Iowa Crops

Corn

Iowa is the number one corn producing state in the US, producing 2.05 billion bushels per year. Most of the corn grown in the United States is produced in the Corn Belt, which includes Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Missouri and South Dakota. Producers in the United States feed most of the corn crop to cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry. The rest is used for processed food, industrial products such as cornstarch and plastics, or renewable energy & ethanol. For more information about corn and the variety of corn products, visit Camp Silos.

Soybeans

Iowa is number one in soybean production and produces 570.1 million bushels per year. Once the soybean plants are mature, soybeans are harvested with combines and used as feed for animals. They are also used in the production of a growing number of consumer and industrial products. For example, soybeans are used for soy biodiesel, crayons, cleaning products and candles. For more information about new uses for soybeans, visit the Iowa Soybean Association.

Hay

Iowa farmers produced approximately 5.3 million tons of hay in 2006, ranking Iowa 10th in the nation in hay production. Alfalfa and grasses are often grown for hay production. The alfalfa and grasses are cut, raked, allowed to dry in the field and then baled. Some hay is baled into small rectangular bales and is used to feed animals such as horses and sheep. Much of Iowa's hay is baled into large round. It is quicker and requires less farm labor to bale hay using a large round baler. Large round bales are used to feed animals such as feedlot cattle, horses and cows.

Oats

Iowa farmers produced 8.4 million bushels of oats in 2006, ranking Iowa 5th in the nation in oat production. Farmers seed oats, allow them to grow and then use a combine to harvest them. Oats are used to feed animals or are sold as a cash grain crop. Once the oats are harvested, the remaining straw is used as bedding for animals. Some farmers seed oats and alfalfa together, so that when the oats are harvested, the alfalfa will then grow up and can be cut for hay production.

Christmas trees

There are approximately 100 "choose and harvest" Christmas tree farms in the Iowa. The top selling Christmas trees in Iowa are Scotch Pine and White Pine. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place. It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 feet), but the average growing time in 7 years. For more information, visit the Iowa Christmas Tree Growers Association.

Fruit and Vegetable Growers

There are 517 fruit and vegetable growers within 90 different counties in Iowa. These sell produce directly to consumers from a permanent site (excluding farmers' markets). For their names, addresses and a list of the products they carry, visit the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's Fruit and Vegetable Growers Directory.

Honey Producers

There are over 50 honey producers in the state of Iowa. They provide a variety of services and products including jars of honey, beeswax, creamed honey, comb honey, bulk honey and gift packs as well as pollination services and educational programs. Visit the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship web site for a list of Iowa honey producers. Or, for more information about honey, visit honey.com.

Strawberry Growers

Although it is difficult to know the exact number of strawberry growers in the state of Iowa, there are at least 47 registered in the Strawberry Growers Directory. They are located across the state of Iowa and are listed in the directory by county. Many offer both u-pick and pre-picked berries. Visit theIowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship web site to look at the Iowa Strawberry Growers Directory.

Vineyards/Grape Growers

There were are more than 30 wineries in Iowa and nearly 100 vineyards, and grape growing is increasing within the state. Although the Iowa wine industry has an interest in Iowa grape production there are also growers interested in landscape, floral and other uses of grapes. The grape growing industry in Iowa has a long history that is being renewed. This is primarily due to the success and popularity of the regional wines now being produced in Iowa. For more information, visit the Iowa Grape Growers Association.