Farmers tend to speak their own language that might be foreign to most people, which was made evident during an annual bred cow sale held in southern Iowa this past weekend. It had been a few years since we had attended and it is the first year where we went with the intent that my husband and I would purchase 3-5 bred cows. I grew up around livestock but mostly on the show side of things. The show industry is quite a bit different from production agriculture. Dad and grandpa raised around 100 head of cows when I was little but they began to get out of it by the time I was old enough to really help. We are slowly rebuilding the herd and with that, we went to the sale on Saturday in hopes to buy a few cows to add to our cow/calf program. The last time we attended, we noticed different colored ear tags. Dad explained that the different colors meant that the cows were different ages. I am not sure if every auction uses the same language but here it seemed all the farmers knew the ear tag code. There was no display and no key on the listings. I am sure we could have asked but instead we decided to observe and by the time we left the auction, I had created a key on the bottom of the sheet. The colors represented the cow age. White: heifer, a young female that has not had her first calf Green: 3 year old Yellow: 4 to 6 years old Blue: 7 or 8 years old Orange: Solid mouth (close to adult) Red: Adult Okay you might be wondering what solid mouth means! Did you know an age of a cow can be determined by looking at her teeth? Milk tooth is a calf, the teeth are short and soft. As the cow gets older, the teeth become worn out and eventually will fall out. Solid mouth means the cow still has all of her teeth but she has almost reached adult stage. Broken mouth or the red tag means the cow is beginning to break or lose her teeth. Farmers will use this information to help make decisions when purchasing. For example on our farm, we are looking for young cows to help build up our herd. We are relatively small so it is important to look at the longevity of the cow. A healthy and productive cow can live to be 12 years old or so. Below is the listings from the sale. You can see there is additional information to help the farmer make decisions. The breed, calving due date, vaccination records are all factors that will aid in interest and price. There was over 900 cows for sale on Saturday and this was due to dispersals (farmers selling all of their cows), downsizing herds, or farmers who focus on raising good quality commercial cow/calf pairs. We ended up bidding on 5 cow/calf pairs and my dad bought 4! We brought home 9 cows between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. Such a fun day! Thank you for taking the time to read, as always if you have questions don't hesitate to reach out.

Bread, pasta, cereal, popcorn, oatmeal and tortillas are a few of the many examples of foods made from grains! There are a variety of grain types that make up the majority of our population's diet. In fact, humans get around 48% of their calories and food energy from grain products! A grain product is any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or other cereal grains. Grains are also divided into 2 subgroups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel whereas refined grains have been milled, giving it a finer texture and longer shelf life. Whole grains tend to have more dietary fiber, iron, and vitamins, meaning those who consume whole grains have reduced health risks, higher nutrient intakes, and lead to better health. Grains can be grown in almost any climate, but some types grow best in different seasons. Rye, for example, is called a winter grain as it can withstand cold, wet climates. Corn, however, typically grows best in warm weather and is considered a summer grain. All grains are annual plants, which means they only have one growing season per year. They only yield one crop and are harvested from dead or dry grasses. Some grains have different varieties that grow best in very different areas. Wheat varieties, like Hard Red Spring, Hard Red Winter, and Durum, grow best in northern areas of the United States. Other varieties like Hard Red Winter, Hard White Winter, and Soft Red Winter grow best in the great plains region of the U.S.. Different wheat varieties require different planting seasons as well, with some being planted in the fall and others in the spring. Wheat has been the principal cereal crop since the early 18th century and is used for the majority of the carbs we ingest today such as white bread, pasta, pizza, and pastries. Did you know that oats used to be a popularly grown crop in Iowa? In recent generations, it’s gone down in interest and is typically grown on smaller family farms. Oats are grown in the summer or autumn and grow best when planted in drier soils. The planting process is similar to wheat, where they are planted in the summer or early autumn and the seeds stay dormant through the winter. Oats are typically grown in the northern regions as it thrives in cold weather. Barley, like oats and wheat, grows well in cooler weather. Winter barley should be planted in October whereas spring barley should be planted in January. Barley is also a cover crop, meaning it helps slow erosion, improve soil health, and reap plenty of benefits for farmers! Rice, however, is one of the different types of grains. This semi-aquatic plant requires consistent irrigation all season. Planted in late winter through spring and grow to around three to four feet over an average of 120 days after planting. The form of irrigation necessary for rice's growth depends on the farmers' preferences. Some farmers flood rice fields while others use irrigation systems, like poy-tubing, for constant watering. Water must be drained from the fields once the crop reaches maturation where they are then dried after harvest. All of these grains can be used to create edible grain products such as being ground into flour. While grains are certainly important parts of our diets, they have many other purposes as well. A third of the world’s grain supply is used to feed animals. Feed products for livestock like cows, pigs, and chickens as well as pets like cats and dogs are rich in grains and grain products. A large portion of oats produced are used in animal feeds. Another portion of the world’s grain supply is used in the manufacture of industrial products. Biodiesel, for example, is a food used for vehicles. Ethanol, a form of biodiesel, is made from corn! Barley is most often used as a source of malt for alcoholic beverages. Lotions and cosmetics are often derived from oats. Cooking oils, plastics, and syrups can also be made from grains. Overall, grain is a necessary crop that is used for a multitude of products. From bread to plastics to fuel, grain is an extremely versatile crop essential for today’s economy.

Good morning! Brrr it is cold here in Iowa today, I hope this post finds you staying warm and cozy. Schools have been delayed and therefore my lessons have been pushed back. What better time than the present to write a blog post? Winter is a great time to incorporate tree activities into your curriculum. Not only do learning about trees tie in perfectly with Iowa core standards but students can take advantage of the winter months to easily observe the differences between bare deciduous tree and green needled conifers. Today I will walk you through our "All about Tree's" lesson plan. Find the complete lesson plan and downloads on our website January | mysite (linncoag.com). First up, watch the introductory video! I discuss in detail how to utilize the materials. This is a great lesson for K-2nd grade students but can easily be modified for older grades. Important vocabulary words Conifer: a tree that bears cones and evergreen needlelike or scale-like leaves Deciduous trees: lose their leaves at the end of their growing season. Harvest: the gathering of a crop Orchard: a place where fruit or tree nuts are grown I begin by collecting samples of evergreens (conifers) and deciduous trees in Ziploc bags. I ask the students to brainstorm similarities and differences. You can set this up as stations, have the students work in groups or hold the samples under a document camera. Students will mention color, leaves/needles, size, shape, texture, etc. We read about the differences between conifers and deciduous trees in the story "The Forest where Ashley Lives." I emphasize to the students the key concepts from the story: Trees are essential to our survival, we often don’t think of trees when we think agriculture, but trees provide us with products, habitats for wildlife, improved air quality and increased biological diversity. A conifer is a tree that bears cones and evergreen needlelike or scale-like leaves Uses: Christmas trees, decorations, wildlife habitat, building construction, furniture, pencils, etc. Deciduous trees lose their leaves at the end of their growing season. Uses: fruit, nuts, pulp, lumber, wildlife habitat, windbreaks, syrup, paper, etc. Many students were curious about how paper is made so what better way than to have the students take charge of their own learning, we did a little bit of research and found this graphic showing how the tree is cut down, made into mulch, cooked and flattened into paper. Other activities on our website: January | mysite (linncoag.com) -Book "The Forest where Ashley Lives" -Product riddles -Tree PowerPoint -Product review -Tree craft Homework: instruct the students to investigate the type of trees they have around their house or in their community. Students can draw a picture, take a picture, write it down, etc. Visit Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (iowaagliteracy.org) for additional lesson ideas! Hope you enjoy these resources! As always, we would love to hear how you incorporate our lessons into your curriculum. Email us today!

Networking and collaboration are important for all of us. Working with others who have similar goals can be beneficial to both parties! We have worked with many great organizations throughout the year but today we are highlighting our continued partnerships. Each spring, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Linn County & Linn County Farm Bureau partner to offer a unique, up-close agriculture experience to kindergarten & first grade classrooms in Linn County. Two rounds are offered from March to May. Classrooms are provided a kit that includes materials to incubate 7 fertile chicken eggs. The program runs for four weeks & includes virtual resources, support for teachers, & curriculum with cross-curricular activities, lessons, books, games, & resources. Students explore the poultry industry & identify the basic needs of a growing chick during the incubation period. Linn County Farm Bureau is honored to assist with the Linn County Ag in the Park event hosted by the local FFA chapters each year. Students experience animals, participate in hands-on activities, observe farm equipment, and listen to short presentations on topics such as safety, plants, soil and water conservation, pets, and beekeeping. STEM topics related to agriculture are emphasized. @LinnAgInThePark Agriculture in the Classroom was created in the early 1980s to re-integrate agriculture knowledge through education programs starting first with our youngest students and continuing through high school. It is a privilege to work with other AITC coordinators around the state! Many of us partner to offer teacher workshops, FarmChats, publications, STEM kits and much more. We might be in different locations, but it feels like a team effort. IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. IALF is a great partner for ag resources, lessons, professional development, and networking. Buchanan, Linn and Delaware Counties partner with IALF to host teacher professional development opportunities in our local area. There are so many benefits of great partnerships including collaborating on Ideas, sharing the workload, and expanding reach. We express gratitude to all we have collaborated with as we work towards our mission!

As winter approaches, everyone begins to bundle up and add more layers. Scarves, hats, gloves, long-sleeves, jackets, and thick coats are essential during this frigid time of year - and they’re almost always made of cotton! Cotton is one of the world’s most popular and versatile crops that is used in a variety of products, but most popularly in clothing! Globally, around 27 million tons of cotton are produced a year with around 4.1 million of that grown in the United States. Cotton takes approximately 160 days to fully grow and mature until it’s ready for harvest. The time of year that cotton is harvested depends on how far south the farm is, but it typically ranges between mid-July and early September. A machine called cotton pickers are used for harvest. The cotton picker removes the bolls of cotton from the stalk. The cotton is then removed from open bolls and the bur is left on the plant. Cotton strippers are a similar machine that strips the plant of both open and unopened bolls, then the unwanted material is removed by special devices at the gin. Once harvested, the crop is dried out and the fiber is separated from the seeds through use of a cotton gin machine. After all of the cotton is stripped from the seeds and debris, it’s pressed into tightly packed bales that weigh 225 kg, or 496 pounds. They’re then sent to a textile mill to begin the process of turning cotton to clothing. At the mill, the first step is for individual cotton fiber strands, or slivers, to be twisted tightly together. This creates a thick cotton yarn or thread. Next, the fresh yarn is woven by interlacing strands on a loom. Cotton warp yarn and cotton weft yarn are used for this process. The more warp and weft means the tighter the weave of the cloth. Cotton can be knitted by hand, as well, but the process is much slower than the use of machines! After being woven, the cotton has turned into fabric! It can now be dyed into different colors, cut, and sewed to make various pieces of clothing. This is often done at a different factory that specializes in making clothing products. Once the clothing products are made, they’re shipped off to various stores so that customers can buy them! While it may not seem like it during your shopping spree, that t-shirt took hours of labor from farmers, agriculture workers, factory workers, and truckers. Next time you’re throwing on another layer or out buying a new fashion piece, think about just how far that piece of fabric has gone!

More than 60 Students explored Ag Careers at the 2021 STEAM II Institute! The STEAM II Institute is a collaboration of University of Iowa Health Care and Workplace Learning Connection. The 10th annual two-day career exploration event is hosted at the Linn County Regional Center. The STEAM Institute II provides local 7th grade students the opportunity to hear from professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). The students attend three twenty-five-minute sessions to help start get them inspired for potential career paths. Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach was represented with a session titled, Grafting Careers in Agriculture. More than 60 students explored careers in agriculture through apple grafting, building a farm web and identifying major Ag commodities! Students were asked to recap one new thing they learned about ag, this is what they said; “I didn’t know cotton came from a plant,” “I didn’t realize corn was used to make so many different products,” “It is kind of cool that there more pigs in Iowa than people,” and “I didn’t realize the job possibilities in agriculture.” To learn more about ag careers, visit agexplorer.com or visit www.linncoag.com

It is a beautiful December morning. The sun is shinning and the breeze is brisk. I bundle up in my Carhartt and stocking cap as I head to check the cows. I listen and hear a hoarse cough coming from over by the hay ring. As I walk closer to investigate, I notice it is cow number 32. I make mental note to check on Cow 32 tonight to make sure the cough hasn't worsened. Animal identification is in place to help the farmer keep records and to ensure animal health. There are many different forms of identification and farmers may use one or more of the variety of methods to best suit the needs of their farm. We use ear tags on our family farm. According to Wikipedia, "An ear tag is a plastic or metal object used for identification of domestic livestock and other animals. If the ear tag uses Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology it is referred to as an electronic ear tag." Farmers number the ear tags in many different ways. We have a small cow/calf herd and therefore the cow and calf have the same number but some farmers will use a combo of numbers and letters. The letter might refer to a year or line of genetics. Farmers may utilize the right or left ear to identify gender, making it easier to glance at the calf and determine if it is a steer or heifer. Another form of tracking/identification takes it one step further. Many dairy farmers use monitoring devices on a collar or ankle bracelet, very similar to a Fitbit. It keeps track of steps, how much they eat, how active, how often they rest and how much milk they produce daily. Paint markers can be used temporarily to keep track of livestock as you sort them, etc. Other forms of identification like tattooing and microchipping are more permanent. This method is used for animals like cattle, sheep, goat, donkey and rabbit. Permanent methods have long term advantages, for example, many of the temporary forms, like ear tags can fade or fall out of the cows ear. Animal identification is in place to help both the animal and farmer! The importance of animal identification includes (What are the benefits of cattle identification? | CattleTags.com): It makes record keeping easy for a livestock farmer or animal breeder. Treatment plans Selecting genetic traits for future breeding stock.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday dedicated towards celebrating the past year’s fruitful harvest and blessings. It’s well-known for being celebrated with family and friends over a table filled with delicious foods like pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and, of course, turkey! While Thanksgiving is a well-known and loved holiday, many Americans are unaware of where their meal comes from. Throughout the season of fall, pumpkins are everywhere - decorating tables and porches, carved and baked. They are one of fall’s most popular fruits! There are over 15,000 pumpkin farms in the United States, where farmers work year-round to grow one of autumn’s greatest feats. Pumpkin seeds are planted in the late spring, where the squash deviation grows for 75 to 100 days on vines. When the pumpkins are plump and entirely one color (colors range from orange, white, gray, and blue), they’re ready to be harvested in the fall. If harvested too early, the pumpkin will rot much quicker. Pumpkins’ stems need to be cut with around 4 to 6 inches of stem left. Leaving the stem protects the pumpkin from disease and insects, preventing the fruit from rotting rapidly. When making pumpkin pie, pie pumpkins are best to use as they’re smaller and much sweeter than the typical Jack-O-Lantern types. Potatoes, like most crops, are planted in the early spring, but won’t begin sprouting until the soil warms to roughly 45 degrees. They take a little over three months to grow and fully mature. Water is extremely important for this plant, especially when they are in the flowering stage near the end of their growth. While the flowers are a delicate beauty, they’re actually poisonous to consume. The flowers will also form a bitter tasting fruit at the top of the potato plant, which are not meant to eat and are often thrown out unless a new potato breed is hoping to be made from the fruit seeds. When the tops of the potato vines have begun to wither and die, the potatoes are likely ready to harvest. Potatoes must be dug out from the ground where farmers will see if the potato skin is thick and firm, indicating it’s ready for harvest. A large machine attachment called a windrower is used to dig up rows of potatoes and put them into neat rows. A harvester will then pick up the potatoes, transferring them into a truck or wagon to transport the vegetables to storage or markets. Using modern-day machinery makes the process of harvesting potatoes much easier for farmers and less laborious, allowing customers to get their products much faster in order to make that well-loved Thanksgiving dish! While cranberry sauce has gone down in popularity throughout the years, it is still one of the most iconic Thanksgiving dishes known to the holiday. Cranberries are one of the unique exceptions for growth. Unlike the majority of plants, cranberry plants are very picky about their growing conditions, requiring acidic peat soil, a growing season lasting from April to November, and tons of fresh water. Cranberries grow on low-lying vines in areas with plenty of sand, peat, gravel, and clay layers. Ultimately, cranberries grow best in wetlands like bogs or marshes. Because they’re grown in such wet conditions, the harvest for cranberry plants is much different compared to other crop harvests. Depending on what the fruit is going to be used for, there are two different kinds of harvest - dry harvesting or wet harvesting. Wet harvesting is done when the fruit will be made into juices, sauces, or processed food ingredients. This form of harvest would be done to make cranberry sauce. For wet harvest, the bogs will be flooded, the berries will then float up from the vines when the water is stirred and agitated. They’re then collected with a net and vacuum. Dry harvesting is done when the cranberries will be sold fresh for cooking or baking. During this harvest method, a mechanical picker will be brought into the fields where the berries are collected through it. Unlike the previous Thanksgiving famous dishes discussed, the process of turkey farming is entirely different. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 240 million turkeys are produced a year and about 50 million of them are consumed on Thanksgiving! In order to make that well-loved roasted turkey - or any other turkey dish that makes Americans eat 16 pounds each per year - the turkey first has to be hatched and raised. There are around 2,500 turkey farms in America that raise the millions of turkeys brought to our table at Thanksgiving. Typically, a turkey grows for around 4-5 months before they are sent to the market. Within those few months, farmers have to properly incubate eggs at the correct temperature and turn them hourly each day for 28 days. Once hatched, the turkeys’ food, water, and space amount must be monitored carefully and gradually updated as they grow. While growing hundreds of turkeys, the farmers must ensure that the poultry are well fed, hydrated, and healthy. They have to be given proper care at all times. It takes a lot of time, effort, and resources for turkey farmers to successfully raise their poultry and send them to the market. Throughout the month of November, our Linn County Education Outreach lessons explore the process of raising turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving. Students also learn about the lifecycle of turkeys, different vocabulary words, and overall gain a better understanding of what it is like to live on a turkey farm. Multiple methods of learning are used in these lessons to help accommodate different learning levels and to meet the Iowa Common Core Standards. Students are able to improve their language arts and reading skills through reading our Flat Aggie Series: Turkey Addition, sequence skills through the Life Cycle of a Turkey activity, and more.

Seed to harvest, a short video/blog to demonstrate how wheat is harvested and ground into flour! We know many K-2nd grade classrooms learn about the lifecycle of wheat, rye and alfalfa. Add in a real-world connection by bringing in ripe wheat and hold a discussion about the job of a combine and the many uses for grain. You can find all of the lesson materials on our website at November | mysite (linncoag.com). We begin with the book, The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone. This is a great book for lower elementary students and a great introduction to our topic on wheat. The Little Red Hen finds herself planting, harvesting and baking all by herself. Her friends make her do all the work by herself and in the end, Little Red Hen doesn't share the cake. Her friends realize they should help with the work load. Next time she has 3 eager helpers. We follow up the story by asking the students to list the steps Little Red Hen takes to bake the cake. Plant the seed, care for the wheat, cut the stalks, take the wheat to the mill, mix the recipe, bake the cake. I love to include visual and hands-on activities to draw connections to the real-world. Parts of a wheat plant! Activity 1: Demonstrate threshing or removing the seed/kernel from the plant. Ask the students to count the seeds harvested by hand. Would it take a long time to harvest a field of wheat by hand? Display the photo of the combine and explain how it works. Watch a short video: Harvesting Wheat from Bee Bright Activity 2: If you have access to a hand grinder (a coffee grinder or a black pepper grinder will also work), demonstrate how to grind the kernels into flour. Activity 3: Bake a mug cake We have a pictorial recipe book or a fun recipe card on our website. Review: Download from our website Here is a look at the six classes of wheat grown in the U.S. and food products made from them! Add in a geography component with upper elementary! Email mhibbs@ifbf.org with questions! Resource credits: Linn County Education Outreach, National Ag in the Classroom, and National Association of Wheat Growers

The last day of October is one that everyone looks forward to: candy, costumes, pumpkins, and scarecrows. The child in all of us comes out on this spooky night to celebrate with tricks and treats of all kinds. Many things are associated with Halloween, but many don’t realize that agriculture is one of the most important in this childhood-favorite holiday. Halloween is a holiday that is believed to have come from Samhain, a traditional Gaelic festival that celebrates the end of harvest. This celebration marks the beginning of winter and, throughout history, has some scary connotations that give Halloween it’s famous spooky trademark. Celts would dress up as ghosts and sinister beings to ward off any evil spirits that might affect or harm their crops or themselves. Today, people no longer dress in costumes on Halloween for this purpose, but agriculture still plays a large part in the day. Year round, farmers tend to their fields growing plump, bright colored pumpkins, ranging from smooth to bumpy, white to bright orange, round to misshapen. The little plants grow from tiny seeds that are planted in late May where they then grow throughout the summer so they’re ready to be harvested in the fall. The history of the scarecrow starts in Egypt, where farmers put out scarecrows to ward off flocks of quail from damaging their wheat fields along the Nile River. Nowadays, we have pesticides and other tactics to keep unwanted pests away, but this popular fall decoration wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for agriculture workers trying to protect their crops! We all know that farmers plant, grow, and harvest important crops like corn, soybeans, or other fruit and vegetables, but they also grow crops that are essential for tasty treats like candy! Cornstarch, sugar, flour, and chocolate are some of the few important ingredients that are needed for our favorite candies, all of which are derived from certain crops that must be planted, grown, tended to, and harvested in order to make our sweet treats. Many of Halloween's most important and memorable factors are brought to us through agriculture. Remember to thank agriculture for bringing us the things that make your favorite holiday so special.

It’s National Pork Month! October is an entire four weeks dedicated towards celebrating pork farmers and consuming the delicious, juicy pork products they’ve raised. As October is typically the time of year when pigs are sent to market, it’s been the pork-dedicated month throughout history. To raise more awareness for National Pork Month, here’s some fun facts about our favorite porky friends! Pigs can recognize each other from speech! Pigs understand the individual voices of other pigs. Piglets discover the distinct tone of their mother’s voices at an early age. Pigs have sixteen toes! And they’re selective about them! While they have 16 toes, pigs will only ever walk on 8 of them. Pigs are ecologically important. Pigs help dig up and redistribute soil, making them extremely important in our global ecosystem by helping plants disperse and grow! Pigs are statistically reckless. Feral pigs have caused more than $1 billion worth of damage a year in the U.S.! They’re prone to trampling over crops and pushing out wildlife. Pigs taste big! Humans have around 9,000 taste buds but pigs have around 15,000! Meaning they taste things to a whole nother extent. Pigs are medical heroes! Pigs are used to help make important medications like insulin and pain killers. Pigs’ heart valves are also used to make human heart valves! They last around 15 years according to Harvard Health Publishing! One pig, 185 different products. Pig 05049 was a pig raised in the Netherlands who’s byproducts were documented and observed by Christien Meindertsma. This single pig was found to have contributed to 185 different products. American’s eat 50 pounds of pork per year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service says that the average American consumes around 50 pounds of pork per year! As a tribute to say thank you to pork farmer’s across the nation, here’s some recipes you can make with the most popular meat across the world - pork! From a filling breakfast to a juicy dinner dish to a sweet-and-salty dessert - pork can be made into any meal! Bacon, pork chops, ribs, and more - explore these recipes and other websites to help celebrate National Pork Month. Sweet and Sour Pork III Recipe | Allrecipes Delicious Pork Tenderloin w/ Seasoned Rub Pork Carnitas! Bourbon Barbeque Pork Chops Caramelized Bacon!

It was a perfect fall day for a photo shoot! My sister, Megan, and brother-in-law, Kyle, asked if I would be willing to take their maternity photos. Of course I said yes! I always enjoy the opportunity to dust off my 4-H photography skills. Megan and Kyle are your typical farm couple during harvest! To do lists a mile long, working from sunrise to sunset, prepping harvest meals, and racing the clock to haul grain from field to field. We were lucky it rained the day before, otherwise we may have heard some grumbles from Kyle haha. We couldn't have asked for better weather and the sun was glorious! You know a true farm girl when you see one! Megan is 7 months pregnant and was wearing heels but that didn't stop us from climbing to the very top of the grain bin! The views were spectacular! I never miss the chance to document the real-life moments for future #LinnCoAg content. As we walked around the farm, I began to notice the different tools and equipment set up ready for the next load of grain to be brought in. The two major Iowa commodity crops include Dent corn and soybeans. Why do we grow so much? We have ideal climate/weather conditions and our soil is some of the richest around the world. We rank number one in corn, soybeans (alternating every other year with IL haha), pigs, and eggs! We also raise a lot of broilers and beef calves. It makes sense to raise livestock where there is a feed source. Uses for Dent (field) corn: -Livestock feed -Ethanol -Human consumption (corn starch, chips, corn syrup, corn oil, etc.) -Household products: batteries, cleaners, plastics, etc. Uses for soybeans: -Livestock feed -Biodiesel -Human consumption (soy oil, tofu, soy sauce, etc.) -Household products: crayons, candles, paints, ink, etc.) Corn and soybeans reach the last stage in their life cycle and are ready for harvesting towards the end of September or by early October. Mature grain appears dry and ready for harvest but most farmers will wait until corn is between a moisture level of 23-25% and soybeans are anywhere from 13-15%. To much moisture can lead to mushed seeds (especially for soybeans) when brought into the combine and a low moisture level could result in cracking. Many farmers will store or sell their grain post harvest. Moisture content is important for storage, seeds that are too wet will spoil and mold. Farmers who choose to sell their grain can be docked on price if not in the proper percent range. Grain is sold by weight, this creates uniformity among all farmers. How does a dryer work? Well on the Johnson Farm, one of the four transports the grain from a grain cart to a hopper truck. They unload the grain to one bin. It slowly goes through the dryer and it travels from one bin to the next. Some bins have a built in dryer that is ran by gas to heat the air. Fans push the air up through the grain. Others are part of a community owned co-op where collectively they contribute to the cost of the grain drying system. Every farm is different but what matters is good storage, good price, and good quality grain. According to the Spokesman, harvest is going pretty well this year and after chatting with Kyle, I would say he probably agrees. It seems to be going pretty fast compared to the last few years. Well hopefully for Megan and Kyle's sake, harvest wraps up sooner rather than later because baby J is due in December! Can't wait to meet my nephew! Additional information Grain Drying – Why Do They Do That? | Iowa Agriculture Literacy (wordpress.com)