Warm weather means Joy Bonin can look through the patio window and take in her favorite view, watching black cattle grazing in the green pasture. Her husband, Dave, jokingly calls their cows and calves “lawn ornaments” because she comments so often about what a pretty picture the cattle make.

The Bonins raise Angus and Black Baldies bred to an Angus bull near Belmond in Wright County, Iowa. Their farm includes 40 acres of creek pasture where the cattle graze in the summer months. They also grow corn, and they’ve been contract Latham® soybean growers for approximately 35 years.

Dave and Joy began farming 46 years ago. For the past 44 years, they’ve lived on a farm that Joy’s grandparents purchased in 1950. Joy’s father purchased the farm in 1986, and ever since then she and Dave have farmed it. It is now owned by the Bonin’s and Joy’s four siblings. It’s also where they raised their two children, Michelle and David.

“The farm is a great place to raise a family because there are so many things to do and so many wide open spaces to roam,” says Joy. “Both of our children have a very good work ethic and we believe it’s because they learned to work alongside their parents.”

The Bonin’s daughter, Michelle, earned a bachelor’s degree from Drake University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.  She works as a financial services consultant for Deloitte. Her husband, Mike, recently started his own business. They also stay busy with their two children, Madilyn, age 11½, and Matthew, age 8½.

The Bonin’s son, David, plays an active role in the family’s farming operation. He and his son Colton do cattle chores daily, as well as farm in partnership with Dave and Joy. David is an electrician and has his own business with three additional employees. His wife, Rachel, works part-time at Fareway and stays busy keeping up with their five active children. Mike & Colton work for David, Zach will be a senior at UNI majoring in accounting, Liberty is graduating from Belmond-Klemme this Spring and will be attending DMACC majoring in Entrepreneurship. Cole just completed his sophomore year at Belmond-Klemme.

With seven grandchildren, Dave and Joy have a busy calendar! They enjoy attending as many sporting events and recitals as possible.  They also enjoy weekend visits to Glen Carbon, Illinois.  In addition, they’re active in their community. Dave serves on the Belmond Community Housing board and the Art Council. He enjoys pencil drawing and riding motorcycle in his spare time.  Joy serves as their church’s bookkeeper plus teaches Vacation Bible School. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and baking.

Because Joy has worked off-farm at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds for nearly 43 years, she values meals that are quick, easy and flavorful. Joy often relies on beef when she prepares supper and takes it to the field during planting and harvest.

Today Joy is sharing a couple of her favorite seasonal recipes with us, one for Rhubarb Crunch Cake and another for Beef & Rice Casserole. Enjoy!

Cherry Rhubarb Crunch by Joy Bonin

Crust:

• 2 ½ cups oatmeal
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup margarine

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 4 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 t. almond extract

Crust: Combine ingredients and cut together to make crumbs. Save ¾ c. crumbs for top; put rest of crumbs in a 9X13 in. pan

Filling: In sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water and cook until thick. Remove from heat and add pie filling, rhubarb, and almond extract. Pour over crumbs and sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350° F. for 40 minutes.

“DIY” is the buzzword among people who enjoy making crafts and repurposing antiques, but we all know that “do it yourself” was a farmer’s motto long before the advent of Pinterest! With that said, however, I have found many inspiring “build your own burger bar” ideas on Pinterest.  I’m not sure what intrigues me most about this concept – the idea that this type of building doesn’t actually involve a hammer and nails or the fact that the end result is so tantalizing for the taste buds.

Burgers are the top of the list of my all-time favorite foods, so I enjoy taking a self-guided burger tour across Iowa while traveling the state to visit Latham® dealers and customers. I’m always on a mission to find a recipe that I can share on TheFieldPosition.com.

I’ve had the pleasure of taste-testing burgers from some of the Top 10 restaurants in Iowa’s Best Burger Contest. I loved the signature “Roscoe’s sauce” at Roscoe’s in Norwalk.  I also enjoyed every bite of a Rodeo Burger, topped with pepper straws, at the 1^st Street Grill in Keosauqua in southeast Iowa. (I wonder if I could make them at home, similar to onion strings, only substituting onions for green pepper strips. Hmm…)

My burger fetish started in 2011 when the Iowa Beef Council treated us to “tailgate lunches” during the WHO Radio – Latham Seeds Crop Tour.  Michelle delivered gourmet burgers, fresh and hot, to the fields where we were broadcasting “The Big Show” live. They also shared tips on how we could make tastier burgers at home. The number one mistake people make is squishing burgers with a spatula; they literally squeeze all of the flavorful juices out of the meat.

To grill like a master, the Iowa Beef Council offers these grilling tips:

1. • Grill burgers and steaks over medium heat.
   • Use a long-handled spatula to turn burgers and tongs to turn steaks.
   • Remove beef from the grill when the temperature reaches 10° below the desired doneness.
   • Never leave food out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.
     Keep hot food hot — at or above 140°F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers.
     Keep cold food cold — at or below 40°F. Place food in containers on ice.
   • Plan your menu early. Do prep work a day or two prior.

Because we “eat with our eyes first,” it’s important to make sure your condiments are as pleasing to one’s eyes as the burgers are to the tongue! Food that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye may help trigger appetite. Plus, food that is prepared and displayed well may also entice someone to eat what they’d otherwise avoid.

Make your condiments more appealing by displaying them attractively as part of a burger bar. Check out all the Pinterest-inspired ideas that we’ve pinned to the Latham Seeds “burger board.”  If you decide to experiment on your own, I’d love to see your creations. Feel free to send your photos to shannonl@lathamseeds.com.

If you’re feeling inspired to mix up some burgers this week, try Rachel Ray’s version of the Tex-Mex Bacon Cheeseburger. The chipotle ketchup is simple to make and definitely complements the burger. I recommend serving these burgers with a side of fresh pineapples and strawberries plus Mexican fruit dip.

Sharing never tasted so good.

As New Year’s parties become mere memories, my focus shifts to the next big reason Americans have to gather together and celebrate with great food – Super Bowl Sunday.

I’ve learned that massive quantities of hot food and cold drinks are paramount for hosting a successful party.  That’s why I’ve asked Latham employees to share some of their favorite recipes for comfort foods and appetizers.  What I really enjoy about these recipes is that you can “fix ‘em and forget ‘em.”  There’s no need to spend your time in the kitchen when there’s a party going on!

What are your favorite party or potluck recipes?  Email them to me at
shannonl@lathamseeds.com or submit your recipe via our Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Facebook page.  We’ll post recipes on our blog in advance of the Super Bowl.  It’s a win-win: readers will get to enjoy your recipe, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a 6-quart locking crock pot!

We’re also gathering ideas on Latham’s Pinterest account, so feel free to follow our “Super Bowl Party” board. If you have any great Idea’s make sure to tag us in your pin. (@Latham Seeds #LathamSuperBowl)

Email your favorite party or potluck recipe to shannonl@lathamseeds.com and be entered into a drawing for this Locking Crock-Pot. Submit your favorite recipe via our Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Facebook page for a double entry into the drawing!

Entries due January 25, 2013.

BEEF STEW

from Joy Bonin, Latham Office Manager

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cubed stew meat
• 2 cans beef broth
• ½ package dry onion soup mix
• 1 lb. carrots
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 8 potatoes chopped

Directions:

1. Combine stew meat, beef broth and onion soup mix in a Dutch oven.
2. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
3. Then add vegetables to pan and bake at 350° for another hour.
4. I make and serve with a loaf of homemade bread. I make it in the fall for our extra hired help, and we also like it on a cold winter evening in the winter.