For those of you active in the Twitter world, it’s probably no surprise to you that Ree Drummond (a.k.a. @thepioneerwoman) has declared it Cookie Week. On Monday, she asked her followers to post links to their favorite cookie recipes and include the #CookieWeek hashtag. To those unfamiliar with Twitter, hashtags are popular on Twitter because writing space is limited but people can associate their tweets with an event without having to explain the full context.
Since I am a huge fan of Ree Drummond’s blog and Tasty Kitchen, I decided to get involved and share my all-time favorite Chocolate Christmas Cookie recipe. In fact, I’ll actually be baking them up next week and taking them to a cookie exchange on Dec. 10.
What’s your favorite cookie recipe? Feel free to comment below or join the conversation on Twitter by using the #CookieWeek hashtag with your recipe.
“Agritourism” Debuts in 2010 Iowa Farm & Rural Life Poll
For nearly 30 years, the annual Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll has tracked changes in rural social networks. This year’s Farm Poll introduced three sets of questions about agritourism, or the act of visiting a working farm or agribusiness for enjoyment, education or active involvement. Although less than 1% of Iowa farmers currently host entertainment activities like festivals or corn mazes, 34% of respondents agree that Iowans should get more involved in agritourism.
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds entered the agritourism arena this summer by hosting our first Latham Country Fair. Also, this summer I had the pleasure of touring Hansen Dairy, which makes a significant contribution to northeast Iowa through its agritourism activities.
Agritourism is a means to increase farm income and to expand tourism in rural areas, according to the 2010 Farm Poll. And, several leaders in our area couldn’t agree more. That’s why, beginning in January, I’ll be serving on a committee with the Hampton Chamber of Commerce that will explore how agricultural businesses can help expand tourism right here in Franklin County.
Exploring ideas that will provide entertainment, while educating the public about agriculture, truly fascinates me. Rural Sociology courses were among my favorites in college, so it’s no wonder that I’m especially intrigued by the Farm & Rural Life. If this topic also interests you, read more about results from the 2010 Farm Poll here: http://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/farmpoll.html.
Today I received an email from the American Soybean Association (ASA), asking soybean leaders and supporters to contact their elected representatives about estate tax reenactment and the biodiesel tax incentive.
Tomorrow ASA farmer-leaders will be in Washington, D.C., participating in a press conference at the National Press Club about the need for Congress to enact estate tax legislation before Dec. 31. If it’s not enacted by this date, the estate tax rate will revert to the 2001 rate of up to 55% with only a $1 million exclusion. This means it will be especially difficult to pass along farms, ranches and small businesses from one generation to the next.
Also tomorrow ASA members will participate in a biodiesel fly-in to urge members of Congress to extend the biodiesel tax incentive. Biodiesel is a key market for U.S. soybean oil and has been a key factor in supporting domestic soybean prices in recent years. It also reduces our dependence on petroleum and creates jobs.
If you’d like to contact your elected officials about either of these issues, click here.
As soon as we’ve washed the dishes and refrigerated the leftovers, my aunts, cousins and I will break out the Black Friday ads! There will be newspapers from the two nearest trade centers, and we’ll swap sections until we’ve reviewed, analyzed and compared every price. We’ll share what’s on our kids’ wish lists and drop hints about what we’d really like someone to buy for us. Of course, we’ll have to decide the order of stores we’ll visit since they open at different times; it’s imperative that we strategically plan how to get to each store in time to get the best buys.
Another key to a productive shopping day is eating a high energy, power-packed breakfast. High energy is practically synonymous with high protein, low sugar food. Make use of left-over Thanksgiving dinner by cooking up an egg white omelet with turkey, cheese and mushrooms. (Omelets are super quick and easy, so you can get to the mall sooner!) Another quick and easy idea is to top off a bowl of instant, high-fiber oatmeal with cranberries. Complex carbohydrates like this provide your body with much needed morning fuel without causing rapid shifts in insulin levels like simple carbohydrates do, according to eHow’s “How to Eat a High Energy Breakfast.”
Honestly, I’ll probably eat breakfast on the run this Friday. I’ll most likely grab a protein bar and a cup of vanilla-flavored coffee on my way out the door. Then I’ll eat a handful of smoked almonds around 10 a.m. as I’m driving between stores. Black Friday is all about optimization, Baby!
Most Americans will sit down to an incredible Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and count their blessings. As I run through the many things for which I’m thankful, I’ll be sure to remember the farmers and ranchers who helped put delicious food on my family’s plates.
Each year the American Farm Bureau analyzes the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner. This year the cost to feed 10 people averages $43.47. I think it’s absolutely incredible that for $4.35, we can enjoy a home-cooked, wholesome meal. (For less than many fast-food restaurant’s value meals, our family will enjoy a delicious buffet!)
If you’re still planning your Thanksgiving menu, get some recipes ideas from proud Iowa turkey producers here. I’m also sharing with you some of my favorite quick-fixes for the holiday season.
Mini Pumpkin Tarts and Pumpkin Pudding both taste like pumpkin pie but neither recipe requires you to make a flakey crust. The tarts are simply cute and irresistible. You may not have room for a slice of pie at the end of your feast, but there is always room for one little tart. Also included is a recipe for Gram’s Yams, which I got from Guideposts magazine. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for the first time tomorrow and even going to use sweet potatoes that I grew in my garden.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Ingredients:
1 can (15-oz.) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk
¾ c. sugar
½ c. Bisquick
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix all together and place in a crock pot. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
To till or not to till? That’s been one of the most frequently asked questions this fall as many farmers finished harvest 30 days ahead of last year and weather conditions allowed them to work the ground.
Fall tillage practices impact Soybean White Mold and Sudden Death Syndrome, says Iowa State University Plant Pathologist X.B. Yang. The effects of fall tillage are completely opposite: no-till can decrease the risk of White Mold while SDS is usually more severe in no-till fields.
SDS is more severe in no-till situations because soil temperatures remain cooler and wetter, according to a recent Wallaces Farmer article. No-till fields have a lower risk of White Mold, however, due to the placement or distribution of sclerotia.
You know Thanksgiving is getting close when the grocery store shelves are fully stocked with everything you could ever need for your holiday dinner preparation. This season always serves as a good reminder to thank the people and the industries that make it possible to create a feast on Thanksgiving and any other day of the year. We are truly blessed by the bountiful supply of food produced by America’s farmers. #foodthanks
As promised last Friday, today we’re featuring more recipes from proud Iowa turkey producers. Pam Larson, a turkey producer from Ellsworth, Iowa, shared with us her recipe for Easy Turkey Salad. I have to admit that I was practically doing the happy dance in my office when I received this recipe. If “easy” is in the title, I know I’ll like it! Another reason I’m going to enjoy making this salad is because it will give me a new use for holiday leftovers. I’ll simply cut up any uneaten, cooked turkey, measure 2 cups into each bag and freeze it. Future meals will be made with minimal preparation time.
Some weeknight after work, I’ll unthaw a bag of turkey and whip up some Turkey Reubens. Julie Jensen of Belmond, Iowa, told me about her tasty sandwich creation when the two of us met during a tailgate luncheon before the ISU v. Nebraska football game in Ames earlier this month.
Special thanks to Julie Jensen, Pam Larson and the Iowa Turkey Federation for providing the following recipes. Enjoy!
How are you showing thanks for the food we enjoy this Thanksgiving season? #foodthanks
Easy Turkey Salad
Recipe from: Pam Larson, Ellsworth, Iowa
Makes 8 servings
Pam Larson
Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salad dressing
2 ounces shell macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup diced celery
1 cup halved green OR red grapes
½ cup slivered almonds
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
Directions:
Wash hands.
In a large bowl toss ingredients together except the mandarin oranges.
Add the mandarin oranges and gently stir until combined.
1 serving: calories 239, protein 13 g; fat 13.3 g (saturated 1.9g), cholesterol 36.6 mg; sodium 577.9 mg, carbohydrate 16.8 g, fiber 1.6 g
Some Turkey Facts:
Turkey sandwiches account for 48% of all turkey consumption.
Hormones and steroids are not used in any turkey production. It is illegal. Their use for any turkey production was federally banned in the 1950s.
Choosing the right soybean varieties is a critical factor for profitable soybean production. Variety characteristics that can weigh heavily in the decision include: maturity, disease resistance, herbicide resistance, emergence, standability, row spacing and overall plant type.
Keeping good field records from year-to-year will help determine which characteristics are most crucial when deciding which soybean varieties to plant in a given field in a given year. If there were problems experienced with soybean fields in the previous year (e.g. Sudden Death Syndrome), remember those fields will most likely be planted to corn this coming year. There should not be too much emphasis placed on problems from the previous year; it’s more important to check your field records to see what pressures that particular field faced when it was last planted to soybeans.
It’s always wise to spread risk by planting soybeans with different maturities. To maximize yield potential, choose varieties with a five- to seven-day spread in maturity. Shorter season varieties are at less risk to late-season diseases but limit yield potential. Make sure the fuller-season varieties you select have good disease packages.
Planting varieties with disease resistance can be the most effective and the most economical method of disease control. Latham® soybean brands have good resistance or tolerance to the major diseases that occur in our trade territory including: Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), Brown Stem Rot (BSR), Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC), White Mold and Phytophthora. Our 2011 Seed Guide provides a rating provided for each of these on pages 46-47.
If you’re planting soybeans with different herbicide traits (e.g. Roundup®-resistant versus LibertyLink®), careful records must also be kept to ensure the herbicide program matches the correct fields. If you’re using a glyphosate-resistant program (i.e. Roundup) in both corn and soybeans, it’s best to use herbicides with alternative modes of action in a pre-plant or pre-emergent program. This will help prevent selecting weed populations that grow resistant to glyphosate.
Don’t be afraid to try new soybean varieties, new traits and even new management practices. Experimenting in your own fields is the only sure way to see if new ideas will work best for you! If you have questions about what soybean brands might be best for your fields, please contact us with a comment in the field below, send an email to service@lathamhybrids.com, or call
1-877-GO-LATHAM (1-877-465-2842).
Hybrid selection is a critical component to maximizing yields. Each year new trait options and different stacked products become available, making it more challenging to determine which hybrid is the right hybrid for each of your fields.
To make it easier, we’ve assembled a list of three key things to keep in mind as you choose hybrids for 2011 planting:
Mix up the maturity in your seed selection, which allows you to hedge against the effects of mid-summer heat during pollination and to capture genetic gain due to increased maturity.
Look at your seed portfolio the same way you look at your financial portfolio: shoot for balance. For instance, you wouldn’t want to place every penny you have in overseas stock accounts. You also don’t want to put all of your bets on one particular hybrid only because it’s known for high yields or on another hybrid because it’s known for root and stalk strength. Planting both defensive and offensive hybrids helps manage your risk and increase your overall yield potential.
It’s smart to have a portfolio that is diverse in genetic sourcing, so you can balance performance and help manage risk.
Overall, the best way to manage your risk is by planting more than one hybrid on your farm and by selecting more than one trait package to maximize overall yield.
It’s important to note that yield comes from genetics and traits help protect the plant against the presence of stress or pests. Without that pressure, however, non-traited varieties can also perform well. While traits are extremely important and heavily recommended, we consider it our responsibility to make the best recommendation for your soil and your business.
At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we take pride in working with our customers to help them choose hybrids that will help maximize yields and increase profitability. If you have questions about what trait might be best for your soil, please contact us with a comment in the field below, send an email to service@lathamhybrids.com, or call
1-877-GO-LATHAM (1-877-465-2842).
As farmers across the Midwest finalize their 2011 seed purchases, the decision of whether to plant more corn or soybeans is weighing heavily on their minds. It’s going to be an interesting acreage battle as U.S. farmers get ready to plant, according to an article posted today by Wallaces Farmer.
Chad Hart, grain marketing economist for Iowa State University stated in the article, “The 2010 crop is the third largest corn harvest in U.S. history. It’s the largest soybean crop the U.S. has ever had. However, demand has built up so much on these crops that it’s putting real pressure on prices to move upward.”
Market prices for soybeans are predicted to be $13 or higher and corn is predicted to be $6 as the new calendar year approaches. As grain prices go up, input costs tend to follow. Fertilizer prices have already started rising with demand for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (N,P and K) strong. Weather conditions allowed a lot of anhydrous ammonia to be applied across the Corn Belt this fall, indicating a lot of acres will be planted to corn next spring. With so many corn acres locked in for 2011, Hart says that some of the increase in soybean production will come from double-cropping in the southern areas of the Corn Belt and in southern states.
Regardless of whether farmers choose to plant hybrid seed corn or high-tech soybeans, Latham® has a full lineup of top-quality products. We take pride in working with our farmer-customers to help them choose the corn and soybean products that will help position them for increased profitability in 2011.
