Every FarmHer has her secrets… How does one drive the grain cart all day and deliver a hot meal to the field that evening? For Bridget Arthur of North Iowa, preparing in advance is key.

​“As they say, ‘It takes a village,’ and we have so many great friends and family members who help us get everything done,” says Bridget. “I’ve learned to prepare as much ahead of possible by putting meals in the freezer, laying out clothes for the next morning and having our kids’ school bags ready for the next day. I also am a list maker and rely on a calendar to keep track of all our activities.”

A typical day during fall harvest means Bridget drives their two older children to school every morning. Once her youngest son is settled in with an amazing in-home daycare provider, Bridget heads to the field. One of ​Bridget’s brothers-in-law takes the wheel when she needs to get her kids from school. Other times friends and family members transport the children to after school activities. Once harvest is finished, it’s time for Bridget to catch up with the farm’s bookwork and spend some time in the barn.

Working with animals is something Bridget has enjoyed since she was a child, spending time on her grandparents’ farm and participating in Floyd County 4-H with a horse project. It wasn’t until she was married, however, that she found out how much she enjoyed field work.

Bridget began dating Eric Arthur when she was a junior and he was a senior at Nora Springs High School. Upon graduation, Eric started working at Cartersville Elevator where he remained for six years. Eric started farming part-time in 2002 and left the elevator in 2005 to farm full time. Bridget completed an associate’s degree in business at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), and then she worked full-time at Principal Financial Group. Although that company has won many awards for its flexibility and support of working mothers, Bridget longed to be a daily part of the family farm.

The young couple was looking for a way to diversify their income, so they could both work full time on the farm. As the old saying goes, you never know where you’ll be when opportunity calls. Eric and Bridget were on standby for a flight to the East Coast when a friend called and asked if they’d like to invest in a purebred Simmental breeding stock heifer. The Arthurs changed their flight from Boston to Denver and headed for the National Western Stock Sale and Show where they bought a heifer named Flicka. About 48 hours after they made the purchase, Flicka became the 2012 National Champion.

At the time of their trip to Denver, Bridget was pregnant with their second child. She and Eric made the decision for her to stop working off the farm after their daughter was born. Bridget began managing the farm’s financials and became more involved in the cattle operation. In addition to keeping health records and registrations up-to-date for their cattle, she also feeds bottle calves and halter breaks their open sale heifers. Eric is primarily responsible for the daily feeding of their 100 purebred Simmental and Angus cows. 

Eric and Bridget work together in their cattle operation year-round, whether they’re checking on cows during calving season, cleaning pens and putting down fresh bedding, or running cattle through the chute for vaccinations or breeding. They also move their cow-calf pairs to pasture in the spring and bring them home in the fall.

“I have a passion for these cattle. It’s rewarding to breed our cows, calve them out and then raise those calves to a become a two-year-old heifer, which we will then breed for our sale in Ames,” says Bridget.

The first Saturday of January each year, the Arthurs and their partners sell about 80 head during The Royal Classic Sale. This live auction is held at the Hansen Learning Center in Ames, Iowa, and is simultaneously streaming online. To learn more about this upcoming cattle sale, visit www.ebarthurlandandcattle.com.

Showing livestock is a family affair for the Arthur’s growing family. Their oldest son, eight-year-old Jaxon, got his first bucket calf when he was three and she’s still part of their herd. Last June, Jaxon showed a heifer at the Iowa Junior Simmental Field Day in Ames. He also showed a bull calf at the 2018 Iowa State Fair. Jaxon and his six-year-old sister, Maci, exhibit bottle calves each year at the Worth and Cerro Gordo County fairs.

“I love that we raise and show livestock as a family,” says Bridget. “Our kids are learning there are things in this world that rely on you. One night my son didn’t want to feed his calf. Instead of getting mad at him, I waited until he asked for his dinner. I reminded him his calf was hungry, too. He learned he needed to take care of his calf the way I take care of him and his siblings. After he fed his calf, we ate supper together. I believe that raising livestock helps kids learn empathy. They can’t put themselves first all the time.”

Eric couldn’t be happier that his kids are taking an interest in livestock. He grew up raising calves and says the best weeks of his summer were attending shows.

“I loved 4-H and enjoyed FFA,” says Eric, who is chair of the Cerro Gordo Farm Bureau. “Fair was the absolute best time of my summer. We showed every year at North Iowa Fair and at Iowa State Fair. I met so many people from across the state. In fact, one of the friends I made through my 4-H beef project connected us with the sale in Ames.”

Partnering is key to growing both their cattle and crop enterprises. Eric and Bridget also farm with two of Eric’s brothers and his parents. The Arthurs share equipment and help plant and harvest each other’s ground. Each person packs his or her own lunch, and then at the end of the day, the person whose land is being farmed is responsible for providing a warm meal for the entire crew. Today Bridget is sharing with us one of her favorite harvest recipes for Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops.

When you know, you know.

Joe McGrath of Clear Lake, Iowa, didn’t grow up on a farm but he spent enough time shadowing his grandfather that he knew he wanted to become a farmer. When Joe met a Washington farmer’s daughter at a wedding in the Inland Northwest, it was practically love at first sight. Natalie moved to Iowa 14 months later, and as they say, the rest is history.

It’s a history that can’t be summed up in one paragraph.

Joe was born in Mason City to Steve and Tricia McGrath. Shortly after Joe was born, Steve joined the U.S. Navy. He was on active duty for eight years during which he was deployed twice during the first Iraq war and served on the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier. While Steve was deployed, his wife and two children would “come home” to the Erickson family farm in North Iowa.

“I enjoyed our visits to the farm,” says Joe, who also spent at least two weeks every summer on his grandparent’s farm. “I was always by my grandpa’s side whether he was working in the field or hauling grain to town. Farming is my passion. I feel so blessed that I get to farm with my wife, my parents and my grandparents.”

It took a few years for the McGraths to make their way home to North Iowa. After Steve fulfilled his military service, he took a position in St. Louis, Missouri, as a jet engine mechanic in the private sector. The McGraths lived there seven years before the opportunity to farm was presented. Between Joe’s freshman and sophomore years of high school, his grandparents asked Tricia and Steve if they’d be interested in becoming part of the family’s farming operation.

“Farming with my family is something I always wanted to do, so I was happy,” said Joe, who made the move north with his parents and sister in 2002. “I was really lucky to become part of the Clear Lake community. I became good friends with a great group of guys. My graduating class was 96, which was less than half the size of my class in St. Louis.”

After graduating from Clear Lake High School in 2006, Joe enrolled at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) where he studied agriculture. Friends Joe made at NIACC were responsible for introducing him to Natalie. In 2012, Joe and Natalie moved into the farmhouse that Joe’s great-great grandfather built on the farm he bought in 1902.

“I absolutely LOVE that I get to raise my kids on a farm because I know how much it taught me growing up a farmer’s daughter,” says Natalie. She and Joe are proud to be raising the sixth generation on this Iowa Century Farm: 5-year-old daughter, Lindy, and a two-year-old son, Nolan. “The life lessons, experiences and values that come with living on a farm are the best things I can instill in my kids.”

The biggest differences between growing up on a farm in Washington state verses working on the Erickson-McGrath in North Iowa are the weather and the timing of harvest. Natalie says her family harvests wheat and barley in August when it is extremely hot and dry.

“Dad’s grain trucks didn’t have AC. When you parked in the field waiting for a load, you parked with your back to the sun so the cab was in the shade. Then you would open the doors and hope for a breeze!” says Natalie. “There was always a danger of starting field fires, so you would avoid parking in tall stubble to make sure the heat from the engine didn’t cause a spark. The first time I rode in the truck with Joe during Iowa harvest it was a typical crisp fall day. I had my heavy Carhartt jacket on and the heat turned on. Harvest in Iowa is definitely different than Washington harvest!”

With the fall harvest season underway, Natalie brings their children out to the field, so they can ride a few rounds with their daddy. Natalie, Joe’s mom, Tricia McGrath, and Joe’s grandma, Bertha Erickson, take turns preparing dinner for the crew while they’re cutting soybeans. One field meal Natalie is sure to make is Pork Sausage Casserole.

“This recipe came from my Grandma Doris Hein, and Dad said she always served it for harvest lunch in the field. Grandma passed this recipe along to my mom,” recalls Natalie. “Before I was old enough to drive truck for Dad, I would help Mom make harvest lunch. Every day Mom would make a hot lunch, including dessert, for the whole crew and haul it to the field. It’s a tradition I’m proud to continue.”

October Pork Month seems like an especially fitting time to share this family’s recipe on “The Field Position.” Here’s to drier days ahead, so #harvest18 – and harvest meals – can resume!

Quiet Environmental Leader. Good Farm Neighbor. Survivor. 2011 Iowa Pork Producers Association President.

Many titles could be used to introduce Leon Sheets of Ionia, Iowa, who is also a devoted husband, loving father and doting grandfather. Most folks simply know Leon as “The Pig Farmer,” who also was named 2017 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year.

America’s Pig Farmer is awarded each October during National Pork Month by the National Pork Board. This award recognizes a farmer who excels at raising pigs using the “We Care” ethical principles and who also connects with today’s consumers about how pork is produced.

“There’s no one better to tell our story. Farmers are trusted and respected by consumers, who are concerned about how their food is produced because they’re so far removed from production agriculture,” explains Leon. “My comfort zone is in the barn, but we must meet consumers where they are. Chat with your neighbor in the church foyer on Sunday morning. Talk with a young mom in grocery stores who need information, so she isn’t jumping from food fad to food fad.”

Many farmers get riled when consumers ask them challenging questions about sow housing and antibiotics use, but Leon offers a different perspective.

“Consumers want to come across as knowledgeable. They might ask you about sow housing or antibiotics because that’s the last thing they remember seeing or hearing,” says Leon. “When you take time to listen and talk, you begin to realize that most consumers are interested in hearing how you care for your animals and how you protect the environment.”

Animal care and environmental sustainability are the primary focus on the Leon and Barbara Sheets’ farm in Northeast Iowa. Leon has a 3,600-head nursery barn and finishing space in four barns for another 3,600 head. He and his son, Jarrod, partner on 600 acres of corn, soybeans and cover crops.

“My love for pig farming was instilled in me by my father and grandfather,” says Leon, who grew up near Britt, Iowa, and then earned a degree in Animal Science from South Dakota State University. He worked in swine industry after college and moved to Ionia, Iowa, to manage a 700-sow farm.

“You might say I grew into ownership,” adds Leon, who acquired more and more ownership of the operation throughout the years until 1988 when he bought out the other partners. Production techniques have certainly changed since Leon began farming, just as consumers’ lives have changed throughout the generations.

“We want consumers to know that agriculture has changed just as their home lives have evolved. We’re not asking them to give up the remote or go back to watching a small screen, black and white TV. It’s important that consumers understand how technology contributes to a safe and nutritious food supply.”

As October Pork Month kicks off, the winner of Iowa’s Best Tenderloin contest and the famed Tenderloin Trail will be announced. There are many places where you can sit down to this classic sandwich, and you can also make them at home.

Below are tips from The Pig Farmer on what it takes to make a winning Pork Tenderloin sandwich:

• Fresh, never frozen tenderloin, cut to the chef’s (or home cook’s) specifications.
• Handmade on site.
• Tenderized at least once, hand pounded, or both.
• Batter dipped at least once.
• Frying time and temperature are key. The tenderloin should come out golden brown, not too dark, not too light, with uniform even coloring and texture.
• Breading should be moist, not dry, not brittle and not falling off.
• Condiments are optional. It all comes down to your personal preference or taste.

“Too much of our pork is overdone and then we complain about it being dry,” says Leon. “Lower the cooking temperature to 145 degrees with a 3-minutes rest, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised by how moist and juicy your pork is.”

To help kick off your October Pork Month celebration at home, we’re sharing a recipe for Food & Swine’s Classic Iowa Tenderloin, which is available from the Iowa Food & Family Project. Additional pork recipes are available from www.Pork.org/inspiration.