EasternIowaFarmer_Fall2022

THE
Farmer
The Eastern Iowa Fall 2022
A Publication of Sycamore Media
COST OF
FARMING
Fresh off a year of strong crop prices and solid
profits, Eastern Iowa farmers are now facing new
circumstances, including rising input costs.
The 4-H Equation: Summer
extension camps combine learning
and hands-on fun to teach important
skills to area youth.
For the Birds: Avian flu thwarted
bird swaps earlier this year, bu taking
precautions helped lessen local impact.
Business in Bloom: Local
man looks to develop a niche in the
flower business.
Country Cooking: Tasty and
easy to make, cornbread is a kitchen
staple that can serve as a side dish,
part of a main course, or even dessert.
HERE’S TO YOU:
See photos of your
friends and neighbors!
EasternIowaFarmer_Fa l2022.indd 1 9/13/22 10:36 AM
The Eastern Iowa
Farmer
®
Sycamore Media President:
Trevis Mayfield
Advertising: Faith Jones,
Trevis Mayfield, Wendy McCartt,
Brooke Taylor, and Dean Upmann
Creative: Brooke Till, Elizabeth
Goodman, Erica Mohr
Editorial Content: Megan Clark, Fayeth
Henningsen, Kris Koth, Nancy Mayfield,
Trevis Mayfield, Mindy Merrell, Jackie
Miller, R.B. Quinn, Jenna Stevens,
Kristine Tidgren
Photography Content: Trevis Mayfield,
Jackie Miller, Erica Mohr, Brooke Till
Editors: Kelly Gerlach, Nancy Mayfield,
Trevis Mayfield
Published by: Sycamore Media
108 W. Quarry St., Maquoketa, IA
563-652-2441
Cover: Brooke Taylor
The Eastern Iowa Farmer is a specialty publication
of Sycamore Media Corp., 108 W. Quarry Street,
Maquoketa, Iowa 52060, 563-652-2441. No
portion of this publication may be reproduced
without the written consent of the publisher. Ad
content is not the responsibility of Sycamore
Media Corp. The information in this magazine
is believed to be accurate; however, Sycamore
Media Corp. cannot and does not guarantee its
accuracy. Sycamore Media Corp. cannot and will
not be held liable for the quality or performance of
goods and services provided by advertisers listed
in any portion of this magazine.
VIEW THE ENTIRE
MAGAZINE ONLINE
EIFARMER.COM
®
MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Interview goes sideways
… in a very interesting way
Every issue of this magazine has
been an adventure for us one way
or another.
As we do the work of building
ads, taking photographs, and interviewing
local agriculture professionals for stories,
we run into surprises every time. This issue
was no different.
It’s not uncommon when we are interviewing
a source about a specific topic that
we learn other, interesting things about them
that have nothing to do with the focus of the
story, and it’s in this column that I sometimes
share those interesting bits and pieces.
As we worked on the cover story for
this issue – which examines how Eastern
Iowa farmers are dealing with the changing
expense-side economics of this year’s
crop – we found ourselves standing around
a Clinton County farmyard just north of
DeWitt chatting with longtime corn grower
Bob Bowman.
I was there to
take a photograph
of Bowman as
Nancy Mayfield,
my wife and the
editor of this magazine,
interviewed
him about how
he was managing
Trevis Mayfield
President,
Sycamore Media Corp.
input costs. But as
sometimes happens
when I tag along, I
hear something that
interests me and off I go like a dog after a
squirrel.
Bowman, as it turns out, has been
working with the national Corn Growers
Association for a long time – long enough,
in fact, to have been involved in a farmer
exchange program that connected American
farm managers with their counterparts
in what was the Soviet Union.
This was more than 30 years ago, and
a lot of changes were under way in that
part of the world as the Soviet Union was
dissolving under the weight of economic
and political collapse.
Bowman arrived in Ukraine just two
weeks after that country declared its sovereignty.
Bowman had hosted a Ukrainian farmer
at his home in Clinton County, and he had
visited a series of farms in the Ukraine,
and he came away with some interesting
experiences and observations.
He told us it was customary to always
give and receive a small gift when meeting
a new Ukrainian farmer. The most common
gift offered was vodka, he said, even
though it wasn’t his thing.
To reciprocate, he kept a roll of silver
coins featuring the American Eagle and the
likeness of President John F. Kennedy. The
coins, because they were a novelty in that
part of the world, were a consistent hit.
He also took note of the differences in
how the Soviet-managed farms compared
to those that allowed Ukrainian farmers to
share in the economic outcomes of their
work.
Those who had skin in the game were
far more motivated to learn and try new
things, Bowman said, while the “managers”
of the state-run operations seemed to
just go through the motions without a lot of
effort or motivation.
But most interesting was his story about
how, at a friend’s urging, he smuggled a
few Bibles through the Iron Curtain into a
country that all but prohibited organized
religion.
Yes, much of the conversation was not
what we were there to write about, but
fascinating, nonetheless. Another example
of meeting some of the most interesting
people while working on this project.
That’s something we always enjoy. And
as I always say at the end of this column,
we hope you enjoy this issue of The Eastern
Iowa Farmer as much as we enjoyed
putting it together.
We thank our readers, our sources, and
especially our advertisers who make it all
possible.
Have a great harvest, and we’ll see you
in the spring!
Sincerely,
Trevis Mayfield,
Sycamore Media president
10 EASTERN IOWA FARMER | FALL 2022 eifarmer.com