What comes to mind when you hear someone say, “Fourth of July celebration”? My mind automatically thinks about boating at the lake (more like wishful thinking on my part!), potlucks with friends, campfires, and big fireworks that fill the night sky.

The Fourth of July is certainly a time for Americans to relax, unwind and celebrate all of the joys of summer. But, we would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to reflect upon our nation’s history and to remember those who preserve our freedoms. My heart goes out to all of my friends who have family members deployed this holiday. How selfless they are to put our country first!

Did you know that 40% of our service men and women come from rural America, yet only 16% of the U.S. population lives in rural America?

Perhaps more “farm kids” volunteer to serve our great country because they were active in 4-H, pledging their hands to larger service for their community and their world. Perhaps they learned to recite the FFA creed, believing that it’s more honorable to serve the public interest than one’s own self-interest. Both youth organizations emphasize community service.

Perhaps nurturing livestock or caring for crops helps develop a worth ethic and compassion, so more rural residents feel compelled to enter the military.  After all, “if you grow up in rural America, you know you just can’t take from the land. You have to give something back.” — Keeping it Real through the Lens of Farm Girl

Whatever their reasons, we owe the men and women in uniform a great deal of thanks. Their service allows us to enjoy freedoms including “choice.” For the most part, we can farm the way we want. American farmers can choose the seeds they want to plant, and they can choose to farm with Big Red Power or take a ride in a Big Green Tractor.

This holiday weekend, as we picnic with family and friends, I’ll #thankafarmer for the many food choices available! I’m looking forward to preparing – and tasting – Sweet & Spicy Hog Wild Baked Beans. What can be more “all American” than a recipe that combines apple pie filling and pork? I’ve been intrigued by this recipe ever since Franklin County farmer Val Plagge told me about it.

It’s not uncommon for a dairy farmer to begin milking at 5 AM and then again at 5 PM, but Beth Ingli of Spring Valley, Wisconsin, isn’t your typical dairy farmer. She rises at 5 AM to take care of calves and dry cows. Once the chores are done, she gets ready to work as Store Supervisor and Advertising Director for the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. After work, she heads back to the barn for evening chores.

“Dairying is in my blood,” says Beth, who has been living on a dairy farm for 49 years. For the past 29 of those years, she’s been working alongside her husband, Craig. The couple is the second generation to live on the family farm, which was purchased in 1957 by Beth’s father-in-law.

Beth and Craig’s four children – Kay, Celia, Rick and Erin – were active in 4-H. Beth credits that youth organization for helping her kids learn the value of keeping records and setting goals. She has served as a 4-H leader in Pierce County for the past 28 years. She started as a Foods project leader with the Olivet Otters 4-H club, which is the same 4-H club to which she belonged as a youth. Beth then became the club’s general leader. She’s currently serving on the Adult Advisor Council.

“I know from experience that 4-H teaches youth and families how to work together,” says Beth. “The county fair serves as a deadline to get projects, which you’ve been thinking about doing, actually completed. Kids learn to set goals and make a plan to achieve them. Plus, living on a farm teaches work ethic. You have to make sure the animals and crop are taken care of, and that’s a huge responsibility.”

At one time, the Ingli family had 250 entries at the Pierce County Fair! They showed cattle and hogs, as well as exhibited items like foods, photography, field crops, and ceramics. This year Beth is celebrating her 40^th year as an exhibitor by “cutting back” to about 10-15 food and photography exhibits.

Beth started showing cattle in 1974. Now her 4-year-old nephew is taking over the Raleigh show box and showing a calf in the “Little Dairyman” class this fall. She also has been bringing the same brownie recipe to the fair for the past 40 years. She has yet to receive a Champion ribbon on the brownies, but all of her children have! Guess Beth can take great pride in being a good teacher. J

In her “free time,” you’ll find Beth whipping up blue-ribbon recipes using dairy products. She’s created many of the recipes featured on the Ellsworth Creamery’s website. (SIDE BAR: My husband’s favorite appetizer is Bacon Wrapped Curds. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Be sure to also check out this recipe for Cheese Curd Apple Pie, which sounds perfectly patriotic and fitting for a Fourth of July picnic.)

Last fall Beth developed an apple turnover, which she says is just too good not to share! She’s sharing that recipe with us today on The Field Position. She’s also sharing links to a few summer picnic ideas, which she recently demonstrated during a television interview on Twin Cities Live:

• Grilled Chicken Taco Salad with Seared Cheese Curds
• Couscous and Mandarin Orange Salad with Havarti Cheese

Super Bowl Sunday is a little more than a week away, but already good-natured ribbing and game day speculations are underway.  Whether you’re planning to watch the big game (or just the commercials) with family and friends at their house or yours, the Rasmussens from Burt in North Central Iowa offer some tried and true hosting tips.

“Our approach is really to keep it simple.  We do much of the food prep ahead of time, so we can enjoy more time with our friends and family when they arrive,” says Cindy, who works part-time off the farm for an attorney and also helps with field work during the spring and fall.

Scott, the other half of this husband-wife team, is quick to share one of their secrets.  While I’m talking with Cindy, he walks over to the freezer and pulls out a Ziploc® freezer bag filled with Rye Bread Appetizers.  Now that’s my idea of “fast food”!

Keeping food on hand that can be fixed quickly when company drops in unexpectedly makes entertaining fun and easy.  Now that their three children have graduated college and are living on their own, Scott and Cindy look forward to their visits and also relish time reconnecting with their friends.

“All of our kids were very active in high school with sports and extracurricular activities like 4-H,” says Scott, who served as 4-H club leader for 11 years and coached their AAU basketball teams.  Cindy was a Sunday School teacher and Scott served as a trustee.  They both served as T-ball coaches when their kids were younger.

Adds Cindy, “It took some planning, especially during spring and fall, but we really wanted them to experience life outside of farming, choose their own paths, and earn a four-year degree.”  That being said, now our kids come home during spring and fall to help during the busy season.  They truly understand what a great life farming is and that it is the perfect setting for raising a family.”

The Rasmussen’s oldest son, Noah, graduated from Algona High School in 2000.  He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and works for John Deere in Urbandale.  His wife, Rachel, also graduated from ISU with a master’s in public administration.  She works in human relations.  The couple has three daughters ages 8, 4, and 3 months.

The Rasmussen’s second son, Drew, graduated from high school in 2005.  He earned a degree in Industrial Systems Technology (Ag Systems Technology) from Iowa State University and is a shift foreman at the biodiesel plant in Algona.  He also helps Scott and Cindy farm and is looking forward to farming on his own someday.  Drew and his fiancée, Sierra, are planning an August wedding.

Daughter, Chelsie, graduated from high school in 2007.  She earned a degree in psychology from the University of Iowa.  She and her husband, Tom, make their home near Britt.  They both work full time plus Chelsie is taking classes through North Iowa Community College (NIACC) to become a physical therapy assistant.  They’re expecting their first child in June.

While their children were growing up, the Rasmussens had a farrow to finish operation in addition to their cropping operation.  In 2000, hog prices went to $8, so Scott was determined to find a way to make up for lost income.  With margins on the hog operation going from tight to negative, Scott went to work at Aluma Trailers in Bancroft.  He appreciated that company’s flexibility, so he could work around his farming schedule.  After a year of working at Aluma, Scott’s dad retired from farming.   Scott was able to continue working part-time and farm additional acres.  Then in 2008, they converted the barn into a heated shop where Scott enjoys maintaining his line of farm equipment and woodworking especially during the winter months.

“I really enjoyed working at Aluma and my boss was really good to me,” says Scott.  “He was one person who really helped make a difference. Cindy and I have really been blessed by the people who have helped us along the way.”  They mention the respect they have for the farm manager of the Stockwell Memorial Farm, who helped them start farming on their own, and for an elderly neighbor, who also chose Scott to farm his land when he decided to retire.

“We’ve learned to surround ourselves with good people, and that’s one of the reasons we enjoy working with Latham Seeds,” says Scott.  “The company is filled with good people.  I know that I can call the office and be connected with someone who has the answer to my question. I really enjoy Latham’s personal service, plus Latham® products really perform well.”

In their spare time, the Rasmussens enjoy fishing, boating, spending time with family and friends, and spoiling their grandchildren.  The couple also enjoys antiquing, refinishing and repurposing furniture.  They had a cabinet built into a buffet to camouflage a dorm-sized refrigerator.  They also put locking wheels on an island in their kitchen, which readily converts into a snack table for grandkids or extends their kitchen counter space if they want to set up a buffet line.  Both items make entertaining easy.

So that you can spend more time with friends and less time in the kitchen, today the Rasmussens are sharing two of their favorite recipes on TheFieldPosition.  Take it to the house next Sunday with Rye Bread Appetizers and Party Pretzels!

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As a young girl growing up in rural North Dakota, Val Wagner dreamed of becoming a big-shot lawyer and living in a metropolis.  Then she met a farmer (aka “Boss Man” on her Wag’n Tales blog) at the county fair, and well, her dreams changed.

Val and her husband, Mark, make their home in very rural southeast North Dakota on the land that has been in her husband’s family for more than 50 years.  Together, they’re caring for the land and livestock, raising their four sons and ensuring that farming will be their legacy.

“These four boys are the reasons I do what I do,” says Val, while addressing a group of seed company executives Thursday during the 25^th anniversary of the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA).  “Their opportunity to farm this land isn’t going to be lost on my watch.”

Val saw how times were changing. Ag literacy is a real concern, so she started Wag’n Tales to help create a better understanding of modern agriculture.  Her blog has allowed her to virtually “open the farm to everyone.”  She believes the most important things she does is answer questions that non-farmers have like: What are cows fed? How are cattle taken care of during the winter? What is it like when a calf is born?

“I usually don’t travel an hour past my farm yet my blog has been read around the world,” says Val.  Readers live in all 50 states plus 163 countries.  She literally has a world-wide platform to discuss topics ranging from “the Science behind Crop Technology” to “School Lunch Rules” and “Corporate Farming.”  Her tongue-and-cheek blog post about “How to Spend 10 Years Married to a Farmer” went viral with more than 10,000 hits on Facebook.

“I have a story to tell, and my story is unique to me,” she says.  “But like my fellow North Dakota prairie farm wife Jenny Dewey Rohrich says, ‘Your story may seem ordinary to you, but it’s extraordinary to someone else’.  The same is true for everyone else. Tell your story and become an advocate for agriculture!“

Recipes are another way Val connects with non-farm moms and others on her blog.  In honor of January Soup Month and as a tribute to the German-Russian Country in which her family resides, today she’s sharing a recipe for Knephla Soup.

Like many farmers, Lori Maurer of Royal in western Iowa repurposed old equipment and household items before #DIY was a trend on Pinterest.  Stepping into her warm kitchen is like walking down memory lane.

Windows salvaged from an old hog barn have become window pane photo frames, showcasing some of Lori’s favorite memories while her own three children were young.  The large bowl her grandma used to make homemade bread hangs on the wall next to the photo pane.  Nearby, an old wooden ladder from her parents’ farm has found new life as a decoration.

“I’ve always enjoyed finding new uses for old items.  It’s a fun way to preserve memories plus it can help decorate on a dime,” says Lori, who’s the youngest of 10 children.

Being resourceful is something Lori grew up doing and it’s something she and her husband, Jeff, have passed along to her children.  They’re the proud parents of three: Kevin, 26, who graduated from Iowa State University and recently joined the family farming operation; Mandy, 23, who also graduated from ISU where she met her husband Cole Danner; and Mitch, 19, who’s a sophomore at Iowa State where he’s majoring in Ag Studies with a minor in Agronomy.

This year the Maurer’s are literally “making Christmas.”  Now that their children are either married or have significant others, they decided to eliminate some of the stress and expense from everyone buying something for eight other family members.  Instead they drew names and will make a gift for that person.  Jeff is making something so special for Mandy that she’s sure to treasure it for a lifetime, and Lori’s gift for Cole is extremely thoughtful.

Providing experiences is a Maurer holiday tradition.  One year they gave their children a puppy named Pepper, who still makes her home on the farm although she prefers to stay on the porch rather than run with the younger dogs.  Another year Santa left a Kitty Cat in their living room; the Maurer kids couldn’t imagine how Santa got down the chimney with that!

“Our kids had so much fun riding their little snowmobile through wide, open spaces,” recalls Lori.  “The freedom to explore on their own is one of the best things about raising kids in the country.  Living on a farm with livestock also teaches them responsibility and life lessons.”

The Maurer’s also credit 4-H for helping their kids develop life skills.  All three showed club calves.  They were responsible for doing chores, balancing a budget and marketing their show stock.  Showing cattle helped them develop communication skills and allowed them to meet other youth with like interests from around the state.

“There’s always something to be done on our farm, but there’s always someone help,” says Lori, whose family raised hogs and crops when she was growing up.  She and Jeff feel blessed to be farming with two of their children, and Mitch comes home from college to help whenever he can.  He’s hoping to join the family farming operation in a few more years.

When everyone gathers together, Lori likes to whip up hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that’s perfect during fall harvest or a cold, winter’s night.  Today she’s sharing one of her family’s favorite casseroles on TheFieldPosition.com.

P.S.  If you’d like to try making homemade gifts for the holidays, we’ve created a Pinterest board with several fun ideas.  Below are a few links to ideas for family activities.  Even if you don’t get them made before Dec. 25, you could make them over Winter Break and treasure them in years to come:

• Building snowmen for breakfast
• Ornaments you can make with your kids
• How to make burlap wreaths

‘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!