It’s State Fair Time… Time to Pat the Butter!

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Nothing compares to the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11-21! Where else could you watch celebrities build awe-inspiring exhibits with Canstruction®, one of the world’s most unique food charities? Or eat a multi-course meal on a stick including cheese cube appetizers, fruit kabobs, pork chop entrées and fried Twinkies for dessert? Where else could you visit Crystal Studios and see the live production of a top-rated farm broadcast?

Be sure to tune into “The Big Show” on Monday, August 16, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. as I’ll be a guest of Mark Pearson and Bob Quinn.

Next week I’ll experience all of this and more! One of my first stops on the fairgrounds will be at 1040 WHO Radio’s Crystal Studios. Be sure to tune into “The Big Show” on Monday, August 16, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. as I’ll be a guest of Mark Pearson and Bob Quinn. I never know exactly what we’ll be discussing on-air, but I’ll be sure to provide an update on Latham Hi-Tech Seeds’ / WHO Radio Crop Tour 2011 stops.

My next stop on the fairgrounds will be in the Agriculture Building. This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the butter cow, so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this milestone celebration. “While other state fairs may mimic the butter cow or tout other creamy creations, none has gained as much fame as the original,” said Iowa State Fair President Gary Slater in an AP article on Aug. 10. “None of the others have become that one thing that when you think of the fair like you do here at the Iowa State Fair. It’s become our icon.”

I’ll go from the iconic butter cow exhibit to a brand new exhibit by Iowa Food & Family featuring Canstruction. Located in the south entrance of the Varied Industries Building, this exhibit will feature a larger-than-life replica of the butter cow made from canned food items. Throughout the week, celebrities like Iowa Secretary of Bill Northey and ISU’s beloved mascot, Cy, will be help build works of art from canned foods. After the fair, all canned food items will be donated to the Iowa Food Bank Association. You can even participate by bringing your own non-perishable food items to this special exhibit.

Yes, indeed, nothing compares to the Iowa State Fair! As a tribute the fair – and in honor of National Peach Month – today I’m sharing with you one of my daughter’s favorite breakfast foods. She loves the wholesome goodness of these Honey Peach Muffins. And what goes better with muffins than Real® butter? Try your hand at making these pretty, yet simple, star-shaped pats of butter or whip up some home-made butter in a jar.

What is your favorite thing to do, see or eat at the state fair?

Honey Peach Muffins

Ingredients:
¾ c. flour
¾ c. cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. margarine
¼ c. honey
1, 8-oz. container of low-fat peach yogurt
1 egg white
½ c. coarsely chopped, drained peaches

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit. Spray bottoms of muffin tins. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level. In large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. IN medium bowl, combine margarine, honey and yogurt; beat at low speed until well blended. Add egg white; blend well. Add to flour mixture; stir until just moistened. Gently stir in peaches. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-23 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Together We Can, A Celebration of Food and Farming

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Laura Cunningham, Marketing Coordinator

Aaron Putze
Director of External Relations &
Coordinator, Iowa Food & Family Project
Iowa Soybean Association
aputze@iasoybeans.com

There are few celebrations more enjoyable and meaningful than the Iowa State Fair! After all, it’s not just every day that you can enjoy a pork chop on a stick, fried Twinkies and a full menu of entertainment – both new and old – that’s perfect for people of all ages.

Speaking of new, the Iowa Food & Family Project (www.iowafoodandfamily.com) will make its debut in a big way at this year’s Fair by bringing together thousands of canned food items and a committed team of volunteers. Together, they’ll create a first-of-its-kind exhibit at one of the most popular celebrations of food, fun and agriculture in America!

We’re calling it “Together We CAN!” – a celebration of food and farming benefiting the Iowa Food Bank Association, and you’re invited to be a part of the festivities!

The exhibit will feature the awe-inspiring work of Canstruction®, one of the world’s most unique food charities. Canstruction is a non-profit organization that holds annual design-and-build competitions to construct giant-sized structures made entirely of canned food. Since 1992, Canstruction has contributed more than 15 million pounds of food to community food banks.

Located in the south atrium of the Varied Industries Building 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily, this must-see exhibit will include larger-than-life replicas of the Iowa State Fair butter cow (in honor of its 100^th anniversary), a milk carton, market-size hog and landscape of soybeans and corn fields — all sculpted from thousands of cans of food (the actual build will take place Aug. 11-14). Following the fair, all food items used in the exhibit will be donated to the Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA) benefiting Iowans struggling against hunger.

The purpose of the exhibit is to encourage conversations about farming, inspire greater awareness of the commitment of Iowa farmers to providing healthy food for everyone and provide a helping hand to people and families struggling with hunger.

You’re cordially invited to stop by and view this extremely innovative and unique exhibit. In addition to seeing an incredible work of art and donating to the Iowa Food Bank Association, you can also receive a free gift and watch “Celebrity Builders” lend a hand during the exhibits “Canstruction!” They include “Cy,” Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey, Des Moines native Rebecca Meyer (the Season 8 at-home $100,000 winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”) and members of Casting Crowns, a Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian rock band (see our web site for a complete list of Celebrity Builders!).

We’re looking forward to engaging fairgoers about the miracle of food and introducing them to the people who provide it! In the meantime, be sure to “friend” the Iowa Food & Family Project at www.facebook.com/foodnfamilies and check out our web site for more details!

See you at the Iowa State Fair!

“Be Our Guest, Be a Farmer” Gains National Attention

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Mom, apple pie and tractor rides … that’s about as all-American as it gets. Throw in a “pork chop on a stick” combined with a trip to the Iowa State Fair and that’s about as all-Iowan as it gets!

One lucky person and three of his/her guests will be treated to a three-night, four-day “vacation” to Iowa in August 2011 as part of the Iowa Soybean Association’s “Be Our Guest, Be a Farmer” contest. As we reported last December, the contest was announced on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, when Iowa farm families were showcased during a video message that aired on the giant CBS Jumbotron screen in New York City’s Time Square. Over the past two months, the ISA has received 80 entries from 26 states, extending from Main to California and from Minnesota to Florida. Entries will be accepted through Friday, April 29, 2011.

While many Iowans may not understand why anyone would want to enter such a contest, there are likely just as many of us involved in agriculture who can’t believe anyone would want to pass on this “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

I have to admit that there have been times when I’ve taken our wonderful lifestyle for granted, but I was reminded just how good we have it here when our family hosted an exchange student in the fall of 2005. Sylvia, our 21-year-old guest from Germany, was eagerly awaiting a weekend visit from her best friend, Saskia. She couldn’t wait to share all of her favorite activities with her BFF including:

Lying in our backyard, on the trampoline, gazing at the star-filled sky (after all, you can’t do that in metropolitan areas where lights obstruct your view!)
Grabbing a cup of cappuccino from Casey’s en route to a regional mall before heading to Culver’s for a lunch of cheeseburgers and cheese curds
Riding in a combine and eating supper with a local family (Nobody cooks better than my mom!)

And the highlight of the weekend was… (drum roll, please) … the combine ride and a home-cooked meal including roast, mashed potatoes and apple pie. It was a highlight for me, too, because I got to see just how excited these young women were to take a ride through a corn field. It truly was a “Kodak moment,” and I knew we had helped make memories that would last a lifetime.

Help make a memory for your non-farm friends by encouraging them to enter the “Be Our Guest, Be a Farmer” contest. Registration is easy; details are available at www.ItStartsInIowa.com.