Machine Shed Restaurant plants Latham Hi-Tech Seeds corn mini showplot

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

“Dedicated to the American Farmer.” That’s the heart of The Machine Shed restaurants located throughout the Midwest. One of the leading hospitality brands in the central U.S., The Machine Shed’s flagship property in Des Moines recently planted a small demonstration plot of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds corn. The corn stand will be a great visual addition to The Machine Shed’s visitor path, circling a scenic pond surrounded by classic farm tractors, landscaping and other “adornments” from life on the land. The Machine Shed hosts thousands of restaurant patrons every week, many from small towns and rural areas.

As you can see, Cat Wood-Penton, executive team member at the Machine Shed who is planting the seeds, took Latham’s planting instructions to heart: 30-inch rows, seeds planted 6 inches apart, 1.5″ to 2″ deep. It was a windy day that day, so the audio is a little muffled, but should still work.

We look forward to big, brilliant corn emerging this summer, showing people how Latham seeds perform.

Check the fencelines… it’s Wild Asparagus Season!

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Laura Cunningham, Marketing Coordinator

For those of you asparagus fans out there, now is the time to be on the hunt! asparagusimage

The best places to look for asparagus are along fence lines and in ditches where grass isn’t cut on a regular basis. These plants can be found towering over grass as they grow over two feet tall. The most tender finds are the slender young spears. These hold the most flavor. The more the plant ages, the thicker the stem becomes and the more the flavor will fade.

Asparagus shoots are a perennial plant. Mark your spots each year as there is a good chance that it where they will be found the following season. The plants may grow 6 to 10 inches per day. Check back to your spots every two to three days for more potential finds that have sprouted while you were away.

Store your asparagus in the refrigerator covered loosely in plastic. If you don’t plan on using your asparagus soon, make sure it stays hydrated in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare. Store for up to one week to ensure freshness.

There are many ways to use asparagus. A side-dish, afternoon snack, even an addition to a great recipe for added low-calorie, great taste. Share your recipes using asparagus with us in the comment box below!

Planting report from our new intern

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Hi all. I want to introduce our intern for this summer, Andrew Kilburg. We look forward to Andrew’s weekly reports from the field. – Shannon

I am Andrew Kilburg and I just completed my sophomore year at Iowa State. I am majoring in Agronomy and corn-planting Agriculture Systems Technology, and this summer I will be an intern at Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. One of my duties will be posting weekly blog updates on planting progress for corn and beans, stages of growth, and any weed or pest issues.

It sounds like central Iowa is pretty close to completing corn planting, and has a good start on getting the beans planted. Travis Slusher says “they need a day or two to finish up with planting corn.” Central Iowa has received rain this past week which has kept farmers from the fields.

In northwest Iowa, progress sounds good. Bruce Anderson says“95% of corn is in the ground and 80% of beans are planted.” Growth of corn also looks good in NW Iowa with 75% of the corn up and able to be rowed. Sounds like there isn’t any insect problem yet, but Bruce has heard there is a possibility of cut worms that could hatch around the 22^nd of May. He also says that alfalfa and pastures are growing great. He said the forecast for next week looks to be in the 70’s with a couple days is in the lower 80’s.

Jeff Weier in Western Iowa has reported that planting progress is coming along great. He says “99% of corn is planted with 30-40% of the corn being in the V2 stage of growth”. He also said “the beans are about 50-60% planted, and if the weather holds out this week farmers could begin to finish up with beans.” He hasn’t seen any bug or disease issues yet.

In Wayde McNeil’s territory of Jasper, Poweshiek, Marshall, and Tama counties in Iowa, corn planting is pretty much 100% done with most of the corn in the V1 stage and some in the V2 stage. The beans in his territory are 80% planted. He hasn’t seen any bug or disease problems yet. On Sunday May, 17 he said there was a slight frost, but didn’t cause any damage.

In Eastern Nebraska Brian Banks is saying the bean planting is coming along good with a few spotty rain showers keeping some farmers out of the fields. He says “that some beans are starting to emerge this week, and if things go well most farmers will be finishing up this week. Most of the corn is in the V2 stage.” He hasn’t seen any bug, disease, or weather related issues yet. He did say “they are a little behind average with GDD’s at this time.

In South Dakota Bill Eichacker is reporting that planting is happening earlier than previous years, although the northern part of the state is lagging behind due to flooding and rains.

Bob Colins in Central Iowa reported that corn is pretty much all in the ground and beans will be finishing up in 2-3 days. He hasn’t seen any bug or disease issues at this time.

Brad Beatty around Benton County reported that 95% of corn is planted and 60% of beans are planted. The biggest issue in his territory is the cold soil temperatures. He said “some of the corn is rotting instead of growing, so farmers will have to evaluate to see if they need to replant.” With the cold weekend we just had he thought that most of the corn should be fine, but the few beans that have already emerged will also have to be evaluated to see if replanting is necessary.

Jason Obermeyer in Minnesota reported that all corn planting is done and beans should be finishing up this week. He hasn’t noticed any widespread bug or disease issues. Most of the corn has emerged, and all they need is some warmer temperatures to help with growth.