Life on the farm during fall is full of beauty but also hustle and bustle as many farmers are working to get their crops harvested. After many months of work, it is time for corn farmers across the state to reap the benefits of their labors.
Driving across Iowa it is easy to see why we are often referred to as the corn state. Fieldsupon-fields of this a-maiz-ing crop (pun intended) are being harvested, hauled and taken to be further processed this fall. It can seem like there is more corn than we know what to do with, but the corn grown here in Iowa is used for over 4,000 products, making it not only a versatile crop but also a renewable crop!
Have you ever wondered what corn is all used for? Here is the breakdown:
That’s right! Corn is used to create fuel, feed, fiber, food and ever more of the things you use daily in your lives! Iowa doesn’t just grow corn, corn grows Iowa!
It is the season of CORN! Combines, grain carts and semis are rolling across our state. Take a look at the sights of a day in the life of a corn farmer during harvest!
Meet our farmers and learn about their stories here!
Cozy up with these corn-fed fall meals.
Turkey Sausage Italian Soup:
Warm up this season with this corn-fed turkey recipe from the Iowa Turkey Federation. Did you know that turkey and poultry consume 57 million bushels of Iowa corn each year! See the full recipe here.
Hot Corn and Bacon Beer Cheese Dip:
This tailgate season brings together everyone’s favorites with this beer cheese dip filled with corn and bacon! Serve with corn chips for extra corntasticness! Get the full recipe here.
Homemade Tea Lattes:
On a brisk fall day, a warm latte will just hit the spot. Made with milk from corn-fed dairy cows, this creamy drink is the perfect treat for any morning or afternoon this season! Find the full recipe from Midwest Dairy here.
Hungry
By Amber Selman, Grate View Farms
Hello from our farm! I wanted to share a little glimpse of what life is like around here, especially this fall as we've had day after day of dry weather. Our farm, nestled in Maquoketa, Iowa—close to the Maquoketa Caves if you’ve ever been—has been busy as ever. We raise both beef and dairy cattle and grow crops like corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
Every day kicks off at 4 a.m. sharp. We head out on the four-wheeler to round up our 60 dairy cows for milking. Our herd is a mix of Holsteins (the black and white cows) and Jerseys (the lovely brown ones). We milk them in our 6-stall milking parlor where it takes about three hours from start to finish. As you can imagine, it's a busy start to the morning.
Once the cows are milked, around 6 a.m., it’s time to care for our baby calves. Right now, I’m feeding 13 calves, and each one lives in its own little house, or "hutch." Twice a day—once in the morning and again in the evening—I bottle feed them milk that we make by mixing milk replacer with water. It’s kind of like making baby formula! In addition to their bottles, they also have grain and water for snacking throughout the day.
By 8 a.m., it’s time to take the kids to school. We have three children—an 8-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old—so mornings are always a bit of a juggling act.
After school drop-off, I head back home to mix the cows' feed. We use a tractor to mix a "Total Mixed Ration" (TMR) for our dairy cows, which is like a balanced meal that includes grain (like corn), vitamins, minerals, hay and silage. Once it’s all blended, we feed the cows.
At 9:30 a.m., our milk hauler comes by to pick up the milk from our bulk tank, which holds about 425 gallons of milk. That’s quite a bit, isn’t it? Every drop is a result of our hard work, and we’re so proud of the milk our cows produce.
Next, it's time to tend to the chickens. We have eight, and they adore leftovers, especially bread and lettuce. They always make collecting the eggs a fun part of the day.
Once the animals are all taken care of, it’s time to focus on harvesting the crops. The combine works through the fields, gathering the corn and emptying it into the grain cart, which is then transferred to the grain truck and finally into the grain bins for storage. Harvest season keeps us .
on our toes, but there’s something so satisfying about seeing the bins fill up. By 4 p.m., my husband heads back to the barn for the evening milking, and at 6 p.m., I gather the kids, and we all pitch in to feed the calves once more. After that, we take a few minutes to check on the garden before wrapping up the day
Finally, it’s time for supper, some homework, piano practice and off to bed. And just like that, it’s another full, beautiful day on the farm. Life here is busy but rewarding, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Amber Selman is a farmer, wife, mother and business owner in Maquoketa, Iowa. Amber was born and raised on a dairy, beef and crop farm in Eastern Iowa where she and her husband now dairy with her parents. Together they have three children that they also raise on the farm. You can follow along on their adventures at Heinrich Farms on Facebook and Instagram.
Aside from being a farmer, wife and mother, Amber owns her own marketing firm that deals with advertising in the ag industry. You can also find Amber volunteering on the local daycare board of directors, playing in the handbell choir at church, gardening and sharing her story of farm life on her blog Caring for Calves and Kids.
Corn-Starch Play Dough:
While the weather begins to cool down, keep little hands busy with this corn starch play dough recipe. Did you know that corn starch is made from the starch within the corn kernel! Find the full directions from our partners at Illinois Corn here.
Supplies you will need:
2 Cups Baking Soda (1 box)
1 Cup Cornstarch
1 1/2 Cups Water Food Coloring
