom had an app for kid cabin fever: it was an aperture called the front door, and she knew how to download it—you dressed the kids in warm clothing, turned the door handle, and let them access the winter wonderland that came already installed on a Midwest farm.

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!