Where’s Iowa?

2. Where’s Iowa? Agriculture in the Classroom Unit 2 Fun Facts About Iowa

3. Did you know that Iowa ranks 3rd in the nation in agricultural production? In order to do this, we need to understand, Iowa has SSM. You all know what SSM is right? Really? Well, let’s see if you can figure it out….

4. Iowa has good soil… what is soil?... It’s dirt!

6. 89% of Iowa’s 36 million acres are in farms. So how many acres is that? (32,040,000 acres) How did you get that? (Multiply .89 x 36, 000,000.)

7. Iowa has Sun

9. The average temperature is 47.8 degrees F. • Now remember – we can go from 32 degrees below zero to over 100 degrees F. in the four different seasons of the year.

10. Iowa has moisture

12. In a normal year Iowa gets 34.07” of moisture. • (In 2010 it was the second highest on record with 45.10”)

13. Now, can anyone tell me what SSM is? These three elements; Soil, Sun Moisture, SSM

14. SSM makes Iowa an Agricultural driven state. What does this mean? It’s our culture, the way our economy is based. SSM, sun, soil and moisture.

15. Think about it…we rank 23rd in the nation as far as land mass size. Michigan is 22nd Illinois is 24th. How many states are smaller in land size than Iowa?

16. Iowa ranks 23rd in land size and still 3rd in agricultural production. Who do you think ranks 1st and 2nd? Texas – 1st largest state in land mass. It would take 4 4/5 “Iowa’s” to fill Texas

18. California – 4th largest state in land mass. It would take 2 4/5 “Iowa’s” to fill California.

20. Iowa ranks 23rd in land mass with her 36 million acres. And she is still 3rd in agricultural production.

21. Does anyone know what the word commodity means?

23. You might have heard on the radio something like this. “Now for the commodity markets. Corn is up six twenty five’ that means it’s $6.25 a bushel. ‘Soybeans are ten thirty two’, that means soybeans are $10.32 a bushel.” The livestock markets would sound something like this: “today, hogs are 84.” This means hogs are $.84 a pound. Then there’s the cattle market, It sounds like this “fed cattle ready for harvest are one eighteen.” that means cattle are $1.18 per pound.

24. The Board of Trade daily sets the market. This determines what the farmer will receive for his grain or livestock. It also determines the price he will pay for feed and livestock.

25. Iowa ranks #1 in these four commodities: • Corn 2.33 billion total bushels for 2010-11

26. Iowa ranks #1 in these four commodities: • Soybeans 468 million bushels for 2010-11

27. Iowa ranks #1 in these four commodities: • Hogs 37.4 million head for 2010-11

28. Iowa ranks #1 in these four commodities: 4. Eggs 14.61 billion eggs 2010-11

30. As a fun fact, the official Iowa Song that’s sung to the tune of “O’Tannenbaum”, is NOT the popular state song. It’s the “Ioway Corn Song” by George Hamilton, that mentions tall corn several times within the song. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land, Joy on ev-‘ry hand. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way, That’s where the tall corn grows.

31. Iowa Corn Song (Popular Version) Lyrics by Ray W. Lockard & George Hamilton Original Music by Edward Riley Let’s sing of Grand old I-O-Way, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho Our love is stronger ev-’ry day, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho So come along and join the throng, Several hundred thousand strong As you come just sing this song, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land, Joy on ev-‘ry hand. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way, That’s where the tall corn grows.

32. Our land is full of ripe-ning corn, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho We’ve watched it grow both night and morn, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho But now we rest, we’ve stood the test. All that’s good we have the best I-O-way has reached the crest, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land, Joy on ev-‘ry hand. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way, That’s where the tall corn grows. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land, Joy on ev-‘ry hand. We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way, That’s where the tall corn grows.