November 07, 2024

Henry A. Wallace Field Day at new historic corn plot

Henry A. Wallace shows seeds to his grandfather Henry Wallace near Johnston in 1913. (Contributed )

The public is invited to the first Henry A. Wallace Field Day 1 p.m. to 5 pm., Wednesday, Aug. 25 at the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center, 2773 290th Street, Orient. This come-and-go event will include tours of a new historic demonstration corn plot and a sample of Pioneer-branded artifacts from The Wallace Centers of Iowa’s (WCI) collection. Ice tea and lemonade will be provided and popcorn courtesy of Farmers Electric Co-op in Greenfield.

“It’s exciting to host a living exhibit that shows an important part of Iowa’s agricultural history,” noted Deb Houghtaling, WCI President & CEO. “The new historic corn plot reminds us of Henry A. Wallace’s legacy in agriculture.”

Henry A. Wallace was born on the farmstead in 1888. In addition to founding Pioneer Hi-Bred seed corn company, he was an editor at Wallaces’ Farmer magazine and served as U.S. Vice President, Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Commerce. He died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 1965.

The Wallace Centers of Iowa partnered with Corteva Agriscience (known for generations as Pioneer Hi-Bred) to install a 50′ x 100′ corn demonstration plot at the birthplace farm, now on the National Register of Historic Places. This educational and experiential feature encourages visitors of all ages to walk through the rows of corn, observe the plants during different stages of the growing season and better understand the differences between the hybrid and non-hybrid varieties.

Working together, Corteva and WCI staff selected five varieties of hybrid and non-hybrid corn for the initial birthplace farm plot. The 2021 plot varieties include an open-pollinated sample called Reid’s Yellow Dent, a double cross hybrid first sold in 1936, and a variety that holds the world record of 616 bushels per acre. Accompanying the plot is a large sign explaining how hybridization revolutionized agriculture and the history of Pioneer Hi-Bred’s founding in 1926. Smaller signs explain each variety’s relevance and why it was selected for the demonstration.

“The Henry A. Wallace Demonstration Corn Plot is supported in part by Pioneer in celebration of their 95th anniversary of being a leading brand in agriculture with a business built on world-class genetics, leading traits, innovative technology and superior agronomic service,” said Scott Walker, Marketing Manager at Corteva.

Corteva is providing three years of in-kind and financial support for this new enhancement including planning and planting expertise, seed selection and procurement, and educational sign development.

The Wallace Centers of Iowa’s two locations include the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center in rural Orient and the Wallace House in Des Moines. Together, the two historic sites provide educational programs and community services, produce sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, and offer locally-sourced meals. More information about the non-profit can be found at www.wallace.org.