Always Be Prepared

The miles are racking up on the Chevy Traverse (the vehicle I’m driving) and I saw some interesting country this past week. Southeast Iowa and Randolph, Minnesota called my name on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I hopped in the car and took off driving. Let’s just say these two places were absolute polar opposites – in a very good way.

Southeast Iowa has a different feel. If you stop anywhere, you will always be greeted with a smile and a handshake. If you get deep (and I mean almost-Missouri deep) into southeast Iowa, you will meet some very interesting people and travel on some winding backroads to get where you want to be, especially when scouting corn. I traveled with Bryant Luers [Technical Team Agronomist (TTA)], Jake Ekstrand [Sales Account Manager (SAM)], and Clayton Esch (Sales & Agronomy Intern). When we took off from Ainsworth (just south of Iowa City), I didn’t know where we were going – but, before I knew it, we were pulling into a little town called Donnellson. From there, we meandered through the countryside and visited some growers by Farmington and they were quite the characters. One gentleman, in particular, was over 80 years old and putting his corn in with an 8-row corn planter. If that doesn’t show you that love for agriculture goes on forever, I don’t know what does.

After eating my first “Horseshoe” (a piece of Texas toast, a thick hamburger, French fries, and the whole thing smothered in cheese – a heart attack waiting to happen as some might say) in Wayland, Missouri, we wound our way back up to Ainsworth to pick up our vehicles. There was a stark difference between where I was a week ago in northeast Iowa to southeast Iowa – especially in soil types. It is also just a little bit warmer – some even say it’s sunny and 85 degrees all year long. We watched for different types of bugs (cutworms, mainly) and diagnosed what issues may be causing a little bit of differentiation in color of the corn. It was a great learning experience, and as always, it was awesome to meet new growers and members of the LG Seeds team.

On Wednesday, I turned and traveled north to a little town 45 minutes south of Minneapolis called Randolph. This type of country is almost like Iowa, but there is irrigation everywhere – something that kept my eyes wandering everywhere as I was driving down the road (don’t worry – I was practicing safe driving). When I reached Dubbels Seed, I was greeted by a fresh college graduate who is passionate about the seed industry and is looking to grow his family’s business. Luke Dubbels took me on a tour of their operation, and I learned a lot about what irrigation has to offer for corn and soybean growers in the area.

No matter the situation I walk into, whether it’s riding along with a TTA or visiting a STAR Partner, there is a constant reminder in the back of my head to be prepared for anything that I may walk into. Whether visiting with older growers or meeting a dealer who is just starting in the business, you always have to be ready for where the conversation might lead. It may lead you to different parts of the Midwest or in your own backyard, but it will always be an adventure.

Charge your camera and fill your gas tank because as we approach this next week, there will certainly be more travel and more stories to be told. Stay tuned to hear more adventures from the Corn Belt!

Lauren Mosher

LG Seeds Marketing Intern

Published 6.5.2020