Farmers Feed Us is offering people the chance to win a year of free groceries at www.farmersfeedus.org. The prize, estimated at a $5,000 value, is all part of an overall initiative to build consumer awareness of modern agriculture and the hard work and dedication of America’s farm families.

The Farmers Feed Us program allows consumers the opportunity to meet and engage with farmers who grow their food. They have the opportunity to tour farms, read producer testimonials about animal care and food production and create recipes using the healthy products farmers produce. The program is currently active in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.

Take a few minutes today to learn more about our nation’s farm families and register to win. Good luck!

To learn more about the Farmers Feed Us initiative, watch the campaign overview video.

As you all know, I love easy recipes that taste great. I know many of you will have a full house this Sunday, or will go to a full house, and may be looking for a dish to share with family and friends as you cheer on your favorite Super Bowl team.

I recently discovered a blog I love to visit every once in a while for great recipe ideas and good writing. Here are a few recipes shared on Ree Drummond’s blog in the Tasty Kitchen portion. The theme of this post was Game Day Grub. Whether you’re rooting for the Saints or the Colts, I think you’ll be able to agree on one thing this Sunday – these recipes make for some happy football fans.

Who will you root for on Sunday?

Baked Sweet Onion Dip

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (Very Softened)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cup Minced Sweet Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Crusty Bread, Crackers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, place softened cream cheese. The cream cheese must be very, very, soft (like spreadable butter) to allow all ingredients to blend evenly together. If your cream cheese needs to soften more, place in the microwave for a few seconds.

2. Add mayo, Parmesan cheese, onions and fresh cracked black pepper to soft cream cheese till everything is mixed thoroughly.

3. Place mixture in ramekins or any oven-safe dishes. Bake slowly, for about 30-45 minutes for all ingredients to cook together. When the top crust is brown, almost burnt-looking, then the dip is ready. The darker brown the crust of the dip becomes, the better the flavors are cooked.

4. Serve with your favorite bread and crackers.

And … who could have a Super Bowl party without great sandwiches?

Pulled Pork Pockets

Ingredients

• 1 can (16.3 Oz. Can) Flaky Canned Biscuits (Pillsbury’s Grands® work well)
• 3 cups Pulled Or Roasted Pork, Chopped
• 1 whole Egg White
• 1 teaspoon Water
• 1 Tablespoon Your Favorite BBQ Seasoning/rub
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1. Preheat your oven to 350º.
2. Whisk the egg white and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. On a floured work surface, roll each biscuit into a six-inch round.
4. Place about 1/3 cup of the pork on one half of each round and sprinkle it with a dash of the seasoning. Fold the exposed half of each round over the filling and pinch and roll to seal the edge.
5. Arrange the pockets on a sheet pan leaving about an inch between each.
6. Cut a one-inch slash in the top of each pocket.
7. Brush the top and seams of each pocket with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little chili powder.
8. Bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

The USDA recently released the annual crop production summary. Following are highlights that were reported on Corn and Soybean Digest’s website.

Corn: U.S. grain for corn production reached a record 12.3 billion bushels, up 2% from the Nov. 1 forecast, and 1% above the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels that was set in 2007.

Estimated yields reached record high levels across much of the Corn Belt, Great Plains and Ohio Valley. Mild temperatures and adequate soil moisture contributed to yield growth. Record yields were also estimated for much of the upper Rocky Mountain Region, as well as the Pacific Northwest.

 Soybeans: Production in 2009 totaled 3.36 billion bushels, up 1% from the Nov. 1 forecast and 13% from 2008. U.S. production is the largest on record. Average yield per acre was estimated at 44 bushels, 0.7 bushels above the November forecast and 4.3 bushels above last year’s yield. Acres planted were up 2% from 2008, totaling 77.5 acres.

Yields increased or were maintained in all states except Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, New York and South Carolina. Good growing conditions with ample moisture attributed to higher yields.

Click here to view the full report.

MaxYield Cooperative featured Latham in a recent issue of My Solutions with an article titled Latham Seeds Declares Its Independence: Locally-Owned Business Offers Options for Area Growers.

We were pleased with the write up because it highlighted those things we think best define Latham: truly local service, dedication to innovation, and high quality products. Below are two quotes that I pulled from the article that show how, through our independence, we’re able to offer customers the best products for their land.

“Because Latham is independent, I look to them as a gauge to determine which companies offer the best technology,” said Greg Sweeney, a MaxYield seed solutions specialist, who noted that Latham seeds are bred for the high-pH, poorly drained soils common throughout MaxYield’s trade territory. “In a business where every company claims to offer the best products, Latham offers a fresh opinion to help us determine which seed genetics fit each operation best.”

“You get one chance to get it right at planting, and I have a lot of respect for the track record Latham has with MaxYield,” said Kurt Metzger, a MaxYield seed solutions specialist who has worked with Latham for more than 25 years. “Seed is not a commodity like DAP or potash, and it’s so important to plan the right seed on the right soil.”

Click here to read the full article.

Bill Latham was honored with the Industry Service Award yesterday at the annual Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The award was presented by Skype. (How’s that for our industry embracing innovation and technological advancement?)

The IPSA also presented Bill –  a die-hard Iowa State fan – with an ISU Cyclones ball signed by Iowa State University’s football coach, Paul Rhoads; men’s basketball coach, Greg McDermott; athletic director, Jamie Pollard; and women’s basketball coach, Bill Fennelly.

Bill, we’re so proud of your accomplishments and your dedication to our industry. Congratulations on IPSA’s recognition!  John Latham, Bill’s oldest son, is shown below accepting the award on Bill’s behalf.  Also shown in the photo is Lou Schweigert, IPSA President from Grow Alliance Seed (left) and Greg Ruehle, CEO of IPSA (right).

About IPSA

The IPSA is dedicated to independent seed companies worldwide. Created in 1989, IPSA represents approximately 135 seed companies from more than 25 states and Canada, who produce approximately 30 percent of the corn, soybeans, and small grain and forage seeds marketed annually.

To learn more about the Independent Professional Seed Association, click here.

Biotechnology will undoubtedly play a crucial role in feeding the growing world population. It’s projected that our world will require 70 percent more food in 2050.

While we most often talk about the need for continued yield improvements to meet thise growing demand for food, an article by Greg Lamp in the December issue of Corn and Soybean Digest reminds of the yield gains and other benefits that have been recognized in recent years due to biotechnology.  Here are few ways Lamp cites that biotechnology is already helping this number become reality:

• If farmers hadn’t used biotechnology in 2007, 14.75 million additional acres of soybeans and 7.5 additional acres of corn, plus cotton and canola would have needed planted. This equals about 6 percent of arable land in the United States.
• Average yield gains in areas using biotech insect-resistant corn is 6 percent, with the highest yield gains experienced in developing countries.
• Since 1996, biotech traits have added 67.8 million tons and 62.4 million tons respectively to global soybean and corn production.
• The additional production provided by biotechnology has contributed enough energy (in kcal terms) to feed about 402 million people for a year.

With some of the world feeling uncomfortable about biotech traits, it becomes all the more important for us to share the success biotechnology has already brought to our food supply. Please share some of the above information when you are talking with people who question biotech traits.

Click here to read the recent issue of Corn and Soybean Digest.

What differences have you noticed in your yields after using biotech traits? Please share in the comment field below.

I heard on the news today that we’ve received the same amount of snow already this winter that we would normally receive in an entire season!   

The one good thing about snowy days is that I get in the mood to bake and cook, so this winter has provided me with plenty of opportunities to do just that!  Today – as local schools are closed again and all community activities are being cancelled – I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite recipes to make when the snow starts piling up.

Making a hearty meal and then spending time with my family, watching a good movie or playing games, helps brighten my spirits.  If we’re really lucky, it might get warm enough for us to hit the nearby sledding hill.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and some quality family time, too.

Thick and Hearty Chili

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef, browned

2, 15-oz. cans chili beans

2, 15-oz. cans tomato sauce

2, 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

Onion

3 T. chili powder

Tabasco to taste

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker before your day begins, and it’s ready to eat at supper time!

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine softened (I use butter)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 2/3 cup milk

2 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar, Combine eggs, and milk. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. 

Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 22-27 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

¾ c. butter, softened

¼ c. honey

Directions:

Cream butter and honey.

Before Iowa State University (ISU) takes on Minnesota in the Insight Bowl tonight, we wanted to wish all of the players and coaches good luck!

John and I both graduated from the College of Ag at ISU.  Because we’re die-hard Cyclone fans, we’re proud to support our team at every opportunity. One way we support the Cyclones is by sponsoring the Latham Hi-Tech Seeds Locker Room Show, a post-game show during which analysts, coaches and players share their thoughts. Since we help provide inside information after the game, we thought you might be interested in a little inside information before the game, too. Click here to see how the Cyclones are preparing for tonight’s match-up.

Please join us and cheer for the Cyclones as they pair up against the Minnesota Gophers in the Sun Devil Stadium at 4 p.m. Mountain Time. And, be sure to tune in to the Latham Locker Room Show following the game. For a listing of which stations air the Latham Locker Room, click here.

(P.S. Don’t worry, Latham products work for Iowa fans, too).

At left: Jesse Smith autographs a football for Ian Latham after ISU defeated Colorado to become “bowl eligible,” 11-26-2009.

Rich Pope, Program Specialist at the Iowa State University Extension (ISU) Department of Plant Pathology recently provided a recap of the unusual temperatures and rainfall that affected Iowa’s 2009 growing season.

Temperatures in July, August and October were very cold compared with historical records, Pope said. July ranked the coldest July on record, while October ranked in the coldest five. The cold temperatures were consistent throughout Iowa, with northwest and central Iowa faring only slightly better than the remainder of the state.

While most of Iowa saw average rain fall, east central and southeast Iowa saw above average rain from July forward. There were exceptions with summer thunderstorms that brought heavy rain to small areas, Pope noted. Two of these storms brought devastating hail that destroyed crops as well as causing additional damage. The first storm occurred July 24, making its way from Calmar in Winnesheik County to Western Dubuque. The second storm was incredibly strong, stripping crops from Ida to Grundy County, causing particularly intense damage in Hardin County near Eldora and Callendar in Webster and Calhoun Counties. ISU researchers have been analyzing damaged ears from these areas for ear rots and potential mycotoxin formation.

To read more and view pictures taken by NASA of the damaged areas, click here.

The future of agriculture looks bright as the enrollment in ag-related bachelor’s degrees has increased substantially in the past few years. A growing number of students are being drawn to ag schools around the country, not necessarily because they grew up on a farm or want to farm land, but because of the science programs within ag and the job opportunities it brings.  

Enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs in agriculture across the country grew by 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000, according to surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the numbers are likely higher as not all schools responded to the survey.

National enrollment figures for 2009 aren’t yet available from all schools, but numbers from major schools make clear the trend continues: The University of California-Davis has more than 5,490 students enrolled in agricultural majors – a jump of 210 from a year before. Purdue University has 2,575 ag students this fall, up 40 from last year.  

Keeping with the trend, Iowa State University saw nearly a 21 percent increase in enrollment in agriculture between 2005 and 2008.

The growing numbers are coming at a time in our history when it couldn’t be more important – United Nations reports an expected population of 9 billion in 2050, a population that will need advancements in agriculture and technology more than ever before. 

Have you noticed an increase in students choosing ag-related fields in your area?