Tag Archives: Iowa

2nd Graders Get Hands-On Experience with #plant13

Posted on by

2nd grade students planting their corn

Second graders at Taft Elementary School in Humboldt, Iowa, are getting firsthand experience with planting Iowa’s number one crop as part of a project that begins with spring planting on a local farm and extends to next fall when, as third graders, they will harvest the crop they helped plant. Throughout the summer, they’ll have a chance to follow the crop’s progress through videos posted periodically online.

Humboldt County farmers Dean and Carol Coleman, along with their son Mike, initiated this program to help 2nd and 3rd grade students understand how and why farmers raise crops. The Coleman family raises corn and soybeans on their North Central Iowa farm.

“We wanted kids to have a chance to meet with the people who get their hands dirty every day,” says Carol Coleman, who served as a preschool teacher 20 years, plus is a mother of two and a grandmother of four. “We want kids to be able to put a face on farmers, who provide the basics of everyday life from food on their tables, fiber in their clothing and building materials for their houses. Basically, we want to answer the fundamental question: ‘Where does my stuff come from’?”

Farmer Dean & Farmer Mike

The Colemans had the idea for the Adopt-a-Farmer program after they listened to Bruce Vincent, a third generation logger from Montana, speak about the importance of telling your ag story.

“We decided to develop a program to make others aware of what farming is all about. Naturally, we thought of telling our story to kids. We had hosted grade school classes in the past. While they visited our farm, there wasn’t really time for us to explain farm operations. The kids had fun seeing the how much a bushel weighs and what is made from corn and soybeans. They loved climbing on the equipment and seeing the inside of the grain bin, but we wanted to create a program that would provide a more comprehensive look at agriculture. We wanted to give kids a chance to ask questions and learn facts about farming. We want them to see that food doesn’t just magically appear on grocery store shelves. We want them to learn how their food is grown.”

Dean and Carol Coleman with their sons, Nick and Mike

Prior to the planting season, the Colemans visited the classroom and introduced themselves to the students. They explained what the “Adopt-A-Farmer” program entailed and how they would like to become part of their classroom. The Colemans have provided videos of Farmer Dean and Farmer Mike doing their jobs, so students can see what’s involved with moving rock, welding equipment & grinding metal for a hitch piece for the planter or fix the tractor’s computer.

Also via video, students “rode” in the sprayer and the planter with Farmers Dean and Mike. Students then came to the Coleman farm and each planted 5 kernels of corn, themselves, in the field. Throughout the summer, students and their families can drive by and literally watch their corn plants grow. In the fall, they will come back to the farm and harvest their crop and see more things for harvest season.

“We really want all 109 students to get excited when they see crops in the field and know what is growing! Maybe they’ll even share some fun facts, which they learned on our farm, with their parents. We also want them to start understanding the difference between fact and fiction since the media doesn’t always accurately tell agriculture’s story.”

To help make a connection between the crops that are planted and the livestock that is raised with the food on our tables, today the Colemans are sharing two of their family’s favorite recipes for Taco Seasoning and Apricot Oatmeal Soy Cookies. Enjoy!

Taco Seasoning Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbls Chili powder
  • 1 Tbls Salt
  • 1 Tbls garlic powder
  • 1½ tsp black pepper
  • ¾ tsp red pepper

Directions:

  1. Brown hamburger (can substitute ground turkey)
  2. Then add ¼ cup of water and 1¼ teaspoon of seasoning per 1 lb. of meat.
  3. Stir frequently and let slowly simmer for 15 minutes.

Try this seasoned meat on baked potato or Tostito chips with lettuce, refried beans, cheese and chip dip.

COOK’S TIP: To break up browned hamburger into fine morsels, stir with a whisk while it’s browning.

Apricot Oatmeal Soy Cookies

by Carol Coleman

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  1. 2 large eggs (or ¼ c applesauce and one egg)
  2. 1¼ cup flour
  3. ½ cup soy flour
  4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  6. 1 teaspoon almond extract
  7. ½ teaspoon salt

Remaining Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup oatmeal
  • 1 ½ cup TVP texturized soy protein (gives it a crunch)
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup unsweetened coconut
  • ¾ cup chopped almonds

Directions:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Mix butter and sugars until creamy
  3. Add next 7 ingredient and mix until just blended
  4. Stir in remaining ingredients
  5. Drop by tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet
  6. Bake 14-15 minutes or until tops are lightly golden brown. Cool.

Yields 4 ½ dozen cookies

Farming Binds this Northwest Iowa Family Together

Posted on by

Everly is best known for its cattlefeeders, but Keith and Joyce Kruse are proud to produce pork in this Northwest Iowa farming town with a population of approximately 600. Keith started farming by the neighboring town of Royal in 1976; Joyce joined the partnership in 1981 after the two married. This husband-wife team raises corn, soybeans, oats and are part owners of a farrowing unit.

Farming has been a tradition in the Kruse family for generations. The “home farm” located southwest of Royal, has been in the family for 118 years and is still home to Keith’s parents.

Keith and Joyce’s kids have fond memories of playing catch with their dad while waiting for the bus to come pick them up for school. They learned how to accept responsibility by growing crops and caring for livestock. Both kids showed pigs at the Clay County Fair through 4-H and FFA. They learned how to accept responsibility and work with others by growing crops and caring for livestock. Many family trips were anticipated while riding on the bean bar the night before leaving on vacation!

“We feel blessed to have raised our kids on a farm,” says Joyce. “Farming gives us the freedom to set our own hours, which was a real benefit when we were juggling farming with kids’ activities. Many nights, after coming home from the kids’ ballgames and track meets, Keith would head outside to care for the pigs or climb back in the combine. Now we appreciate the flexibility to be active in our church and farm organizations and spend time with our family.”

The Kruse’s 27-year-old son, Javan, graduated from Iowa State University and joined the family’s farming operation in 2007. He and his new bride, Danielle, live nearby. Danielle graduated from Northwestern and Mercy College of Health Sciences and works as a sonographer at the Orange City hospital. The Kruse’s 23-year-old daughter, Alecia, also graduated from Iowa State University. Although Alecia lives in Des Moines where she works in accounting and human resources for Garner Printing, she still tries to make it home every fall to run the combine on the weekends.

Family, faith, friends and farming are the heart strings that bind the Kruse family. In addition to farming full time, Keith and Joyce serve on the Clay County Pork Producers board. The Clay County Fair is an extremely busy one for them. Keith and Joyce help run The Iowa Chop Shop restaurant, volunteer in the 4-H building and give tours to 3rd and 4th graders through Ag-Citing, a program to educate and excite students about agriculture and its importance to individuals, communities, and our state.

In their spare time, Keith and Joyce enjoy cheering for the Iowa State Cyclones and the Minnesota Twins. They also enjoy traveling and say their most memorable trip by far was to Ireland for a visit while their daughter was studying abroad there. They also enjoy gardening and are eagerly awaiting the spring planting season.

In anticipation of May Strawberry Month, today Joyce is sharing one of their family’s favorite recipes for Strawberry Crunch Cake. And like any dedicated pork producer, they look for opportunities to promote their products. Joyce is also sharing a recipe for shredded pork loin, which she made for Alecia’s high school graduation party. This recipe was such a hit that she hasn’t bothered trying another one. Try it and see what you think. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to giving it a personal taste-test!

Shredded Savory Pork

This well-seasoned pork filling is used to prepare tacos or hearty sandwiches.

Prep: 15 minutes
Roast: 2.5 hours
Oven: 325°
Makes: 12 servings (about 5 cups cooked meat)

Ingredients:

  • 1 3-lb boneless pork shoulder blade roast
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp ground red pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • Hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls, split and toasted (optional)

Directions:

  1. Trim far from meat. In a small bowl combine garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt, black pepper and red pepper; rub into the meat. Please meat in a roasting pan that has a cover; add beef broth. Cover and roast in a 325° over for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until very tender.
  2. Remove meat from liquid with a slotted spoon; discard excess fat from cooking liquid, reserving the liquid. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using 2 forks to pull through it in opposite directions. Stir in ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid to use as taco filling or stir in enough cooking liquid to moisten; reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, and serve on toasted buns.

Crock-Pot Directions: Prepare meat as told to in Step 1 above. Place meat in a 3½ to 5-quart crock-pot; add beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Continue as left.

Strawberry Crunch Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 pt. sweetened, cup strawberries, drained
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

  1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Blend in Sour Cream. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and add to cream mixture. Mix well. Spread half of batter into greased 9×13 pan. Spoon drained strawberries evenly over top of batter. Combine nuts, sugars and cinnamon. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over strawberries. Spread remaining batter over top. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over top. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. In small sauce pan combine reserved strawberry juice and cornstarch. Heat, stirring until thickened. Add lemon juice; cool. Drizzle over cake or serve cake topped with Cool Whip drizzled with sauce for a dessert.

Industry NewsWorld Water Day Brings Awareness to Ag

Posted on by

Each year on March 22 the United Nations’ (UN) World Water Day is held to increase people’s awareness of water’s importance in environment, agriculture, health and trade.

Farmers are always aware of the crucial water plays in crop development, and after experiencing the 2012 Drought, we really don’t need to be reminded how a lack of water can impeded crop development. World Water Day, however, does provide us with a platform to share our story with others outside agriculture.

April Hemmes combining on her North Central Iowa farm

“My farm received a total of 5 inches of rain between May and October 2012. Normal annual rainfall is 23 inches, so we’re starting the 2013 growing season with a moisture shortfall,” said April Hemmes, who is speaking today in Washington, D.C., as part of a panel discussion sponsored by the Daugherty Water for Food Institute and the Global Harvest Initiative. Other panelists include: Dr. Cathie Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics; Mark Svoboda, National Drought Mitigation Center Climatologist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Joel Lipsitch, John Deere Director of Business Integration and Strategy;

Soybean yields averaged 6 bushels per acre (bu/A) lower in 2012 for Hemmes, who has farmed for nearly 30 years just south of Hampton in Franklin County, Iowa. Her corn yields were reduced by 10 percent, or approximately a net loss of $70 per acre. When you consider that the average size of an Iowa farm is 333 acres, it’s feasible that each Iowa farm family lost between $11,000 and $23,000 of income due to the 2012 Drought!

“It scares me to think we’re going into the 2013 crop year with almost nothing for moisture,” says Hemmes. “Moisture is especially important to farmers in my area because we don’t irrigate. As much as I dislike late season snowfall, I’m thankful for it this year because now we will at least have topsoil moisture to get the crop planted. If we don’t receive adequate spring rains, however, young plants will suffer more quickly due to a lack of subsoil moisture.”

To help preserve soil moisture last fall, many experts were reminding famers to till less for more water. Seed selection is even more critical in dry conditions as genetics are the most determining factor in whether or not a corn hybrid can handle drought. While corn genetics have come a long way over the past decade and are much better at handling drought stress than ever, soybeans historically perform even better in dry weather.

Current weather patterns are likely to play a role in farmers who have yet to finalize their 2013 seed purchases. Trait packages will likely be especially important this growing season as the 2012 Drought might impact 2013 crops in regard to pressure from weeds, insects and plant disease. Once the seed is selected, and planters have been calibrated, Iowa State University Corn Specialist Roger Elmore says farmers must go “back to the basics” for seeding depth.