CELEBRATING CORN-FED IOWA CONNECTIONS
Iowa Corn is a proud partner of our state commodity groups, not only to support corn farmers but also livestock producers. Iowa’s corn and livestock sectors are deeply connected, that’s why we continue to collaborate to strengthen both industries and ensure long-term success for Iowa’s farm families. One of the best examples of this collaboration in action is at the Iowa State Fair, where Iowa Corn joins forces with livestock partners to celebrate and support Iowa agriculture together.
Iowa Corn has been a longtime supporter of the Governor’s Charity Steer Show. This event, hosted by the Office of the Governor of Iowa, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council, raises funds to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, helping children and families in need. This year’s corn-fed steer, Burt Reynolds from Lytton, Iowa, was raised by Tucker Freimuth and showed in partnership with Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) Chair, Ralph Lents. The show is a true testament to Iowa agriculture coming together to support our community and state.
At commodity partner food stands across the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Iowa Corn helps showcase the connection between corn and livestock. Iowa Corn partnered with the Young Professionals in Agriculture organization to staff the Iowa Pork Tent for a shift, celebrating corn-fed pork and providing consumers and farmers alike with a delicious meal.
During Iowa Corn Day at the Fair, participants who complete the scavenger hunt were offered a $5 coupon valid at the Iowa Pork Tent, Turkey Time Concessions, Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters, Pork Chop-on-a-Stick Stands and Cluck ‘n Coop. This partnership encourages
consumers to enjoy a corn-fed meal at our partner’s locations. In turn our partner locations showcase their Corn Day excitement by wearing ‘Corn-fed Iowa’ aprons throughout the day.
“These partnerships with our livestock partners are valuable not only to spread our shared message of supporting Iowa farmers but to also showcase all of the corn-fed products produced right here in our state,” shared Mike Ver Steeg, Iowa Corn Animal Ag and the Environment Committee Chair and farmer from Lyon County. “We are proud to support our livestock partners in any way we can, whether that is at the Iowa State Fair or out in the field.”
This year at the Iowa State Fair, the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) presented ICPB First Vice President and farmer from Louisa County, Paul and Sara Gieselman, with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award. The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in doing things right and go above and beyond as environmental stewards and animal caretakers. Iowa Corn is proud to be a supporter of CSIF and their programs that support livestock farmers across Iowa.
From partnering at food stands to celebrating outstanding livestock farmers, Iowa Corn’s partnership with commodity groups at the Iowa State Fair highlights the connections between corn and livestock in our state. These partnerships not only elevate Iowa agriculture but also reinforce our shared commitment to feeding and fueling the world. Iowa Corn continues to stand alongside our commodity partners at the Iowa State Fair and beyond, ensuring a strong future for Iowa’s farm families.
BEYOND THE SHOW
The 43rd annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show (GCSS) continues to make an impact, raising $569,000 for the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Charities of Iowa. Including this year’s donations, the GCSS has surpassed $6 million in donations since its inception in 1983.
For Tucker Freimuth and his family, the mission of the GCSS and supporting the RMH, touches close to home. Tucker’s cousin benefited from the RMH while undergoing treatment for bladder cancer at the age of two. The family faced a long and difficult journey, and the support of the RMH provided countless nights of lodging, supplies, meals and more which helped them through the difficult time. A few years later, Tucker’s cousin was a celebrity in the GCSS and is now 15, doing well and heading into high school.
Collecting tabs has also been a priority for years for the Freimuth family. Tiffany, Tucker’s mom,
had a student and friend who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age who also benefited from multiple nights at RMH. The whole town of Rockwell City rallied to collect tabs to support them. Tucker and his family went above and beyond, shattering last year’s tab record of 170 pounds and brought in a total of 240 pounds of tabs, setting a new alltime record!
Ralph and Tucker not only left with the pride of participating in the GCSS, but brought home the fan favorite, People’s Choice Award, which gives the audience and team supporters a voice in the competition. With a lot of teams in the running, Tucker and Ralph, along with Burt Reynolds, the steer, edged out the competition.
Iowa Corn was proud to partner together with Tucker and the Freimuth family for this year’s Governor Charity Steer Show.
LONG-TERM COVER CROP STUDIES IN IOWA
Since 2016, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) have invested checkoff dollars to conduct long-term cover crop studies with Iowa farmers. In these studies, data was collected on the cover crop vegetative growth that grew in the strips, as well as corn and soybean yields on the strips with and without cover crops. Data was compiled from a total of 128 site-years with 72 site-years of corn and 56 site-years of soybeans. It is the longest running on-farm strip-trial study of cover crops in existence. Several Iowa farmers have had cover crop strips since the first year of the Soil Health Partnership project 10 years ago.
“As a long-term practitioner of cover crops and no-till, I enrolled in the Soil Health Partnership in 2016 to compare my practices with more traditional practices,” shared Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association President and farmer from Bremer County. “I have been able to positively quantify my stewardship practices in the form of comparable yields and soil health benefits.”
From the analysis, two outreach pieces were developed to share findings with other Iowa farmers. The first one is a white paper that includes the detailed methodology that was used to plant the trials and an analysis of the results from the strip trials, this will be submitted for publication to a scientific journal. The second deliverable is a farmerfacing grower guide that summarizes key findings from the study that began 10 years ago.
Some important takeaways highlighted in the grower guide are:
• Corn and soybean yields were comparable in strips with and without cover crops.
• Cover crops reduce soil compaction.
• Cover crops scavenge excess nitrates at soil depths of at least 24 inches.
• Timely cover crop termination is a critical part of their management, because more vegetative growth of cover crops increases competition with the cash crops and can impact their yield potential.
• Crop yields varied from year to year, but across 128 site-years, corn and soybean yields with and without cover crops were within two bushels per acre.
Since 2010, cover crops in Iowa have grown from 50,000 acres to 3.8 million acres as of 2023. They provide numerous soil health and water quality benefits, but they also require some additional management strategies to get them established in the fall and terminated in the spring. Maximizing the soil health benefits of cover crops while minimizing impacts on crop yields is a delicate balancing act.
This collaborative project between ICPB and ISA is meant to provide farmers with information to decide what’s best for their farm and fields. To learn more about all the research and sustainability projects Iowa Corn invests in, go to iowacorn.org/research.
IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES
PARTNERSHIP IN AND ON THE FIELD
Each year, Iowa Corn is proud to sponsor the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series because it’s more than a game. It’s a tribute to the hard-working student athletes who give it their all both in their sport and in the classroom within their fields of study. Just like Iowa’s hard-working farmers who work in their fields to produce some of the best corn in the world!
“The matchup between the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes, continues to be one of the top platforms in our state to connect with consumers,” shared Joe Roberts, Iowa Corn Promotion Board President and farmer from Wright County. “Through our efforts, we elevate the story of Iowa’s corn farmers and share the message of all the uses for corn products. Each year we continue to build on this platform to meet consumers and share our message.”
Last year, Iowa Corn began utilizing NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals to partner with student athletes, helping connect the Series even more to agriculture. Through these partnerships, Iowa Corn has brought athletes representing both schools to corn growers’ farms.
During these visits, they discussed harvest, uses of corn and the similarities and differences between farming and sports. The athletes rode around with our farmers to learn more about corn farming and shared these conversations through videos on social media. These conversations highlight the partnership between Iowa Corn and the student athletes at Iowa State and University of Iowa and showcase the connection between Iowa corn and our communities through authentic conversations.
“As a fourth-generation corn, soybean and cattle farmer, agriculture has always been more than just a hobby for me, it’s a way of life that runs in my family’s roots. Playing football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, I proudly wear the America Needs Farmers sticker on my helmet as a reminder
of that calling and as a way to honor the hardworking men and women who feed our nation,” shared Zach Twedt, University of Iowa student athlete. “Iowa Corn’s investment in the Cy-Hawk Series is more than just a sponsorship, it’s a celebration of the values that connect farming and athletics: hard work, perseverance and community pride. To me, it’s an opportunity to share the importance of agriculture with my generation and inspire others to carry on their families’ farming legacies.”
The NIL deals work to create more personal messaging to reach our consumer audience with Iowa corn farmers stories, strengthening Iowa Corn’s visibility beyond just game day. Iowa Corn looks forward to our continued partnership with student athletes and Iowa Corn farmers. Because at the end of a day, it is about more than a rivalry; it’s about sharing the stories of Iowa corn farmers and how corn connects to all of us!
Yield of DreamsFrom Field to
Iowa leads the nation in corn production, sending its crops across the globe to be used in more than 4,000 different products. While most farmers sell their corn for ethanol use, livestock feed and other goods, they rarely get to physically hold the result of their hard work. However, that changed for 18 Iowa corn growers. This year, they had the unique opportunity to experience their corn’s journey from field to brew through the 2025 Yield of Dreams beer.
Iowa Corn, in partnership with the Iowa Brewers Guild, Confluence Brewery and Choose Iowa, have brought back the all Iowa lager, Yield of Dreams.
“There are 4,000 everyday products made with the corn we grow right here in Iowa. The Yield of Dreams beer is a celebration of the hard-working Iowa corn farmers and helps showcase to consumers the care taken to create a high-quality product,” shared Laura Foell, Chair of the Grassroots Network, Membership and Checkoff Committee and farmer from Sac County.
Unlike last year’s brew, this year’s beer was brewed with corn from two farmers in each of Iowa’s nine crop reporting districts. Each farmer donated between 30-40 pounds of corn, totaling over 600 pounds of corn. This corn became the iced cold beer consumers had the opportunity to taste at the 2025 Iowa State Fair in the Iowa Craft Beer Tent.
Shea and Heath Greiner, of Greiner Family Farms in Davis County, were one of the families that helped make this beer possible. When asked why they volunteered to contribute to Yield of Dreams, they said, “It aligns with our deep-rooted commitment to promoting Iowa agriculture. By providing high-quality, locally grown ingredients, such as corn or other grains, the farm supports the craft brewing industry while reinforcing the importance of Iowa-grown products.”
Along with seeing Yield of Dreams at the Iowa
Craft Beer Tent, fairgoers were also able to learn about the farmers who grew the corn that made the drink possible. Each day of the Iowa State Fair, the stories of these 18 farms were highlighted in the tent right next to Tap 88, giving consumers a chance to learn about the families who helped produce the delicious brew.
The Yield of Dreams project connects consumers to local family farms that work hard to produce high quality grains for the more than 4,000 everyday uses of corn. “It is always important to be involved when called upon. Anytime the farming community can demonstrate our quality products grown in our great state, you know it will be rewarding to share with others,” said Travis and Erinn Spevacek, farmers from Johnson County.
Learn where you can find Yield of Dreams and enjoy this local brew by visiting yieldofdreams.beer.
Brew,
The Appletons
Haack Century Farm
Buss Farms
Becker
Dreams Brew, Corn Grows Iowa
Dornbier Inc.
Appletons
Pheasant Ave Farms LTD
Becker Beef, LLC
Bissell Family Farms
Mendenhall Farms
Shivers Farms
Jo and Royle Duncan
Milbrandt Farms
Clevenger Farm
Greiner Family Farms
Bell Family Farms
Travis & Erinn Spevacek
Atwater Farms
Willimack Family Farms
At Iowa Corn, we do many things. We develop and defend markets for corn across the globe. We fund research that unearths new uses for corn. And we spearhead education and promotional efforts to communicate the many benefits and uses of corn and corn products. Why do we do what we do? Because we believe in the corn growers of Iowa. What corn farmers do impacts people worldwide, and it’s our mission to support corn farmers’ interests. We’re here to work for the corn farmer. And we’re proud to do it.
TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF CORN TO SUSTAINABLY MEET THE NEEDS OF A GROWING WORLD