It’s the Farmer’s Life/Wife For Me!

Right now Dave is out tending the pumpkin patch, corn maze, animals and the farming operation. So, I decided to sneak in to try out this blog thing on my own!

I know this is Dave’s blog, but I have a lot to do with “What’s Happening on the Farm,” too. Aside from helping to manage Bloomsbury Farm, the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, Scream Acres, and care for my family, I also make many of the gift items for sale in the Sugar Shack–that is where we sell gifts and goodies. Pumpkins are available for purchase and you can even choose a pumpkin to send to a friend. I will personally make sure it gets sent safely and arrives in one piece!

This year, we have also added fudge to the list of goodies. We are making over 20 varieties, encompassing over 800 pounds of fudge so far! Some of our flavors this year add a lot of interest: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Oreo, Apple Pie, Pumpkin, Raspberry Milkshake, Orangsicle and many more! While it is for sale in the Sugar Shack, we also take orders over the phone or by e-mail.

Another item we sell is honey. A local beekeeper brings the bees over and sets them free in our pumpkin patch. Once they are collected, the beekeeper returns to South Amana (about 30 miles from our farm), where the honey is produced. Then distributed back to us for selling in the little containers! That’s how we like to do things on the farm. We make as much as we can out of the gifts the good earth provides.

This was fun. Maybe I’ll do it again sometime when Dave isn’t watching!
Karen Petersen

Between May and September, it’s “slow season” at Bloomsbury Farm–we do only special events.

But it’s coming . . . our “busy season” starts on September 22, when Bloomsbury Farm is open to the public. We’re open every day of the week from September 22 through October and the fun kicks into high gear. All the standard farm activities are open: petting zoo, hayrides, tire maze playground, barnyard buddies and Mabel the Milking Cow. . . . Then we throw in the special Fall activities such as the 10-acre corn maze, the 4-acre corn maze, Scream Acres, the Pumpkin Patch, and pig races (yes, we use real pigs!).

This year’s newest attractions include the Jumping Pillow (photo). As you can see, it’s just for kids—kids of all ages! I’ve been building the “Marriott,” some new digs for the farm animals and working on “Li’l Farmerville,” a special place for our li’l visitors. I’m also unveiling “Uncle Paul’s Pumpkin Blaster.” I built a cannon that shoots pumpkins up to 1/4 mile! We grab the ammo from the pumpkin patch, load up the cannon, point it over the corn fields, push the button, and BOOM off they go! I’m keeping the “Farmer’s Wife” busy also—Karen is making homemade fudge that will be available for purchase in the Sugar Shack, our “gifts and goodies” area.

At Bloomsbury Farm, it’s our job to make sure the farm adventure is memorable and coming up with new things every year is both fun and challenging! It’s coming . . . so I better get a move on, everything’s got to be ready in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

Dave

I actually had someone ask what I do on the farm now that the crops are planted but not yet ready for harvest. She wanted to know if this is when I get to “take a break.” I told her that she was right . . . I do get a break from planting! Instead, I:

• haul last year’s corn out of the bins to make ready for storage of the new crop in the fall;
• inspect the corn fields (and the ones used in the Bloomsbury Farm corn maze) so I can be sure the crop is growing properly and not attacked by some dreaded disease. Remember, I farm over 3,000 acres, so checking those fields of corn and the pumpkin patch is a full-time job in itself!
• pull out the John Deere tractors (8430 an 8420) to perform maintenance. While Jiffy Lube can get your oil changed in less than 30 minutes, maintenance on these tractors takes a big bite out of my “break from planting” time.

I’ve also spent time looking, deciding on, and finally ordering a new 12-row combine, the 9670 John Deere. This baby has 305 horse-power and can handle up to 79 bushels per minute! Let’s see, 3,000 acres, half of which are corn. That means I harvests about 280,000 bushels. So, if I tried to harvest all the corn from start to finish, it would take slightly more than 59 hours!

Speaking of farming, I was recently awarded the Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Benton County Conservation Commission, which recognizes outstanding producers/farmers who are using soil and water conserving practices in their farming operation. I’m pretty proud of this because as a farmer, the land is our lifeline. I want it to be in the best shape possible for the next generation!

Dave

Here it is–the first aerial photo of this year’s large corn maze. Alliant Energy is the 2008 Sponsor with “Renewable Energy” as this year’s theme. It fits in perfectly with corn.

To keep things even more interesting, there will be interactive stations throughout the maze!If you like the idea of heading into the maze in the dark, don’t miss Wednesday nights in October: The Flashlight Maze. All the lights are off (we live in the country so no street lights) and you try to find your way with just a flashlight. As you can see, one might get a bit confused finding their way. Don’t worry, if you’re not back before sun up, we can always send in the National Guard!

Not everyone knows how the corn maze is created–it’s pretty cool. First the entire 10-acre field of corn is planted in the same manner as all the other fields are planted. (If you didn’t catch my last blog, one acre is about the size of a football field.) In July, once the corn gets about knee high, we pull out that trusty tractor (my fav with the GPS) and program the design into the computer. The tractor “maps” out the grids for the maze. The maze is then broken down into what I call puzzle pieces printed out on paper. We each take a puzzle piece and a container of Round-Up (herbicide) into the field, find the correct grid and blast away! The pattern of the maze is created when the Round-Up “kills” the corn where the walking trails are. This is definitely a situation where you “can’t see the forest for the trees,” but when all the puzzle pieces are put together, it creates a great maze!

Check out our site for photos of previous mazes and make plans to stop out when the corn is high enough to get lost in!

Later!

Dave
 

Hi, I’m Dave Petersen. This is my first blogging experience and I had planned to start by telling you about my family and our farm. However, due to the recent flooding, it seems that is all anyone wants to discuss. Of course we were affected by the floods, as was everyone in Eastern Iowa, but dealing with the weather, good or bad, is all part of being a farmer. While many of the roads surrounding our farm were closed due to flooding, our home sits up on a hill and we didn’t sustain any damage.

I am also grateful that I was able to get the crop in the ground in the spring. We plant a lot of corn and it helps that I am committed to keeping up with technology. I recently added a GPS to the main tractor and by entering the appropriate information, the tractor practically drives itself. Using GPS technology, I was able to plant over 3000 acres of land before the major flood hit.

In addition to farming over 3000 acres of land, my family and I own Bloomsbury Farm an agritainment business. It’s our goal to provide an entertaining and educational experience to everyone who visits our farm. We are located about 10 minutes outside of Cedar Rapids, which also makes it close to Iowa City. Many families come out for the day to play in the corn box (which is like a sandbox but without the sand), feed the goats, look at the huge machines, watch pig races and generally enjoy a beautiful day.  We are also a great destination for school field trips and for local companies to have company outings.

While some people may think everyone in Iowa is either a farmer or has lived on a farm, this is just not true. Many people from Iowa have never been on a working farm because they are born and raised in one of the major cities. Bloomsbury Farm provides a wonderful opportunity for people to learn about how farms work and their importance to the economy of Iowa, the nation and internationally.

As a matter of fact, we recently had a visitor who was originally from a large city but has lived in Iowa for over 30 years. While she had seen farmland as she traveled around the state over the last 30 years, she told me she had never been on a working farm—where farming was the major source of income for the family. It’s always amusing to see someone’s reaction to the large farming equipment. When she climbed into the cab of the tractor, she was shocked to learn it was air conditioned and to see all the technical equipment. As we planted pumpkin seeds, she asked many questions. One area of confusion to her was trying to relate to 3000 acres. I explained that an acre was about the size of a football field and you could see how surprised she was.

Watch for future posting discussing life on the farm!

Dave