‘Tis the night before the Iowa-Iowa State football game
and all through the state…
Folks are prepping beef roasts, pork loins, dips and desserts
for their parking lot tailgates.

Saturday is the annual Cy-Hawk football game, a time when Iowans gather together for a day of fun and games.  It’s time to round up the ladder golf and bean bag toss; mix up some dip and grab an extra bag of chips.  Kickoff is 5 p.m. in Ames, so there will be plenty of time for tailgating.

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds wanted to extend the fun, so today we’re hosting a companywide tailgate in Alexander.  We’re grilling brats and burgers for lunch.  But the main attraction, in my humble opinion (IMHO), is the buffet line.  Each Latham Team member will bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert.

While trying to decide what to make and share at today’s tailgate lunch, I searched The Field Position.  Talk about choices!  From appetizers to entrees and dessert, we cover it all on The Field Position.  Here’s my list of Top 10 Tailgating Recipes:

1. Corn Salsa
2. Buffalo Chicken Dip
3. Mexican Queso Dip
4. Deviled Eggs with Bacon
5. Fruit Pizza
6. Cardinal and Gold Cheeseburgers
7. Beef Sundaes
8. Beef Wraps
9. Glazed Pork Loin
10. Perfect Pulled Pork

I ended up “punting” and ordered decorated sugar cookies for today’s event.  My neighbor makes the best homemade buttercream frosting, plus she’s a master decorator.  I will admit that my conscience got the best of me, so I ordered a few cookies decorated in Hawkeye colors.  “Few” is the operative word.  Of course, there are far more cookies decorated in Cardinal and Gold.  (Insert devilish grin here.)

Let the smack talk begin!  Before anyone wants to take a crack at my Clones, just keep these stats in mind:

• Iowa State Football has won 9 of the last 15 meetings with Iowa.
• Iowa State is 9-6 against Iowa since ending its 15-year losing streak in 1998
• Iowa State is 8-6 against current U of I Coach Kirk Ferentz

Whether you’ll be watching the game from your living room, a parking lot or inside the stadium, have fun!  Then remember to tune into the Cyclone Radio Network following the game for the Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Locker Room Show and commentary by analysts, players and coaches.

There’s no need to sound a dinner bell.  Somehow, when Ruth Wittrock of Paullina pulls a fresh batch of Oatmeal Bars from the oven, her family members and neighbors know to call.  Her husband and sons say her cooking is their secret to keeping their customers happy.

This Northwest Iowa family operates a baling business within a 40-mile radius around their business.  Gordon and his three sons, Tracy, Tim and Terry, began Wittrock Baling in 2003 by purchasing equipment from a neighbor.  That neighbor had operated a custom baling business for 16 years, so there was an existing book of business.  The Wittrocks began with a customer base of 40 and, over the past decade, have grown their business to 120 customers.

“Buying the baling business was a really good opportunity for us,” says Gordon.  “All three of our sons were interested in farming.  It’s a bit unique that all of our boys wanted to farm, so we wanted to find a way to make it work.  We weren’t farming enough acres for everyone to make a living, so we needed to look for additional income.  Baling has allowed each of our boys to pursue their passion for farming.”

From April through November, the Wittrocks are busy cutting alfalfa, baling grass, chopping silage and baling cornstalks.  There’s no down time during the baling season, so the winter months are spent buying/selling equipment and making repairs.  They also raise their own corn and soybean crops, so it’s important that every piece of equipment is ready to go once the fields are fit to enter in the spring.

The Wittrocks go directly from spring planting to first crop alfalfa.  Depending on the growing conditions, they may put up four hay crops for their customers before corn and soybean harvest begins.  Once those crops are harvested, it’s time to bale the corn stalks.

Operating with such efficiency takes a great deal of teamwork.  Tim and Terry line up the jobs.  Terry does most of the cutting, however, everyone does whatever is needed to get the jobs done in a timely fashion.  The days and hours can be long and demanding, especially when the weather is against them.

Over the years, they’ve upgraded equipment and added additional lines of machinery to handle the demand.  They started cutting and baling with a John Deere 4240 and used a John Deere 4010, without a cab, for raking.  Now they all use newer equipment.  They have a John Deere R450 windrower. They use their John Deere 7930 and 7530 tractors to pull their two, new 569 balers.  They use a John Deere 7810 to pull a new 27-wheel Rouse rake that will rake 47 feet.

“We like the bigger rake for greater speed and efficiency,” says Tim.  “We also like the rubber mounted teeth for low maintenance.”

Not only has equipment technology changed, but alfalfa seed has advanced.  This spring the Wittrocks planted Genuity® Roundup Ready® Alfalfa from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.  This particular alfalfa stands up to heavy traffic.  It produces a large, deep set crown with high root and crown carbohydrate reserves to allow for aggressive regrowth and winter hardiness.  These features, combined with an outstanding disease package and resistance to Roundup Ready herbicide, make this an ideal choice for those in search of high quality, weed control, and high yield under an aggressive schedule.

“You wouldn’t have believed what a weedy mess this field was in early spring!  Then we made one pass with Roundup and it made a night and day difference,” says Gordon.  “Not only was the field weed-free but the first crop on new seeding was extremely high yielding.  LH 455TQ RR produced 20 large square bales off 13 acres.  It’s leafy and fine-stemmed, just the way cows like it.  We couldn’t be happier.”

On second thought, Gordon might be happier if he was eating an oatmeal bar while admiring his alfalfa crop.  Try a batch at home and see if you can bake your family happy!

Most Americans associate July 4 as the day when the original 13 British colonies declared their independence from Britain.  Fourth of July parades and community celebrations often honor those, who have provided military service throughout the years and have fought to protect our freedoms including the freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  But, July 4 is also a fitting time to honor those who are still serving our country a half a world away.

Today we’re honoring a local military family, Latham Customer Support Specialist, Julie Kaduce and her husband Jonathan. They are the proud parents of three:  Natasha is a member of the Army Reserves;  Christopher is employed by Fareway in Belmond and has blessed them with their first grandson, Drake, who is 18 month old; and their youngest daughter, Lea, will be a junior this fall at West Fork High School in Sheffield.

“While we didn’t talk much about military service as she was growing up, Natasha seemed always to have an interest,” says Julie. “She frequently visited goarmy.com, and when she was in junior high, she was excited to get the t-shirt she’d ordered from that site.”

Upon graduating from high school in 2007, Natasha earned a cosmetology degree from the Salon Professional Academy in Ames, Iowa.  She then joined the Army after receiving her cosmetology license.  She also wanted to return to college to further her education and finished her first year at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) one month early to start basic training.  She graduated basic training in 2010 with honors in Fort Sill, OK.

Natasha was deployed on a special mission to Botswana, Africa, for one month last summer.  She is serving now through next summer with her unit in the Middle East.  Her current mission involves providing medical support in the area of approved food sources, facility sanitation, procurement and surveillance inspection of food and environmental zoonotic disease hazards.  She’s also providing support for veterinary services for military working dogs (MWDs) on duty.

Volunteer to Serve

Military members feel called to serve, and civilians can express appreciation for their service by assisting on the home front.  When servicemen and women are deployed for long periods of time, Julie says life is very different for their families.  Life can become downright challenging for husbands, wives, parents, children and even extended family members.

“One way to support our troops is to get involved with programs that benefit their families. Sometimes just being available to their families is enough.  You can help make life changing differences for military families through organizations like the National Military Family Association and Our Military Kids.

It’s also important to make sure young Americans know the significance of Independence Day and understand the important role the U.S. military plays in protecting our freedoms still today.  Teach patriotism to your children and grandchildren.  Click here for related holiday activities and crafts.

You can also celebrate your freedom with patriotic foods and holiday potlucks.  Today Julie is sharing one of her family’s favorite salads.  She says it’s great for summer potlucks because it doesn’t contain mayonnaise.  This salad was served in early May when family and friends gathered for Natasha’s sendoff party.  We’re especially honored to post this recipe today as Julie rarely grants requests for it.  She says, “This recipe is special, just like my daughter.”

Does your family have a recipe that has special meaning?  If so, we hope you’ll share it on TheFieldPosition!  Feel free to email it to me at shannonl@lathamseeds.com.