Whether you’re enjoying a delicious pork chop dinner or a T-bone steak hot off the grill, farmers from across the state work hard so Iowa families and those around the world can enjoy their favorite foods.
We invite you to spend time getting to know us and our families. Watch us at work and take a quick tour of our farms so you can learn more about our dedication to growing safe food, and raising healthy crops and livestock, while protecting and conserving the land.
Visit http://FarmersFeedUS.org and WIN FREE GROCERIES FOR A YEAR!
FUN FARM FACTS
Mature turkeys have more than 3,500 feathers.
There are 47 different breeds of sheep in the U.S.
Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world.
The average person consumes 584 pounds of dairy products a year.
Elevators in the Statue of Liberty use a soybean-based hydraulic fluid.
Like snowflakes, no two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots.
The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.
The average dairy cow produces seven gallons of milk a day, 2,100 pounds of milk a month, and 46,000 glasses of milk a year.
Turkeys originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that they have been around for more than 10 million years.
Agriculture employs more than 24 million American workers (17% of the total U.S. work force).
Today's American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide. In 1960, that number was 25.8.
One pound of wool can make 10 miles of yarn. There are 150 yards (450 feet) of wool yarn in a baseball.
Soybeans are an important ingredient for the production of crayons. In fact, one acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons.
The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of an average third-grader.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs, because a cow's knees cannot bend properly in order to walk down.
Cows have 4 stomachs and can detect smells up to 6 miles away!
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-4052
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Interview With Dr. Simon Estes
Dr. Simon Estes is a professor at Wartburg College. Leon Kuehner and I had the opportunity to interview him for the upcoming Simon Estes In Residency program. Here’s a few excerpts.
Why Wagner? What about that composer that resonates with you?
Many people say he’s probably the greatest of all composers. He wrote all of his own lyrics. He wanted the human voice to be another instrument in the orchestra. You can listen to his music without the human voice and still enjoy it. Listen to Verdi (and this is where he Dr. Estes started singing). With the voice or melodic vocal line—it can be a little boring. Wagner’s music is all symphonic and beautiful. I have sung all of his operas except for one.
It’s a long way from Centerville Iowa to the places you’ve been. How did growing up in Iowa prepare you for the trip?
My faith, my parents taught me humility, the work ethic, being responsible, discipline, courage and never give up. Regardless of the obstacles. We were extraordinarily poor—by the end of the week we were hungry. My parents taught us never to hate. They taught us to pray for those who hated us. It’s a Christlike teaching that I received from my mother and father. You can hate evil, but you not not hate another human being. Pray for them.
Why did you choose Hampton to be the first county in your Roots and Wings Tour?
I believe God has a hand in this. My first voice teacher taught me for free. I told him if I ever had a career, I’d pay him back. He said No, just remain humble. I am from Iowa and I think it’s great we are starting this in Hampton. I had this idea to perform in all 99 counties. Hampton literally jumped off the map into my hands . Trent Grundmeyer made a call and we started talking and next thing you know—Hampton jumped up and demanded that we start there. What you guys are doing has blown me over. You are showing the rest of the state that Iowa can do something very special.
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-5042
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
Why Wagner? What about that composer that resonates with you?
Many people say he’s probably the greatest of all composers. He wrote all of his own lyrics. He wanted the human voice to be another instrument in the orchestra. You can listen to his music without the human voice and still enjoy it. Listen to Verdi (and this is where he Dr. Estes started singing). With the voice or melodic vocal line—it can be a little boring. Wagner’s music is all symphonic and beautiful. I have sung all of his operas except for one.
It’s a long way from Centerville Iowa to the places you’ve been. How did growing up in Iowa prepare you for the trip?
My faith, my parents taught me humility, the work ethic, being responsible, discipline, courage and never give up. Regardless of the obstacles. We were extraordinarily poor—by the end of the week we were hungry. My parents taught us never to hate. They taught us to pray for those who hated us. It’s a Christlike teaching that I received from my mother and father. You can hate evil, but you not not hate another human being. Pray for them.
Why did you choose Hampton to be the first county in your Roots and Wings Tour?
I believe God has a hand in this. My first voice teacher taught me for free. I told him if I ever had a career, I’d pay him back. He said No, just remain humble. I am from Iowa and I think it’s great we are starting this in Hampton. I had this idea to perform in all 99 counties. Hampton literally jumped off the map into my hands . Trent Grundmeyer made a call and we started talking and next thing you know—Hampton jumped up and demanded that we start there. What you guys are doing has blown me over. You are showing the rest of the state that Iowa can do something very special.
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-5042
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
WHO WAS THE REAL ST. VALENTINE?
The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle, (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-4052
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle, (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-4052
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
Monday, February 8, 2010
Six Things I Learned From Children
1. Live in the moment. It’s great to plan and dream — but let’s not forget to enjoy where we are at this very moment.
2. Breakfast is a good thing. A bowl of fiber cereal, maybe an egg and bacon, or just a protein shake. Breakfast can change your world. You set the pace for the day – and if you don’t eat breakfast, your body thinks it is starving and will save up all those calories as fat storage.
3. Toys! More toys! We learn pretty early that toys kick start our imagination. Little kids play with legos and learn to create cities and worlds out of little pieces of plastic. As adults – what toys are you using every day? I like my Blackberry Pearl, my iPod wannabe, and my laptop. Use your toys to spark your imagination.
4. Walk away from mean people. Kids have the ability to determine if someone is worth their time. Mean people? They just ignore them and walk away. What if we did the same thing?
5. Repeat repeat repeat. Kids repeat what they hear. They say things over and over until they get it. They repeat it to their friends. It’s how they process things. We could repeat the good things we hear for a change! (come on – we hear the news all day long, and its the same thing at night that you heard in the morning – and mostly all bad news.)
6. Ask for what you want. I just got back from a road trip to Kansas. My 5 year old great nephew asked for some toys. He was very specific. He wanted a Walmart sword, some Scooby Doo little plastic people and a Kansas tshirt. Not a Missouri shirt – he had one of those already. He got exactly what he asked for. What do you want?
Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-580-4052
Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811
Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234
Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378
Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114
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