In addition to harvesting their row crops, many Midwest farmers clear off their vegetable gardens and prepare flower beds for the winter. I’m one of those gardeners who leaves ornamental grasses to provide cover for birds throughout the winter. While I was picking up garden hoses and doing some other yardwork before an October snowfall, I started thinking about what happens to pollinators in the winter.

While most bees and wasps hibernate, honey bees stay active throughout the winter. So how do honey bees stay alive during a long, cold Midwestern winter when perennial plants are dormant and our fields are barren? I remembered a fellow member of the Communications Committee for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has a son who keeps bees, so I reached out to Pat Arthur and his son Gus to help me learn more about beekeeping.

“Beekeeping is not scary, nor intense, nor is it a romantic process,” says Gus, 17, who has been keeping bees for four years. “Beekeeping is instead a thoroughly calming, mentally stimulating, and all-around pleasant experience with the reward of the knowledge that you have ensured the continued survival of your hive, plus you get honey from it (naturally).”

Gus got interested in keeping bees after he and his family watched a presentation at the 2016 Iowa State Fair by Andy Joseph, state apiarist for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). During that presentation, the Arthur family learned about a youth scholarship  from the Iowa Honey Producers Association (IHPA).

“I thought keeping bees sounded like fun, so I applied for the scholarship,” says Gus. “The scholarship included a hive of bees, the necessary equipment to keep them, an introductory class on beekeeping, as well as a mentor to show me the ropes of beekeeping. The package was a tremendous gift to get me started on my beekeeping journey. My mentor, Doyle Kincy, continues to share his knowledge and guidance to this day.”

“Beekeeping is a fascinating process of observing the hives, identifying and diagnosing any potential problems, and coming up with a potential solution over and over again, leaving the entire task greatly thought provoking,” adds Gus. “The most fascinating part of it is that no two beekeepers seem to do this in the exact same way, and so beekeeping is able to become different for all who keep bees.”

Honey is collected once per year, generally prior to the State Fair. Gus and his dad process their own honey. It starts with coaxing the bees out of the supers, which are the top hive boxes that contain the harvestable honey. A box with an almond-scented aroma is placed on the top super, and the scent drives the bees lower into the hive enabling the removal of the top super. Supers are removed this way one at a time. If it has been a good year, a super could contain about 30 pounds of honey.

Each super contains nine to 10 frames of honeycomb that the bees have capped with a thin layer of wax. The wax cappings are carefully cut from the frames of comb with a long, serrated knife. The frames of comb are then spun in a centrifuge to extract the honey, which is run through a filter to remove impurities such as wax.

Winterizing Hives

The winterization process for the hives begins with a Varroa mite parasite check and treatment, which, occurs immediately after the honey is removed from the hive.

“In early to mid-fall as the weather starts to cool, the size of the hives’ entrances are reduced to protect them from potential robbery from other hives when nectar becomes scarce,” explains Gus. “Additionally, a metal mouse guard, black insulative wrap, winter feed, and insulation material to absorb condensation are placed on the hive. In November or December, an additional treatment for parasites may be applied to the hives.”

“We wrap the hives in a black insulative wrap to help keep the heat inside the hive and warm it a little due to black-body radiation,” says Gus. “For the most part, the bees do a good job of keeping the hive warm by vibrating their flight muscles. They ball up around the queen and slowly move about the hive over the course of the winter, consuming their honey stores.”

In case the honey stores are depleted, Gus makes boxes of clumped sugar and leaves them inside the hive. The honey and sugar provide food sources until spring. Generally, sometime in March as the weather starts to warm, the hives are readied for spring. The measures that were in place for winterization are removed. Gus also makes a 1:1 mixture of sugar and water in a container within the hive. This division board feeder nourishes the bees until spring flowers bloom.

Many annual flowers, like lantana and salvia, attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. Here’s a link to Proven Winners® recommendations for annuals that attract pollinators. Perennials like coneflowers and bee balm also attract pollinators to your yard. Click on the links below for additional tips for attracting pollinators.

When we feed honey bees, they treat us! Today Gus is sharing with us one of his family’s favorite ways to enjoy the honey they produce. Making baklava has become an annual harvest tradition for the Arthurs after they process their honey.

“We enjoy trying recipes that use a lot of honey because we think honey makes everything taste better,” says Gus. “Making baklava is a little tedious, but it is oh so worth the effort!”

Related Posts

• Follow the 3 P’s for a Pollinator Friendly Garden
• Gardening Can Be for the Birds!
• HenCliff Honey is the Bees Knees

The day the second atomic bomb was dropped, Clabe and Leora Wilson’s postman brought a telegram to their acreage near Perry, Iowa.

One son was already in the U.S. Navy before Pearl Harbor had been attacked. Four more sons worked as tenant farmers with their father near Minburn until, one by one, they were serving their country in the military. All five of Leora’s sons enlisted in World War II. Only two came home.

After praying that her grandmother’s losses would never be forgotten, Joy Neal Kidney felt compelled to tell their story by writing a book. She published “Leora’s Letters” in 2019. This book came out right after the Dallas County Freedom Rock, which features the five Wilson brothers, was dedicated.

“God certainly had to be behind the timing of everything. I’ve been amazed and humbled by responses to the story of a woman who lost four family members – three sons and her husband – in three short years. Grandma reframed her original yearnings of having a home of her own and family nearby to live fully for four more decades,” says Joy, the oldest granddaughter of the book’s heroine.

As the family optimist, Leora made time to write hundreds of letters in addition to doing all her regular chores. She kept her five sons informed of the news. She also kept up the morale of the whole family, which included two daughters who were married and raising their families in Iowa.

Leora literally wrote volumes of letters that had been saved by her children for decades. Joy says condensing the volume of letters into a readable story was a challenge.

“First, I transcribed the dozens and dozens of family letters for those who survived,” explains Joy. “Then I researched to learn what had happened to the three brothers who were lost. I began submitting essays to newspapers and magazines, and my stories were published regularly. I eventually decided the story needed to be shared more widely and in book form.”

“Leora’s Letters” is available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and audiobook narrated by Paul Berge. Autographed copies may be purchased at the Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge, Beaverdale Books, the Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale, and Adel Quilting and Dry Goods.

Writing this book has been a labor of love for Joy, who had such health challenges that she could not write for nearly two decades. As her symptoms began to lift, Joy began writing again. She attended the Cedar Falls Christian Writers Workshop and joined a community online through Write That Book.

“No matter your age, if God has given you a story to share, just begin it and don’t quit,” advises Joy. “Journal every day, find kindred spirits even if only online, ask for feedback, have an open heart for learning. Learn and enjoy sharing on social media.”

Joy plans to write a second book to share Leora’s stories during the Depression Era. She also has mapped out the story for her grandmother’s growing up years.

Legacy of Service

With Veteran’s Day approaching, it seems especially fitting to shine a light on the legacy of service to this country by Joy’s family. Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor all who have served, living or deceased, so we’re paying tribute to all of the Wilson and Neal family members who have proudly fought to defend the freedoms we enjoy.

Joy’s husband: Guy Kidney grew up on a Carroll County farm. He served in Vietnam, Air Force, air traffic control.

Joy’s father: Warren D. Neal, a farmer who became a pilot, retained as an instructor of advanced pilots. He was named as Commander of a B-29 at the end of the war, with a date set for Saipan and combat, when the war ended. He returned to the farm. NOTE: Joy’s mother, Doris, had dated Warren off and on throughout high school. When Doris started talking about joining the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), Warren was afraid they would never get together. He asked her to get married right in the middle of war. Click here for an 8-minute story on how an Iowa waitress became an officer’s wife.

Joy’s father’s brother: Willis K. Neal was a farmer who became a pilot. Combat: C-47 pilot “over the Hump.”

Joy’s mother’s brothers:

• Delbert G. Wilson, Navy. Served 1934-1937, reenlisted during WWII. Combat: Served on a tanker on the East Coast and across to North Africa.
• Donald W. Wilson, Navy. A plank-owner on two aircraft carriers (member of the crew upon commissioning). One was THE Yorktown, which was sunk in the Battle of Midway. Awarded a Naval Commendation Medal.
• Dale, Danny, and Junior Wilson, all left the farm to become pilots. Dale was the copilot on a B-25 Mitchell in New Guinea. Danny was a P-38 pilot in Europe. Junior became a P-40 pilot, not yet sent into combat.

Joy’s cousin Bob Scar: Grew up on a Madison County farm and served as Marine pilot in Vietnam.

Made with Love

Many of the letters Leora received from her sons referenced how much they missed her homecooked meals. Like many farm families of that era, they enjoyed roast beef, real mashed potatoes and gravy with sides of broccoli and cottage cheese. Leora was famous for her Caramel-Pecan Cloverleaf Rolls.

Today Joy is sharing with us one of her favorite fall recipes for red cabbage recipe.

“I enjoy the lovely color and it’s delicious,” says Joy. It’s also a recipe those with gluten allergies may enjoy.

“Rain makes grain” is a common phrase in the country. In Clay County, Iowa, they know corn makes good whiskey.

When Megan Jones heard farmers could deliver bushels of their own corn to Century Farms Distillery and have it turned into whiskey, she thought it would make a unique Christmas present for her husband, Will.

“I connected with Century Farms Distillery and worked out the details. While I was on vacation with Will, one of our friends delivered 50 bushels of Will’s corn to the distillery. As a lawyer, I thought it would be so neat to wrap up the contracts for the corn sold to the distillery. Will was absolutely confused by the contracts at first, but now people are drinking Silo City whiskey! A few select bottles have been put into circulation through promotional events.”

Anyone can have his or her corn turned into whiskey with their farm on it at Century Farms Distillery in Spencer, Iowa. The person who sells the grain gets to choose rapid aged or slow aged, as well as the charring of the barrel. As a result, each farm’s whiskey will taste differently.

Whiskey from an Iowa Century Farm is appropriately labeled. This Northwest Iowa distillery bottles whiskey from “younger farmers” under the Prairie States brand. Each bottle includes a QR code, so you can scan the QR code and read the story of the farm where the corn was grown. Click here to read about the Jones family’s Silo City.

“Ryan and Amanda Bare, the owners of Century Farms Distillery let us know how pleased they are with how our whiskey turned out. They said, ‘Taste is great and the yield was tremendous. We filled three, five-gallon barrels and one 53-gallon barrel with your whiskey. The five-gallon barrels should be ready next year’,” says Megan.

Neither Will nor Megan ever thought they would be measuring yield in barrels. Then again, Megan never thought she would be measuring yield at all.

Saying Goodbye to City Life

“I was never a farm kid. In fact, the recessional song at our wedding was the “Green Acres” theme song. I said, ‘goodbye city life!’ I am so grateful for my husband’s patience as a I navigate these new waters and for the agricultural community. He is so willing to teach. We will only spread the love of agriculture by sharing it with others, and I am so very proud to be a farm wife.”

Megan and Will were married in 2014. Ironically, they both attended the same prom one year without realizing it until years later.

“Will graduated from Sioux Central, and I graduated from Spencer,” said Megan. “We met for the first time, apparently, at junior prom. Will was asked to go to the Spencer prom by a friend of a friend of a friend. We all posed for a picture together. Will and I happened to be standing next to each other with our respective dates on the opposite side. We had no idea until I was looking through old photos for our wedding slideshow and stumbled across the picture, which was taken by Theone Quattlebaum.”

It took Will’s uncle, Clinton Jones, to get the couple together. Clinton and his buddy, Dave Hessman, belonged to the same Kiwanis Club as Megan.

“Clinton and Dave decided I should invite Will to my post-election celebration,” says Megan, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Law, Politics, and Society from Drake University in Des Moines. She earned her JD degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 2012, and then accepted a position with the Hemphill Law Office in Spencer. She was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2012, and her term started in 2013.

“I had already sent out invitations and had no extras,” adds Megan. “I took one invitation back from a friend. I put a label over my friend’s name and sent Will that used invitation to my event. I realized he might not get it in time, so I created a Facebook event just so I could make sure he got invited. The day of the event also conflicted with Thursday night football. Will made his choice. I mentioned to Clinton that Will didn’t show up, so Clinton had a conversation with Will. Will message me on Facebook and then we met for lunch.”

Seven years later, Megan and Will are the proud parents of three very active kids: Anchor, 4; Alma, 2; and Archie, 1. Anchor and Alma are in dance and gymnastics. Anchor is also in swimming. They all enjoy doing cattle chores on Sunday as the Jones family has a cow-calf operation in addition to raising corn and soybeans.

“We recently acquired a pig, and they LOVE helping to care for her,” adds Megan, who says she is enjoying learning more about raising a pig. “During planting and harvest, the kids are often in the ‘buddy seat,’ learning the trade. Anchor loves to farm our carpet with his 1/16 John Deere tractors. He can get planting, spraying and harvest done all in one day!”

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and businesses and forced people to stay at home from mid-March until June, she felt blessed that her kids stayed busy on the farm.

“We were lucky to have tractors and machinery to watch during the day on the busy farm,” says Megan. “I could send an antsy kid off to catch a ride on the buddy seat. We could always load up and go see the cows. And all of these things are wonderful learning opportunities.”

Megan appreciates being able to give her kids roots. Her parents were in the grocery business, so their family went where the company took them. To the contrary, her husband has lived in Clay County except for when he attended Iowa State University. Will always wanted to be a farmer, and now he’s living his dream in Northwest Iowa. Megan also is living hers.

“When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher had us watch the Presidential Inauguration. I was captivated,” explains Megan. “I came home and told my mom all about it and she suggested I become a lawyer. The rest is history!”

“I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to serve in the Iowa Legislature,” adds Megan, who is serving her fourth term in the Iowa House. “I love this state. I want to make sure our younger generations have the same love and excitement for Iowa as so many generations prior. One of my favorite gigs is getting to recognize constituents for their achievements. I send a lot of certificates recognizing people for their good deeds, birthdays and babies. Dropping those certificates in the mail is a highlight of my week.”

In the spirit of celebrating family birthdays and holidays, Megan is sharing with us potato casserole with a festive twist.

Growing up in a small foothill community outside the San Joaquin Valley in California, Debbie Barkela raised purebred Simmental Cattle. She showed market lambs and barrows, as well as horses. She also served as an officer for her FFA chapter and for sectionals, plus was a member of the FFA livestock judging team. It was all good training ground to become an agricultural instructor and FFA advisor. She has taught agriculture since August 2010 in the Belmond-Klemme Community School.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in agriculture,” explains Debbie. “After serving on the American Junior Simmental board of trustees, I really found that I enjoyed being around kids, especially those who had an interest in agriculture.”

Upon graduating from high school, Debbie packed her bags and headed for the Midwest.

“I was able to visit several colleges while participating at AJSA (American Junior Simmental Association) Junior Nationals and met several professors,” she says. “I fell in love with the campus and felt like Iowa State was a perfect fit for me. I also had some nudging from family friends, AJSA members who were from Iowa and were ISU alums.”

While attending Iowa State University (ISU), Debbie met Chad Barkela. The couple was married May 29, 1999, and have three sons. Brady graduated from West Fork High School in 2020. Briley will be a sophomore at Belmond-Klemme and Blake will be an eighth grader this fall. Their boys raise and show market lambs and hogs. Briley also has a few ewes that he lambs and a few sows that he farrows out with the help of his brothers. The boys also spend time preparing and showing their horses throughout the year.

“Some of the most important parts of showing animals at the fair is the work that is done at home. It helps build confidence and an understanding of what needs to be done,” says Debbie. “We also need to remember that in the end everyone must have fun! No matter how competitive you are, the social part of showing livestock is important. The friends and extended family that you gain will be with you for a lifetime.”

Belmond-Klemme FFA Chapter

Whether they’re trying a new CDE (career development event) or applying for a proficiency award, Mrs. Barkela says she enjoys seeing students set goals and work to achieve them.

“My goal is to make sure every student gets a good understanding of what agriculture is and how important agriculture is to our daily lives,” says Mrs. Barkela, who was named the 2018 Star District Advisor for the North Central District.

When Mrs. Barkela began teaching at Belmond-Klemme, B-K FFA had not had an Iowa Degree recipient in more than 25 years. Natalee Dippel in 2020 became the first female from B-K FFA to receive the highest honor in FFA, and she is the B-K chapter’s first American Degree recipient in more than 30 years. Eight B-K FFA members also earned their Iowa degrees in 2020.

The B-K FFA Chapter is very active in helping its community. Each year it hosts a district-wide food drive during which approximately 2,500 items are donated to the local food pantry. This year the chapter also collected food items for boxes for families in our communities.  Thanks to Iowa Select Farms, the B-K FFA was able to include pork loins for families in need. Chapter members delivered boxes to families in Belmond, Klemme, Rowan and Goodell.

Belmond-Klemme FFA members also help annually with the community garden.  Due to the school closing so rapidly and unexpectedly during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s garden has required more community cooperation.  Chapter Vice President Emma Carlson put a great plan in place and rallied community members to help start seeds for the garden. Chapter President Kaleb Carlson built a blessing box in which produce will be placed, and families in need can help themselves.

In addition to these projects, the B-K FFA has taken on new project with Growing Hope Globally. Almost 20 acres of corn was planted this spring. Money raised from this crop will be used to help educate farmers in a developing country. This project, in particular, is a way for students who don’t live on a farm to participate in a crop-growing SAE project.

“More than half our members don’t live on farms, and I wish more students realized this. One misconception is that to be successful in ag class or FFA you need to be from a farm. This is far from the truth! Our CDE’s and LDE’s (leadership development contests) help all students gain skills that will be useful regardless of what career path they take. FFA members learn everything from how to correctly run a meeting to how to select the perfect steak for supper. We all can use skills like those!”

In celebration of all the fresh vegetables growing in the Belmond Community Garden, today the B-K FFA is sharing with us a recipe for marinated vegetable salad. It’s also a great recipe for home gardeners or consumers who enjoy shopping at the farmers’ market.

Related Posts:

• Clear Lake FFA
• West Fork FFA
• Nashua FFA

We’re living in unprecedented times due to the coronavirus, but our attitude about this situation can be the difference maker! Some folks online are posting Chicken Little comments. Others are looking for opportunities to get involved by helping others in their community. They’re finding reasons to stay positive by giving thanks daily.

Ever since I read a book by Debbie Macomber, I’ve made a conscious effort to begin my day with gratitude. Two of her books that have inspired me the most are “One Simple Act: Discovering the Generosity of Gratitude” and “Be a Blessing: A Journal for Cultivating Kindness, Joy, and Inspiration.”

Here’s an example of what I’m grateful for today:

1. New beginnings and fresh starts, including spring cleaning. I always feel better when my windows and floors sparkle in the sunlight. Why not embrace the additional spring cleaning warranted by COVID-19? I’m choosing to give thanks for Clorox wipes.
2. A talented friend who’s willing to help me choose new paint colors and is excited about helping me redecorate. (We’ve had the same paint color for 17 years! It’s time for a change.)
3. Pets that offer unconditional love and faithful companionship.
4. The birth of baby animals. (Follow me on Facebook @EnchantedAcres for videos of newborn goats.) Every baby provides hope and promise for the future.
5. A freezer filled with homegrown chicken, locally raised beef and pork. Thanks to all the hours I’ve spent watching “The Food Network” while suffering from insomnia, I’m inspired to make do with what I have on hand. This is the perfect time to enjoy more meals together as a family. (Every Friday we share a recipe on “The Field Position.” Every Saturday I share a breakfast recipe on Enchanted Acres’ Facebook page; every Sunday I share a supper idea.)
6. Women who have blazed new trails, so I can enjoy a fulfilling career.
7. The Audible app, which allows me to “read” while I’m driving. I love books! Because libraries have closed, this week I downloaded my first e-book. Your first download is free! (I’ve been on a World War II history kick lately. If that topic interests you, here are my top picks: “The Nightingale” and “Winter Garden” both by Kristen Hannah; “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and “Cilka’s Journey: by Heather Morris; and “The Paris Orphan” and The Paris Seamstress” by Natasha Lester.)
8. Technology that allows us to stay connected and remain productive. When I was a kid, my mom set a timer to alert me when I had to get off a long-distance call. Now we have unlimited long-distance calling, so I can talk (and talk!) with friends and family. Facetime allows us to see their faces when we can’t visit in person. We also can conduct virtual meetings, too. Since it’s one of the busiest times of the year at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, I’m thankful for the technology that allows us to remain productive even if we’re working from virtual offices.

While I’ve been working from home this week, our family has been enjoying more meals together. My mom baked chocolate chip bars. She and my son also baked banana bread. I must increase my workouts while we’re all homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic, or I’m going to need bigger jeans! Fortunately, I have an online subscription to BeachBody on Demand®. I need to get motivated to use it! Can anyone else relate to this? Now that spring has sprung, I’m looking forward to walking outside.

Happy spring! Here’s to an early spring filled with quality family time around the table. Today I’m sharing with you Debbie Macomber’s recipe for Gratitude Bread. Like my favorite author, I bake and cook to show those around me how much I care for them. Go ahead and bake someone happy!