Guest blog by
April Hemmes, Hampton, Iowa

When asked to join the 2011 Iowa /Uganda Farmer-to-Farmer Exchange, I jumped at the opportunity.  I’ve been raising row crops and beef cattle in Franklin County since I graduated from Iowa State, and so I understand first-hand some of the challenges women face as farm operators.

I was eager to learn about the challenges facing Ugandan farmers in general – and women farmers in particular – and this trip has been quite eye-opening to say the least.  There are so many differences between our two countries and our two cultures.  For starters, the entire country of Uganda is slightly larger than the state of Iowa.  But Uganda has a population of 34 million people as compared to Iowa with just 3 million!  When we tell the Ugandans there are more hogs than people in Iowa, they laugh.

The average farm size is 4 acres in Uganda, but we met one very successful woman who has 250 acres.  This is a lot of work considering it is all done by hand.  I have yet to see one tractor or even an ox plow.

This lack of equipment creates some challenges for farmers to get their product to market.  For example, Tuesday we visited the Kamuli Mill.  Farmers bring their white corn here where it is either sold directly to the mill or ground.

There are also middlemen involved because many farmers don’t have a way to transport grain to the mill. In order to afford hired transportation, a farmer must have large enough quantities of grain.  A farmer could receive better prices if the grain gets transported to a larger market.  That’s why I’m working on a project to help farmers market collectively for better prices.

It’s hard to believe that I only have four more days here!  The farmers we have met in Uganda have been so appreciative of our help.  They’re especially appreciative of everyone who is making this exchange possible.  The 2011 Iowa /Uganda Farmer-to-Farmer Exchange and development project is coordinated by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Global Program, in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU, and VEDCO, a non-profit organization based in Uganda.  The project is funded by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) through Weidemann Associates.

With football (and thus tailgate) season right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about ice cold beverages and game day fare. It’s also time to pull the tailgate coolers out of hibernation. Most fall football days, heading to the game party means packing the cooler to the brim with snacks and drinks, dumping in some ice and heaving the heavy thing into the trunk.  Then you hope your final tailgate destination doesn’t require a long walk with cooler in tow!

That’s the old way to tailgate. One lucky participant in Latham’s Third Annual Freedom of Independence Ride will get to experience the new way to tailgate this football season.  One lucky rider will win the Cruzin Cooler, valued at $500.  This cooler doesn’t require heavy lifting. You simply pack it up, hop on, and ride! Designed to help individuals keep beverages cool without the hassle involved with a regular cooler, the Cruzin Cooler holds a case of your favorite frosty beverages.  Plus, it can travel at speeds up to 17 miles per hour!

Check out the cooler in action by viewing the video below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw7Qf9IUPaQ[/youtube]

Want to join the ride and enter to win the Cruzin Cooler? There’s still time to register. Click here to find out how you can join us!

Aaron Putze
Director of External Relations &
Coordinator, Iowa Food & Family Project
Iowa Soybean Association
aputze@iasoybeans.com

There are few celebrations more enjoyable and meaningful than the Iowa State Fair! After all, it’s not just every day that you can enjoy a pork chop on a stick, fried Twinkies and a full menu of entertainment – both new and old – that’s perfect for people of all ages.

Speaking of new, the Iowa Food & Family Project (www.iowafoodandfamily.com) will make its debut in a big way at this year’s Fair by bringing together thousands of canned food items and a committed team of volunteers. Together, they’ll create a first-of-its-kind exhibit at one of the most popular celebrations of food, fun and agriculture in America!

We’re calling it “Together We CAN!” – a celebration of food and farming benefiting the Iowa Food Bank Association, and you’re invited to be a part of the festivities!

The exhibit will feature the awe-inspiring work of Canstruction®, one of the world’s most unique food charities. Canstruction is a non-profit organization that holds annual design-and-build competitions to construct giant-sized structures made entirely of canned food. Since 1992, Canstruction has contributed more than 15 million pounds of food to community food banks.

Located in the south atrium of the Varied Industries Building 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily, this must-see exhibit will include larger-than-life replicas of the Iowa State Fair butter cow (in honor of its 100^th anniversary), a milk carton, market-size hog and landscape of soybeans and corn fields — all sculpted from thousands of cans of food (the actual build will take place Aug. 11-14). Following the fair, all food items used in the exhibit will be donated to the Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA) benefiting Iowans struggling against hunger.

The purpose of the exhibit is to encourage conversations about farming, inspire greater awareness of the commitment of Iowa farmers to providing healthy food for everyone and provide a helping hand to people and families struggling with hunger.

You’re cordially invited to stop by and view this extremely innovative and unique exhibit. In addition to seeing an incredible work of art and donating to the Iowa Food Bank Association, you can also receive a free gift and watch “Celebrity Builders” lend a hand during the exhibits “Canstruction!” They include “Cy,” Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey, Des Moines native Rebecca Meyer (the Season 8 at-home $100,000 winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”) and members of Casting Crowns, a Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian rock band (see our web site for a complete list of Celebrity Builders!).

We’re looking forward to engaging fairgoers about the miracle of food and introducing them to the people who provide it! In the meantime, be sure to “friend” the Iowa Food & Family Project at www.facebook.com/foodnfamilies and check out our web site for more details!

See you at the Iowa State Fair!

WHO: Everyone!

WHAT: Pancake breakfast

WHEN: Sunday, July 17, 2011, from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: 4-H Food Stand on the Franklin County Fairgrounds

Help support the Franklin County 4-H Scholarship Endowment!  All are invited to enjoy food and fellowship during a pancake breakfast presented by Franklin County 4-H.  

Free will donations will be accepted to support the youth scholarship endowment fund.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWC8liHX_G8[/youtube]

We at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds wish all of you a Happy and safe 4th of July holiday.  We’re proud to be Americans, and thank all soldiers and veterans for fighting for the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.  God Bless the USA!

One reason I’m still celebrating “June Dairy Month” on the first of July is because I want to savor as much of summer as I can.  (It seems like the summer passes too quickly once we’ve celebrated the Fourth of July.)  Another reason that I’m featuring dairy recipes today is because they will make it easy to entertain guests over the holiday weekend.

Whether you’re planning to celebrate this weekend with a group of 4 or 40, TheFieldPosition.com has the perfect dessert for you!  This quick, easy Chocolate Mousse recipe is a cool treat on a hot summer’s day for a Party of 4.  The Buster Bar Dessert easily feeds 12 people, while Brownies in a Roaster serves 40.

May you and your family enjoy a safe and fun holiday weekend as you celebrate our nation’s independence and pay tribute to those who have fought for our freedom!  From patriotic printables to celebratory centerpieces and hand-made parade wear, FamilyFun offers dozens of craft and game ideas for kids of all ages.

If the weather cooperates, our family will spend as much of the weekend outdoors as possible.  We’ll golf, swim, bike and, of course, watch the fireworks.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate the Fourth of July?

Buster Bar Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Oreo® cookies
• 2 c. powered sugar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1½ sticks margarine or butter
• ¾ c. chocolate chips
• 1½ cups Spanish peanuts
• ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream, softened

Directions:

1. Crush Oreos and then stir in melted margarine. Pat mixture into 9×13 pan. Set aside.
2. Mix together powdered sugar, evaporated milk, 1 stick margarine and chocolate chips.
3. Then boil these four ingredients for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Let the mixture cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, sprinkle ¾ c. Spanish peanuts over the Oreo crust. Then slice ice cream over the nuts. Sprinkle ¾ c. Spanish peanuts over the ice cream. Then pour the cooled chocolate sauce on top and place in the freezer.

COOK’S TIP: This dessert is also festive during the holidays.  Use the holiday Oreo cookies with peppermint ice cream.

Guest blog by:
Daniel Krohn
Sustainability Lead,
Becker Underwood

Becker Underwood located in Ames, Iowa, is a leading-edge developer of biological and specialty products, including seed colorants and polymers, inoculants, beneficial nematodes, mulch and turf colorants and a wide range of agricultural and horticultural solutions. The core of our business is based on increasing agricultural yields by utilizing biologically-based products, with high efficacy, but with low environmental and social impact. All while playing a role in feeding a growing global population.

In 2008, we set out on a mission to address sustainability throughout all of our business practices. Earlier this year we implemented our sustainability strategy, “NET positive,” a goal that Becker Underwood – through its processes, products and policies – has an overall positive impact on the environment and society.

One of our major projects has been our partnership with Iowa State University and the Gates Foundation to help small farmers in Africa by providing them with sustainable biological products that will help improve their yields through inoculation.

The soil conditions in these countries are one of the many hurdles these farmers face. Low amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil, in addition to extremely dry conditions, are challenges that must be overcome in order for optimal crop growth. Our introduction of inoculates to the land, while not a common practice, allows for more available nitrogen in the soil. Seventy-nine percent of the air we breathe is made of nitrogen and inoculated legumes are able to convert and use this nitrogren. The nitrogen provided by inoculated legumes grown in rotation with other crops helps boost yield and lower fertilizer costs of crops such as corn or small grains, all in an environmentally safe manner. It is our goal, with this process, to double bean production in these areas.

To learn more about ISU’s Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program in Africa, watch this video. To learn more about Becker Underwood’s sustainability initiatives visit our website, www.sustainbu.com.