Coach Paul Rhodes (center) with Chris, Bill, Shannon and John Latham
“Kickoff” is a sure sign that seasons are changing. Our annual Latham® dealer kickoff meeting marks the beginning of a new sales season. And our annual Latham tailgate marks the beginning of a new football season – including another season of the Latham Locker Room Show.
The Latham Locker Room Show airs during every football broadcast on the statewide Cyclone Radio Network. This segment airs following the play-by-play and includes exclusive “locker room” interviews with players and coaches. We’d like to invite you to listen along as you’re tailgating in the parking lot, driving home from the game or bringing in #crop14.
Just as we enjoy a friendly rivalry when Iowa State takes on Iowa, there is sure to be a fair amount of smack talk when Latham customers from North Dakota Roll into Ames this weekend,” says John Latham, company president and ISU alum.
The Bison may be the three-time defending national champions, but the Cyclones will have the home field advantage. Iowa State’s top tight end, E.J. Bibbs, is generating lots of attention already. Although this ISU senior had a breakout season in 2013, Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads says his team’s offense won’t revolve around one player this season.
“It takes a good offense and a good offense to win on the grid iron – or in a farm field,” agrees John Latham. “I’m really excited about the talent ISU has and am looking forward to seeing the new defense come together. I’m equally excited about our new offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Mark Mangino. I know our team will be prepared to do battle.”
To help you prepare for the new season, we’re sharing a recipe for Pizza Snacks from the new Let’s Cook cookbook featuring “Iowa Girl Eats” blogger and host of “Join My Journey”, Kristen Porter. We know that large quantities of good food are key to hosting a successful tailgate, so we’re also including links below to some of our most popular tailgating recipes.
Get into the spirit and bring home the “W” with Team Latham!
The effects of our wet, cold planting season continue to surface. As one drives the back roads now, you’ll see where Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is affecting many soybean fields across Latham country.
Although SDS infects soybean plants right after germination and emergence, symptoms generally do not appear until mid- to late summer. Leaf symptoms first appear as yellow spots between leaf veins. Eventually, the leaves turn yellow and brown streaks develop between the leaf veins while the veins remain green. Leaflets eventually drop but the petioles remain on the stem. Diseased plants may have rotted root systems.
Understanding the extent of SDS infection in each field is key to effectively managing the disease. Future management tactics include: reducing soil compaction; planting fields with a history of SDS towards the end of a planting schedule when soils may be warmer and drier; and testing for the presence of Soybean Cyst Nematodes.
Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is usually associated with SDS. You may see more severe cases of SDS in soybean varieties that are SCN-susceptible. When selecting soybean seed, it’s best to read through the SDS score rather than judge a bean solely by SCN tolerance.
Planting tolerant varieties, or avoiding very susceptible varieties, is the most effective way to reduce losses from SDS. Keeping good field records from year-to-year will help determine which characteristics are most crucial when selecting soybean varieties to plant in a given field in a given year.
To help simplify your seed selection process, we’ve made a list of Latham® brand soybeans with Excellent and Good Tolerance to SDS. Our website includes more information about each product. Also feel free to contact your local Latham representative or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842) for additional information.
Latham® Soybeans with Excellent SDS Tolerance (1.6 – 1.9 ratings):
It’s been a dry summer across Latham Country. After weeks of reporting “cool, dry conditions persist,” it’s good to hear that many areas received heat units and rainfall during the past 7 days. Above-normal temperatures during the week aided crop development.
Eighty-eight percent of Iowa’s corn crop is in the dough stage or beyond, which is 17 days ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the five-year average. Three-quarters of the corn is rated in good to excellent condition. Ninety-four percent of the soybean crop is setting pods or beyond, which is 13 percentage points above last year and 1 point above average. Nearly ¾ of the soybean acreage is in good to excellent condition.
The week ending Aug. 25 was Iowa’s wettest in seven weeks. Topsoil moisture levels improved. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 21 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Click here for regional updates in the territories we cover.
To Appreciate Farming Today, You Must Know History
It took an entire family to bring in a load of corn back in 1939. Janice’s grandpa, Fred, is leaning against wheel. Her father is pictured next to him. Just imagine the manual labor involved!
Have you ever wondered what farming and our food system would look like if we farmed the way we did in “the good old days“? I found myself thinking about this topic as I had lots of windshield time to reflect while driving to the 7 meetings I attended last week. (So much for winter being the farmers’ meeting season!)
Many folks believe farming was simpler before technology… but which technology? Technology has a different definition, depending on a person’s occupation or personal experience. Some might define the “good old days” as the time before we planted genetically modified crops. Others might define it before the advent of equipment like GPS and tractors with tracks instead of tires.
Yet today’s equipment allows us to better manage our land, reduce soil compaction and implement practices like minimum tillage. Today’s farming advances, such as herbicide application and genetically modified seeds, are the most talked about today. But why? What people do not understand, they often fear. Those oppose new technology capitalize on “fear of the unknown.” Fear is used to discredit new technology.
“The agriculture we have today in the United States is unique,” writes J. Paul Lilly, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State University. “No nation has ever had so few people actively farming. This is a profound social change that has isolated most people from rural life and from an appreciation of the complexities and uncertainties of food production.”
As a young farm boy, I remember the many different types of crops and livestock we raised that provided food for our own family. We had dairy cows, beef cattle, hogs and chickens. I’ll never forget that goose that chased me and bit me in the belly or the sheep buck that nailed me in the rear as I carried two, 5-gallon pails of feed!
I remember farrowing pigs under flat racks in the pasture. (I could have been a track star because I had plenty of “training” as I ran to jump on the hay rack before a sow, protecting her baby pigs, could catch me!) I trekked several miles, walking soybean through fields and pulling weeds before the advent of Roundup Ready Soybeans. I learned to drive the “70” John Deere on the hay baler when I was six!
I could go on and on about “the good old days,” but I think you get the picture. Farming was a lot of hard, manual work back then. I’m still not sure how or why I survived, except maybe I was still needed to write this blog! I’m not saying that farming is not hard work today, but it’s a different type of work. We farm in a way that is safer and smarter. We also know a lot more about the need to fertilize (feed) plants, as well as protect the water and soil.
In the “good old days,” we plowed the fields until they were black. Farmers took pride in the fact that you couldn’t see a corn stalk when they had finished field work. Why was this a source of pride? The herbicides available then didn’t work if they were diluted by organic matter, or corn stalks. The equipment used then to make a seedbed plugged if the corn stalks were not completely buried. Planters at that time couldn’t plant uniformly if there were stalks, dirt clods or if the ground was uneven. We plowed, disked and field cultivated until that ground was powder.
This was back before we had terraces, buffer strips, or practiced contour farming. As a result, it was common to see road ditches full of black soil and streams full of silt. With black tillage, there wasn’t much room for wildlife to hide. I remember only seeing a deer one time as a young boy. That’s not the case today as wildlife has made a huge comeback. Every time I drive home after dark now, I’m watching for the next deer on the road. It’s not uncommon to see eagles soaring either.
The chemicals we use today are so much more environment friendly, too. When I started farming, it was a problem getting rid of all the pails the chemicals came in because we measured chemicals in gallons. Now we measure in ounces!
Minimum tillage and no till, made possible by new technology including Roundup Ready corn and soybeans, have made this comeback possible. New seed genetics allow crops to withstand conditions that the crops of my youth wouldn’t survive. They have better stalks and better roots. Today’s crops can withstand dry weather, insects, disease and just plain yield better.
When I think of all the new technology being developed today (drones, GPS, crop genetics), I’m even more confused about how to define “good old days.” Perhaps the best answer is the original garden… but even then, there was that darned old apple tree!
Consumers continue to have questions about how pigs are raised, and no one knows the answers better than real pig farmers, says Claire Masker.
Claire Masker
As public relations manager for the National Pork Board, Claire’s main responsibilities are to create positive outreach materials for the U.S. Pork Industry and Pork Checkoff programs. Last month Claire invited me to talk about #agvocacy with a pioneering group of pig farmers from across the nation, who are participating in The Pork Checkoff’s new social media outreach program through #RealPigFarming.
“We want to empower producers to have meaningful, impactful conversations on social media with consumers about what happens on their farms,” explains Claire. “The hashtag (#) before Real Pig Farming helps people search social media posts with the same phrase, making it easier for them to follow conversations.”
#RealPigFarming brings together pig farmers, academics, youth, veterinarians and allied industry members to discuss key topics in modern pork production. Everyone with a passion for agriculture or a positive story to share about real pig farming is invited to use the #RealPigFarming in status updates, tweets, Instagram photos, blogs, vlogs and other social media updates. Visit www.facebook.com/RealPigFarming, or follow @RealPigFarming on Twitter.
Claire, showing at the fair.
“I have a passion for helping farmers and those involved in the food and agriculture industries tell their story,” says Claire. “We have a great story to tell about what farmers are doing to raise food for neighbors. As Kid President says ‘Create something that will make the world awesome,’ and I like helping farmers show the world all the awesomeness they create every day on their farms.”
Claire also puts #RealPigFarming into action. You can follow her on Twitter @ClaireMasker and on Instagram @ClaireMasker. Growing up the second of five kids on her family’s farm in Neola, Iowa, she always has a story to tell.
“My siblings and I had the ‘opportunity’ to work on our family farm. We raised row crops, cattle, hogs and sometimes had chicken and turkeys.I’ve done just about every job on the farm from walking beans and scooping out bunks to feeding livestock. I’ve also tried my best to operate a tractor and grain cart. There were times that I was jealous of all my ‘city’ friends. Now I look back at everything I learned and realize how blessed I am. I learned about hard work, as well as learned to respect animals and the land.”
After graduating from high school, Claire attended Iowa State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education – Communications Option and Animal Science. She also earned a Masters of Science in Agriculture Education. While earning her masters, Claire worked for the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence. She then went to work for the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board as the communications manager where she managed the I-LEAD program and assisted with the Collegiate Advisory Team.
Today Claire is promoting the industry she loves by sharing one of her family’s favorite #pork recipes with us. Enjoy this recipe and remember to #ThankAFarmer! If you’d like to learn more about #RealPigFarming, here are links to a few blogs that I enjoy following:
July makes corn and August makes soybeans, as the saying goes. That’s because adequate moisture levels are especially crucial during two key developmental stages: germination and reproduction-seed development. Having adequate moisture wasn’t an issue at germination time as record rain fell in Iowa after Easter. The Midwest experienced wet, cold weather in May and into June, yet some areas haven’t received a drop of moisture for the past three or four weeks.
Moisture during the reproductive stages has a major impact on yield potential. When water is short during this growth stage, soybeans show signs of drought stress. Plants may abort flowers, and the numbers of pods set is reduced. Fewer seeds per pod are produced per pod, and smaller seed may result. Because dry conditions can slow or stop the nitrogen fixation needed by the plant to produce soybeans, yields will be lowered.
Anytime you get this type of weather, other stress factors arise. You may notice soybean fields turning yellow, which is a common symptom of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC). IDC is a function of the soil type, so it’s most common in poorly-drained soils with higher-than-normal pH values.
Unfortunately, it’s too late to really manage IDC properly by the time it’s noticed in a field. The best defense is a good offense. Note trouble spots now, and then be proactive when choosing future soybean brands for these fields. In fact, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds gives the IRONCLADTM designation only to those soybeans bred for high yields with a strong defensive package.
There is no such thing as complete resistance to IDC, but some soybean brands (i.e. varieties) are better than others at handling this condition. Because Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is headquartered North Central Iowa – where Iron Chlorosis is a familiar challenge – we have always tried to choose soybean genetics that have the best possible scores against this condition. Visit with your local Latham® dealer about specific products that would best fit your farm, or feel free to call our office directly at 1-877-GO-LATHAM.
In the past, I’ve written before about how people have different perceptions of farming based on their background and experiences. I’m bringing it up again because perception is becoming a very important word in the food debate. Just the other night, I heard someone say that our food is too cheap and that’s causing us to make poor food choices. The last I heard, 6.6% of American’s disposable income is used to buy food. That is much cheaper than any other country, but is food really too cheap? I’m sure a young, single mother trying to feed her kids will have a different perception of food costs!
Animal welfare is another area where perceptions often vary. The group of pigs I am now taking care of, are not the healthiest pigs I’ve had. Because of PEDV virus, it has taken an entire month – and 8 semi loads – to fill the barns. The first two deliveries brought me pigs that were very uneven in size, but the pigs appeared healthy enough. When I unloaded the last bunch of pigs, however, I knew immediately that I was going to have problems because I recognized symptoms of the PEDV virus.
After spotting symptoms of the PEDV virus, I moved this one to the sick pen for individual treatment.
This is a bad situation for so many reasons. First of all, receiving three different loads of pigs makes it difficult to reach of goal of being “all in, all out.” This means all the pigs from the same source come to us at the same time, at the same age, at approximately the same size, with the same disease pressures. Because they basically have the same needs, they’re ready for market at the same time.
The last two weeks have been rough because that third shipment of pigs brought sickness into my barns. I’ve been busy treating pigs individually with a syringe. With some extra care – combined with all the feed they want, plus fresh water, and the ideal temperature and fresh air – these pigs are getting healthy again.
Now there is a perception that raising pig indoors isn’t the best way. Some folks believe pigs should be rooting around outside, but I can tell you from experience that my hog barns have kept these little pigs very comfortable as I treat them. Regardless of how or where a pig is raised, there are always going to be some that get sick and die. It’s just a fact.
Ever since I’ve been raising pigs, I have tried my best to save every one. Sometimes no amount of treatment will ever heal an animal, so farmers must decide how we’re going to handle the situation. Should we let the poor animal suffer until it dies a natural death, or should we take it out of its misery?
It’s very difficult to watch an animal suffer, knowing there’s nothing you can do to help it. That’s why I don’t! When a pig is suffering and has not shown any improvement within 48 hours, I do euthanize that pig in the most “humane” way possible. I believe I must do what’s best for the animals in my care – regardless of others’ perception.
I’ve attended the Iowa State Fair for about 30 years, and I’m “amazing amused” to discover new sites on the grounds and new foods to try. (Side bar: The Smoked Brisket and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese gets my vote in the 2014 New Foods Contest although I found the Bauders Brownie Blitz to be a delectable, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.)
I’m also still learning life lessons. It may sound cliché that youth gain valuable skills as members of 4-H or the FFA, but now that I’m a 4-H mom, I realize that I’m gaining a whole new set of life skills! I was reminded of this fact yesterday when I found myself pacing as our daughter showed her meat goats.
It was Ellie’s first year in the big ring and a ring that size – filled with the top stock from across the state – can be intimidating. I need to appreciate the fact that it took a great deal of courage for my self-conscious girl to come to the state fair when she didn’t know another 4-H member in her project area. I also need to remember that many families in the ring have a show stock legacy, and competing is something they enjoy doing as a family.
Yesterday I found myself wanting my daughter to desire to create a legacy. I wasn’t content with having her just show up… I wanted her to show! I wanted her to show her goats with heart – the way I used to show my lambs at the state fair.
And I wanted her to desire to win a purple ribbon. That means she would need to really work with her goats, training them to lead with a collar instead of a halter and helping them develop their natural potential as performance stock. It’s like the difference between an athlete playing sports at the high school level verses the college level or even training for the Olympics. Raising show stock requires a different diet and an actual training regime.
Fact is, my daughter loves her goats… as pets. She has spent hours in their pen, playing with them and talking to them. Through her 4-H Goat Project, she’s learned to be responsible and do her chores daily. She understands the importance of good health and nutrition. She knows these wethers’ purpose in life is to become meat for someone’s table. We’ve had discussions that our job is to take the best possible care of them so they make high quality meat, but this doesn’t make the reality of the situation any better.
Now that the show is over, we must say goodbye to our beloved Immanuel and Cupid. They have the sweetest personalities, and we’ve had so many fun hours together. (I find myself holding back tears even as I write about them.) I believe it’s important for kids to know how food is grown, but I’ll confess that we aren’t going to put these goats in our freezer.
Photo Courtesy of the Iowa Food & Family Project
Next year we’ll probably just show does, or females, at our county fair. Then we’ll bring them home and add them to our tribe, or group of goats. Showing breeding goats at the county fair is a better fit for my daughter’s interests. Her real passion is showing horses. I’m going to accept that but… I still have hopes of her someday winning a purple ribbon at the Iowa State Fair with her new horse! After all, I’m a show mom. 🙂
In celebration of the Iowa State Fair, today I’m sharing another recipe from the Let’s Cook cookbook that features Iowa Girl Eats blogger Kristen Porter. You can get your own autographed copy tomorrow, Aug. 16, between 10 am and noon at the Iowa Food and Family Project exhibit, located inside the south atrium of the Varied Industries Building.
Shrinking grain markets, coupled with climate change, has more farmers than ever talking about risk management. We tend to associate “risk management” with crop insurance or financial portfolios, but there are some well-known ways to manage risk through seed selection.
Just like managing a stock portfolio, you must determine whether you have an aggressive or a more moderate management style. Selecting all racehorse corn products with the most trait protection might be considered aggressive. A more moderate approach might be selecting very consistent products that have performed year after year but have only the traits you believe are needed on a particular field.
Regardless of your risk management style, here are some ideas to help manage risk through product selection without making an additional cash investment:
Genetics – The conventional school of thought emphasizes planting several genetically unrelated products that works on your soils. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds certainly endorses that practice, however, you might also want to consider another option. If you know a particular genetic family works well on your farm, selecting products with some of the same parentage but slightly different characteristics might also be a good fit.
Maturity – Spreading risk by planting different maturities is nothing new. However, planting products within the same genetic family in various maturities puts a much different twist on this risk management tactic. This stands in contrast to planting completely unrelated products in different maturities.
Pollination – If you’re concerned about pollination, spread risk by planting different maturities or products with the same maturity but different flowering dates. NOTE: Do not split your planter as that can be detrimental to pollination. Instead, plant these products on one side of a field or in a different field.
Ear Type – If you have a field that produces great crops but tends to dry out even in years with adequate rainfall, consider planting hybrids that produce a flex ear. A flex ear lets you
decrease the population somewhat and gives you a little more margin for error than a determinate-eared hybrid, which requires higher population for optimum yields.
Talk to your local Latham® representative about other risk management tools, including our signature Seed-2-Soil® program. Seed-2-Soil helps simplify the crop planning and seed selection processes plus maximize overall yield potential. It begins with a discussion with a farmer and his Latham® seed rep about all the variables that go into your farming practices each year. Then a scientific computer program helps fit the right seed to the field.
Research has shown that correct product placement leads to a 3-7% yield improvement. Contact Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds today, and harness the power of Seed-2-Soil and fall soil sampling!
Sustainable and sustainable agriculture can mean different things to different people. So can “climate change.”
Last week I was invited to a three-day conference entitled, “Resilient Agriculture: Adapting to a Changing Climate.” Honestly, my shackles went up when I read “changing climate.” I believe the climate is always changing, but unlike the opinion column printed Aug. 9 in The Des Moines Register, I don’t believe agriculture is destroying our environment.
The Register’s opinion page makes it sound like nothing is being done to protect our air and water, as well as prevent our top soil from washing away. Anyone who attended last week’s conference, however, can tell you that’s simply not the case. Massive amounts of research is underway to raise corn more efficiently, which will be a huge benefit as we strive to feed a growing world.
The Sustainable Corn Project is moving new technology forward at an amazing pace. I compared this type of research to the space program. I’m not sure going to the moon helped mankind much, but the technology from the race to the moon certainly did.
Likewise, researchers are studying ways to apply nitrogen and other fertilizer so nutrients are applied when the plants need it. I learned about an app has been developed to tell me when and how much nitrogen my crop needs. This will result in plants getting more “food” and less fertilizer will up in the Gulf. Win-win.
New computer apps, as well as new machinery and new plant genetics, will make huge changes in how we farm. Drones and powerful cameras will give farmers tools to see what’s happening in fields, and tell us when and how much water or plant food or treatments the crops will need.
It took three days to present all of the new technology during this conference, so I don’t have the time or space to go into in today’s blog. Fortunately, the conference was recorded and should be accessible online soon at sustainablecorn.org.
I listened during last week’s conference and came away with some outstanding information. I wasn’t alone. Researchers and scientists from most land grant universities, research companies, conservation groups, and new startup companies also were in attendance. Even companies like Pioneer, Monsanto, John Deere and groups like the United Soybean Board were involved in last week’s conference. It appears this USDA project is meeting its goal of working with farmers, teachers and students to find agricultural practices that:
are resilient in times of drought;
reduce soil and nutrient losses under saturated soil conditions;
reduce farm field nitrogen losses;
retain carbon in the soil; and
ensure crop and soil productivity.
Whether or not I agree with global warming, I can find common ground with these stated objectives. It’s going to take an industry coming together to meet them.
