On Sept. 23, 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushcev visited the Iowa corn farm of seedman Roswell Garst to verify for himself the impressive stories he has heard about hybrid corn. Flanked by an army of reporters, Garst took Khrushchev on a tour of the extensive hybrid corn fields and the farm machinery the farm used to plant and harvest it.  The two men sparred through a translator in a good natured way about newly developed Soviet hybrids.  

Khrushchev’s son Sergei recalled later that his father had been amazed that Garst’s extensive operation was managed by Roswell and his son and just a few farm employees.  Sergei said that a comparable Soviet farm would have required as many as 60 workers. 

American historian William Taubman described the relationship between the two men. “Not only did Khrushchev learn much from Garst about growing corn, he liked him no end as a person…Both men loved to gab. Khrushchev relished Garst’s cantankerousness, especially when it justified his own, such as when Garst bawled out Soviet farmers for sowing corn without fertilizing the soil.” 

From there, Khrushchev’s entourage traveled to Ames to look over the Swine Research Center of Iowa State University. One of the Soviets’ goals was to develop the corn-hogs combination that the U.S. had achieved in its Corn Belt.  Khrushchev later remarked to journalists that the visit to Iowa was “the most relaxed” of his visit to the U.S. 

After his trip, Khrushchev welcomed hybrid corn in the Soviet Union.