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Fire Up the Grill – Celebrate May Beef Month!
Celebrate the return of seasonal spring temperatures by firing up the grill! May is Beef Month, and the perfect time to enjoy an All-American juicy hamburger or a thick, delicious, mouth-watering steak. A great meal starts with proper food safety and grilling preparations, so today we’re sharing a few tips from the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Storage and Preparations

Pick up beef just prior to checking out. If it will take longer than 30 minutes to get home, transport beef in an iced cooler to ensure it remains cold. Upon arriving home, refrigerate your meat as soon as possible. Place beef packages on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator on a plate or tray to catch any juices.

To avoid cross-contamination and to prevent foodborne illnesses while preparing food, follow these few guidelines:
- Wash your hands well in hot, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and other fresh foods.
- Keep raw meat and meat juices away from other foods, both in the refrigerator and during preparation.
- Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces and counters with hot, soapy water after contact with raw meat.
- Keep carving boards separate from other food preparation areas and serving platters.
- Lastly, take beef directly from the refrigerator to the grill for cooking.
Grilling

Trim visible fat before grilling to help prevent flare-ups, and grill over medium heat. If the food is grilled over too high heat, the exterior can become overcooked or charred before the interior reaches the desired doneness.

For charcoal grilling, spread charcoal out in single layer once the coals are ash-covered (approximately 30 minutes). Then check cooking temperature by cautiously holding the palm of your hand above the coals at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away; approximately 4 seconds for medium heat. Gas grill brands vary greatly, so grilling times may need to be adjusted.

Determining Proper Doneness

To determine the proper degree of doneness for ground beef, horizontally insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the center for patties to ensure an internal temperature of 160°F. NOTE: Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

For steaks that are 1/2 inch or thicker, insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally from the side to penetrate the thickest part or the center of the steak without touching bone or fat. After cooking, let steaks rest before serving to achieve desired degree of doneness, which may range from Medium Rare (145°F), Medium (160°F), and/or Well Done (170°F).

Fire up the grill this weekend! Here are a few recipes to get you started:
For beef recipes and additional inspiration for beef meals, visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
Team Latham

May 6, 2016

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

All Roads Lead Home for Pocahontas Farm Family

Maddie, Jessica, Heidi and Mark Vosika enjoy farm life in Pocahontas County, Iowa.

Schools across the Midwest will soon close their doors, and many families will enjoy taking a summer vacation. Mark Vosika, who farms near Pocahontas in West Central Iowa, looks forward to seeing new country with his wife, Heidi, and their two daughters.

“We enjoy traveling and experiencing different cultures. We really enjoy watching the scenery change as we drive, and of course, Mark enjoys seeing the different crops that are grown,” says Heidi, a registered nurse who spent about a decade working in long-term care, home health and hospice before switching to medical claims review.

A few of the Vosika’s favorite places include Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. They also enjoyed Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island. Heidi says, “We had so much fun exploring Arches National Park and JEEPing in Canyonlands that we’d love to visit Utah again.”

No matter where the Vosikas roam, they always look forward to returning to home. Mark and Heidi feel blessed to raise their family in the same home where Mark was raised. Their oldest daughter, Maddie, is a high school junior and sold more than $1,000 in FFA fruit sales. Their youngest daughter, Jessica, is in seventh grade. She enjoys cross country, basketball and soccer. Jessica also enjoys helping Mark on the farm, running the grain cart and moving equipment. She also likes to spend time with him in the shop.

Mark and Jesse bringing in the 2015 harvest

“What I like the most about living here is that our kids get experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have. They see the long hours that go into farming, and they see how dedicated their dad is to the operation. They learn about farm safety, and they learn to accept more responsibility at a younger age,” says Heidi, who grew up in town and now enjoys the privacy of country living. Participation in extracurricular activities helps their daughters develop leadership skills, which will be of value if they decide to follow in their dad’s footsteps.

Mark is a township trustee for Sherman Township. He also serves as a director for Pocahontas County Corn Growers and as a District 1 Director for Iowa Soybean Association. As a trained diesel mechanic, Mark proudly promotes biodiesel to increase lubricity and longevity of engines. As a soybean and corn farmer, he says it just makes sense to use homegrown fuel.

Mark and his brother, Mike, farm in partnership. Mike usually runs the combine and planter; Mark does the spring fieldwork ahead of the planter and hauls grain from the field in the fall. Mark also does all the equipment maintenance and repairs, saving valuable down time and decreasing out-of-pocket expenses.

Just as Midwest farmers work to get their crops in the ground this month, gardeners also are busy working the soil and planting seeds. April is National Gardening Month, so the Vosikas are sharing recipes that use spring produce. Chicken Oscar is one of Mark’s favorite meals, and the entire family enjoys dessert.

Nothing showcases spring in Iowa quite like fresh asparagus and rhubarb. Get a taste of spring this weekend!

Team Latham

April 29, 2016

Desserts, General, Poultry, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Digging the History of Hampton’s Earl Ferris Nursery

by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby

Gardeners know all the best dirt. For generations of gardeners across Iowa and beyond, one of the most trusted sources for high-quality plants, flowers and trees was the Earl Ferris Nursery, a Hampton landmark for nearly 100 years whose legacy lives on.

“Everywhere we go, we see Ferris trees and shrubs,” said Mickey Ferris of Hampton, who ran the Earl Ferris Nursery with her husband, Wayne, for many years. “Some windbreaks are well over 100 years old.”

The roots of the Earl Ferris Nursery run as deep as Iowa’s pioneer heritage. Solomon “Sol” Wayne Ferris started a small nursery in West Branch, Iowa, following in the footsteps of his father, John Ferris. The family moved the nursery to the Butler County town of Bristow in 1869 and established the Bristow Nursery, consisting of about an acre of fruit trees, berry plants and a few evergreens.

The business took off when Sol bought land in the Dakotas and raised horses there. “Traveling through Northwest Iowa to the Dakotas, Sol discovered a good market for trees, especially fruit trees,” says Mickey, an avid historian. “New settlers needed to plant orchards, and they also needed evergreens for windbreaks to protect against prairie winds and snow.”

Sol sold and delivered nursery stock by wagon throughout the Midwest. The Ferris nursery became known for its field-grown evergreens, Mickey noted. In the winter of 1899, the Ferris family used sleighs to move their entire nursery stock to Hampton, which offered better railway facilities.

By 1900, Sol’s son, Earl, had graduated from Upper Iowa University and was working for his father. Earl bought a half interest in the family business. In 1902, the ambitious young man became full owner of the company and had big dreams for this small business.

Mail order helped business flourish
While Earl continued to sell nursery stock using agents, in 1905 he pursued a promising new marketing option—mail order. He printed his first catalog in 1907 and changed the name of his growing company in 1912 to the Earl Ferris Nursery Co. By then, the nursery consisted of 360 acres of trees, shrubs, flowers, bulbs and evergreens.

The Earl Ferris Nursery mailed more than 400,000 catalogs each spring and sent nearly the same amount each fall. These attractive catalogs contained a full list of the varieties offered by the nursery, complete with prices. “Orders received were prepared for shipment in the ‘pack shed’ and mailed all over the United States, including Alaska,” Mickey said. “At one time, the catalogues represented half of the business at the Hampton post office.”

Since the customer mail-order list was invaluable to the nursery, the list was locked in a large vault in the office every night. Thieves broke into the office one night, Mickey recalled. “They tried to peel the vault door off, assuming there was money in the vault. Then they then tried to enter the vault from the floor above, again without success. The family always wondered what the burglars would have thought, had they been able to get in and found only drawers of names and addresses!”

“Landscape by Mail” offered new options
Innovation continued to define the Earl Ferris Nursery well into the twentieth century, thanks to S. Wayne Ferris, Sr.

The only son of Earl Ferris, Wayne Sr. was born in Hampton in 1905 and worked in the nursery business all his life. He became president of the Earl Ferris Nursery in 1945 after his father died.

Wayne Sr. started the “Landscape-by-Mail program,” employing a professional landscape architect to provide landscape plans for mail-order customers. “These customers would otherwise not have had access to professional landscaping,” Mickey said.

Wayne Sr. also started a retail garden and gift shop in connection with his mail-order nursery. His two sons, Earl and Wayne Jr., came into the business, with Earl serving as office manager and Wayne Jr., in charge of propagation and fields.

Wayne Sr. was a prominent leader in the local community, as well as at the state and national levels. He served as president of the American Association of Nurserymen and Iowa’s state association. He also served as director of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. Closer to home, he was president of the Franklin County Izaak Walton League when the group restored Beeds Lake. Wayne Sr. also served as a member of the Hampton City Council and Park Board and was chairman of the Franklin County Civil Defense program during World War II.

Entering the last growth phase
After Wayne Sr. passed away in February 1977 and Wayne Jr.’s brother, Earl, moved to Illinois, Wayne Jr. and Mickey took over the operation of the nursery, which they renamed the Ferris Nursery.

By this era, the once-thriving catalog business dwindled as big retailers like K-Mart and Walmart entered the market. “The stock and land were sold off, and Wayne began growing perennials and annuals in a large glass greenhouse,” said Mickey, who noted that Wayne became well known for his exceptional poinsettias, geraniums and annuals.

Wayne purchased evergreens, trees and shrubs for the Ferris Nursery’s retail garden center. Mickey worked in the garden center and also started a flower shop. During the holidays, the Ferris Nursery also included a large Christmas shop.

Wayne and Mickey’s sons, Jeff, Mark and David, all worked at the nursery during high school. The Ferris’s grandson Chad also worked in the greenhouse and flower shop, becoming the sixth generation to work at the nursery. When Wayne and Mickey decided to retire in 1997, no family members chose to continue the business. After 128 years in business, the nursery was closed permanently.

Now in their 80s, Wayne and Mickey continue to call Hampton home and still enjoy growing plants for their small raised-bed gardens. “It’s a tiny thing, but we love it and
wish we had a greenhouse,” Mickey said. “This part never leaves you.”

For a taste of spring in Iowa, try this flavorful Daffodil Cake, which offers a colorful twist on a traditional angel food cake.

Team Latham

April 22, 2016

Desserts, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Iowa FFA is Tradition for Sturgeon Family of Belmond
“Amplify: Boost your impact” is the theme of the 88^th annual Iowa FFA Leadership Conference, which will be held April 17-19, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Not only does that conference theme serve as a rally cry for the more than 5,000 FFA members who will gather from across the state, but it’s the mantra of Sam Sturgeon of Dows.

“I first decided to join FFA because I love helping on our farm,” says Sam, whose grandfather raises seed beans for Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. Her father, Eric, is a Latham® seed dealer. The family also grows corn and runs a cow-calf operation. “FFA is becoming an important way for me to develop leadership skills. I’ve been reporter the past year. Chapter officers lead events and activities throughout the year, plus COLT (Chapter Officer Leadership) Training allowed us to meet officers from all chapters in our area.”

A junior at Belmond-Klemme High School in Belmond, Sam has been active in FFA since seventh grade. Sam’s younger brother, Caleb, also joined the chapter in seventh grade. Both of them are carrying on the tradition set by their father and grandfather.

And just like her Grandpa Ron and Great Grandpa Gene Sturgeon, Sam will receive the Iowa FFA Degree. Next week when Belmond-Klemme FFA members travel to Ames for the state leadership conference, Sam will be awarded the highest rank a state association can bestow upon a member.

Qualifications for the Iowa FFA Degree include:
1. Recipient of the Chapter FFA Degree and having been an active FFA member for at least two years.
2. Participation in at least 25 unduplicated hours of community service. Sam’s community service projects included: working the concession stand and cleaning up after sporting events at school, (coordinating or participating in?) a food drive for the food pantry and the Summer Backpack food program, as well as providing a calf and working at the petting zoo during Klemme Ag Days.
3. Achieving a satisfactory scholastic record as certified by the local agricultural education instructor, the principal or superintendent.
4. Demonstrated leadership ability:
  1. Performing 10 procedures of parliamentary law.
  2. Giving a six-minute speech on a topic related to agriculture or the FFA.
  3. Serve as an officer, committee chairperson or participating member of a chapter committee.
5. Completion of at least two years (360 hours) of systematic school instruction in Agriculture Education of above the ninth grade level, including a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. Through the SAE program, a student must have earned and productively invested at least $1,000 or worked at least 300 hours in addition to the class time or a combination thereof.
For her Beef Production Placement SAE project, Sam helps her grandparents with 43 Maine Anjou-Angus cow-calf pairs. Calving begins in February and wrap up as planting season begins.

“This year was especially exciting,” says Sam. “We did a lot of embroyo implants, so I stayed busy watching heat cycles. I enjoyed helping select semen from the bull we wanted. I was so excited to see what the calves would look like this year! I’m pretty excited about what we’ll have to work with.”

At the 2015 Wright County Fair ,Sam and Caleb won Champion Cow-Calf Pair. They show cow-calf pairs for FFA and market beef through the Pleasant Progressors 4-H Club.

While Caleb likes showing beef cattle, he really enjoys helping with crop production. His lifelong dream is be the fourth generation on his family’s North Central Iowa farm. Sam prefers livestock production and plans to become a veterinarian. She volunteers nearly every Saturday, as well as on days when there isn’t school, at the Hampton Veterinary Clinic. She assists with surgeries and goes on farm calls. She helps spay and neuter pets, too.

Blame in on their FFA roots, Grandma knew they needed FFA boots!

The Sturgeons stay busy outside of school and farming. Sam also works part-time at Fareway. Caleb is a member of the football and basketball teams. In the off-season, he lifts weights.

Every cattle producer knows the way to boost your energy levels and fuel your body is by eating beef! One serving of beef, provides our bodies with nearly half of its needed protein plus 10 essential nutrients including zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins.

In anticipation of May Beef Month – and in celebration of Sam earning the Iowa FFA Degree – today the Sturgeon is sharing with us of one of their family’s favorite beef recipes.
Team Latham

April 15, 2016

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Get #SoyInspired… Try New Healthy Recipes this Month
Guest blog post by Linda Funk, Executive Director, The Soyfoods Council

We all know that we should “eat healthy.” Diet is a key lifestyle factor affecting the risk of developing cancer, and research shows that eating more polyunsaturated fat is key to reducing death from coronary heart disease. So why is it many Americans prefer to grab a candy bar or bag of potato chips for a quick snack and order pizza for supper?

Convenience and simplicity are key in determining food choices. Did you know soybeans are a simple way to add protein and fiber to your diet? Soy protein is so healthy for you, too. It’s low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol. It’s also high in polyunstaurated fat and provide essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Here are two more good reasons why you should consider adding soyfoods to your diet:
- Isoflavones Protect Against Ovarian Cancer Risk. It’s estimated that more than 14,000 U.S. women died of this disease last year. However, Japanese researchers have examined the association between the intake of isoflavones and ovarian cancer in seven different countries. The results shows the risk of having ovarian cancer is reduced by approximately one-third that when comparing high isoflavone intake with low intake. NOTE: Soyfoods such as tofu, soymilk, and edamame are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones.
- Consuming More Polyunsaturated Fat is Key to Reducing Death from Coronary Heart Disease. The American Heart Association has endorsed the use of soyfoods because they are low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fat. New research from an esteemed group of investigators has found that consuming too little polyunsaturated fat was responsible for three times more deaths than consuming too much saturated fat. This analysis included 186 countries in 21 world regions and 3.8 billion adults.
After hearing about so many virtues of soyfoods, I hope you’ll feel inspired to add some to your diet! No need to fret over a meal plan as today I’m providing recipes for a four-course menu:
1. Salad with Basil Lime Dressing
2. Asparagus Soup or Grilled Asparagus
3. Miso Marinated Chicken (see recipe below)
4. Elizabeth’s Chocolate Pudding Pie or Key Lime Pie
Find daily tips for using soyfoods and #SoyInspired recipes during April SoyFoods Month on Facebook. Join our Twitter chat for a chance to win a copy of Tofu Cookery. Also check out our Soyfoods Month Pinterest board!
Team Latham

April 8, 2016

Food & Family, General, Poultry, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Time to Fire up the Grill!

By Kilah Hemesath, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Marketing Intern

The grilling aroma has been filling the fresh spring air on days we’ve been blessed with warm weather! Hamburgers, hotdogs and brats are always popular choices but switching it up can be fun.

Pizza and shish kabobs are some of my favorite foods to grill. When grilling pizza, my family has found it works best to put the pizza on a baking stone or tinfoil. Cooking the crust halfway in the oven before adding the toppings helps ensure an evenly cooked pizza. It also gives the pizza some structure, making it easier to transfer it to and from the grill.

Once we transfer the pizza to the grill, we put the lid down and cook it for about 20 minutes at approximately 250º F. Today I’m sharing the pizza crust recipe we’ve successfully used on the grill.

Pizza Crust

1 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2- 3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp olive oil

Mix yeast, sugar, oil and warm water together. Set till foamy. In a mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cup flour and salt. Mix until smooth. Continue adding 1/4 cup flour at a time until reaches the consistency that you like. (I usually add about 2 cups total.) Knead about 3-5 mixtures, or until tacky. Coat the inside of the mixing bowl with 1/2 tsp olive oil. Place dough in bowl and cover for about 1 1/2 hours. Press in greased pan. Bake at 450 until slightly brown.

What’s better than eating food on a stick? (Just thinking about food on a stick reminds me of the state fair, and that certainly brings back a lot of memories!) My favorite summer food is shish kabobs. One of the best things about kabobs is that you can make them your own way! I love putting peppers, onions, mushrooms and squash on a stick with the chicken. We’ve found it helps the veggies stay on the stick if we begin and end with a piece of meat. We also marinate the chicken for a day before we grill it.

Here’s our “go-to” sweet marinade for shish kabobs.

Chicken marinade recipe

1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp salt

Combine these ingredients. Marinate 2 pounds of meat (chicken or beef) in this sauce overnight.

Some suggestions for kabobs:pineapple, zucchini, mushrooms, boiling onions, green peppers. Grill 15-20 minutes.

Grilling sweet corn has always been on my list that I need to try! There are endless flavors and styles of grilled sweet corn, which can also make a great summer dish because of the bright yellow color. Give these food items a try when you are looking to veer away from the typical grill-out food. Embrace the nice weather and everything it entails, and start grilling!

Webspec Admin

April 7, 2016

Beef, General, Pork, Poultry, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Make Soyfoods Your Go-To Potassium Source
Guest blog post by Iowa Food & Family Project

People often think of bananas when they think of a good source for potassium, a mineral that helps stave off muscle cramps. While bananas provide potassium, soyfoods actually provide it at higher levels.

Here’s a list of the highest potassium-containing foods, and look what is at the top and listed throughout:
- 1 cup dry-roasted soybeans: 1269 mg
- 1 baked sweet potato: 694 mg
- 1 cup prepared edamame (green soybeans): 676 mg
- 8 ounces plain yogurt: 531 mg
- ½ cup canned black soybeans: 443 mg
- Banana: 422 mg
NOTE: ½ cu extra firm tofu: 225 mg

Potassium is essential for good health because big leg muscles, small eye muscles and even the heart muscle use potassium to communicate with nerves. The goal for adequate intake of potassium, as set by the National Academy of Sciences, is 4,700 milligrams per day.

Remember to pack healthy snacks to fuel your body as you enjoy outdoor activities like bike riding, hiking and sporting activities like baseball, softball and soccer. Make ahead Honeyed Soynuts to include in your snack mixes.

April is Soyfoods Month, making it an excellent time to learn all about soyfoods like tofu, soymilk and edamame. For more recipes and research information, visit thesoyfoodscouncil.com.
Team Latham

April 1, 2016

General, Recipes, Sides
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Maintaining Important Easter Traditions
When Shannon Latham was 5 years old, the Easter bunny delivered a live rabbit.

When I was a child, I remember walking into the kitchen and finding my mom reading church cookbooks for new recipes to try. Fast forward to 2016, and I find myself saving recipes from my Facebook feed or pinning them to board on Pinterest.

There are so many photographs of beautiful dishes in my newsfeed! I was intrigued by the thought of making Baked Potato Cupc akes or Krispy Eggs. I toyed with the idea of making the Iowa Girl Eats’ Easiest Fruit Salad because it’s so colorful – and I could use a little color after this week’s winter storm. Egg Lasagna sounded like an interesting side dish to ham.

I’ll probably try my hand at some of these recipes in the future, but I won’t be making them for Easter. I’ve decided to stick with Asparagus Casserole. Any one of my family members could probably guess what’s inside my dish before the cover comes off, and that thought made me realize that my casserole has become a tradition. I honestly look forward to the Deviled Eggs that my brother makes. My daughter looks forward to the Corn and Macaroni hot dish that my cousin brings. Without intending to, we’ve created family holiday traditions by the foods we serve.

Family traditions provide a constant in our otherwise ever-changing world. “Tradition gives us an opportunity to live in the moment and enjoy something that we have created as a family. It gives us the chance to slow down, appreciate and express gratitude towards the things in our lives that are not run by technology and busy demands.”

Shannon’s mom and her aunts helping her 91-year-old grandma fill Easter eggs for the 2016 hunt.

Shannon’s kids, at age 5, enjoying their family’s annual Easter egg hunt.

The case for preserving family traditions was made in a HuffPost Home blog article:

1. Traditions give us something to look forward to.
2. Traditions won’t preserve themselves.
3. Traditions keep us grounded.

The tradition I look forward to most each Easter is our annual egg hunt. My grandparents began hiding eggs more than 50 years ago. This weekend five generations will gather together to search for brightly colored plastic eggs filled with candy. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a potluck meal. Like Pavlov’s dogs, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

What traditions do you look forward to this holiday season? Perhaps you can start a new one… Included below is a recipe for Cherry Red Raspberry Cheesecake, courtesy of Food and Swine. Photo credit to the Iowa Food and Family Project.

Related Posts:
Team Latham

March 25, 2016

Desserts, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

It’s Crawfish Season, Y’all… Give “Fresh Catch Friday” New Meaning Tonight!

Just how hot are fresh crawfish in the Bayou State? The demand is so high that it’s hard to find a parking place, and even then, the evening’s Crawfish Boil might be sold out.

Crawfish harvest begins around March 1, says third generation Louisiana farmer Caleb Frey of Morganza, Louisiana. Traps are checked once daily at the beginning of the season and more frequently as the season progresses. Crawfishing runs through the second or third week of May, and then a late crop of rice will be planted in those fields where the crawfish were grown.

Sugar cane, soybeans and corn also are grown at Four Oaks Farm. The Frey family raises cattle on the levees that protect their farmland from the Mighty Mississippi. This diversified farming operation lends itself to year-round production.

“What I enjoy most about farming is the change,” says Caleb. “You might have a week or so of the same activity, like planting corn, and then it’s time to move onto the next activity.”

Corn planting was about to get underway around Natchez, Mississippi, when Franklin County Iowa farmer April Hemmes and I arrived. (April and Caleb traveled to China together as part of the United Soybean Board ’s See For Yourself program. Applications are being accepted through April 1, so sign up online today to see how checkoff dollars help build markets worldwide for U.S. farm products.)

It had rained just enough the day of our visit that fieldwork came to a halt. So instead of touring the area’s beautiful pre-Civil war antebellum mansions, April and I went on a customized farm tour. Talk about luck! Here’s what we learned during our “short course” in Deep South Farming:

March:

These boats are used to check the traps and harvest the crawfish.

Crawfishing starts around the first of the month. Temperatures need to be in the 70s before the crawfish really start moving, so sometimes the season starts a little later.

Corn planting ideally starts the first or second week of March and will be complete by the month’s end. Last year, the Frey family didn’t start until March 19 and finished on the 30^th.

The majority of rice acres are planted from mid-March to early April. Like corn, rice is very sensitive to high temperatures during pollination and needs adequate rainfall. The earlier it gets planted, the better the crop usually is.

April:

Early soybeans, typically early Group 4s, go in the fallow sugarcane ground around April 1.

May:

Most soybean acres are planted in May. Maturities generally range from 4.6 to 5.3.

June:

The Frey family stays busy with irrigating corn, soybeans and sugarcane, as well as spraying.

July:

Irrigating and spraying continues during the month of July as temperatures average 92 degrees Fahrenheit and the monthly rainfall is approximately 6 inches. Early rice and early corn are harvested toward the end of the month.

August:

Corn harvest is in full swing by the first or second week of August. Most of the rice is harvested mid-month, depending on the weather. If there is a hurricane threat, corn harvest is stopped so all hands can get the rice harvested before the weather hits. “Harvesting downed rice is one of the most painstaking things you could ever do in a combine,” explains Caleb. “Add mud to the mix following a big storm and it really gets interesting.”

Early soybeans also are harvested at this time, and the sugarcane planting crews typically follow right behind the combine.

September:

Sugarcane planting and soybean harvest wrap up. Sugarcane needs to grow about one year before it is harvested, so the Freys include this crop as in rotation with soybeans. Harvest begins around the last week of the month on the mature cane crop.

NOTE: The sugar cane gets a little growth on it during the fall, but it typically doesn’t get much more than a foot or two tall before frost causes it to go dormant. In the spring, the entire cane crop basically starts from the same point. It’s cultivated, fertilized, sprayed and irrigated.

Come October the “plant cane,” which is the crop that was planted the previous summer, is harvested along with the rest of the crop. Then it becomes “first year stubble,” which means it has been harvest once. Cane is typically stubbled, or harvested, three to four years before a field returns to soybeans.

October:

Sugarcane harvest cranks up and grain harvest comes to an end in October. Fall field prep is in full swing behind the combines. At this time, a maintenance shot of fertilizer is applied on all of the corn, soybean and rice acres.

November;

Typically all field work is finished by Thanksgiving, weather permitting. Sugarcane harvest is in full swing.

December:

Cane harvest is typically finished between Christmas and the first of the year, but the finish date is completely dependent upon the sugar mill. The mill determines the producers’ daily quota. Your quota is proportional to your cane acres and harvest is typically figured on a 90- to 100-day timeframe.

Additional information: During that 100-day window, each farmer gets one day off every other week. Moisture has no effect on the milling or harvest process, so harvest continues.

During harvest or “grinding” as it’s called here, cane is being harvested 24/7 from September through January. All farmers who haul a particular mill generally finish harvest on the same day, but finish dates vary across the state by a few weeks.

There are 11 sugar mills in Louisiana, and each mills sets its own schedule to a certain degree. Some have split shifts, which means half of their farmers harvest from 12 AM to 12 PM and the other half the opposite. Four Oaks Farms hauls to Cora Texas in Whitecastle, LA. This mill has all of its farmers harvest from 5 AM to whenever the quota is reach. Cane is stockpiled during the day, so cane is available to feed the mills all night long.

January;

The Frey family spends most of this month in the office, finalizing input orders and crop plans for the coming year.

February:

Planter preparation is underway in February plus corn and rice ground is burned down. If it’s dry, the Freys will till old sugarcane stubble so soybeans can be planted on that ground in April.

The Frey family raises cattle on the levees that protect their farmland from the Mighty Mississippi.

Caleb is responsible for purchasing and applying the inputs. He also helps wherever he’s needed from planting through harvest on every crop. Caleb’s dad, Marty, the youngest of four brothers for which Four Oaks Farms is named. Marty is transitioning into the role of president and also oversees the rice and soybeans in Morganza. Caleb’s uncle, Matt, primarily oversees cane production, crawfish harvest and the cattle. Mitch, the oldest of the four, takes care of all maintenance and equipment repairs. He also takes care of all the grain storage facilities plus the rice drying and storage during harvest. Caleb’s uncle, Mark, is the second oldest. Mark manages the northern farm in Vidalia where rice, corn and soybeans are grown. He also markets the farm’s whole crop. In addition, Mark helps his son sell and install irrigation pipes, wells, center pivots and moisture probes.

“I’ve had a chance to learn from the best,” says Caleb as he talks with me about his family’s farming operation. Instead of studying agriculture in college, he earned two associate degrees in Construction Management and Business Management from Baton Rouge Community College. He then enjoyed working four years as a welder and mechanic for Bengal Transportation/Crane & Rigging in Gonzales.

After learning how crawfish are raised, April Hemmes and I got the pleasure of eating this locally grown food. OH. MY. YUM!

Caleb found himself longing for the wide open spaces and the call of the wild, so he returned to the family farm in 2014. He’s had his pilot license for 2½ years and flies whenever he can. In his free time, Caleb enjoys hunting squirrel, deer and rabbit. He also enjoys getting together with friends. On any given night, one of his buddies is hosting a cookout or a crawfish boil. Today Caleb has agreed to share one of his family’s favorite recipes on TheFieldPosition.

By the way, you can most likely purchase fresh Louisiana crawfish at the supermarket in your regional trade center. April Hemmes says she found them at the Hy-Vee in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Who knew? Give “Fresh Catch Friday” new meaning this Lenten season and celebrate with Crawfish Étouffée tonight!

Team Latham

March 18, 2016

General, Recipes, Seafood
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

New Orleans Melds Cultures into Unique Regional Cuisine
More than 8,000 farmers gathered last week in New Orleans for America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused trade show and convention. Open to all “friends of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum—from growers to member associations to agribusiness to farm media,” the 2016 Commodity Classic boasted an impressive schedule of presentations and events designed to get attendees jazzed about agriculture.

There was so much to get jazzed about from the seeing state-of-the-art planting and fertility equipment to presentations by yield guru Dr. Fred Below and UAV guru Chad Colby. I enjoyed walking around the tradeshow, catching up with old friends and meeting new acquaintances. I stopped by booths to learn more about what our industry partners are doing to advocate for the next generation. I talked with farm broadcaster Duane Murley of KWMT in Fort Dodge about exciting projects that Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds has underway with the Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Food & Family Project. (You can bet I’ll be blogging about those soon!)

The booze is the most crucial ingredient. Be generous.

There was simply more to see and do that I could squeeze into four very full days because I also needed to get outside the convention hall to enjoy the beautiful weather, see a few sights and eat a lot of great food. One highlight of my week in the South was a visit to the New Orleans School of Cooking. (Thanks to Carol Coleman for the invitation to join her and several other Iowans for this fun time!)

Our cooking instructor, a former kindergarten teacher and certified tour guide, was a walking encyclopedia of Louisiana history plus a colorful storyteller. We learned how Spanish explorers, French settlers, Canadian immigrants and African slaves influenced the Cajun and Creole dishes for which New Orleans is famous.

You can see inside the pans using the mirror above the instructor’s head!

What’s not to love about a history lesson that takes place over a four-course meal? As our class began, we were served hot buttermilk biscuits with cane syrup. (Before I made this trip, I assumed everyone ate maple syrup. We know what we grow, right? It only makes sense that cane would be the syrup of choice in Louisiana.)

The Southern menu demonstrated during our cooking class included:
- Corn & Crab Bisque – Oh. My. Yum. This is one dish Iwill make at home! (Even though it wasn’t on our menu, I’m linking to gumbo because it’s a signature dish in New Orleans.)
- Shrimp Creole – This is another southern specialty that’s oh so good! Be sure to mix it all together before taking a bite. (Our instructor said she can always tell the northerners in the class because they leave the gravy on top of the rice. “Mix it up, y’all!”)
- Bananas Foster and Pralines (pronounced here as praa-leens) – Talk about indulgent! We were treated to both desserts plus ice cream.
Did you know that New Orleans (#NOLA) is the birth of Bananas Foster? I found it fascinating to learn this dessert was born out necessity. Here’s why… New Orleans was the major port of entry in the 1950s for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Brennan, owner of Brennan’s Restaurant, challenged Chef Paul Blange to find a use for surplus or ripe bananas. Decadent Bananas Foster was created and named for Owen’s friend, Richard Foster, a local civic and business leader. Each year, Brennan’s flames 35,000 pounds of bananas for the famous dessert.

Get a taste of the French Quarter at home by recreating these classic recipes at home!
Team Latham

March 11, 2016

Desserts, General, Recipes