Even before China retaliated earlier this month with a tariff on U.S. corn, soybeans, pork, beef and poultry, Iowans were working to develop other export markets for agricultural products. A group of 24 Iowans traveled March 5-16, 2018, to Japan and Vietnam as part of the Iowa Leadership Enhancement and Development (I-LEAD) program.

This mission trip marked the culmination of a two-year program for I-LEAD Class 8, a group of people selected to become strong leaders for Iowa agriculture and the ag industry. Mike Poeppe of Graettinger had the opportunity to visit Japan and Vietnam with I-LEAD. He serves as president of the Palo Alto County Corn Growers and also sells Latham® seed for Ritchie Berkland Seed Sales near Cylinder.

Poeppe took 15 pages of notes and more than 2,000 photographs throughout his 11-day mission trip. He says the biggest take away he had from the trip is the need to continually develop relationships that lead to new export markets for Iowa products. It’s clearly a win-win when U.S. ag products ship to foreign markets. We produce more than our country needs, and those countries need safe and reliable sources of food.

For example, Vietnam has twice the land mass of Iowa but more than 30 times the population! There simply are not open spaces there to grow crops, so imports are crucial. Vietnam imports 70% of its feed ingredients and is an important market for dried distillers grain (DDGs) produced as a co-product of U.S. ethanol production.

Consumers in Vietnam spend 60% of their income on food. Comparatively, Americans spend about 6% of their household income on food. Another contrast between consumers in these two countries is the way they shop. Due to limited available space in the country and smaller household incomes, housing units are much smaller in Vietnam.

Most Vietnamese families don’t own refrigerators, so consumers buy fresh meat and produce daily. The “wet market” for vegetables, flowers, nuts, seafood, and meat (primarily pork and chicken) takes place nightly with the exception of a few holidays.

“The wet market is like organized chaos. There are people and motor bikes everywhere,” says Poeppe. “This is where supply meets demand. Producers bring their goods here, so restaurants and consumers can purchase it fresh. Food safety procedures are very relaxed from what we see in the States.”

Another stop on the tour was an ethanol plant outside of Ho Chi Min. The plant runs on cassava but can switch to corn if the prices are right. Vietnam passed an E5 ethanol mandate in 2007, but the ethanol is in a trial period through 2018. Motor bikes in Vietnam produce more emissions than a typical car, so hopefully blending more ethanol will help reduce the air pollution.

The I-LEAD class also had dinner with grain buyers from Vietnam. The group discussed the opportunities and challenges that grain buyers face when importing corn.

“This was a good opportunity for as it allowed them to put a face on U.S. grain,” says Poeppe. “During this dinner, we helped answer questions that grain buyers had about U.S. product.”

Poeppe also found fish production interesting. His class visited a fish processor that specializes in frozen fish for export. That plant is fully vertically integrated as it raises and processes all the fish it sells. That operation feeds 12 ton of fish feed per month. It takes about a 10-month time period for fish to grow to market size. The fish are then sold wholesale. This operation recently added a greenhouse, so it can use “waste water” to grow vegetables in a hydroponics system. Now a second greenhouse is under construction.

Just as U.S. exports to Vietnam are strong due to our reputation for food safety standards, the branding of U.S. meat products has shown to be especially important to the Japanese.

“Japan is a very loyal customer for U.S. agricultural products,” says Poeppe. “Our visit with the Vice Governor of Yamanashi really opened our eyes to just how important this relationship is. We saw firsthand how the brand imaging created as a collaborative effort between U.S. Pork and U.S. Meat Export Federation has gotten desired results. Now there is 94% brand awareness for U.S. pork in Japan.”

Enjoy pork at home with this recipe for Honey Glazed Grilled Pork Chops from food.com.

HONEY GLAZED GRILLED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ketchup
• ¹⁄₃ cup honey
• ¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ¹⁄₂ lbs boneless pork chops (6 4 oz. portions)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine ketchup, honey, soy sauce and garlic.
2. Set aside.
3. Lightly season pork with salt and pepper.
4. Brush each chop with sauce to coat.
5. Cook chops on greased grill 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from medium-hot coals or on medium setting, basting with sauce often, for about 5 minutes on each side or until meat is cooked through.

When farmers see a need within their community, chances are they’ll band together and offer a solution or two. That’s how the Albert family of Brandon, Iowa, became known for hosting an annual Memorial Day four-wheeler ride, a late summer sweet corn roast and a community tractor ride. The Alberts also organize the community’s Thanksgiving meal and are one of three farm families that takes turns hosting the Testicle Festival each January to raise money for cancer research.

One of their friends was diagnosed with cancer about 10 years ago, which prompted several local cattle producers to fry Rocky Mountain oysters and other fair-type foods. About five or six years ago, Craig Albert realized many residents didn’t have anywhere to go on Thanksgiving. He and his wife, Judy, decided to change how they celebrated the holiday.

“Now we invite the town to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal at Brandon Community Center,” says Craig. “Our son and daughter help, too. People bring in canned donations for food pantry. Free will donations go to local family or a local charity. The community really comes together. Instead of eating and running, people enjoy sticking around and talking with one another.”

Like his father, Jordan Albert grew up knowing he wanted to farm. He lives by the lyrics to Dallas Davidson’s song “God Made a Farmer…” He gets up early and stays up late. He seeds, and feeds and weeds and breathes… bleeds, weans and rakes. He’ll spend his lifetime praying for rain and his prized possession is his good name…

After he graduated from high school, Jordan studied Ag Business/GPS at Hawkeye Community College. When he graduated in 2006, there wasn’t room for him to join the family’s farming operation because his dad was farming with an uncle. Jordan took a job at Carson&Barron Farms had been working there for nine years when one day in February 2013 it all changed.

That day Jordan’s dad, Craig, was admitted to the hospital for a pace maker. Jordan came home to feed the cattle and plant the crops. Then his former boss told him, “Family comes first. I will always be here to support you, but you need to go back home and farm now.” That’s when Jordan started transitioning into his family’s farming operation. Over the years, he’s taken on more day-to-day responsibilities.

“I wasn’t forced to come back, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to do so,” says Jordan. “We don’t ever compromise friendships or family relationships with business. We agree that anything that happens outside the house is business. Anything that happens at the table is family.”

“A farm will not work without a backbone to the operation, and my mom is ours. I don’t think we could ever replace her,” adds Jordan.

Judy has worked off the farm at Denton Castings for 25 years. She works on the farm after work. When Craig was in the hospital, Judy would get up at 2:00 or 3:00 AM to help check cows, fill the planter, or load trucks with soybeans or corn.

Jordan’s sister, Jackie, also has a passion for cattle. She and her husband have their own stock cattle, but she’s still involved with Albert Family Farms. She takes care of the cattle records, including vaccinations and rate of gain. She tracks which bulls are the most docile and which ones – Galvey, Simmental, Angus, Fleckvieh and the different crossbreds – create the most return on investment (ROI).

“Farming is about more than the money. Farming is a passion,” says Jordan. “You put the seed in the ground or see the little calf hit the ground, and it’s so rewarding to watch it grow and develop. When you pull that calf and watch it grow up, it’s the joy of life. You see that calf take its first breath, it’s a miracle.”

In addition to farming with his parents, Jordan is active in the Buchanan County Cattlemen’s Association. Each year group members hold an auction; funds raised support two $500 scholarships for high school 4-H and FFA members in Buchanan County. Then the two scholarship recipients help at the Cattlemen’s our food booth at the county fair. The cattlemen also grill at summer events, which Jordan says is as much fun as it is work. The grill outs help the cattlemen raise funds, as well as serves as a great way to promote beef.

The cattlemen also grill at summer events, which Jordan says is as much fun as it is work. The grill outs help the cattlemen raise funds, as well as serves as a great way to promote beef.

To help promote the high-quality beef he raises, today Jordan is sharing with us his tried and true recipe for Beef Brisket.