Greg Brandt grew up in the seed business on a farm near Westbrook in southwestern Minnesota, but he took quite a different path before making it his career.

Upon graduating from high school in 1985, Greg attended vocational school for electricity and electronics.  A job as an electrical inspector for Windings, Inc., took him to New Ulm.  He worked his way into a position as Quality Assurance manager and was involved with inspecting parts for NASA, as well aircraft instrumentation for President Regan’s helicopter.  He enjoyed his job immensely and switching careers wasn’t on his mind at the time.

“One day my dad gave me a call said he’d grown his seed business to a point where he needed to divide the territory,” says Greg.  “He asked me to join him, and honestly, I couldn’t tell him ‘no.’  Dad had worked so hard to get his seed business to that point, so I decided to assist him.  Then in 1995, Krueger divided the state of Minnesota in half.  Dad covered half as a District Sales Manager, and I covered the other half. We worked together until 2004.”

Now after working for nearly two decades in the seed business, Greg says he can’t imagine working in any other industry.  He really enjoys the strong relationships he has with his dealers.  Greg appreciates how, as an independent company, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds keeps its focus on helping farmers.

Greg also appreciates how the company puts family first and looks for opportunities to bring families together.  His wife, Heather, and two daughters, Makayla (who will be 11 in two weeks) and Amber (age 9), have enjoyed attending Latham’s summer sales meetings.  They also greatly enjoy spending weekends at by the Boy River near Longville where they enjoy feeding the ducks and racing turtles.  It’s become their tradition to catch turtles in the spring and race them on Wednesday afternoons at the Longville Turtle Races.  Longville is just a short drive from Nisswa, where turtle racing originated 47 years ago.

This coming Labor Day weekend Greg, Heather and their girls will be soaking up the final days of “summer vacation”.  The day after Labor Day school resumes. Heather will begin her thirteenth year as a special education teacher; both girls attend elementary school in New Ulm.

Anyone who’s heard of New Ulm knows the community is deeply rooted in German heritage, so it really came as no surprise to me when Greg served brats and kraut at our From the Field spring planting broadcast.  What did surprise me is that the kraut was homemade – and that Greg had a hand in making it.  It was so good that I had to ask for his recipe!  Thankfully, his mother has agreed to share it with all of us on TheFieldPositon.

For those of you needing directions on how to sterilize jars and seal lids, click here for Sauerkraut in a Mason jar.

by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby

Ritchie Berkland and his family relish the opportunity to live and work on their Century Farm near Cylinder in Palo Alto County.

“A century farm is a connection to family, from my ancestors to my siblings to my children,” says Berkland, whose son, Grant, 26, lives in New Jersey, and daughter, Meghan, 19, is a student at Iowa State University (ISU). “This is a gathering place, and my wife, Cynthia, and I are glad we’ve kept the farm in our family.”

Farming has been a way of life for the Berkland family for generations.  The family’s Vernon Township farm dates back to 1891, when Berkland’s great-grandfather, Christian Knudson, homesteaded the land. In 1938, Berkland’s father, Amos, and mother, Pearl, purchased the farm and kept the land in the family.

Berkland’s father, who had grown up with traditional horse power, enjoyed working with horses and was known for his superior ability to cross-check corn. As farming methods evolved, a mounted picker on the family’s Super M tractor helped bring in the harvest, recalled Berkland, who noted that it took his father, his Uncle Melvin and his Uncle Bert the good part of a day to get the picker set up and ready to go. “When Dad got a two-row, pull-type New Idea picker in the mid 1960s, he thought that was the cat’s meow,” said Berkland, who noted that his father raised corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa on 320 acres.

Berkland didn’t realize how interested he was in farming until he left home to study farm operations at ISU. “I discovered that I really missed the farm and wanted to return.”

After Berkland completed his degree in 1975 and began farming full time, he raised hogs, purebred sheep, corn, and soybeans. He’ll never forget the 1988 drought, when he didn’t even make 100 bushels per acre of corn on his north farm. Despite the tough times, the Berklands were able to keep farming, and Berkland began selling seed around 1993 to supplement the family’s income. “I like being around people and enjoy talking to farmers, so it was a natural fit,” said Berkland, who sells Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds to farmers in Palo Alto and Emmet Counties.

Berkland is impressed by how superior seed genetics have continued to push yields higher. “When I started farming, getting 125 bushels per acre on corn was a big deal. By the 1990s, about 160 to 165 bushels per acre was as good as it usually got. Then we took a quantum leap forward in recent years with all the new traits and genetics. Now I’ve had years where the average has been 217 bushels per acre.”

One thing that hasn’t changed on Berkland’s farm is his commitment to conservation. For years, he and his family have planted evergreens, shrubs, and tall grasses for windbreaks and wildlife habitat. The Berklands also carry on their family’s tradition of serving hearty, home-cooked meals, especially when everyone gets together at the farm each 4^th of July.

“There are no magic amounts for the ingredients in some of my recipes, including my Cheddar Chowder soup,” said Cynthia Berkland, who shares three of her family’s favorite recipes. “I just add a lot of what my family likes and keep tweaking until I think it’s just right. Just call me ‘Goldilocks!’”

CHEDDAR CHOWDER

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 5 to 6 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 2-4 cans cheddar cheese soup
• Milk
• 2 cups ham (diced)

Directions:

1. Cut veggies into bite-sized pieces and boil in salted water for about 10 minutes until tender but not mushy.
2. Mix soup and milk until creamy, then add diced ham and veggies. You can include a little of the water, but you should drain most of it, or the soup will be too thin.
3. Simmer until hot clear through but not boiling.

THREE BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 pound diced bacon
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can each kidney beans, lima beans, butter beans (all drained), pork & beans

Directions:

• Brown ground beef, bacon, and onion.
• Drain, then add ketchup and brown sugar.
• Combine all ingredients and simmer.
• Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours.
• Can be cooled and frozen, then baked later, if desired.

For a few days each year, folks in southern Minnesota toot their own horns.  They’ve also been known to play the concertina, sing volkslieder (folk songs) and dance a polka.  In fact, they’re so good at carrying on these German traditions that USA Today has named New Ulm one of the “10 Great Places to Celebrate Oktoberfest.” You can experience New Ulm’s 30^th annual Oktoberfest from Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 and Oct. 7-8, 2011.

“Oktoberfest is definitely a great time.  However, because it coincides with harvest in our area, we aren’t always able to attend.  But when we go, we have fun!” says Tom Maiers (pronounced “Meyers”).  “If you enjoy or think you’d enjoy the experience of a German festival, you’ll want to check this one out.  It’s a great opportunity to meet new friends, visit with old friends, taste some wonderful German food and enjoy the local ethnic entertainment.”

Tom and his wife of 38 years, La Mae, farm about 40 miles north of New Ulm in Stewart.  They also have a Latham® seed dealership.  Tom is the primary salesman.  La Mae handles the details of entering the customers’ orders into an online system that also tracks inventory and prints customer invoices.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people select the best products for their farm,” says Tom, who started making sales calls in the late 1960s with his father, who later became a district sales manager for a seed company.  In the early 1970s, Tom became a dealer himself.  As seed companies sold or brands changed hands throughout the years, the Maiers have stayed with family-owned, independent seed companies.

“One of the reasons La Mae and I are so excited about our new partnership with Latham is because we believe we can offer superior products to our customers,” says Tom.  “Latham offers a diverse lineup with access to all of the industry’s latest traits and technologies.”

Tom is putting those technologies to the test this season with his own on-farm research.  He and La Mae live on the Maiers’ home place, which was originally purchased in 1919 by Tom’s grandfather.  “We feel so blessed that my grandfather settled where he did,” says Tom.  “Our land is very productive and it’s adjacent to a gravel pit where our family likes to fish and hunt.   Wildlife is abundant.  It’s common to look out the window and see deer or turkeys in our yard.  Plus, there is lots of room for kids to play and explore.”

If all goes according to plan, this beautiful farm place will stay in the Maiers family well after it becomes a Century Farm.  All three of the Maiers’ sons live within a 10-mile radius and assist with the planting and harvest.  Their oldest son, Nathan, is also the materials coordinator at Impressions, a printing company located in Hutchinson.  He and his fiancée, Tammy, are busy planning their wedding for early 2012.  Tammy is a speech therapist and also works in the Hutchinson area.

Matthew, the youngest of their four children, is the maintenance supervisor for the City of Stewart.  Matt’s wife, Melissa, is employed with the State Farm Agency in Hector, Minn. They’re also the proud parents of a five-month-old son, Mason.

Jonathan has farmed full-time beside his parents for the past eight years.  He and his wife, Kate, recently purchased an acreage within two miles of the home farm.  They’re hoping they and their three children (10-year-old Dylan, 7-year-old Alexandra and 3-year-old Jack) are moved into the newly remodeled farm house well before it’s time to carve the jack-o-lanterns.  Jon has been burning the candle at both ends, trying to finish up the carpentry work while preparing for fall harvest.  When Kate isn’t working as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Hutchinson Area Health Care, she’s busy painting walls and staining woodwork as the family works together to finish this extensive project.

The Maiers’ oldest child, Kimberly, lives in Nashville.  She and her husband, John Shaw III, released their first self- titled CD Drobac and Shaw in July.  It’s a country album, but it includes the Personal Polka. This single is available as a download for just $.99 on Amazon.com, or the whole physical album at CDBaby.com.  (I’m betting Drobac and Shaw’s version of the polka is distinctly different from the polkas that will be played at New Ulm’s Oktoberfest.  Give it a listen and let me know what you think!)

In honor of their German heritage and the upcoming 30^th Oktoberfest celebration, La Mae graciously treated me to a delicious homemade lunch including the Maiers’ family recipe for German Potato Salad.  Her side dish was so delicious that I’m happy to add this recipe to my own collection!  I’m also glad to have La Mae’s bread pudding recipe.  There’s bread pudding – and then there’s La Mae’s bread pudding.  Seriously, it’s that good.  I’m guessing the secret is in the sauce.  Try it and tell me if you agree!

Recipe: German Potato Salad

From the Kitchen of La Mae Maiers

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs red potatoes
• 6-8 strips of bacon
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 ¼ cups vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Wash and cook potatoes until tender, yet firm. Cool slightly. Peel and slice. Brown bacon with the onion. Drain some of the bacon grease (retaining some adds flavor to the salad). Break up the bacon into smaller pieces.
2. In a large pan, boil together: water, sugar, vinegar and salt until clear, stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Mix cornstarch with an additional amount of cold water to make thickening (as you would for gravy). Slowly stir into the water/sugar mixture, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly thickened.
3. Add bacon/onions and potatoes to dressing. Simmer until potatoes are heated through. Mixture should be “soupy” but will thicken as potatoes soak up the dressing. This dish is much more flavorful if made a day ahead and then reheated on low in a crock pot.

There’s an old adage that says, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”  But as I rode in the buddy seat while Marc Johnson planted corn in a field overlooking his cow-calf pairs on pasture, his herd looked content.

It’s no wonder these cows are happy because life is good on this Ida County farm.  The damp, cool days of April have turned into mild, sunny days in May.  As a result, the conditions have been fit for calving.  The Johnson’s first calf dropped April 2, and there were 53 calves on the ground four weeks later.

What a difference a few weeks make in the country!  Although Marc got a later start planting than he had hoped, everything ran smoothly and he finished planting corn in record time.  Marc was able to keep the planter rolling, thanks to help from family members.  His brother-in-laws worked the ground ahead of him and delivered seed to the field.

Family ties are important to Marc, and that’s one of the reasons he enjoys working with a family-owned seed company.  “I really like working with Latham because it’s a family-owned business.  I can talk directly to the owners if I want,” he said.  “And, I really enjoy working with my RSM, Bart Peterson.  I call him up if I need something or have a problem, and he’s always there for me.”

Marc says he achieved some of the best yields ever in 2010 with his Latham® seed products, and that says a lot.  He’s been planting Latham brand soybeans since 1980 and has planted Latham Hi‑Tech Hybrids for five years.  With Latham genetics combined with traits like Genuity® VT3 PRO and Genuity Roundup® Ready 2 Yield Soybeans, Marc is looking forward to seeing the results from the 2011 harvest season.

This year’s spring planting and fall harvest seasons will be especially busy for the Johnsons.  Of course, life on the farm keeps them busy.  Lorraine also coordinates the school-to-career program at the OA-BCIG High School, where she works with local businesses and places students for internships as they earn elective credits.

In their spare time, Marc and Lorraine are helping with wedding plans.  Their youngest son, 25-year-old Jason, is getting married over Memorial Day weekend.  Their oldest son, 26-year-old Jerrod, will get married in October. Of course, beef is on the newlyweds’ menu!

The Johnsons enjoy beef as the main course or as appetizers.  Marc particularly likes Lorraine’s Pickle Beef Dip on crackers.  He says it makes a great snack after a long, hot day in the field.

Lorraine’s recipe appears below, just in time to celebrate May Beef Month and to enjoy Memorial Day picnics.  I’ve also included a beef dip recipe that I found online and have been waiting to try. Perhaps I can whip up both of these recipes during the upcoming holiday weekend, so we can snack on beef dip while our steaks cook on the grill.  I can’t think of a better way for my family to kick off the unofficial start of summer!

What’s your family’s favorite way to enjoy beef in the summertime?

Chipped Beef & Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

• 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese (softened)
• 2 T milk
• 1 package smoked beef – chopped fine
• 2 T dried onion flakes
• 2 T chopped green bell pepper
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients, except pecans, together with mixer.
2. Put mixture in casserole dish and cover with the pecans.
3. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.
4. Serve warm or cold with corn chips or crackers.

The love of farming prompted John Wilson to leave his native Ireland and study agriculture at Iowa State University (ISU) just as his father had.  The difference is that upon graduating from ISU his father returned to northern Ireland.  John Wilson, however, immigrated to the United States.

Without an opportunity to farm in his native Ireland, young John Wilson moved to the central Iowa community of Laurel. He soon began farming land that had been in his mother’s family.  And today the family’s farming tradition continues as his son, Johnny, farms in partnership with him in Marshall County.

“My dad has been really good about allowing me to get my feet wet and about entertaining new ideas,” says Johnny, who returned to the family farm four years ago.  “We buy equipment together.  We make our seed selections and we buy our chemicals together.  We each have our own roles, but we’re both very passionate about continually educating ourselves in an effort to increase yields.”

In addition to raising row crops, Johnny operates Marshall Ag in Laurel.  He sells chemicals, fertilizer and seed with the objective to make every seed a success.

“I’ve always wanted to be in business and technology.  But in my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d farm with my dad,” says Johnny, who completed an engineering internship and then worked four years for Mechdyne, one of the world’s largest companies dedicated to consulting and developing advanced Audio Visual (AV), immersive 3D, networked, and collaborative visualization solutions.

“The cool thing is that agriculture incorporates business and technology,” adds Johnny.  “I’m delighted to get back to my roots in agriculture.”

Like any good farmer, Johnny appreciates where his food comes from.  And like any good Irishman, he especially enjoys his meat and veggies.  Fried lamb chops with mint sauce is one of his favorite meals.  Another favorite is Ulster Fry.

“As my grandparents say, there’s nothing more northern Ireland than an Ulster Fry,” he says.  This full breakfast consists of several courses.  It traditionally begins with fruit juice, cereal, potato bread and soda bread.  It also includes several entrees such as bacon and eggs, blood sausage, small pancakes, fried tomatoes, baked beans and sometimes black pudding. Hot tea with milk is the traditional beverage.

As a tribute to the Emerald Isle, today we’re sharing a recipe for Irish Stew that’s very similar to what Johnny’s grandmother makes.  Fortunately, the recipe below calls for “cups” and “teaspoonfuls” rather than grammes and milligrammes.  Whip up a batch of Irish Stew with a side of soda bread and see if you can make your family’s eyes smile!