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Evolving to Meet Demand is Key to this FarmHer’s Success

Her smile couldn’t be more genuine. Her eyes truly light up when she’s talking about Violet… or Squeak… or Idgie. She’s doing what she loves and loving what she does.

Meet FarmHer Amber Kohlhaas, who spends her 40-hour (or more) work week as Communications manager for Hagie Manufacturing and her “time off” with the animals she loves. She and her husband, Jason, live on his family’s Century Farm near Lu Verne, Iowa, where they raise a variety of cattle, as well as other furry and feathered creatures.

“Regardless of whether you are exhibiting 4-H beef, swine, sheep or any other livestock project, the same challenges apply and the same life lessons can be learned,” says Amber Kohlhaas, who grew up on a grain and livestock farm in neighboring Hancock County. “As long as you are passionate and committed to working hard, there are endless opportunities to grow your passions and unleash your full potential.”

Amber was actively involved with the day-to-day aspects of her family’s farm. She showed pigs and sheep for 10 years in 4-H.

“My 4-H involvement taught me many valuable life lessons that are still applicable today. I learned early on what it means to be responsible and dedicated to a project from start to finish,” says Amber. “Equally as valuable was the learning experiences that 4-H taught me about being resilient to loss. Just as the commodity markets directly impact the return on investment for the farms today, there will be challenging times where all your hard work may not pay off like you were hoping. In those times, you learn to pick yourself back up and push forward. 4-H taught me that success doesn’t come easy. Something that has to be earned to be appreciated.”

Amber channels that same work ethic, passion and energy into helping build Kohlhaas Cattle Company, which she and her husband co-own with his parents.

“As breeders, our business goal is to produce and provide quality cattle to the market. We work to place our market heifers, steers and breeding heifers with families that are committed to being competitive in the show ring, as well as providing replacement cattle offerings for producers’ unique operational needs,” explains Amber, who earned a degree in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University.

“The market demands are always evolving,” she adds. “Therefore, we have geared our herd to offer our customers with options, including purebred Angus, purebred Simmental, purebred Charolais, purebred Maine, and purebred Shorthorn, in addition to offering lower percentage cattle for breed divisions. Our goal as a diversified breeder is to provide quality cattle to meet the evolving demands that market needs.”

It may sound cut and dried, but these transactions are more than business deals. Buyers and sellers develop trust and form relationships that go beyond the sale ring.

“I really enjoy the opportunity to build relationships with families who are eager to learn and grow. It’s a very rewarding experience to see loyal customers take so much pride in the level of care they provide for the cattle that we produce,” says Amber.

Because Amber and Jason both were competitive youth showmen, they enjoy providing quality cattle that enable their customers to be successful and achieve their goals. One example of a family with whom they’ve formed a valuable relationship is the Tusha family of Garner, Iowa. Successful Farming’s Showbound Series followed the Tusha’s youngest daughter, Grace, as she finished her final year of showing cattle in 2015.

Amber and Jason sell cattle directly from their farm and are also a part of the Pro Tour Club Calf Sale. This elite group of 15 reputable club calf breeders in North Central and western Iowa. This group offers 500 head of high quality calves annually on sales in September.

As leaders in agriculture, Amber and Jason are members of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Amber also serves on the Kossuth County Farm Bureau Board, Iowa Women in Agriculture Board, and the Responsible Nutrient Management Foundation Board.

“Someone once told me, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ And I have found that to be valuable advice. Agriculture is a small community. It’s all about connections. By putting collective interests and energies to work, it’s amazing what you can accomplish together to make a difference.”

Team Latham

May 12, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

This FarmHer Lives Her Legacy through Carrico Angus

From an early age, the barn was Jennifer Carrico’s second home. It was home to her show cattle. It’s where calves were born. It’s where she searched for kittens. She says many life lessons were learned from work done in that barn. It’s a legacy she’s proud to leave her children.

From $425 “faux muddy jeans” to trendy vintage FFA jackets, it seems that everyone from hipsters to fashionistas want to live the legacy left by the farmers and ranchers before them.

Every morning Jennifer Carrico is reminded of her agricultural roots as she enters the stately wooden barn on her family’s Century Farm in central Iowa to do cattle chores before heading into the office or hitting the road for her job as field editor for the High Plains Journal.

“Miranda Lambert sings ‘The House that Built Me.’ I love that song about how she wants to go in the house she grew up in to find her roots again. I am lucky enough to be able to go into the barn that built me every day,” says Jennifer, who’s raising the sixth generation on her family farm in Dallas County. “I want my children to understand how important agriculture is to our family and how farmers and ranchers provide so much for so many other people.”

Today Jennifer, her 16-year-old daughter and her 11-year old son, enjoy raising cattle and showing them across the country. Most of their family vacations involve attending cattle shows. While it’s a lot of work, she says it’s also a lot of fun.

October 2016, Kassidy showed the Reserve Grand Champion market steer at the American Royal in Kansas City. She says it was an awesome experience and such an honor.

“I grew up being part of Carrico Angus, a purebred Angus operation my dad started when he was in 4-H,” says Jennifer. “My dad dispersed his herd in 2006, and I was able to purchase some of the genetics in that sale to continue my herd. Since returning to the farm in 2007, I have had the opportunity to build a small herd of purebred Angus cows with a few crossbred cows.”

“Growing up on a farm teaches a work ethic that can’t be taught by a book,” adds Jennifer. “Both Kassidy and Klayton help work

cattle, pull calves and have their own show cattle to care for. They learn about the importance of teamwork. They also learn about life cycles and develop compassion for all of God’s creations.”

In addition to their farm chores, Jennifer’s children are involved in school sports and youth organizations. Kassidy is in both 4-H and FFA. Klayton is in 4-H. These two organizations, along with junior beef breed associations, provide them with opportunities to expand their leadership and communication skills. They also get the chance to make friends locally and nationally with others who share the same interests.

Similar childhood experiences are what led Jennifer to pursue a career in agriculture. She enrolled at Iowa State University with the intent of becoming a veterinarian. Two years after working toward her animal science degree, Jennifer realized she wanted to tell the stories of farmers and ranchers. She wanted to help others understand why agriculture is so important, so she added a minor in journalism.

Jennifer has been involved with ag communications for the past 25 years. Without a doubt, she says the favorite part of her job is telling the story of the farmer and rancher. She has the pleasure of meeting many great farmers and ranchers from across the country and has the opportunity of traveling through some of the most beautiful areas.

Also active in professional organizations, Jennifer serves as secretary of the Livestock Publications Council board of directors. She serves on committees for the American Agriculture Editor’s Association, as well. She has been involved with the steering committee for Agricultural Media Summit and chaired the event in 2014. Jennifer also a member of the Alumni FFA and is serving as education chair for the 2017 National Junior Angus Show in Des Moines.

In support of the industry she’s so passionate about, today Jennifer is sharing with us one of her family’s favorite recipes for beef brisket.

Team Latham

May 5, 2017

Beef, Food & Family
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Let’s Grow Together: Try Your Hand at Gardening

guest blog post by
Lindsey Foss, Coordinator of Iowa Food and Family Project

Gardeners and farmers have a lot in common! You get to grow stuff. You get dirt under your fingernails. You learn what it takes to make things survive in the heat, rain and cold. And you learn about the bugs and other things that can take a liking to what you’re growing; a process that can both test your patience and spark your ingenuity.

But that’s not all. Farmers and gardeners also share an intense appreciation and satisfaction in hard work yielding a bountiful crop – and doing so as a family!

April marks National Gardening Month: a time to celebrate and appreciate where our food really comes from. (Hint: it’s not the refrigerator or pantry!) Iowans are becoming increasingly interested in all things food and farming; in fact, nearly 50 percent of Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) fans have a backyard or patio garden. To celebrate, Iowa FFP and Earl May Nursery & Garden Center are teaming up for “Let’s Grow Together,” encouraging more conversation about the topics we care about – and having fun along the way!

Let’s Grow Together will inspire Iowans to take try their hand at food and flower gardening, while also learning first-hand the many similarities gardening has with farming! Throughout the yearlong journey, fans will gain unique tips and insights from experts at Earl May, including preparing soil, planting and harvesting produce, nurturing fruit trees and establishing pollinator habitats.

Similarly, we’ll follow along as farmer Mark Jackson shares what it takes to grow grain and raise livestock on his Mahaska County farm. His top priorities include taking conservation efforts for the soil and water, managing pests, preventing disease and laying the groundwork for future generations to farm, should they so choose.

Let’s Grow Together will also offer an opportunity for food-minded Iowans to add their voice through online conversations, activities and contests with plenty of prizes to help fans discover their green thumbs by starting or sprucing up a gardening project.

As you enjoy the fresh smells and signs of new life this season brings, try this colorful Easy Pasta Bake that can be made with leftover ham from Easter celebrations and shelled edamame — a protein-packed veggie that pays homage to National Soyfoods Month, too!

Team Latham

April 14, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Osage FFA Advisor Leads by Example

When Melissa (Bisbee) Moretz was 5 years old, she went into business with her brother and sister. Their father purchased a few ewes for them to raise. They were in charge of feeding and lambing them. As they grew older, they accepted more responsibility including the finances.

“This is where my farming background began. It was an effort made by my parents to help my siblings and I save money for college, but it developed into much more. As we grew older and became 4-H members, we decided to sell the sheep and get into cattle and swine,” says Melissa, who channels her passion for agriculture and education into her job as ag instructor and FFA advisor in Osage, Iowa. “I showed breeding beef at the county fair along with market swine at the county and state fair. I farrowed swine for my Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program in FFA. During my four years in FFA at St. Ansgar High School, I participated in many career development events, met many people, served as a chapter officer for two years, and learned what hard work really was.”

With so many life lessons learned, it’s no wonder that Melissa and her husband Nate desire to raise their family on a farm. She says she loves coming home from work and taking their 18-month-old son, Kole, to the barn. Every night, this family of three feeds their calves together.

Nate and Melissa also farm with Nate’s parents, calving about 120 cows/heifers per year. As young farmers easing their way into the operation, Nate and Melissa began purchase market steers and heifers to finish out. Melissa says they care for each animal in the best way possible with two goals in mind: (1) Keep our animals safe and healthy; and (2) produce quality offspring.

“A special bond forms between people who are working together to accomplish a common goal,” says Melissa, who also operates a Latham® Hi‑Tech Seeds dealership with her husband. “Both Nate and I were raised on farms and want to teach Kole the life lessons that, in my opinion, are learned best on the farm. Responsibility, hard work, life/death, and teamwork are a few of the valuable lessons I have learned on the farm and want to share with our family.”

Under the grow light, horticulture students are looking into one of our hydroponics systems. A student designed this system and built it. Here he planted lettuce, tomatoes, and pepper plants.

Osage FFA
Helping youth learn life skills through agriculture is also what makes Melissa passionate about teaching agriculture and serving as an FFA advisor. Her students are actively engaged in advocating for agriculture. One group of students is working on a presentation about the antibiotic use in animals. Students in Mrs. Moretz’s sophomore class are required to research a controversial topic in the ag industry, ranging from GMOs to animal welfare, and lead a 15-minute group discussion on their topic.

Last summer the Osage FFA chapter received a grant from the American Farm Bureau Federation to pilot a new curriculum. The middle school exploratory class had an opportunity to design and build its own aquaponics system. In this system students’ have a goal to grow fish and plants for human consumption.

“The focus of this curriculum is to get students to understand how serious the matter of feeding the world is, and more importantly how we can do it in an efficient way,” explains Melissa. “Horticulture students are also building their own hydroponics systems, which grow plants in water. This spring members of the horticulture class implement their landscape designs on the county fairgrounds. Our chapter has also received a few grants to build a greenhouse to use in collaboration with the science department.

My goal for the members of the Osage FFA chapter are to send these members out into the workforce, trade programs, or four-year universities ready to be successful. I hope to prepare members for various fields in agriculture by developing skills that will last them a lifetime such as communication skills, research ability, along with a general knowledge of agriculture. Some specific ways I plan to achieve these goals are to encourage members to participate in the Career Development Events that the FFA offers, along with teaching students basic interview skills, resume writing, and instilling in them the same love for agriculture that my mentors did in me.

I want to be an example for women who dream of being in agriculture. I’m not here to tell everyone that it is a breeze or a piece of cake. I have had struggles and been asked some interesting questions, but at the end of the day, I remind myself that I am paving a way for others to follow and that to inspire people is best done when leading by example.”

Today we are sharing one of Melissa’s favorite recipes from Betty Crocker. It makes for a quick, easy and delicious supper!

Team Latham

April 7, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Farm Mom Teaches Ag Lessons in and out of the Classroom

As a little girl growing up in Minneapolis, Katie Heger spent hours playing school. Her aunt was an elementary teacher, so Katie used her own school papers and assignments to teach make-believe students. This natural-born teacher received a bachelor’s degree in education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and a master’s degree in administration.

In 2000, Katie got married and became part of Heger Family Farms in Underwood, North Dakota.

“There are no two days that are alike on the farm. There are no two days alike in the classroom,” says Katie, who enjoys teaching all students, but finds middle and high school her best fit. She also has served as elementary school principal. “I’ve learned to think outside the box to teach students skill sets and life lessons at the same time. Relating new information to real life is vital to our upcoming generations.”

Katie applies this same philosophy to raising her family and advocating. She and her husband, Steven, are raising five children on their family farm, which will celebrate its centennial in 2019. This third generation farm family also has the distinction of being the first North Dakota residents to move back onto mined land after the coal was removed and land reclaimed.

The Heger children learn business skills and the importance of philanthropy by raising sweet corn and selling it at a roadside stand. A sign on their stand reads, “Grow It Forward,” which explains what they do. Half of the proceeds get donated each year to a community group. Katie presents three organizations for her children’s consideration, and they decide where to donate the money. Recipients have included a crisis care center for battered women, a non-profit daycare, and their local food pantry.

Another way Katie gives back to her community is through the annual Harvest Hike. This August will mark the third 5K race that she’s organized to teach people about agriculture while raising money for a local charity. People have come from 60 miles to participate. Their $15 donation gets them a swag bag filled with North Dakota foods including beef and honey sticks, pasta, pancake mix, ag magazines and recipes.

Katie also speaks to civic and agricultural groups alike. She volunteers at the local food pantry. She supports the local library and has led farm-related activities as part of story time. She also hosts second graders on farm tours. During last spring’s farm tour, Katie read a story entitled “First Peas to the Table.”

This American Farm Bureau Federation “Book of the Year 2016” tells the story of a school contest to see which student can grow the first peas of the season as they study Thomas Jefferson and his contributions to agriculture. After reading the story, Katie helped students plant peas. She also gave each student his/her own copy of the book.

“Advocating came naturally,” explains Katie, a member of North Dakota CommonGround. CommonGround volunteers foster conversations about how food is grown. These FarmHers share their personal stories to bridge the communication gap between producers and consumers. “Everything was exciting to me when I moved to the farm, and I believed my family and my friends back home would be excited to learn more about agriculture, too. I started sharing our story. Then I realized I could do more. I decided to go into classrooms and get more involved in our local community to help correct misperceptions about farming. Now I use social media to help connect with consumers.”

With her passion for advocacy, her commitment to local organizations and her involvement with their family farm, it’s no wonder Katie was selected as 2016 Northwest Region Farm Mom of the Year.

“What I enjoy most about being involved with our family farm is that we’re all in it together. Our family is a team. Our kids are learning true life skills from doing everything from changing tires to building fence. They’ve learned the animals must be fed before they feed themselves. They’re developing empathy,” says Katie. “Whether they come back to our farm or not, these are the soft skills that you can’t necessarily learn from a text book or in a classroom. The farm fosters creativity and nurtures kids’ curiosity. Some of my kids are engineers. We have the items around to foster the mechanics and the builders. They can entertain themselves for hours with electrical tape, duct tape and random pieces of wood.”

Just as the farm nurtures each child, Katie believes 4-H helps her kids further explore their interests and develop life skills. Four of her five children are old enough to be members of 4-H, and Katie serves as their 4-H club leader. They have goat and bottle calf projects. They also choose other 4-H projects including woodworking, agronomy, horticulture, welding, food and nutrition, as well as sewing. The Heger’s oldest daughter also participates in the Hippology competition.

“Honoring the past, working today and preparing for the future” is Heger Farms motto. It’s clear Steven and Katie are living that motto as they raise their five children: Ben, 15; Libby, 13; Chris, 9; Nellie, 7; and Piper, 4.

Not only does each child have his/her own farm chores, but they participate in extracurricular school activities. Between volleyball, football, basketball, track, volunteering, livestock and planting, fall and spring are especially busy seasons. Katie often relies on freezer meals, which she prepares during slower seasons, or quick crockpot meals to keep her family fed and fueled when the days are especially busy. Today she’s sharing a few of her family’s favorite meals to help you get through this busy season, too!

Shannon Latham

March 24, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Poultry
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Sample a Taste of Savannah with an Iowa-Irish Twist
guest blog post by Darcy Maulsby

No one does St. Patrick’s Day like Savannah, Georgia—a pleasant discovery for an Iowa farm girl like me with proud Irish heritage and an insatiable appetite for America’s rich culinary heritage.

Maybe I inherited my love of good food from my great-great-grandfather, John Dougherty (the man with the impressive white mustache in the Dougherty family photo in this blog). An American success story, John was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1848, came to America with his parents at age 10, grew up in New Jersey, worked in the rolling mills of Chicago and farmed in Illinois for 20 years. After he moved to Calhoun County, Iowa, in 1889, he purchased 200 acres and “placed the land under a high state of cultivation,” a legacy my family carries on today with our Century Farm.

With my Irish heritage, I felt right at home during a recent Iowa Farm Bureau trip to Savannah, which boasts the third largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. Oh sure, the city’s open container law that allows alcoholic beverage consumption on the street in the historic district also distinguishes the Hostess City, but Savannah’s diverse food scene is even more intriguing.

During the 3-hour First Squares Food Tour with Savannah Taste Experience Food Tours, our group tasted our way from restaurants on the riverfront (where the cobblestones in the streets once served as ship ballast) to pubs and bakeries near Savannah’s historic town squares. Along the way, we discovered the city’s surprising, savory culinary identity, which includes:
- Hearty Scottish food. Scottish cuisine? While Savannah has Irish pubs, one of the best meals I ate on my culinary tour included shepherd’s pie from Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub at 311 W. Congress Street. After James Oglethorpe of England established Savannah as the first permanent settlement in Georgia in 1733, he recruited Scots (who were among the finest soldiers in the world) to provide a buffer between the English colony and the Spanish in Florida. Georgia might have been a Spanish colony had it not been for these Scottish Highlanders, who sailed from the Old World to Savannah in 1735.
- She-crab soup to shrimp and grits. No trip to Savannah would be complete without a taste of the Lowcountry, which stretches from the Savannah River to the coastal area of South Carolina. As we sampled seafood chowder at Rocks on the River at 102 W. Bay Street, we learned about Savannah’s unique geography. The area’s rich estuary system provides an abundance of shrimp, fish, crabs and oysters that were not available to non-coastal regions of the South prior to refrigeration. Try the delicious she-crab soup in Savannah. Also, sample the shrimp and grits—a coastal classic—at historic Tondee’s Tavern at 7 East Bay Street.
- Chatham Artillery Punch. Speaking of Tondee’s Tavern, order a Chatham Artillery while you’re there. The brave patriots of the Chatham Artillery who fought in the Revolutionary War impressed George Washington so much that he presented the Chatham Artillery with cannons, including one captured at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. These “Washington Guns” were fired to salute President James Monroe when he visited Savannah in May 1819. Occasions like this were undoubtedly celebrated with Chatham Artillery Punch. No one is sure how this heady concoction originated, but local lore says Savannah ladies made the first beverage. Then, one by one officers of the Artillery sneaked in and added rum, bourbon and more, creating Savannah’s most noted drink in two centuries.
I might just mix up my own version of Chatham Artillery Punch while the green beer flows on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll also be thinking of Savannah as I prepare my recipe for Beer-Braised Irish Stew and leave you with this Irish blessing: As you slide down the banisters of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way!

Darcy is a fifth-generation Calhoun County, Iowa, farmer, business owner, ag journalist, speaker, photographer and author of three books, including “A Culinary History of Iowa,” which is available at www.darcymaulsby.com.
Team Latham

March 17, 2017

Beef, Food & Family
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fried Chicken and Pizza Among this Year’s Hottest Food Trends

Prep your palate for ice cream roll ups, faux meat, grilled chicken hearts—and then some.

I’ll admit this line from Condé Nast Traveler hooked me, and I read the entire article about the hottest food trends for 2017. Quinoa and kale are cooling off, but pizza and chicken remain hot.

How ironic that Americans number one New Year’s resolution is “eat healthy,” yet pizza and fried chicken are top food trends for 2017!

“It is rather ironic that pizza and fried chicken are two of the food trends for 2017 despite the popular New Year’s resolutions for eating healthy and/or losing weight,” says Anne Hytrek, MSEd, RD, LD, CDE, Ankeny Prairie Trail Hy-Vee Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. “However, pizza actually can be a healthy entree’ choice depending on the type of crust and toppings used.”

The Tuscano cracker crust or thin crusts are healthier, says Hytrek, especially if they’re made with whole wheat or whole grain flour. Another great alternative is a cauliflower crust that you can make at home. (We’re sharing the recipe below.) Additional healthier crust options, especially for individual pizzas, include Brownsberry Pita Pockets or Sandwich Thins, Flat Out, or Thomas High Fiber English Muffins.

“Bring pizza to life and feel full at the same time without a lot of calories by topping your pizza with lots of colorful vegetables,” says Hytrek. “Think outside of the box and try toppings like pickled peppers, roasted kale, asparagus or brussel sprouts, sliced cherry tomatoes, zucchini ribbons, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, and olives. Canadian bacon, chicken or shrimp, chicken Italian sausage, feta cheese are additional protein options to change up your typical toppings. Really, just be creative and try some different flavor combinations that you typically enjoy!”

Although a noted food trend for 2017 is “organic, antibiotic-free and hormone-free food,” Hytrek says dieticians at her Hy-Vee location do not get a lot of questions regarding these types of foods. Perhaps living in the Midwest helps Iowa customers feel more comfortable with where their food is coming from versus other areas in the United States why.

Hytrek’s comment mirror findings included in the Iowa Food & Family Project’s annual consumer pulse survey conducted earlier this winter.

According to the survey of nearly 400 people, Iowans are less likely to seek out such options as “cage-free,” “organic” and “natural” compared to consumers queried in national surveys. However, food labeled “local” continues to rise in popularity among food-minded Iowans, with 81 percent of those surveyed admitting they are “somewhat” or “very” likely to purchase such food.

When it comes to defining “local,” the results were less than concrete with responses ranging from “across the street” or “within a couple of miles of where it’s sold” to “grown or raised somewhere in the United States.”

Aaron Putze, APR, serves as communications director for Iowa Soybean Association and helps coordinate the work of the Iowa Food & Family Project. He says findings included in the group’s annual consumer pulse survey reveal strong and broad support for Iowa farmers and today’s agriculture. It also underscores the time and attention many consumers give to making food purchases.

Eighty-seven percent of Iowans have a positive perception of agriculture in the state, Putze says, while 68 percent of Iowans think about how food is grown and raised. The combination underscores the value and merits of the Iowa Food & Family Project.

“People want to feel empowered about the food purchasing decisions they make,” Putze says. “By having frequent conversations about food and introducing Iowans to agriculture, we can enhance confidence and trust among both consumers and the farm families who make so many safe and healthy food options available.”

Hy-Vee and Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds join more than 30 partners who support the Iowa Food & Family Project. Learn more and get involved at www.iowafoodandfamily.com.

Team Latham

January 13, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Pork, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Holidays are Filled with Fun and Games for this Family

Traditions are held near and dear to many families during the holidays. The Dawes family of Adel, Iowa, has been carrying on a unique family tradition for more than 20 years. Every Christmas they gather for a warm meal at their grandparents’ house followed by the annual family cribbage tournament! This year, the fourth generation took part in the heated competition and as their elders reminisced about games in years past.

From playing cribbage to working together on the family farm, values of team work and good morals were instilled in Beau and his brother from their parents, Nick and Peg. Growing up just three miles where he lives now, Beau says the farm is where his favorite memories took place.

Beau drive to the field for the first time with his grandpa. His grandma would pile all the grandkids into the front seat of the old farm pickup and let each of them have a turn driving. They would pretend to go through the McDonald’s drive-through, so there was no damage to the crops. He found himself on other side of his favorite memory 25 years later, teaching his kids the same thing.

Beau and his wife, Amie, have three adorable children: Leah (9), Blake (4), and Lane (3). Beau farms with his dad, Nick. Beau handles the day-to-day operations related to row crop operation, and Nick runs his own cow-calf herd on the side of their farm.

Amie was a city girl with no farming background until she met Beau. He admits that getting her behind the wheel of the grain cart is a work in progress, but he says she’s a great wife and mother. Amie keeps more than busy working full time as a physician assistant in a high-risk obstetrics office. She and Beau’s mom also brings good meals to the field during harvest and planting season.

Beau not only fulfills the role of a farmer, but he insists on making time for his family as a dad and husband. He also strives to be a reliable seed dealer for his customers, taking over the dealership his father started in 2000. As an exclusive Latham® Dealer, Beau prides his actions and success on personally checking in with his customers. In addition to his personal goals for his dealership, Beau explains how meaningful it is to work for a family-owned seed company.

“I appreciate knowing that John Latham will make time to walk a field with one of my customers,” said Beau. “That shows a lot about the culture of Latham Seeds and the positive experience they are willing to offer their customers.”

In addition to taking time to meet with customers, Beau says the Lathams look out for their people and treat them like family.

Beau appreciates the opportunity to farm with his family. Carrying on the legacy is exactly how he wanted to raise his own family. Beau’s goal is to continue the Dawes farming story and pass on the lifestyle to the fourth generation. In honor of the Dawes legacy of raising beef cattle, today we’re sharing a beef recipe from the Iowa Beef Industry Council. Give your traditional Sloppy Joes a twist with this recipe!

Webspec Admin

January 6, 2017

Beef, Food & Family, Pork, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Beef Project Helps the Irons Develop Nerves of Steel

David Irons met the love of his life in 1989 when they were both working in the same office in Des Moines. Although David and Patty had both grown on up farms – he on a cow-calf operation in the Altoona-Runnells area and she on a feeder cattle-row crops operation in North Iowa – farming fulltime wasn’t something they had thought about much. After all, they had grown up during the 1980s Farm Crisis and moved to the city for stable paychecks and promising careers.

Lisa and Coral at the Clay County Fair in September 2015

Then, as it often does, life handed the young couple a curve ball. Patty’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1992, so the Irons had a decision to make. They chose to move to Northwood to become a part of the family farm and make a fresh start. They moved to the farm in January 1996 after Patty’s mom moved to town. Over the years, they’ve remodeled facilities. They put a new roof on the barn in 2009 and tinned it in 2013 to make a nice area for the girls to store show equipment and fit cattle.

Fitting is something Lisa, a junior studying Animal Science and beef production at Iowa State, enjoys and has become known for. She also enjoys showing cattle they’ve raised themselves and was proud to have produced the top selling heifer at the 2015 Worth County Club Calf Sale. This is the last summer Lisa is eligible to show in FFA. Both Lisa and Mary showed at the Worth County Fair in June. They plan to show at various open shows in July, the Iowa State Fair in August, and the Clay County Fair in September.

The Irons have shown in many Iowa Junior Beef Breeds Association shows, including Beef Expo. Lisa has also shown at Ak-sar-ben in Omaha and the Minnesota Beef Expo in St. Paul. Lisa has led several clinics for beginning showmen.

“Giving presentations and leading fitting demonstrations has helped me develop confidence, overcome my fear of public speaking and cope with anxiety,” says Lisa. “My 4-H and FFA beef project has helped me develop so many skills, meet many people and led me toward a career. My dream is to graduate from college and farm with my dad.”

Mary and Smurf taking a break at the 2014 Iowa State Fair

Lisa started showing cattle as a third grader when she entered a bucket bottle calf in the county fair. She brought that heifer back the following year. Mary followed in her sister’s footsteps, starting with bucket bottle calves. As a N-K High School Senior, she plans to bring her first heifer back as a cow/calf pair to the 2017 Worth County Fair.

As the girls have grown, so has their beef herd. They began with Maine-Anjou and have added more Simmental, which had more genetic resources available. Plus, the Simmental are known as a pretty docile beef breed that makes them good show animals. The Irons have focused on developing better and better stock, selling off animals and then using those proceeds to purchase better genetics.

Most of their steers are sold to local feeders, but they feed out a few to sell directly to consumers. Female calves are kept as replacements or sold as bred heifers to other beef operators.

“My dream is for my kids to find something they enjoy that provides a good life, as well as a good living, and to pass this farm to the next generation.”

Team Latham

July 1, 2016

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

McGregor Encourages Beef Producers to Help Connect Gate to Plate

When you have a product to sell – whether its athletic shoes or beef cattle – you need to know market trends. Did you know Millennials have overtaken Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation? That equates to $2.45 trillion in buying power! It also explains why beef producers like Scott McGregor of Nashua, Iowa, are allocating more resources toward reaching this important target market.

Scott and his wife, Tracy, live on the home place purchased in 1936 by Scott’s grandfather. Tracy teaches physical education and music at Nashua-Plainfield Elementary. Scott farms with his two brothers, David and Allan, as well as his nephew Patrick. Scott and Tracy’s sons both graduated from Iowa State University. Brendan earned a degree in marketing and works in Des Moines. Chet earned a degree in Ag Studies and helps a neighbor farm and raise cattle.

“As beef producers, our message to millennials needs to include information about the nutritional profile of the beef. I want people to feel confident about the food they eat,” explains Scott, who represents the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as co-chair of the Consumer Trust Committee, a joint committee between the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the NCBA. “We need consumer trust to market our products, so we’re placing more emphasis on the safety and quality of our beef.”

Younger consumers are trending toward more health-conscious eating, so American beef producers are using social media and digital advertisements to get out the message that beef is part of a healthy diet. One serving of beef, which is 3 ounces or about the size of an iPhone, provides our bodies with nearly half of its needed protein plus 10 essential nutrients including zinc, iron, protein (ZIP) and B vitamins.

Consumers want to know the food on grocery store shelves is safe and nutritious. Today’s shoppers look for food labels to help them feel better about their food choices. That’s why Scott, who was recently appointed to the National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Task Force, believes more beef producers will become certified than ever before in the 25-year history of BQA. New beef harvesting facilities will only buy from BQA-certified producers. Plus, QR codes could allow cattle to be traced back to the farm of origin.

Spring cattle drive out to pasture

“So many consumers have lost sight that food on the grocery store shelves comes from a farm,” explains Scott, past chairman and currently federation director for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “BQA can help them connect the food on their table right back to the farm where it was raised.”

Turning the herd out to summer pasture for the breeding season.

This fourth generation Iowa farmer is so passionate about connecting the farm gate to the dinner plate that he’s spent time in the classroom each year for the past 10 years, teaching history to 11^th graders taking an Iowa Studies class at the Nashua-Plainfield High School. Scott makes beef production relate-able to each student in the class by giving samples of beef sticks or jerky and delivering a presentation entitled, “My Cheeseburger Came from the Farm.”

Fall weaning drive

Is it any surprise that a tenderized ground round patty made from Certified Angus Beef® like he raises is one of Scott’s favorite quick meals? You can create a similar sandwich by asking the person behind your local meat counter to run ground round through the tenderizer before making it into patties.

Make a stop at the store, and fire up that grill!

Team Latham

May 20, 2016

Beef, General, Recipes