“The power of love is a curious thing,” croons musician Huey Lewis.  “It makes one man weep, another man sing.”  And in Iowa, love helps build Ronald McDonald Houses.

Welcome to the House that Love Built.  The Ronald McDonald House is a warm, safe and comfortable place where family members of seriously ill children can stay while their children are being treated at area hospitals in Des Moines, Iowa City or Sioux City.

Ronald McDonald Houses rely on the love, sharing and caring of generous donors to accomplish its mission.  Last Saturday, during the 2013 Iowa State Fair, a record-setting $183,000 was raised from livestock sales held after the 31^st Annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show.  More than $2 million has been raised for Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa since 1983 when Gov. Terry E. Branstad first joined forces with the Iowa Beef Industry Council to sponsor the Governor’s Charity Steer Show.

It’s an honor to be asked to participate in the Charity Steer Show, whether you’re a 4-H or FFA member whose animal gets selected or whether you’re the celebrity who’s been invited to lead one of the 1,000+ pound-animals around the ring.  It’s an opportunity for Iowans of all backgrounds to come together to support a worthy cause.

“It was certainly an honor to be asked.  My family has used the Ronald McDonald House in the past, so it was a great chance to give back.  But I have to admit, I was a little nervous,” said 1040 WHO Radio farm broadcaster Mark Dorenkamp.  “The pavilion was packed full of people, and I’d never shown a steer before.  There were a few moments when I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep Beef Wellington from taking off, but I had a great young man from Madison County helping me.  Brock Johnson was with me every step of the way, and getting to know the Johnson family was a real highlight for me.”

“What a fun event!” said Story County 4-H and FFA member Cory Sampson of Nevada, who also participated in the charity show for the first time this year.  “We helped raise money for an awesome cause.”

Cory teamed up last Saturday with Coach Cecil Rhoads in memory of Brayton Shill, who would’ve turned 8 on July 29.  Brayton lost his battle with cancer last November, and his family stayed in a Ronald McDonald house while he underwent treatment.  The team spirit exhibited by Cyclone the steer, Coach Rhoads and Cory made them the People’s Choice Award Winner.

Teamwork is second nature to Cory, 19, who was raised on a family farm near Nevada.  He’s the youngest son of Doug and Diana Sampson, who are also the proud parents of 25-year-old Todd and 22-year-old Amy.  All three of the Sampson’s children have been active in 4-H and FFA.  Doug and Diana were both 9-year 4-H members.

“There isn’t a better way to learn life skills or make new friends than through 4-H and the FFA,” says Diana.  “Our kids have developed leadership and communication skills.  They held multiple offices within their local 4-H Club and the Iowa Junior Maine-Anjou Association.  Each of our kids took part in the annual FFA contests.  Plus, they’ve exhibited livestock through both 4-H and FFA.”

“Our kids have enjoyed success in the show ring, but the neatest thing to see is the endless friendships they have made and will have for years to come,” says Doug, who began farming full time in 1977 with his father, Glen.

Now that Glen is retired, Doug, Diana and their kids raise corn and soybeans.  They have a 25-head cow/calf herd of Maine-Anjou cattle.  They also partner with Diana’s cousin to farrow 60 head of sows mainly to be sold as show pigs.

To promote the quality meat products they help produce, today the Sampsons are sharing a family-favorite recipe for meatballs.  Form small meatballs and serve them on a stick if you want to enjoy them “state fair style.”  Otherwise, follow the recipe below to make 15 large meatballs.

Warm weather means Joy Bonin can look through the patio window and take in her favorite view, watching black cattle grazing in the green pasture. Her husband, Dave, jokingly calls their cows and calves “lawn ornaments” because she comments so often about what a pretty picture the cattle make.

The Bonins raise Angus and Black Baldies bred to an Angus bull near Belmond in Wright County, Iowa. Their farm includes 40 acres of creek pasture where the cattle graze in the summer months. They also grow corn, and they’ve been contract Latham® soybean growers for approximately 35 years.

Dave and Joy began farming 46 years ago. For the past 44 years, they’ve lived on a farm that Joy’s grandparents purchased in 1950. Joy’s father purchased the farm in 1986, and ever since then she and Dave have farmed it. It is now owned by the Bonin’s and Joy’s four siblings. It’s also where they raised their two children, Michelle and David.

“The farm is a great place to raise a family because there are so many things to do and so many wide open spaces to roam,” says Joy. “Both of our children have a very good work ethic and we believe it’s because they learned to work alongside their parents.”

The Bonin’s daughter, Michelle, earned a bachelor’s degree from Drake University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.  She works as a financial services consultant for Deloitte. Her husband, Mike, recently started his own business. They also stay busy with their two children, Madilyn, age 11½, and Matthew, age 8½.

The Bonin’s son, David, plays an active role in the family’s farming operation. He and his son Colton do cattle chores daily, as well as farm in partnership with Dave and Joy. David is an electrician and has his own business with three additional employees. His wife, Rachel, works part-time at Fareway and stays busy keeping up with their five active children. Mike & Colton work for David, Zach will be a senior at UNI majoring in accounting, Liberty is graduating from Belmond-Klemme this Spring and will be attending DMACC majoring in Entrepreneurship. Cole just completed his sophomore year at Belmond-Klemme.

With seven grandchildren, Dave and Joy have a busy calendar! They enjoy attending as many sporting events and recitals as possible.  They also enjoy weekend visits to Glen Carbon, Illinois.  In addition, they’re active in their community. Dave serves on the Belmond Community Housing board and the Art Council. He enjoys pencil drawing and riding motorcycle in his spare time.  Joy serves as their church’s bookkeeper plus teaches Vacation Bible School. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and baking.

Because Joy has worked off-farm at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds for nearly 43 years, she values meals that are quick, easy and flavorful. Joy often relies on beef when she prepares supper and takes it to the field during planting and harvest.

Today Joy is sharing a couple of her favorite seasonal recipes with us, one for Rhubarb Crunch Cake and another for Beef & Rice Casserole. Enjoy!

Cherry Rhubarb Crunch by Joy Bonin

Crust:

• 2 ½ cups oatmeal
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup margarine

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 4 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 t. almond extract

Crust: Combine ingredients and cut together to make crumbs. Save ¾ c. crumbs for top; put rest of crumbs in a 9X13 in. pan

Filling: In sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water and cook until thick. Remove from heat and add pie filling, rhubarb, and almond extract. Pour over crumbs and sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350° F. for 40 minutes.

“DIY” is the buzzword among people who enjoy making crafts and repurposing antiques, but we all know that “do it yourself” was a farmer’s motto long before the advent of Pinterest! With that said, however, I have found many inspiring “build your own burger bar” ideas on Pinterest.  I’m not sure what intrigues me most about this concept – the idea that this type of building doesn’t actually involve a hammer and nails or the fact that the end result is so tantalizing for the taste buds.

Burgers are the top of the list of my all-time favorite foods, so I enjoy taking a self-guided burger tour across Iowa while traveling the state to visit Latham® dealers and customers. I’m always on a mission to find a recipe that I can share on TheFieldPosition.com.

I’ve had the pleasure of taste-testing burgers from some of the Top 10 restaurants in Iowa’s Best Burger Contest. I loved the signature “Roscoe’s sauce” at Roscoe’s in Norwalk.  I also enjoyed every bite of a Rodeo Burger, topped with pepper straws, at the 1^st Street Grill in Keosauqua in southeast Iowa. (I wonder if I could make them at home, similar to onion strings, only substituting onions for green pepper strips. Hmm…)

My burger fetish started in 2011 when the Iowa Beef Council treated us to “tailgate lunches” during the WHO Radio – Latham Seeds Crop Tour.  Michelle delivered gourmet burgers, fresh and hot, to the fields where we were broadcasting “The Big Show” live. They also shared tips on how we could make tastier burgers at home. The number one mistake people make is squishing burgers with a spatula; they literally squeeze all of the flavorful juices out of the meat.

To grill like a master, the Iowa Beef Council offers these grilling tips:

1. • Grill burgers and steaks over medium heat.
   • Use a long-handled spatula to turn burgers and tongs to turn steaks.
   • Remove beef from the grill when the temperature reaches 10° below the desired doneness.
   • Never leave food out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.
     Keep hot food hot — at or above 140°F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers.
     Keep cold food cold — at or below 40°F. Place food in containers on ice.
   • Plan your menu early. Do prep work a day or two prior.

Because we “eat with our eyes first,” it’s important to make sure your condiments are as pleasing to one’s eyes as the burgers are to the tongue! Food that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye may help trigger appetite. Plus, food that is prepared and displayed well may also entice someone to eat what they’d otherwise avoid.

Make your condiments more appealing by displaying them attractively as part of a burger bar. Check out all the Pinterest-inspired ideas that we’ve pinned to the Latham Seeds “burger board.”  If you decide to experiment on your own, I’d love to see your creations. Feel free to send your photos to shannonl@lathamseeds.com.

If you’re feeling inspired to mix up some burgers this week, try Rachel Ray’s version of the Tex-Mex Bacon Cheeseburger. The chipotle ketchup is simple to make and definitely complements the burger. I recommend serving these burgers with a side of fresh pineapples and strawberries plus Mexican fruit dip.