Guest Blog Post by Nicole Jonas, Red Granite Farm

Backyard gardening has really taken off in recent years. More and more people are recognizing the health benefits of gardening. Some take satisfaction in growing their own fruits and vegetables.

Raising your own food can be the most fulfilling – and the most stressful activity – all at the same time. Often times we’re quick to dwell on our gardening fails rather than our successes. We read all about the latest garden trends. Gardening magazines and Pinterest fill our minds with images of beautiful containers of flowers or rows upon (clean, weed-free) rows of garden vegetables.

No matter how tall the weeds get or how little produce you get to eat from the plot of land you toiled over, think of small successes as great victories. Oftentimes these victories are not measured in pounds of food, but rather in the memories that were made throughout the journey.

Some of my family’s best memories, including some “laugh out loud moments,” have resulted when everything didn’t go according to plan. As the proud mom of three active kids, I’ve learned that perfection is not necessary. Teaching them the importance of implementing good agricultural practices and caring for the land while we grow some really great produce for ourselves and for our customers is some of the most gratifying work they will ever do.

Here are some helpful hints that I’m sharing, so you can have fun gardening as a family:

1. Let everyone be involved in the planning process. Everyone who eats in your house will want to try and grow something different, and finding a way to meet everyone’s needs will give everyone a vested interest in the success of the garden. Start with the vegetable everyone enjoys, say a row of green beans, and plan additional garden spaces around that. Also keep in mind that some plants, like tomatoes, bear much fruit. You may only need two tomato plants unless you plan to can spaghetti sauce.
2. Plan to plant only what can be consumed or donated. Making a garden larger than you can maintain will have you frustrated before you take that first bite of a ripe tomato. No matter how much prep work you do, weeding and watering are keys to success. When selecting what to grow, keep it simple and think about how different plants produce.  Are they a “one harvest and done” crop such as radishes, sweet corn or melons? Or, will the plants continually produce over a longer period of time like zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes? If you end up having so much success that you can’t consume all you have produced, donate to local shelters or food pantries that accept garden produce.
3. Plan your garden around busy sports seasons and family vacations. Don’t plant things that will need extra attention for times of the summer when you don’t have the time to devote to the garden. At our house, that means no cherry trees because June is just too busy to deal with harvesting cherries. Sweet corn is another crop with a narrow window for peak freshness. Don’t plant it to be ready to harvest when you have a family vacation planned.
4. Avoid crops that are highly susceptible to pests and diseases. And if you are limited on garden space, avoid those that take up a lot of room. Vine crops, like squash and cucumbers, need lots of room to grow.
5. Vegetable gardening doesn’t have to be limited to a rectangle in your back yard. Incorporate veggies into your home landscape. Patio planters with smaller vegetables and herbs can be a great way to grow your own food, too!
6. Consider how much time you want to spend gardening and who can help you as you determine how large to make your garden. Kids are more likely to help if they enjoy eating what’s been planted, so plan accordingly. Also take into consideration how the product is consumed. Can it just be quickly washed, cut and enjoyed? Or, does it have to be made into something much more complex to be enjoyed? When planting something that can produce a lot, such as zucchini, make sure you are prepared with lots of different recipes so you can enjoy it many different ways.
7. When all else fails, shop your local farmers market for produce that’s seasonally available from a local source. Click here for an online Iowa farmer’s market directory. If you’re up for a day trip, click here for the top farmer’s markets across the state.

Steve and Nicole Jonas own Red Granite Farm in rural Boone County.  Along with their three children, they raise a flock of laying hens and grow three acres of vegetables for sale at the Ames Main Street Farmer’s Market. Their garden center, which is open from May through October, includes hardy perennials, annuals, succulents, shrubs and vines. You can connect with them via Facebook, Instagram or visit their website redgranitefarm.com for more information.

She was only in second grade at the time, but Karina Sollie (pronounced Soul-lee) knew she wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives the way her teacher made a difference in hers.

“I struggled in elementary school until my second grade teacher helped me believe in myself,” Karina explains. “I went from not wanting to go to school to looking forward to the start of each school day. I knew then that I wanted to be that person for other kids. I wanted them to be excited about learning.”

Karina spends her days doing just that! As a second grade teacher in Grand Forks, she makes reading, writing, science and math fun for her students. In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2, they’ve spent this week reading popular children’s books and discussing life lessons that can be learned from the text.

“Reading can take you to many different places and open up so many doors to learning for kids,” said Karina. “It’s been super fun to watch these kids grow and develop throughout the school year. At the beginning of the year, they weren’t excited about reading or writing. Now they’re actually asking to have more reading time and they’re requesting more paper to write stories.”

Each day students in Ms. Sollie’s class spend time reading together out loud. Then they break into smaller groups and read more. “I want to enrich them in as much literature as possible. We read different genres. My students’ favorite book so far has been ‘The One and Only Ivan.’ We read it every day when they come in from recess. Each day they would ask, ‘Can we just read one or two more pages’?”

Earlier this week Ms. Sollie’s class read Dr. Seuss’s “Yertle the Turtle.” The take-away message from this book is that not everyone is exactly the same, but we’re all special in our own way. Everyone matters, regardless of how he or she looks or what his or her interests are.

“We may look different or believe different things, but we all have an important place on our community,” says Karina, who grew up in the small northern Minnesota town of Fosston before moving to Grand Forks where she graduated in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She plans to finish her master’s degree in Elementary Education this August.

“Students see that even in this book filled with cartoonish characters an important lesson is taught. Dr. Seuss is known for writing entertaining rhymes. Our class talked about how the rhymes are fun when you’re little, but as we get older, we understand there is a deeper meaning to each book.”

Students will think about their futures after reading “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” They’ll write stories and draw pictures to show their career plans, and their work will be shared during next week’s parent-teacher conferences.

“This book will allow kids to dream big and think about how the things they’re really good at now could develop into a future career,” says Ms. Sollie. “It will be part of our ‘glow and grow’ conversation with parents. ‘Glows’ are what students are doing really well. ‘Grows’ are areas where students can improve.”

Although Dr. Seuss Week 2017 ends on March 3, Ms. Sollie plans to carry the fun into next week’s lesson plan. Her science class has been studying the properties of objects and materials, which is also covered in the Dr. Seuss’s book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck.”

Bartholomew must rescue his kingdom from a sticky substance known as oobleck. Oobleck shows how changes in pressure, instead of temperature, can change the properties of some materials.

To help bring science home, we’re sharing a recipe for oobleck from Scientific American magazine. Be sure to also check out the “Suess Snacks” folder on Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ Pinterest Page for healthy snacks the Suessical way!

Latham® dealer Adam Faust of Chilton, Wisc., is one of five finalists for the 64th Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer (OYF) Award that will be presented January 27-29, 2017, in Baraboo. The OYF award is based 50 percent on progress in ag career, 25 percent on soil and water conservation, and 25 percent on contributions to community, state or nation.

Adam has been an exclusive Latham dealer for 14 years, plus he milks 70 primarily registered Holstein cows and raises about 500 acres of crops. He’s also active in several community and civic organizations. He’s president of the Calumet County Forage Council and has been largely responsible for planning both its 2016 and 2017 annual conventions. Adam has served for several years on the county dairy promotion board. He’s a member of Farmers Union and the county Holstein breeders organization, as well.

This sounds like a lot of hard work for anyone, but it’s especially admirable when you learn that Adam was born with spina bifida. This condition results in a baby being born with an open spinal column and exposed spinal tissues. Although the spinal opening can be surgically repaired, nerve damage is permanent and results in varying degrees of paralysis in the lower limbs. Because people with spina bifida have mobility issues, many are in wheelchairs.

Mobility issues obviously present unique challenges to farmers, so Adam has become a volunteer and advocate for AgrAbility. AgrAbility partnered with Easter Seals and the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to help Adam realize his dream of farming independently. For example, custom steps were built to make it easier for Adam to climb into the tractor cab. AgrAbility also provided bins, so Adam no longer has to lift 100-pound bags of feed for the calves and heifers.

AgriAbility, DVR and Easter Seals – as well as input from dairy industry mentors – helped Adam implement a major renovation to his barn and parlor. Work began the day after the 2016 World Dairy Expo ended in October, and it came together in about two months. Adam milked cows in his new facilities for the first time on Christmas Day 2015.

“I knew the stalls in our old facility were too small to be comfortable for the cows I wanted to milk. I didn’t want to raise smaller, more compact cows. I favor big, powerful cows that are good at converting forage into milk. Why try to change what the cow naturally is?” says Adam. “When it came down to it, I realized I didn’t want to milk more cows. I just want to milk better cows, so building a big new facility didn’t make sense. I had to find my way own forward.”

Modifying his family’s dairy facilities had been on Adam’s mind since 1999, when he completed short courses in both Agronomy and Dairy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He researched popular dairy systems in Europe and Canada. He visited state-of-the-art systems throughout Wisconsin, and he sought input from his friends and industry leaders including Tom Kestell, whose cow set the world record for milk production in 2013 and again in 2016.

“I was talking with Tom (Kestell) one day and he said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with your barn walls and roof. What’s in the middle can be changed. There’s no better environment for a dairy cow than a tie-stall, so let’s design what you need’,” said Adam. “Who am I am to argue with that? So we made a plan.”

Three goals set the direction for Adam’s barn renovation project:

1. Build the ultimate in cow comfort.
2. Provide the most technology and gather the most information possible.
3. Be labor efficient and accessible to someone with disabilities.

Deep bedded stalls cushioned with a byproduct of paper recycling provide the ultimate in cow comfort, are sustainable and turn landfill waste into useful bedding. Fibers that are too small for paper production get sifted out, mixed with fine lime and used to make animal bedding.

“A local company started doing this about 10 years old and has refined its product over time,” says Adam. “It’s extremely popular in our part of the state because we have a large paper industry and a large dairy industry. Twenty semi loads per day of paper byproducts go to farms now rather than landfills! It’s sustainable, as well as economical, plus it’s great for the cows.”

Another change Adam made to improve cow comfort was installing tiled mangers. “I don’t know anyone who would rather eat off concrete instead of a plate, so it made sense to me that cows would prefer eating off a smoother surface,” says Adam. “My cows eat more and the feed stays fresher on the tile.”  

The use of technology allows Adam to tell if there’s something wrong with a cow before she knows she’s not feeling well. New milk units have sensors that communicate with dairy management software in his farm office. All of his dairy herd improvement (DHI) testing is wireless, meter-less and in-house.

Additional technology allows milking equipment to ride on a track, which eliminates Adam from having to carry anything or crossing the gutter. Adam says this system is very popular in Canada and Europe. He also toured two Wisconsin dairies where the tract system is used.

Adam is passionate about everything from new seed technologies to the genetics in his dairy operation, so it was no surprise to learn he earned the Wisconsin State Farmer Degree. He also won the FFA Gold Proficiency Dairy twice. We congratulate him on being named a finalist in the Wisconsin Young Farmer Award and wish him the best of luck at next week’s conference!

To help promote the high quality dairy products Adam produces, today we’re sharing a smoothie recipe that he developed with a friend. It incorporates RumChata because the dairy co-op to which Adam belong markets its milk for the production of RumChata and Culver’s Frozen Custard.

SIDE NOTE: If you’re never before tried it, consider making RumChata hot chocolate. Just add 2 oz. of RumChata to 6 oz. of your favorite hot chocolate. It’s a great way IMO to warm up on a cold winter’s evening. #nightcap

Tucked into the rolling hills of the beautiful rural eastern Iowa countryside is a treasure trove of antique iron. From the road, would never guess that this unassuming machine shed houses more than 90 restored tractors. Inside is a collector’s dream. During the Latham Freedom of Independence Ride on Aug. 19, our riders had the pleasure of walking through that door and stepping back into time.

Kevin Miller of Dixon restored his first tractor as a young 4-H member. He restored three as 4-H projects, but his story doesn’t end there. When Kevin’s oldest son, Patrick, was old enough to join 4-H, the passion for tractor restoration was rekindled. The restoration work was so well done that Patrick’s tractor was selected to advance to the Iowa State Fair. Unfortunately, the “Selected for State” ribbon that hung on his tractor was replaced with “Outstanding Junior Achievement” as the Millers learned the hard way that first-year 4-H members aren’t eligible to compete at the Iowa State Fair.

When Patrick’s younger sister, Meghan, joined 4-H, she restored a lawn mower as her first year 4-H project. That also was the routine when their younger brother, Jacob, joined 4-H. Just as Jacob finishes his last year of FFA eligibility, Patrick’s son will enter his “lawn mower year.”

Restoring a lawn mower allows the kids to get the experience of restoring a tractor to see if it’s something they enjoy before they attempt a project that could advance to the next level, explains Kevin. All three of the Miller children joined the North Scott FFA when they were eligible, so they continue fueling their passion for tractor restoration until age 21. All three have competed and took top honors at the Iowa State Fair in either individual or team (chapter) competition as tractor restoration has grown in popularity. This year alone, Jacob entered four tractors into the state
fair competition.

Known as the Tractor Trifecta, the Millers continue to restore tractors every year. Meghan put the finishing touches on a 4166 earlier this month. She admits that she loves the challenge involved with restoring tractors. Since the first of the year, Meghan has been videoing the restoration process for the Timeless Tractors documentary on Iowa Public Television.

“You never know what you’re getting into. A tractor might look perfectly fine from the outside, then you tear into it and realize it’s going to more work than you first thought. But I love a good challenge,” says Meghan, whose favorite tractor is a rare model 1456 International gold demonstrator. “I always wanted a 1456, so Dad bought it for me during my last year in FFA. I got reserve champion overall at the Iowa State Fair. That’s the highest I’ve ever gotten by myself, so it was pretty cool to end my FFA career that way.”

There’s more to winning top honor at the Iowa State Fair than merely rebuilding engines or having a paint job that’s silky smooth.

“Preparing for tractor judging is like studying for an oral exam,” explains Jacob. “You stand by your tractor from about 8 AM to 3 PM. When the judges come around, you have to make eye contact. You have to have good communication skills. You have to know history. Judges prove that you did your own work by asking a series of specific questions.”

Not only do the Millers know how to rebuild tractors but their grandma made sure they can make blue ribbon-winning apple pies and other dishes. They enjoy sitting down to a hearty meal, so they can spend long hours in the shop or out in the field. Today they’re sharing two of their favorite recipes with us on TheFieldPosition.