Friday, October 31, 2014

Tractor Seat Update

Happy Halloween!  It is October 31st and the final day of my "31 Days from a Tractor Seat" series.  I want to start off by saying hi and welcome to all of the new readers that have started following because of this series, and thank you to my veteran followers, for following along with me as I went from writing an average of 3 times a week to 7!  This blog writing challenge was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate my blogging passion.  For all the new readers, if you liked what you read through this series, then you'll love my writing the other 11 months of the year.  My blog centers around my life as a farmer, a farm wife, a stay at home mom and a volunteer.  Now during this past month I've mainly centered my attention around those first two roles but I plan on talking about all four areas in the months to come.

My Birthday #Felfie from last weekend
After this post I will have wrote 29 posts this months, which yes, doesn't add up to 31, which I am a little disappointed about, but I have told myself that I had good excuses for missing a couple days due to my youngest sister coming home from deployment and my birthday.  I have a couple extra posts that I wanted to share to make up for those missed days but I've got to get my cowboy and prairie girl ready for trick-or-treating soon.  I will probably go back to my 3 times a week blogging in November but I still have so many ideas that I didn't get to in October or that I've been saving for November, I guess we'll see what pace I keep up at!

But now, onto my Tractor Seat Update!  We finished soybeans on Wednesday of last week and have been busy harvesting corn since.  It feels good to get past the 50% complete benchmark, especially since it is the end of October.  Maybe that means we'll be done by Thanksgiving!

What was your favorite post from my "31 Days from a Tractor Seat" series?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Farming - Lifestyle vs Business

If you asked 1,000 random people from across the country to describe farming I think you'd probably get 1,000 different answers.  Many people would focus on the nostalgic lifestyle of farming - wide open spaces, taking care of the land and animals, and the simple life.  While others might think about big business or big ag, Monsanto and "the almighty dollar".  

When I'm asked why I farm, I start by talking about the lifestyle.  It is how My Farmer and I want to raise our children and it's the way we've always wanted to live.  Farming is in our blood and we are proud to carry on the tradition.  I love being surrounded by fields and the privacy that farming gives us.  At the same time though, I have got to think of farming as a business.  After-all, this is the sole way our family makes a living.  And just like everyone else out there, I want to do the best I can at my business so I can provide for my family.  I want our farm to be successful, so we can live the life we want.

So why can't farming be both about business and lifestyle?  It is a balancing-act I feel to have the lifestyle I want for myself and my family, while still taking on risk and enough work and effort to make our business viable.  Harvest is a busy time for my family.  I feel like we spend a lot of time concentrating on the business but I am thankful that my whole family, three generations to be exact, get to be apart of that business which helps all remember about the lifestyle benefits of doing what we love, farming.


What do you first think of when you think of farming?  Lifestyle or business?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Harvest Sky

On this final Wordless Wednesday post as part of my 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series I thought what better picture to show you than a view from my tractor seat at dusk!  It is one of my favorite times of the day.  Aren't the colors beautiful?

31 Days from a Tractor Seat - Combining Corn at Dusk

What is your favorite part of the fall?  Mine has got to be the vibrant colors - from the leaves to the sky.  Simply beautiful!  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

All Purpose Pork Rub - Tractor Approved Recipe

One feature this month through my 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series is that I am sharing some of my family's "Tractor Approved" recipes.  During fall harvest I have a unique situation where I find myself in the field pretty much all day, everyday, along with my husband and kids.  This means that we don't have that much food in our house because I don't have that much time to run to the grocery store or simply to just cook or bake something.  But one thing I always keep on hand is my All Purpose Pork Rub so I can smoke on a "rain day".  (Plus I had to share a pork recipe this month because it is National Pork Month!)  Be sure to check out my other "Tractor Approved" recipes:  Six Week MuffinsThe Best Tuna Salad and Sweet & Salty Corn Chips.

All Purpose Pork Rub Recipe

Why does All Purpose Pork Rub get the "Tractor Approved" seal?  First, deli meat sandwiches get a little old if you have them daily for a couple of months, so it is nice to make something a little different to switch up the standard lunch-box sandwich.  Second, this pork rub works on everything - loins, ribs, etc.  So whatever pork you have on hand, you can put it on.  It is a great salty rub with a little bit of a kick to it.  Third, the ingredients for the rub are staple spices I always have in my pantry.  I enjoy this rub so much that I even keep huge batches of it on hand so I can smoke with it whenever I find time.  I love smoking all year long.

All Purpose Pork Rub (adapted from Masterbuilt Smokin' Recipes)
1 Tbsp Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
5 Tbsp Chili Powder
3 Tbsp Ground Cumin
4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 tsp Black Pepper
4 tsp Garlic Powder
4 tsp Onion Powder

Mix ingredients and rub mixture on meat for at least two hours before cooking, overnight is best.  Allow meat to reach room temperature before smoking.  Store leftover rub mixture for future use.

My favorite pork product to use this rub on is pork loin!

Do you own a smoker?  What is your favorite pork recipe?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Monday, October 27, 2014

A Little Dirt Never Hurt

Have you ever heard the saying "A Little Dirt Never Hurt"?  When I hear this I can't help but think of my kids and memories of my sisters and I growing up on the farm.

A Little Dirt Never Hurt - Farm Kids are HealthierA Little Dirt Never Hurt - Farm Kids are Healthier

During fall harvest my kids spend many hours in the field with their Dad and I, which let's be honest, is a kind of dirty job.  After all, we are literally working in the dirt.  (My agronomy professor would be very disappointed in me for just calling soil dirt...)  But you know what, My Farmer and I, and are kids, wouldn't want it any other way!

Our kids love being outside and being apart of the farm.  They play in the sand and mud, they climb fences, they pick wildflowers, they help in the field and garden and they love exploring our acreage.  There have been many times I have had to tell my kids to not leave the mudroom and to take off all their clothes by the wash before they go anywhere in the house.  I love that they enjoy getting a little dirty and the truth is, it is good for them!

Being exposed to a little dirt truly makes people healthier by toughening up their immune systems.  There have actually been several studies that state that farm kids are healthier than those that live in urban areas.  The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has found that non-farm families are diagnosed with asthma nearly twice as much as farm-dwelling families.  And as for hay fever, nearly four times as many non-farm family members are diagnosed than farm family members.  Animals can be beneficial too.  A study published last year in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that babies raised around dogs are 31% more likely to be healthy.  And for you cat fans, 6% healthier.  Their research poses that animals help children's immune systems mature faster, because animals help them grow antibodies to better combat infections.

A Little Dirt Never Hurt - Animals Make Babies Healthier
Does a dirty farm dog like ours
make our kids even healthier???
So what do you think?  Do you believe that "A Little Dirt Never Hurt"?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

31 Days from a Tractor Seat - A Little Dirt Never Hurt

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Also, be sure to sure to sign up for the Iowa Blogger $150 Visa Giftcard giveaway!  Entries are open till November 1st.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Cookbooks Tell Our Story + GIVEAWAY

Did you know that October is National Cookbook Month?  I was excited to hear this because I personally own over 30 cookbooks (plus two recipe boxes and one giant recipe "folder").  I love to cook and bake and I love how recipes and cookbooks tell stories.


I have gotten to know several Iowa bloggers through our love of food.  We all have our own style and preferences when it comes to food and cookbooks, but I think that is what makes this group so great.

Personally, for me, my favorite cookbook is probably my home church's 1998 Harvest Cookbook.  Because let's all agree, no one puts a "bad" recipe in a church cookbook!  This cookbook is full of this community's best recipes and it also tells the area's heritage through food.

Fellow Iowa Blogger, Jeni from Jeni Eats, is also a big fan of her church cookbooks too, for many of the same reasons that I do, and that they have so many "retro" recipes.  One of her other favorite, and go-to cookbooks right now is The Spoonriver Cookbook.  She loves how the recipes are so approachable.

Amy from Modern Rural Living, loves her newest cookbook, The Kitchy Kitchen.  She loves all the imagery in the cookbook and can relate to her as a blogger and You Tuber.

Jenny from In the Kitchen with Jenny, cherishes her family's cookbook that she helped her mother-in-law put together the year before she passed away from cancer.  This cookbook not only tells her family's story, but passes along her mother-in-law's traditions.  And another thing that makes it so special, is that the front cover has a copy of a water color of the family's home.

Michelle from Simplify, Live, Love, likes Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook.  Life is busy and making food ahead of time for your family is a must for Michelle and her family, as well as probably all of ours.  This cookbook includes a variety of recipes, ingredients and cuisines, while using less processed foods than the freezer meals of decades ago.

Kelli from The Sustainable Couple current favorite cookbook is The Elliott Homestead: From Scratch cookbook.  This cookbook teaches traditional ways to cook nutritious food.  Personally when I saw this cookbook's cover, I thought it screamed Kelli and her passion for whole foods.

Lastly, Iowa Blogger Wini from Chez Bonne Femme has wrote two cookbooks!  Her first, The Bonne Femme Cookbook looks at every day French cooking and her newest, The Braiser Cookbook, shares how to braise through several different methods and ingredients.  I highly recommend checking out her Pork Meat Balls with Dijon Cream Sauce recipe from her newest cookbook!



Doesn't this want you to get out your favorite cookbook or discover a new recipe tonight!  All of these great Iowa Bloggers, plus Ally from Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats and Kristen from Make the Best of Everything, have partnered up to giveaway a $150 Visa Giftcard.  This giveaway is open from today to November 1st.  You can enter by liking these blogs on Facebook and following them on Twitter.  Good luck!



What is your favorite cookbook?  Which one of these cookbooks might you buy with your $150 if you win?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Wordless Wednesday - My Favorite Buddy Seat Riders Through the Years

Earlier this week I took this picture of MP riding with me in the tractor:


And it made me think back a lot to this photo I took back in 2012 of LP and I when he was just a few months older:


I love having these two as my buddy seat riders!

LP & MP taking a break with Mom
hanging out on the tractor tire earlier this week
We have one more Wordless Wednesday post this month as part of my "31 Days from a Tractor Seat" blog series.  What photos would you like to see next week?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Sweet & Salty Corn Chips - Tractor Approved Snack

One feature this month through my 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series is that I am sharing are some of my family's "Tractor Approved" recipes.  During fall harvest I have a unique situation where I find myself in the field pretty much all day, everyday, along with my husband and kids.  This means that we don't have that much food in our house because I don't have that much time to run to the grocery store or simply to just cook or bake something.  But one thing I do try to keep on hand are snack foods.  Today I'm excited to share my recipe for Sweet & Salty Corn Chips.  Be sure to check out my other "Tractor Approved" recipes:  Six Week Muffins and The Best Tuna Salad.

Sweet & Salty Corn Chips snack recipe

Why do Sweet & Salty Corn Chips get the "Tractor Approved" seal?  First, snacks are a must for long days in the tractor.  Think about driving in your car for several hours and the sun shining in on you.  You get to a point where you just need a pick me up and a great way of doing that is by having a little snack.  Second, nothing beats the salty and sweet combination of these corn chips.  They help you conquer whatever craving you're having.  Third, this recipe is really simple and fast.  In fact I made a batch tonight when I got home in probably less than five minutes, and that is only because I waited a couple minutes to let them cool before taste testing. :)

Sweet & Salty Corn Chips
1 - 10oz bag Corn Chips
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Corn Syrup
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Lay corn chips out on a baking sheet covered with wax paper.  Then bring sugar and corn syrup to boil.  Take off heat and stir in peanut butter.  Immediately drizzle over corn chips.  Let cool before putting into Tupperware containers or Ziploc snack sacks.

What are some of your go-to snack recipes?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Monday, October 20, 2014

Learn about where your food comes from by watching Farmland for Free on Hulu

One of my goals for my blog is to give you a glimpse into my life as a farmer, a farmer's wife and a farm mom.  The great thing about being in the world of agriculture is that I can make a connection with, dare I say - everyone, because I help produce food.  Our corn and soybeans primarily are used to make livestock feed and we sell our hogs to Tyson from our farm.  So I mainly raise food commodities that go into meat products.  The interest of Americans in "where our food comes from" increases every year, and I'm happy to share about a segment of our food chain through this blog.  If you are interested in learning about several areas of our food chain, I recommend you watching the documentary film, "Farmland."


My Farmer and I went to the theater this spring to watch this film and I'm excited to share that you can watch it from the comfort of your home right now for FREE on Hulu.  This film documents the lives of six young farmers from across the nation who raise everything from chickens, to cattle, to corn, to large scale organic vegetables, to vegetables for a CSA.  The film shows the challenges and opportunities for young farmers and covers a variety of dynamics.  There are parts to each farmer's "story" that I was intrigued with.  I personally was drawn to David's story, a farmer from Nebraska, who opened up above having his Dad pass away recently and how him and his Mom were continuing the farm without his Dad.  Now I haven't loss someone in my immediate family but just how he spoke openly about the loss of his father and how real he was I respected and appreciated.

What is your favorite part of the film "Farmland"?  What story did you connect with?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Sunday, October 19, 2014

31 Days from a Tractor Seat Questions Answered

#Harvest14 #Felfie

The kids are in bed after a full day of Sunday School, working in the field and baths, but before I indulge in some ice cream and Food Network Sunday night programming, I thought I'd continue my 31 Days of writing adventure by answering some of your questions I have received through this blog series.


What things do you see from your tractor seat besides just fields and rows?  We see wildlife (which I'll be talking about more in a future question), traffic (those that wave and those that don't), and we have a nice above ground view that allows us to see for miles.  The most exciting (and scary) thing we've seen this year so far is a car fire.

Do animals and birds know to leave the field during harvest time?  Just like if there was a vehicle coming down the road, birds and animals run out of the way of tractors.  In fact, I think they move a little faster since we are a lot bigger than a car.  We don't worry about running over any wildlife.

What animals do you typically get in your fields?  Typically we see birds, pheasants, ducks, deer, rabbits, and ground squirrels.  The corn and soybean fields are great hiding areas for these animals so we scare them out of the field when we come through.  They then run to a neighboring buffer strip or waterway for protection.

How do you deal with your kids while you're in the tractor (naps, play time, feeding them, etc.)?  The kids do a pretty good job in the field all day.  Our day typically starts mid-morning so the kids are able to eat breakfast and get some playtime done before we head to the field.  Each kid gets to pick out some toys and books to bring in the tractor.  Think of packing a busy bag for church, except it is for the tractor :)  The kids enjoy playing with the things they bring with them throughout the day but also simply enjoy watching out the window, singing songs, having a conversation, playing peek-a-boo, telling stories, etc.  I guess one way to think about our day in the tractor is the same you'd think about a day in the car traveling on vacation.  The kids eat, sleep and play in their seats.

As for food, we eat dinner around noon, then usually have snacks in the late afternoon and eat supper at the end of the night from the comfort for our tractor seats.  I keep a cooler with waters and juice boxes for the kids with me so they are always able to eat or drink when they'd like to throughout the day.  We usually end our day in the field after supper, and every once in awhile, we will take our supper home to eat, rather than eat it in the field.

As for naps, the kids naturally take naps in the afternoon when they usually would.  However, I'd say that MP naps shorter in the tractor then she does at home and LP, who usually naps only once or twice a week while at home, probably naps four or five times a week while in the tractor.  The hardest part for the kids in the tractor all day is that they have to sit for long hours.  Anytime we have a breakdown in the field I let the kids out to run around and usually after their afternoon naps I'll let them have a break while I have some wait time before needing to get back to catch the combine with my tractor and catch cart.

When is the best time for your family to vacation?  Our busiest times in the field are during the spring when we plant and during the fall when we harvest, so those are out for vacation time.  And there is usually quite a bit of field work done during the beginning of the summer, so that too is usually not an option.  We also raise pigs who need attention all year long, so we have to make sure whenever we do go on a vacation, that someone (aka my father-in-law) is available to do our chores for us.  We typically enjoy going on family vacations in the late summer and My Farmer and I like to get away for a weekend in the winter.

What other questions do you have about my life in a tractor seat or as a farmer and farm wife?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Saturday, October 18, 2014

The Best Tuna Salad - Tractor Approved Sandwich

One feature this month through my 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series is that I am sharing are some of my family's "Tractor Approved" recipes.  During fall harvest I have a unique situation where I find myself in the field pretty much all day, everyday, along with my husband and kids.  This means that we don't have that much food in our house during harvest because I don't have that much time to run to the grocery store or simply to just cook or bake something.  But I do try to keep some staples in the house so when we do find ourselves at home we can eat something at home.  Last week I shared my Six Week Muffins recipe and today I'm sharing my recipe for my Tuna Salad.

The Best Tuna Salad Recipe - Easy to make and great for melts!

Why does The Best Tuna Salad get the "Tractor Approved" seal?  First, we eat a lot of sandwiches during harvest and I find it really easy to keep staples in my pantry and freezer for "salad" sandwiches - ham, chicken and tuna.  My whole family loves my tuna salad recipe and it is a little "special" or you might even say "decadent," compared to a traditional tuna salad.  Second, you can eat this tuna salad cold or use it in a tuna melt.  It is great to have a batch on hand to make with soup at night or my personal favorite is to eat with Doritos or Cheez-Its as a snack when we come in from the field.  Third, this recipe is really simple to whip up, which is always a plus when you work long hours.

The Best Tuna Salad
1 - 8oz brick of Neufchatel Cheese (or Cream Cheese)
1/2 cup Mayo
2 - 5oz cans of Chunk Tuna in Water (drained)
2 ribs Celery (cut in fourths lengthwise and then diced)
2 stalks Green Onions (diced)

With a hand mixer cream together cream cheese and mayo.  Then stir in tuna, celery and green onions.  Serve on sandwich as you desire.  This recipe is really good as a melt or a panini.

Refrigerate the rest of the batch up to a week (but it'll never last that long!).

What are some of your go-to sandwich recipes or staples?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Friday, October 17, 2014

Tractor Seat Update

Tractor Seat Update
After a wet start to the week, we've been busy combining corn, and today, have switched back to harvesting soybeans.  Last night My Farmer and I crunched some numbers and decided we are 20% finished with corn and 40% done with soybeans as of today.  And I have to admit, that feels pretty darn good!  With a "rain day" or two weekly it seems, I think we were both surprised at our progress.

Soybean and Corn Harvest Headers
If you've been following my Tractor Seat Updates each Friday this month, you'll notice that we've been bouncing back and forth between corn and soybeans.  While this usually happens some each year, we usually don't like to do this each week of harvest like we have been this year.  When we switch, we have to change the combine head.  Corn and soybeans have separate combining head attachments.  We then have to clean out the combine grain holding tank and our catch cart so we don't mix soybeans and corn.  It isn't a lot, but it just takes time.  It is a lot nicer if you can just pick up where you left off the day before and not have to worry about cleaning everything out.

We've been having to switch back and forth due to the maturity of our corn and soybeans, as well as the moisture levels.  Soybeans have a somewhat narrow window to get harvested during due to the moisture levels you want.  So if we don't have soybeans in that window, we've been switching to corn, which is more flexible.

What questions do you have about corn and soybean harvest?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Thursday, October 16, 2014

World Food Day Addresses World Hunger

Happy World Food Day!  This internationally recognized day was celebrated today at the World Food Prize and around the world, by bringing together the citizens of the World to proclaim their commitment to eradicate hunger and discuss what actions need to be taken to achieve this.

On Tuesday, I asked you all to think through what you can do to address one of the key questions of this year's World Food Prize, "Can we feed 9 billion people by 2050?".  For me personally, it is easier for me to first think about what I can do for people in my "backyard."

  • Help your local food bank.  Check out my guide that includes six different ways to contribute.
  • Volunteer to organize meals or serve a meal yourself at your local soup kitchen.
  • Contact your local school to see how you can help with their efforts to feed their students.  Maybe your school has or needs a back pack program, or maybe an after-school snack program.

1 in 9 people worldwide are under nourished #WFD2014
Beyond the needs of my local area, state or even nation, there are needs throughout the World.  What can I do for the one in nine people worldwide that are under nourished?


  • Sign up to help package meals or make a donation towards a meal packaging initiative, such as Meals from the Heartland.
  • Participate in your local CROP Hunger Walk.
  • Support groups like Self-Help International, which partners with people in Ghana and Nicaragua on training and education for young farmers, micro-credit loans for women and school feeding programs.
What are you going to do to celebrate World Food Day?  What other ideas do you have?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Sometimes You've got to Stay Up for a Homecoming

Harvest creates a lot of long hours and long days, but earlier this week I was more than happy to add hours to my day.  After nearly a year from being away from home, my youngest sister and her unit returned back to Iowa this week!  I left my house at 10:30 pm so I could see her when she stepped off the plane at 1 am on "Monday night".

My sister walking off of the airplane
Our first hug since her leave at Christmas
I'm very proud to be a solider's sister and am so happy for her to be at home.  It was great to see many soldiers from her unit step off the airplane earlier this week.  I'm happy and honored that I got to be apart of this military homecoming!  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Monday, October 13, 2014

Can We Feed 9 Billion People by 2050

Can we feed 9 billion people by 2050?  That is the question being discussed at this year's World Food Prize, being held in Des Moines, Iowa this week.

I want you to think about that today and I'll talk through some ideas hopefully tomorrow, if I ever get my internet fixed!

Also, in the meantime, have you ever heard of Norman Borlaug?  I'd encourage you to check out a post I did on him earlier this year on his would have been 100th birthday.


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Sunday, October 12, 2014

31 Days from a Tractor Seat #SelfieSunday

Well, it finally happened, I'm writing this post from my phone...  Somehow I figured this would happen when I decided to challenge myself to write for 31 days.  This past week I've gotten in a groove of writing my post the night before it is published, which has worked really well, until last night I couldn't get our internet to work...  And tonight I'm afraid I've got the same problem, so I have an internet technician coming by tomorrow to hopefully solve my problem.  So, today's post is simple and sweet.  Here is my #SelfieSunday:

31 Days from a Tractor Seat #SelfieSunday


(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Guide to Help your Local Food Bank this Harvest

Guide to Help your Local Food Bank this Harvest #AgProvides #SpoonSalute
Food banks across the United States are in need for donations all year long.  As my family and I bring in this year's harvest, I can't help but think about the need for healthy, affordable and quality food for the plates of all Americans.  Even though farmers work hard everyday to provide that for Americans, hunger is still an issue.  I am fortunate and have not had to struggle with hunger myself.  There were times growing up in the 80's during the farm crisis my family had to literally save our pennies to buy a gallon of milk, but we survived.  So what can we all do to help our local food banks?
  • The first and obvious choice is to make a monetary donation.  I know that our local food bank uses cash donations to buy certificates to the local grocery store to pass out to those that use the food bank, so they can buy perishable items like milk and eggs.  They also use these type of donations to help them get whatever they are in need of.
  • The second and also obvious choice is to make a donation of nonperishable food items to your local food bank.  Our local food bank suggests items such as canned tuna or chicken, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, juice, rice, soup, crackers, tortillas, spaghetti sauce, and oatmeal.
  • A third idea is to make a "spicy" donation.  Think about it, people that rely on the food bank for food staples such as mentioned above also need and want things like spices and chocolate to spruce up those items.  And yes, even though we don't need chocolate, don't we all appreciate being able to bake a pan of brownies for time to time.
  • A fourth idea is to make a donation of some non-food items.  In fact one of our local churches has a donation center for items such as feminine prouducts, toiletries, baby toiletries and socks.  Some of these items food stamps don't cover.
  • Fifth, get out and volunteer.  Most food banks are largely volunteer ran and are always looking for help.  If you can't commit to a shift at your local food bank, think about starting your own food drive in your local neighborhood, through your church, or through your workplace.
  • Sixth, you can help out local food banks through social media!  One of our local food banks, Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank, can be helped by commenting on the blog, It's Just Life, this month.  Beth Ann at It's Just Life is actually the one who inspired me to create a Comments for a Cause program on my blog.  Go check out her blog and support her efforts!  Also, Farm Credit Services of America is donating $5 to local food banks when you use the hashtag #SpoonSalute.  So get to tweeting!
So, what are you going to do to support your local food bank this harvest?  Or what other ideas do you have to share?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

31 days from a Tractor Seat

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Tractor Seat Update

Tractor Seat Update - Soybean Harvest
This past week we have concentrated on harvesting soybeans.  With unexpected rain Wednesday night and a frost last night, we've had shorten harvest days, due to the ground and soybeans being too wet.  Each day we've had to wait for the morning dew to dry up (or this morning, morning frost to disappear) so we can bring our equipment into the field to harvest.  This has made this week very stop and go, and I'll admit a little annoying.  It is so much nicer when we are able to just get up in the morning and run all day, rather than playing this waiting game each day.

And we aren't the only ones that have been playing the waiting game this week.  The Iowa crop progress report, released on Monday afternoon, put Iowa's harvest progress at the slowest rate in over 30 years.  30 years!  Now that it a little scary to think about, but one thing that makes me feel better is that we have more efficient equipment now than we did 30 years ago, so hopefully we'll still be able to finish before baby #3 - JP, arrives...

What questions do you have about soybean harvest?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

31 Days from a Tractor Seat

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Take a Tech Timeout in 3 Easy Steps

One thing about being in a tractor day-in and day-out is that I listen to a lot of radio and news.  (Personally for me, I stay tuned to a couple different AM-talk radio stations rather than music stations, primarily because talk radio keeps my attention and alertness and I can't stand listening to the same playlist everyday on music stations.  Anyways...)  There seems to be a new survey that is released everyday and discussed on talk radio, and yesterday, a survey from Highlights caught my attention about parents and their phone activity seen by their children.

Take a Tech Timeout in 3 Easy Steps - Study says we pick up our smartphones 1500 times a week
The "State of the Kid" survey asked children ages 6 to 12 if their parents are ever distracted or focused on other things when they are trying to talk to them and 62% said yes; the number one form of distraction cited - the cellphone.  When I heard this I immediately put down my cellphone!  All I thought was, would my kids answer yes too?  I would hope not, but part of me was afraid they might say yes.  Highlights then went on to ask the children what would happen if their parents lost their cellphones for a day.  Answers included that they'd "go crazy" or that they'd "be mad".  While part of me laughed when I heard these answers, the other part of me was sad.

I then decided that I needed to make sure that I didn't become one of these statistics, so here is what I'm doing starting today:
  1. Setting Phone Hours - I don't need to pick up or look at my phone every time it makes a beep.  Instead I'm setting certain hours where I'm keeping my phone down and ignoring it.  The easy times to separate myself from my phone are during meal times and bedtime.  Now I'm going to add an hour during the morning hours and an hour during the evening hours to at least start with.
  2. Not Checking Phone while in the Car - I know it is against the law but I do find myself scanning my phone while in the car.  I know this isn't safe too and I need to stop.  Plus, the car is the perfect time and opportunity to have discussions with my family.  
  3. Embrace Family Fun - I don't need to take a photo or tweet when my family and I are out enjoying ourselves.  I sometimes need to do a better job of living in the moment and one way of doing that is by keeping the phone down while having family fun.
Take a Tech Timeout in 3 Easy Step - The average US resident spends 6.5 hours per day on digital devices outside of work
So, do you find yourself distracted by your phone?  Would your kids say you get distracted by your phone?  What tips would you add?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!


And so you know, the other sources of distraction cited by the Highlights survey were bothersome siblings, work, TV, talking to other people, computers, cooking, housework and driving.

31 days from a Tractor Seat

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)