Cooler spring temperatures mean slower egg maturation in 2014 for corn rootworm. Last week Iowa State University entomologists reported the corn rootworm hatch is underway.
Blackcutworm moths migrate from the south in the spring and the moths lay eggs in grassy and broad-leaf weeds. Data from moth flight monitoring traps suggests that cutting activity from black cutworms might be noticeable around May 28 in northeast and north central Iowa.
Scout now for black cutworm, and be a vigilant scout from the time corn plants emerge until plants reach the 6-leaf stage.Newly hatched larvae will chew small, irregular holes in corn leaves. While this early injury does not damage plants significantly, it should be used as an early warning of possible black cutworm infestations. As larvae grow, they are capable of cutting the stems and stalks of corn plants and significantly reducing the stands.
Look for plants with wilting, leaf discoloration and damage, and those that are either missing or are cut off at the soil surface. Note areas with suspected damage and return later to assess further damage. A rescue treatment approach is the best strategy for dealing with this pest.
Another pest of concern is corn rootworm, which has earned the nickname the “billion-dollar bug.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates damage caused by this pest and costs associated with controlling it typically total $1 billion annually!
Corn and soybean crops are making excellent progress for the most part now that temperatures have warmed and ample rain has fallen. For a look at local planting progress and crop conditions around our six state territory, click here and select a region from the drop down menu.
Iowa’s corn emergence rating of 98% is slightly ahead of the five-year average. Soybean emergence is rated 87 percent, which is just over a week ahead of normal. The exception to this week’s positive crop report is southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska, which was pounded by hail on June 3.
Hailed fields must be watched closely for weed flushes, although weed pressure is a challenge on all acres this spring. Recent rainfalls is making it difficult for the timely application of post-emergence herbicides in some territories across Latham Country. Crops are developing quickly, and many post-herbicides are limited by growth stage and/or crop height. Be sure to check crop development before entering a field, and carefully read all product labels. Also check weed speed and direction to avoid herbicide drift.
This past seven days was one of those weeks when it was difficult to remember if I was coming or going! The week of World Pork Expo is always busy, but this year several speaking engagements made my schedule even tighter. I didn’t want to say no to any of them because I believe each one had merit. Today I’m sharing diary excerpts to give you an idea of what goes on “behind the scenes,” or perhaps I should say “behind the mic,” at an Iowa hog farm.
Monday I had the opportunity to meet this year’s class of leaders being trained by the National Pork Board as Barb Determan and I were asked to serve on a media panel. Barb shared tips on how to work with “old school media” by conducting radio and TV interviews. I talked about how communicating has changed in recent years and shared why I believe we must tell our stories through social media. No matter the medium, Barb and I agree that farmers must be honest and open with what we do inside our hog barns!
Tuesday I traveled about an hour away from home to meet in person with a group of Kiwanis. They had invited me to their meeting in Waterloo to talk about how raising pigs has changed over the years. I always enjoy meeting face-to-face with curious and interested individuals.
Wednesday began early with a breakfast in Parkersburg where I shared my message about Operation Main Street (OMS) with the Rotary club. Then my wife, Janice, and I made the nearly two-hour trip to Des Moines for the first day of World Pork Expo. We stood in a long line for a pork burger before watching the pig judging.
It’s always great to watch the kids circle their pigs in front of the judge, vying for the perfect spot for him to see their pig. There were so many fantastic looking pigs this year! These judges have a tough job! In the hog barns, we ran into the Loos family from Nebraska. Trent’s wife, Kelli, told us the sad story about a tornado hitting their farm while they were in Des Moines. More about that later…
Also on Wednesday, I attended a meeting to learn what’s new with PEDv. Several industry leaders told of what has been learned about this virus, which has killed more than 7 million baby pigs within the last year. Janice and I returned home after a full day of attending meetings and meeting up with old friends.
Thursday I returned to Des Moines and recorded a video for National Pork Board to use when someone calls in with questions about raising pigs. This is just one more way to get the word out about what I do.
That afternoon I attended more OMS training on how to become a better spokesman. It’s amazing what you can learn when you get out of the hog barn!
Thursday evening I was invited to a reception for the International Food Information Council, a group of top executives representing large food companies from around the world. Companies like DuPont Pioneer, which sponsored this event, invited a dozen farmers like me. Can you imagine an old hog farmer explaining to a couple of top executives, from big cities, why and how we dock tails and castrate pigs? The old hog farmer wasn’t even me, but I was fascinated as I listened to this conversation. Watching their facial expressions was priceless! (Click here to read a recount from Dan, an Iowa cattle producer who was also in attendance Thursday evening.)
Honestly, we need more events like this. Great information sharing took place. I talked with executives from Coke, McDonalds, Kraft and Nestlé, General Mills and more. They wanted to learn about farming, and I wanted to hear their concerns. I also made some great connections like Tony Flood, senior director for Food Safety & Defense with the International Food Information Council Foundation in Washington, D.C. He wants to continue our talk, and that’s always a good indicator!
Thursday night I stayed with our son Corey and his kids, who live in Pleasant Hill. Fortunately, they live near the fairgrounds because Friday started early! The fairgrounds were eerily empty at 6:30 AM. As I made my way to breakfast, I ran into Doug Fricke. As director of Trade Show Marketing for National Pork Producers Council, Doug is the top person responsible for making this show great. We talked about the weather, of course! The great weather we experienced last week made a great show even better.
Next I literally crossed paths unexpectedly with Trent Loos! We were the only two people on the street, and he asked if I had 48 minutes. I thought he needed a ride to the airport and said, “Sure.” I always try to make time for friends. Then I learned Trent really needed a guest for his daily Loos Tales radio show, which is 48 minutes long! What an honor to be a part of that show, celebrating the 70th anniversary of D-day.
During this radio program, I learned the extent of damage from the tornado that Kelli mentioned earlier in the week. Their house is still standing but the roof was 100% damaged, so Trent thought he could just live in a grain bin. It’s always interesting talking to Trent because I never know what direction the conversation is going to take!
Even though I literally took a detour on my path to Friday morning’s OMS training, I got there in time to gain a few tips on how to improve my talks with high school VoAg and culinary classes. Then I finished my day WPX by attending a class on social media. Finally, I had to say “enough is enough!”
Cristen Clark (aka @FoodSwineIowa on Twitter) describes herself as “a born and raised Iowa farm girl with a passion for baking timeless recipes and sharing my love of the kitchen with others. Memories made in the kitchen are some of the most vivid of mine and certainly the most treasured. I am an avid contest cook and baker but most importantly a stay-at-home mom with two children.”
What I love about this description is how modest she is! During the 2013 Iowa State Fair alone, Cristen won the Nostalgic Comfort Food competition and placed First Overall in the King Arthur Yeast Rolls competition. Cristen also won the Sweepstakes honors for most first place entries; she placed first in 5 individual classes of yeast rolls alone! Her most coveted win during last year’s fair, however, was the Kenmore Honored Harvest Time Recipe Contest.
“Growing up and still working on the family farm, I have many food and harvest time memories. My uncle artfully and meticulously maintains our massive family garden and every vegetable in this dish came from it,” wrote Cristen in her contest entry. “This recipe combines the childhood memories of making pasta with my Grandma Madeline, the appreciation of ingredients that are carefully grown and a desire to use them in a thoughtful, simplistic way.
My favorite times in the kitchen with my grandma were making fresh pasta. I loved to watch her make the dough and help her crank the manual machine. She has the hands of a frontier woman, and the humbleness of a woman who had struggled through The Great Depression. It made me see cooking and baking experiences as so much more fun when shared, that in and above all I will write today is the most important thing.
With memories like these, combined with a unique and creative use of fresh vegetables, it’s no wonder Cristen took home first place honors in Kenmore’s cooking contest! She also took home a Kenmore kitchen makeover and earned trip to New York City where last October she joined some of the nation’s top chefs to serve up her award-winning dish at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.
This mother of an active 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son also helps her father raise row crops, as well as works with family members to raise pork and cattle. To learn more about pig chores and animal antics, follow Cristen’s Food and Swine blog. She said she started blogging in November 2013 primarily for three reasons: (1) to create an online scrapbook of family memories and farm history for her children; (2) to “force” herself to actually write down the recipes she creates; and (3) and of course, to help provide understanding between farmers and consumers.
Why Merlot Candied Bacon Sliders? Cristen writes, “The recipe I came up with was not without some creativity, mostly due to the parameters that it could only be 5 total ingredients in addition to the beef and the roll it was on. So in essence, 7 total ingredients. The recipe had to be a great reflection of our lovely state of Iowa and fit into a wine-centered event.”
Cristen shares her winning recipe below. Also check out her blog post about the Caesar Sliders, which I plan to make very soon! What’s your favorite way to enjoy sliders?
Post-planting is an ideal time to begin early season crop scouting. Many soilborne pathogens strike as soon as the seed begins to take on water; others strike young seedlings.
While walking fields this spring, I’ve noticed everything from poor stand counts caused by inadequate seedbed preparation, soil compaction or soil crusting. All of these situations can promote seedling diseases. Understanding the symptoms of common diseases and diagnosing the problems will help you manage these diseases in the future.
The first step in combating soybean seedling disease is to choose high quality soybean seed. There’s a reason “quality” is literally stamped on each bag of Latham® High-Tech Soybeans. The Latham family has nearly 70 years of experience, producing the highest quality seed. Also be sure to check disease ratings in the seed product catalogs.
The second step to achieving higher soybean yields is seed treatment. Recently released research results show seed treatment is the best defense against seedling disease. Choose a seed treatment like Latham’s proprietary SoyShield® fungicide and SoyShield Plus, a fungicide-insecticide combination. It’s especially important to protect early-planted soybeans from seedling diseases and insects.
While it stands to reason that earlier-planted soybeans will have more potential for yield due to greater access to sunlight, there are risks associated with early planting. Plant in fit conditions to set up your crop for success. Optimal planting conditions for soybeans include dry soils that are consistently 60 degrees at planting time. Soybeans are a light-sensitive crop, so yields are strongly influenced by the amount of solar radiation the crop receives throughout the growing season.
Learn what you can this season to increase soybean yields in the future. If there’s an area where seedlings aren’t emerging, dig into the soils and see what’s happening underground. Some pathogens attack the seed. Some seeds are killed before germination. You may notice rotting seeds. Sometimes “damping off” occurs right before or right after emergence.
There are three main categories of seedling diseases: seed rot, seedling mortality, and root or lower stem decay. Watch for these in 2014:
Seed rot occurs during the VO-VE growth stages and may be caused by three pathogens; Pythium, Phytophthora, and Phomopsis. Typical symptoms are soft decay of seed, missing seedlings in the row or poor emergence.
Seedling Mortality, commonly damping-off or seedling blight, occurs during the VE-V4 growth stages. Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia, can cause seedling mortality.
Root or lower stem decay may take place during the seedling stage or may not be apparent until later reproductive stages (VE-Rn). Pathogens that cause root stem decay during the seedling stage are the same as those that cause seedling mortality.
I had a hard time deciding what to cover in this week’s blog post because there are so many things on my mind. First of all, the #schoollunch program is still being discussed across social media platforms. World Pork Expo, which opens to the public tomorrow on the Iowa State Fairgrounds, is a huge event for pork producers across the globe. Even if you don’t want to show hogs or learn about modern pork production techniques, you should attend just for the great food and entertainment!
Barbecued ribs, smoked loins and grilled pork chops are among my favorite foods. I’ve been known to brake for a good hog roast! However, I can’t head for Des Moines without first stopping to vote in Iowa’s primary election.
Primary elections limit the field of candidates for the general election, and I truly believe this November’s elections will be the most important our country has ever had! Our country has certainly “changed” since 2009. It’s time to return to America’s tried and true system of checks and balances. (If you’ve read any of my past blog posts, you know how I feel about government regulations.) One branch of federal government should not be able to push such a one-sided agenda.
America cannot continue its prosperity if government takes more control. *According to our representative form of government, U.S. elected officials shouldn’t make decisions based on one person’s view of the world. Ideology is great for making goals, but U.S. politicians must exercise common sense and exhibit leadership. America’s position as “world leader” is in jeopardy. Think of being paranoid or overly dramatic? Read on…
Sunday night I saw a Facebook friend post a story about an energy agreement between Russia and China. They have agreed to build hundreds of miles of pipeline to provide cheap oil in to China. Is anyone else scared to death about China and Russia agreeing to a 30-year natural-gas deal? Cheap energy gives cheap political power. Russia has already expanded its borders, and China is on the verge of doing the same. What power does the U.S. have in foreign relations now? We have a serious national security threat when these two countries make agreements like they just did!
Russia is one of the top producers and consumers of electric power in the world
Another conversation I’ve recently had online was about how China –in just 30 years– brought one-half billion people out of poverty. Abject poverty in China was reduced from 85% of their population to 13%. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment, but at what cost? Coal plants and factories spew pollution so intense that no one can see or breathe. Much of China’s farmland is so polluted that it can’t be farmed. More farm ground was lost as dams are built on rivers to generate electricity.
If developing countries continue their path, I’m afraid America could become a third-world nation with no power! I mention this because the U.S. EPA is making rules to control water rights, which WILL damage our economy and limit job growth.
This country needs CHANGE! I encourage you to actually research each candidate running for election; don’t depend on a candidate’s TV commercials to tell you why you should or shouldn’t vote for him or her. Understand each candidate’s position on issues impacting your livelihood. Know the consequences of rules made by bureaucrats. Discuss with your friends, and make your voice heard!
*Footnote to paragraph 4: Democracies did not originate with the founding of the United States. Founders actually preferred the term “REPUBLIC” to “DEMOCRACY.”
P.S. Since I didn’t have enough room to talk more in more detail about the school lunch rule changes, I’m sharing links to recent articles related to it:
Sunshine and warm temperatures like we’ve experienced for the past week are definitely needed to push along emergence of recently planted seed. However, we’re starting to see some instances where seedlings are struggling to break through the crusted soil surface as a result of either conditions at planting time or heavy rainfalls afterwards.
Wet planting conditions, fine soil textures, intensive tillage, or heavy rains after planting can result in delayed or uniform emergence. Some seedlings may not even emerge at all, which lowers stand counts and may reduce overall yield. Another problem that can result from crusted soils is rootless corn. Roots will take the path of least resistance, which means they might grow out the bottom of the seed furrow.
To help break up the crust and improve seedling emergence, consider using a rotary hoe.Get off the tractor and check for stand loss when starting a field. If loss seems greater than 3 to 5 percent, you may want to slow your travel speed to be less aggressive with the tool. Take care so soybean cotyledons aren’t broken off by the hoe. Expect a minor stand loss from hoeing, but this should be insignificant if your crop is truly having difficulty breaking through a crust.
Be sure to wait until soils have dried before using a hoe, so you don’t exacerbate the situation with soil compaction. Use a quick field test to check soil moisture. Simply mold a length of soil between your index finger and thumb, or roll it into a ball in your hand. Observe whether the soil breaks apart as you work it. If you toss the ball of soil into the air and it shatters or cracks upon falling to the ground, then conditions are likely suitable for tillage.
Warm temperatures and below normal precipitation allowed soybean planting and crop progress to advance rapidly. At Latham headquarters in Alexander, we finished planting our corn plots and are nearly done with planting soybeans. Yesterday a welcome one inch of rain fell, which brought planting to a halt.
Statewide corn has been planted on 96% of the acres intended for 2014, as of the week ending May 25. Soybean planting is 80% complete, which was double the previous week’s progress. Nationally, corn has been planted on 88% of the acres and has emerged on 60%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybeans have been planted on 59% of the U.S. acres and with 25% emerged.
“With just sporadic rainfall last week, crop planting proceeded quickly and now both corn and soybean planting progress is slightly ahead of the 5 year average,” notes Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey in his May 27 crop report. “After the extremely late planting last year farmers are excited to get the crop in the ground in a more-timely manner this year.”
For a look at crop conditions around our six state territory,click here, or select a region from the drop down above.
Stop Using School Lunch to “Play Politics” with Kids
Think the school lunch program is “old news”? Think again! Last Friday The Des Moines Register ran an article by Christopher Doering detailing how U.S. Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack defends new school nutrition guidelines.
The USDA, since 2010, has been phasing in new nutrition guidelines for school lunches to address the childhood obesity epidemic and to help those at risk of going hungry. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires lunch programs that receive federal dollars to provide healthier meals. The latest sets new limits for calories, increases whole-grain requirements and lowers sodium levels.
Vilsack “lashed” out at critics of the program for playing politics with our kids, but this is no real surprise and “playing politics” has become the standard argument whenever Congress disagrees with the current Administration. President Obama has even accused our founding fathers of setting up Congress wrong, claiming the Senate should have representation like the House. Think about that one for a couple minutes!
Before I digress too much, let’s take a closer look at Secretary Vilsack’s comments. He says, “I don’t believe that politics and politicians should trump good policy and policy that’s established by experts when it comes to the future of our children.”
Vilsack makes quite the emotionally-charged statement, but fact is, new school guidelines are being criticized by more than politicians. The School Nutrition Association claims over 1 million fewer students are eating school lunches! With fewer students eating the lunches, schools are having trouble covering the costs.
Last week in The Hill, a representative for the School Nutrition Association is quoted as saying 1,445 schools have dropped out of the program since the standards went into effect as costs mount. A House spending bill approved by a subcommittee last Tuesday would force the USDA to give a temporary waiver to school lunch programs that can show they were operating at a net loss for the last six month.
Not only are they operating at a loss in many cases, but schools are having trouble finding some of the required foods. The USDA has confirmed that schools could not find whole-grain pastas that did not fall apart in the giant cauldrons used to prepare school meals, which prompted an announcement last Tuesday by the USDA that it would allow schools to obtain a two-year delay in implementing a whole-grain standard coming into effect.
“The first lady has from day one made the health of our children a top priority, and that means keeping the pressure on to ensure that school nutrition standards already implemented by 90 percent of our schools stay intact,” says White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Did the experts take food costs and sources into consideration when they developed the new guidelines?
What about taking regional differences into consideration? There are food items available in larger markets than in rural areas, for example.
Did anyone think about the alternative to eating school lunch might simply be to skip lunch altogether?
Let’s remember that many low income students receive most of their nutrition at school. Even if they do take the lunch, how much of it are they throwing away? Placing “nutrition” on the plate doesn’t ensure that kids are going to eat it. Kids are being hurt by hunger!
Vilsack’s experts may be experts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something to learn! They need to humble themselves enough to listen. I’m always amazed how much I learn when I listen, but this administration and Sec. Vilsack are doing a very poor job of listening. I strongly feel this IS all about politics and saving face on their part. Let’s make school lunch rules about kids, not politics! Contact your legislators.
It’s been said that a bad day of fishing beats a good day at work. So what can be said about the family who’s lucky enough to live near two trout streams and in between rolling green hills where cow-calf pairs graze contentedly?
“There are just so many things we enjoy about living here,” says Leslie Wynthein, who spent her childhood living in and around cities including Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. “It’s very different from my childhood, but I can’t imagine raising our family anyplace else. We have made so many great memories here. When our children were younger, they learned to entertain themselves. They could engage in creative play. They never had to worry about being bored because there is always something to do on a farm. As a result, they developed a strong work ethic and all of them enjoy being outside.”
The rolling hills that serve as a backdrop to the Wynthein’s farm (pronounced Win-thee-in) remind David of the countryside where his family raised feeder cattle and crops outside St. Charles, Illinois. After David graduated from high school, they relocated to northeast Iowa because urban sprawl was encroaching their farmland.
“I’ve always enjoyed farming,” said David. “For a while I considered becoming a veterinarian, but then I decided against it because I was afraid it would take me away from what I really enjoy doing and that’s working on my own farm.”
Instead David chose to major in Animal Science at Iowa State University. His high school sweetheart, Leslie, also made the move to Ames and earned a degree in Horticulture. They were married in 1977, moved to Volga and bought their first five cows in 1978. They moved to their current home near Arlington about 25 years ago. Today, they feel blessed to live just five miles away from David’s 89-year-old mother. Plus their son Tyler and his wife, who are expecting their first baby in late June, live just a stone’s throw away.
While it may not sound surprising that one of their four children would return to the family farm, Tyler took an uncommon path before making his way back home. He worked summers first as a wrangler and then as assistant camp director and assistant program director for Beartooth Mountain Christian Ranch in Fishtail, Montana. During the winter months, Tyler took classes in Ag Business at Northeast Iowa Technical College in Calmar. He graduated from Calmar in 2007 with a degree in Ag Business before furthering his education at Montana Bible College. There he met the love of his life, Dani, who was also earning her degree in Biblical Studies. After they were married, Tyler worked full-time for a farmer in Bozeman.
“I’ve always enjoyed farming. I found myself wondering why I was farming for someone else when I could be farming with my own family,” said Tyler. “As much as Dani and I love Montana and its beautiful scenery, we decided to return to Iowa and to the place where we want to raise our children.”
Montana remains a state that’s near and dear to the entire Wynthein family. David and Leslie enjoy traveling there to visit their three children and their families. The Wynthein’s oldest daughter, Laura, and her husband, Jeramy, met at Beartooth Christian Camp in Fishtail. Jeramy has been on staff there since 2007 and is currently camp director. Laura was food service director from 2004 to 2009, and then family became her primary focus. She and Jeramy have three children ages 5, 3 and 6 months.
David and Leslie’s youngest son, Matthew, is currently the program director at Beartooth. He has been part of the summer camp team since 2010 and also spent three months in the Middle East among Syrian Refugees. Their oldest son, Benjamin, met his wife, Cristi, in Montana. They’re raising their four children – ages 7, 5, 3 and 1 – in Fishtail where he manages a ranch plus operates his own repair and spraying business.
Outside of traveling and spending time with their family, David and Leslie enjoy hunting and riding their Goldwing motorcycle. Leslie also enjoys gardening, reading, refinishing furniture and spending time in the kitchen. As a proud beef producer and an avid baker, today Leslie is sharing two of her favorite recipes below.