Iowa Hosts Top Food Bloggers During Iowa Corn Quest Tour 2016

Every fall, Iowa’s corn farmers bring together some of the country’s top food bloggers to learn more about where their food comes from and the farmers who grow it. These handful of foodies descend on Iowa knowing very little about farming, but share a passion for great food and wanting know more about food production. Starting today through Thursday the Iowa Corn Quest Tour will be traveling to eastern Iowa to visit with local farmers and other food experts.

“The Iowa Corn Quest event provides food bloggers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at corn production, “said Iowa Corn Growers Association President Kurt Hora who has hosted the tour in past years and will again invite bloggers to his farm near Washington to see corn harvest. “Many of the bloggers have loyal followings with thousands of consumers. This is a chance not only to reach the bloggers themselves, but also their readers who experience the tour and learn along.”

Over the next few days, the bloggers will have a variety of adventures that will give them the opportunity to explore the ins and outs of corn from every perspective and route in the supply chain. Throughout the tour, they will have in-person interactions with experts including farmers, distillers, chefs, logistic professional, nutritionists and more.  Their itinerary includes:

• Tour of Mississippi Distillery – They will tour this micro-distillery which produces small-batch, premium distilled vodka, gin and whiskey made from locally-sourced gains including corn.

• Discussion with American Lung Association - Angela Tin, American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, Vice President of Environmental Health will talk about the launch of the Clean Air Choice™ campaign with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board to help drivers understand the correlation between ethanol and lung health.

• Cooking experience and lunch discussion with Dr. Ruth MacDonald - During this hands-on cooking experience, the bloggers will learn new and different ways of incorporating corn and corn ingredients into their menus at home. Dr. Ruth MacDonald, PhD, RD and a Professor and Chair of Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at Iowa State University will join the group for lunch and lead a discussion on food trends such as fad diets, food labeling and GMOs.

• Farm Tour and Corn-fed Tailgate - They will tour the farms of Iowa Corn Farmer Leaders Kurt Hora and Dick Gallagher near Washington. The evening will end with a corn-fed tailgate on Dick’s farm.

• Upper Mississippi Fleeting Terminal Tour and River Barge Ride – This will provide the bloggers the chance to learn about how corn and other commodities are transported along the Mississippi River.

• Grain Processing Facility Tour – The bloggers will have the opportunity to see how corn is processed into ingredients and materials for food and non-food products.

The 2016 Corn Quest bloggers include:

Amanda Batcher 
Location: Maineville, OH
Blog: The Chunky Chef 
Followers: 159,300 

Stephanie Cornish 
Location: Ontario, CAN
Blog: Spaceships and Laser Beams 
Followers: 1,300,000 

Paula Jones 
Location: Youngsville, NC
Blog: Bell'alimento 
Followers: 102,100 

Sandra McCollum 
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Blog: A Dash of Sanity 
Followers: 164,100 

Natasha Nicholes 
Location: Chicago, IL
Blog: Houseful of Nicholes 
Followers:  11,800 

Jen Nikolaus 
Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Blog: Yummy Healthy Easy 
Followers: 324,100 

Kita Roberts 
Location: Newark, DE
Blog: Pass the Sushi/Girl Carnivore 
Followers: 210,500/121,600 

Chrissy Taylor 
Location: Dysart, IA
Blog: The Taylor House 
Followers: 199,800 

Erin Sellin 
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Blog: Dinners, Dishes & Desserts 
Followers: 215,100 

Allyson Reed Zea 
Location: Atlanta, GA
Blog: Domestic Superhero 
Followers: 52,500