FarmersFeedUs Special Events Planned for 2011 RAGBRAI

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - July 6, 2011 - Iowa farmers from across the state are joining together to show RAGBRAI 2011 riders what Iowa agriculture is all about. Iowa-raised beef, pork and dairy products will be featured in free samples for RAGBRAI riders at several locations along this year's route, which winds through the fertile corn and soybean fields, green pastures, vineyards and dozens of welcoming rural towns.

Iowa Farmers Feed Us (FFU) showcases the character of rural Iowa's farming communities and the many farmers who provide a wide variety of nutritious, safe food. RAGBRAI riders come from around the country and are socially-connected consumers who are curious about the farms and food production they see on their trip through Iowa. FFU is an initiative designed to highlight farmers' commitment to providing people with safe, nutritious and affordable food, caring for the animals and the land, and supporting their communities, as well.

At each stop, free food samples and four separate collectable FFU bike spoke cards will be handed out by Iowa farmers for riders to put on their bikes. The front of each bike spoke card celebrates Iowa farming with exclusive drawings created by celebrated former Des Moines Register illustrator Brian Duffy. The back of the bike spoke card has a link to the Farmers Feed Us website and a number to enter in a drawing to win the grand prize: a new Apple i-Pad. Participants can look for the red FFU flag at the

RAGBRAI 2011 Expo in Glenwood on July 23 to pick up their RAGBRAI route maps, which highlight Iowa Farmers Feed Us stops, food samples and collectible bike spoke card for the grand prize drawing.

The Farmers Feed Us stops along RAGBRAI 2011 include :

• Monday, July 25, nine miles north of Kimballton, the signs and red Farmers Feed Us flag will lead to a beautiful cattle farm. Iowa livestock farmers are bringing out the big grills and offering free Iowa beef samples, while supplies last! Bike spoke card #1 offered here.
• Tuesday, July 26, in Churdan, look for the Farmers Feed Us flag just blocks from the town's elevator, and get your RAGBRAI 2011 photo taken with real farmers and big tractors! Bike spoke card #2 offered here.
• Wednesday, July 27, at White Oak Vineyards, located at 15065 NE White Oak Dr., outside of Cambridge, you'll find a big party with music, wine and free food at the Farmers Feed Us stop! Look for the big, red FFU flag and your free sample of Iowa grilled pork, while supplies last! Get your bike spoke card #3 here.
• Thursday, July 28, brave the hills just outside Baxter and look for the red, Farmers Feed Us flag and giant dairy cow located along F17 to get your free chocolate milk, while supplies last!Collect bike spoke card #4 here.

The drawing for the grand prize will take place on Tues., Aug. 2, 2011.

Agriculture is the cornerstone of our economy; farming accounts for one in every six jobs. This year, Iowa's farm groups are happy to work together to show RAGBRAI riders and supporters how today's family farmers provide a variety of safe, nutritious and affordable food.

The 2011 RAGBRAI Farmers Feed Us sponsors include : the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Midwest Dairy Association, Iowa State Dairy Association, Iowa Turkey Federation and Iowa Soybean Association.

For more information about the 2011 RAGBRAI Farmers Feed Us event, check out www.iowafarmbureau.com/ragbrai.

Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and the Iowa Beef Center (IBC) will host a manure management field day on July 13 at the Mike Bettin feedlot in Sac County. The field day, which is set for 1 to 4 p.m., will provide information on manure management issues and offer alternative manure handling options for open feedlots and dairies with less than 1,000 animal units. ISU Extension beef program specialist Beth Doran said there's a lot of confusion about the definition of a medium-sized concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) and who might need a permit.

"ISU Extension agricultural engineering program specialist Shawn Shouse will present information on the definition of a medium CAFO and how feedlot operators can work with the definition," Doran said.

Other topics at the field day include manure storage and handling, technical assistance and cost-share opportunities, and using a manure analysis in the cropping system.

"Feedlot and dairy producers can no longer discharge feedlot effluent into a road ditch, so this year's field day features a demonstration of an economical way to pump feedlot effluent from the solids settling system," ISU Extension agricultural engineering program specialist Kris Kohl said. "There also will be a demonstration on how to calibrate a manure spreader to achieve the correct application rate."

The Bettin feedlot is located 2¼ miles north of the intersection of Hwy 175 and Hwy 71. The specific address is 3087 Hwy 71, Odebolt, and the field day will be held at the north feedlot.

Attendance is free, thanks to a grant from IBC. For more information, contact Doran by phone at 712-737-4230 or by email at doranb@iastate.edu or Kohl by phone at 712-732-5056 or by email at kkohl1@iastate.edu. A flyer is available on the Iowa Manure Management Action Group website.

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One of the pure pleasures of summertime in Iowa is eating sweet corn fresh from the garden or farmers' market. Gardeners have questions when it comes to getting the ears from field to plate. ISU Extension specialists offer answers to those questions; to have additional questions answered, contact the experts by emailing or calling the ISU Extension horticulture hotline at hortline@iastate.edu or 515-294-3108.

When should I harvest sweet corn?

Sweet corn should be harvested at the milk stage. At this stage, the silks are brown and dry at the ear tip. When punctured with a thumbnail, the soft kernels produce a milky juice. Over-mature sweet corn is tough and doughy. An immature ear will not be completely filled to the tip and the kernels produce a clear, watery liquid when punctured.

The harvest date can be estimated by noting the date of silk emergence. The number of days from silk emergence to harvest is approximately 18 to 23 days. Prime maturity, however, may be reached in 15 days or less if day and night temperatures are exceptionally warm. Most hybrid sweet corn varieties produce two ears per plant. The upper ear usually matures one or two days before the lower ear.

Harvest sweet corn by grasping the ear at its base and then twisting downward. Use or refrigerate sweet corn immediately after harvest. Optimum storage conditions for sweet corn are a temperature of 32 F and a relative humidity of 95 percent.

The ears on my sweet corn are poorly filled. What are possible causes?

Poorly filled ears are often the result of poor pollination. Hot, dry winds and dry soil conditions may adversely affect pollination and fertilization and result in poorly filled ears. Water sweet corn during pollination if the soil is dry. Improper planting may also affect pollination. Corn is wind pollinated. Plant sweet corn in blocks of four or more short rows to promote pollination.

How can I keep raccoons out of my sweet corn?

The most effective way to prevent damage to the sweet corn crop is to encircle the area with an electric fence. A two-wire fence with one wire 4 to 6 inches above the ground and the other at 12 inches should keep the raccoons out of the sweet corn. Mow or cut the vegetation beneath the fence to avoid electrical shorts. To be effective, the electric fence should be installed about two weeks before the sweet corn reaches the milk stage.

Are there special corn varieties that are grown to produce "baby" corn?

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AMES, Iowa – Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) is sponsoring a field day at the Craig Embretson farm in Clayton County on Wednesday, July 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The field day will include a complimentary lunch, information about strategies for no-till and also cover crop management. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Pat Schaefers, Clayton County Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS) District Conservationist, will share information about no-till and farmer Craig Embretson will share his experiences from 20 years of no-till crop management. Field day attendees will see no-till corn following corn, no-till corn following soybean, and no-till soybean following corn. Tom Kaspar, plant physiologist with the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, will discuss the potential of fall-seeded cereal grain cover crops to reduce soil erosion, improve soil quality in corn-soybean rotations and provide early spring grazing feedstocks for cattle. Laura Christianson, Ph.D. candidate in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department at Iowa State University, will discuss bioreactors and other techniques to limit nitrate transport to water bodies.

Farmers and non-farmers are encouraged to bring their families to the field day to see the Iowa Learning Farms' Conservation Station. The Conservation Station is a mobile learning lab that teaches audiences of all ages about soil conservation and ways to protect quality of our soil and water resources. The back of the Conservation Station houses a rainfall simulator, demonstrating the effects of rainfall on undisturbed soils with a variety of land covers, showing both surface water runoff as well as subsurface drainage. At the front is a learning center with hands-on displays and tools to learn about soil, water and wetlands.

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