AG Mag Southwest Iowa
Vital Signs An annual checkup on the health of agriculture in the fields, in the classrooms, and in Washington, D.C. IOWA RARITY: Take a look at something you don’t often see here: a tobacco farm.
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AG Mag Southwest Iowa
Publisher Rich Paulsen Advertising Director Craig Mittag Managing Editor Scott Vicker Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Pam Eggemeier, Hilary Ferrand, Christopher Heimerman, Kayla Heimerman, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Alex T. Paschal, Bailey Poolman, Scott Vicker, and Jake Waddingham
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2017 Forecast
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Yields have been high and prices low in the past few years. What’s in store this year?
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Rare look We give you a glimpse into what might be the only tobacco farm in Iowa. What can farmers expect from new leadership in Washington, D.C.?
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Flower growers like those at Big Creek Farms in Lamoni talk about trends and challenges.
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Index FOCUS ON FOOD PAGE 20
Still comfy The Northside Cafe in Winterset retains its charm after restaurant upgrades.
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WHAT WILL 2017 YIELD?
The planting season kicks off amid market, political uncertainty BY SCOTT VICKER AND CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
F
armers across southwest Iowa are gearing up for the 2017 planting season coming off record yields from the 2016 harvest. But there’s plenty of uncertainty heading into the season regarding commodity prices and how they will be affected by Donald Trump’s presidency. “It was a great harvest. There’s no question about it,” said John Weinheimer, who farms near Greenfield. “Yields were extremely good. It was probably the best crop ever. “Right now, it’s kind of tough. It’s kind of funny that way – when we succeed with historically high yields, we’re struggling a bit. It’s one of those double-edged swords.”
8 Spring 2017
■■■ Trying to project prices for grains and cattle for the 2017 season is a tricky task for area farmers. “That’s the million-dollar question,” said Kurt Stoaks of Lenox. “I don’t look for grains to do a whole lot unless we have a weather problem. Then, cattle, which is mainly my part of the operation, I look for them to trend a little bit lower, probably. Depends on what all Trump does. You never know.” Stoaks said he hopes prices improve as Trump has said he’ll make life better for America’s farmers. But, there remains uncertainty as trade treaties come into question. Weinheimer said he doesn’t foresee grain prices falling any lower. “I’m optimistic we can catch a little rise compared to where they’re at now,” he said. “If we could just have some of our input costs cut a little bit, that sure would make our lives much easier.” Input costs have come down some for Kevin Cline of Humeston. CONTINUED ON 9
Scott Vicker/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
While area farmers are uncertain what commodity prices will be like for the 2017 season, many agree that lower input costs will make a big difference this year. 4CONTINUED FROM 8 “This year, input costs have come down more than they should,” he said. “They stayed up too high for too long. Now, they have come down a little more coming into this season. Before, everything stayed up and cash rent stayed up. Input stayed up, so there wasn’t very much money to be made.” Lance Bell of Leon is hopeful markets will stay steady this year. “Hopefully it’s a somewhat normal year,” Bell said. “If we can have anything like the last two years, that would be great.” The Midwest is coming off its second-largest crop in history, including a 203-bushel-per-acre corn yield in Iowa, the first time Iowa’s average corn for grain yield has been more than 200 bushels per acre. Nationally, the 174.6 bushels per acre were 10 bushels above the trend line. A lot of farmers are still sitting on a considerable amount of their 2016 crop. Some of the storage resulted from holding on to the 2015 crop, but a lot of
“Hopefully, it’s a somewhat normal year. If we can have anything like the last two years, that would be great.” Lance Bell
Farms near Leon it came from gambling on corn rallying – and losing. When corn touched $4 for about two weeks in mid-June, many farmers didn’t sell enough, said Scott Stoller, grain merchandiser with the Dixon, Illinois-based, family-owned grain consulting firm AgPerspective. That ended up being their only golden selling opportunity of the season. “It’s tough to sell one-third or half of your 2015 crop, and half of your 2016 crop, all at once,” he said. “Committing on selling that much all at once, it’s tough mentally. What happens if this $4 corn goes to $5? I want to make sure I’ve got some bullets left in the gun to sell.”
With every bag of soybeans he sells, Mike Cady of Prophetstown, Illinois, is reminded that the grain-grower’s landscape is changing, and that he and his partners need to consider following suit. Cady, 48, and his partners, Matt and J.C. Henrekin, traditionally farm twothirds corn and one-third soybeans on their 3,700 acres in western Whiteside County. He and Matt also own an Asgrow seed sale business, C&H Seed Systems. Entering a 2017 season in which, yet again, soybeans will be closer to king than corn, the corn seed sales are steady. Soybean seed sales? They’ve doubled, from about 1,500 units – which equate to about 1,500 acres – to 3,000. “From our dealership standpoint, we’ve sold more beans than we ever have,” Cady said. Meanwhile, back on the farm? “We’ve discussed the potential of changing some this season, and we’re still talking about it,” Cady said. CONTINUED ON 104 AG Mag
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Farmers Forum WITH SCOTT VICKER/SOUTHWEST IOWA AG MAG
How have lower commodity prices changed your approach to planting in 2017? Kevin Cline, Wayne County “I don’t know about the prices, because we do have quite a bit of an abundance of crops. I don’t know if the price is going to come up as far as corn and beans, but at least some of the input costs are coming down to sort of help out.” Lance Bell, Decatur County “Just continue to work to drive down the budget wherever we can, and make sure we don’t sacrifice yields by doing that.” John Weinheimer, Adair County “It’s kind of kept me, personally, from actively seeking to rent more land. Not that anybody is really knocking on my door, but you see it in the farm magazines and you can just look to reality to see the age of farmers is
4CONTINUED FROM 9 Old habits die hard, though, and corn is less demanding when harvest time arrives. Whereas corn can be harvested anytime, soybeans are temperamental – sensitive to moisture and liable to cost the unwary or reckless farmer who brings a water-logged crop to the elevator. “I think people just like growing corn, because no one likes sitting around waiting to harvest beans,” Cady said. Corn is more expensive to produce, but farmers have banked on knowing they could always grow it. The tide it turning, though. The USDA projects the average corn price to be at $3.30, and soybeans at $9.35. Corn is expected to yield 90.49 million acres, down 3.5 million compared to 2016. Soybeans? Up 5.2 million, to 88.65 million. Buyer beware to the farmer who doesn’t listen to the market. “A lot of people do pattern farm,” Cady said. “You’ve got to be ready to change and try new things.” Stoller urges farmers to be more 10 Spring 2017
Kevin Cline
Lance Bell
John Weinheimer
getting older and there’s a point in time here where farmland is going to come up for rent. I would kind of drag my feet as far as expansion goes right now.” Kurt Stoaks, Taylor County “Not really any (changes) on my end. I’m primarily a livestock producer, so I am going to seed down some more this year for hay. But it hasn’t really changed my plans at all. I don’t have a whole lot of acres, so I just rotate my corn and soybeans.”
Kurt Stoaks
Zach Lynch
Zach Lynch, Ringgold County “To be honest, for me personally, they haven’t really. I didn’t start farming, ... 2012 was my first crop. Obviously, a drought year, so it wasn’t that great. I was getting started, so I had to keep a real lock on the first strings anyway and didn’t get to enjoy the high price everyone else was accustomed to. For me, it’s just business as usual, trying to keep your costs low so I can do it for another year.”
Historical yields (in millions of bushels) Corn Year Illinois Iowa Nation 1997........... 129.......... 138......... 126.7 1998........... 141.......... 145......... 134.4 1999........... 140.......... 149......... 133.8 2000........... 151.......... 144......... 136.9 2001........... 152.......... 146......... 138.2 2002........... 135.......... 163......... 129.3 2003........... 164.......... 157......... 142.2 2004........... 180.......... 181......... 160.4 2005........... 143.......... 173......... 147.9 2006........... 163.......... 166......... 149.1 2007........... 175.......... 171......... 150.7 2008........... 179.......... 171......... 153.3 2009........... 174.......... 181......... 164.4 2010........... 157.......... 165......... 152.6 2011........... 157.......... 172......... 146.8 2012........... 105.......... 137......... 123.1 2013........... 178.......... 164......... 158.1 2014........... 200.......... 178............ 171 2015........... 175.......... 192......... 168.4 2016........... 197.......... 203......... 174.6 aggressive this year, and to not count on the buffer of a third consecutive massive harvest.
Soybeans Year Illinois Iowa Nation 1997............. 43............ 46........... 38.9 1998............. 44............ 48........... 38.9 1999............. 42......... 44.5........... 36.6 2000............. 44......... 43.5........... 38.1 2001............. 45............ 44........... 39.6 2002............. 43............ 48.............. 38 2003............. 37......... 32.5........... 33.9 2004............. 50............ 49........... 42.2 2005.......... 46.5......... 52.5.............. 43 2006............. 48......... 50.5........... 42.9 2007.......... 43.5............ 52........... 41.7 2008............. 47......... 46.5........... 39.7 2009............. 46............ 51.............. 44 2010.......... 51.5............ 51........... 43.5 2011.......... 47.5......... 51.5.............. 42 2012............. 43............ 45.............. 40 2013............. 50......... 45.5.............. 44 2014............. 46............ 51........... 47.5 2015............. 56......... 56.5.............. 48 2016............. 59......... 60.5........... 52.1 “Good yields cure a lot of evils. That’s given us another year buffer. We need to be more aggressive this year.”
Could Excuses Be Killing You? “I was in denial, I had an excuse for every symptom,” stated Dawn Richardson, a woman who had a 99% blockage in her left anterior descending artery, better known as the widow maker heart valve. A little over a year ago, Dawn started to notice symptoms that lingered after she recovered from a respiratory virus. “I strained doing everyday activities, I felt like I could never catch my breath,” Dawn remembered. She had pain in her shoulder and between her shoulder blades that bothered her on regular basis. However, she had fallen a few months back, so she associated the pain with the fall. In January 2016, Dawn still had shoulder pain; her upper chest burned, and she experienced pain in her jaw. She spoke with her doctor about her symptoms who ordered EKGs, a chest x-ray and other diagnostic tests. All of her tests came back normal. “Women go through a lot in life. Sometimes we just reason with ourselves that we will always just have these aches and pains and we just need to live with them,” Dawn said after the first results came back normal. However, the symptoms lingered and she did not feel back to normal. “I was taking lots of naps and I wasn’t my happy self.” Dawn felt that her body was telling her something still wasn’t right. She then went back to her doctor who ordered more tests. In May, Dawn returned to her doctor with the same symptoms. After multiple appointments and consultations Dawn was informed she needed to have a stress echo done. She failed the test. As Dawn and her husband waited for her stress echo to come back, Dawn remembered she looked at a chart in the waiting room that described symptoms of a heart attack. “My husband and I read through the list and said yes to every single symptom. I had classic symptoms, but I just reasoned them all away.” Two days after her failed stress echo, Dawn had a stent put into her heart. The stent cleared her 99% blocked artery. Dawn did not suffer from any typical triggers for heart attacks: obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or smoking. However, Dawn’s mother had heart valve blockage, which led to a heart attack and bypass surgery; at the same age as Dawn, 64. “Genetics play a huge role in diagnosing women’s heart conditions. Many of the women I help in Cardiac Rehab do not have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any of the other triggers,” said Aaron Richardson, RN BSN of Greater Regional Cardiac Rehab. After the stent was placed in Dawn’s heart, she has been working with the Greater Regional’s Cardiac Rehab Clinic to keep moving herself in the right direction. “Cardiac Rehab is a tool to help patients get on track for a healthy lifestyle.” Aaron works with his patients to help them recover and to help them understand that Cardiovascular Disease is a condition, but there are ways to live with it. “Listen to your body, and be vocal about it. If you are not happy with your answers keep asking,” said Dawn after she looked back on her symptoms that had plagued her for months. For more information about Cardiac Rehab please visit www.greaterregional.org or call 641-782-3527.
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SEEKING CLARITY Is there unique opportunity for farmers in Trump’s atypical transition?
A
BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND JAKE WADDINGHAM Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
griculture lobbyists would have every right to expect cooperation from President Donald Trump, but whether they can count on it remains to be seen. In November, nearly two-thirds of the rural vote went to the Republican, including big wins in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Indiana. A narrow win in Wisconsin was key to Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. While Trump did little on the campaign trail to specifically address agriculture policy, much of his tough talk on business issues also resonated with farmers. CONTINUED ON 13
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“At the core, I think a lot of things said in this election will be re-evaluated with biggest consideration being what keeps jobs in this country.”
4CONTINUED FROM 12 Agriculture is big business, so it’s no surprise both have some of the same top legislative priorities and expectations for the new administration. While uncertainty is a given during a presidential transition, this one goes beyond party politics. “This is not your typical transition, where you’re looking at Democrat versus Republican,” said Tony Michaels, CEO of Midwestern BioAg, a fertilizer producer and soil consultant based in Madison, Wisconsin with facilities in six Midwestern states. Michaels was returning Jan. 27 from an agribusiness conference in the nation’s capital, where he had lunch with Newt Gingrich, one of the speakers. Gingrich said that because the Trump administration isn’t likely to adhere to obvious partisan-driven changes, there is unique opportunity in the uncertainty. “At the core, I think a lot of things said in this election will be re-evaluated with the biggest consideration being what keeps jobs in this country,” Michaels said. Gingrich called the opportunity the “white space on the canvas” amid the unknowns.
Tony Michaels
CEO of Midwestern BioAg “He told us to recast things according to how they create jobs and wealth, pitch them, and start painting in the canvas,” Michaels said. Michaels said Midwestern BioAg certainly won’t be making any changes based on perceived policy changes. “The key from our perspective is that we work with more professional farmers who aren’t wedded to a lot of government rules,” Michaels said. “If there is demand and the price of grains are driven up, we’ll be fine.” Business and agriculture rallied around Trump’s promises to spur growth through an overhaul of regulatory restraints. He said he plans to cut burdensome regulations by 75 percent, and during his first week in office, he put a freeze on new and pending regulations in all executive departments and agencies. Farmers say the promise to make it easier to do business was Trump’s strongest selling point to the agriculture
voting bloc. Because the president is a businessman, they are optimistic about positive changes being made to the regulatory structure. “There is excitement about the president’s comments about scaling back some overreaching regulations that have been hard on agriculture and business across the country,” said Evan Hultine, a Bureau County, Illinois, farmer who serves as chairman of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Young Leader Conference Committee. Farmers historically have pointed to the Environmental Protection Agency as the agency that concerns them most, and that hasn’t changed. “A lot of work the EPA has done the last 8 years has gone far beyond public safety concerns,” Hultine said. “We’ve also seen times where some scientific facts were ignored in making their decisions.” CONTINUED ON 144
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AG Mag
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4CONTINUED FROM 13 Hultine cites use of the herbacide atrazine as a prime example of the regulatory constraints that loom large for producers. Atrazine is a weed killer that is commonly used, primarily on corn. EPA wants to reduce its use, and possibly ban it altogether because of environmental and health concerns. Farmers say an atrazine ban would drive up production costs and reduce yields. “A lot of these regulations do more harm than good, and they paint farmers as enemies of the environment when most of us are good stewards of the land,” Hultine said. As with all new administrations, it will take some time to cut through the campaign rhetoric and get a clearer picture of policy directions. An Agriculture Department leader has been nominated, likely removing one unknown. Pending Senate approval, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue will become ag secretary. Former secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, resigned before Perdue was appointed. Ag groups, for the most part, have expressed support for Perdue, but some have questioned why it was the last Cabinet post filled. Perdue has received strong backing from large farm organizations, including American Farm Bureau Federation
“Even though we might have a pro-oil president, I don’t see there being any reduction in renewable energy, whether it is ethanol, wind energy or solar. I see all of those things moving forward and getting more attention.” State Rep. Tom Moore R-District 1
President Zippy Duvall. “I have known Gov. Perdue for years, and I’ve seen firsthand his commitment to the business of agriculture as we worked together on issues facing farmers and Sonny ranchers in our home state Perdue of Georgia,” Duvall said in a news release. As is the case with Trump, much of agriculture’s optimism about Perdue stems from his business background. “He understands the challenges facing rural America because that’s where he was born and raised,” Duvall said. “He is a businessman who recognizes the impact immigration reform, trade agreements, and regulation have on a farmer’s bottom line and ability to stay in business from one season to the next.” Perdue, who also has a background in veterinary medicine, would be tasked with leading efforts to get a new farm
bill passed in 2018. While Perdue owns several ag-related businesses, there is concern about his lack of experience with ethanol or biodiesel. “I think renewable energy is one thing we are concerned about,” said Iowa state Rep. Tom Moore, R-District 21. “But I don’t see that being attacked by our Republican president. “Even though we may have a pro-oil president, I don’t see there being any reduction in renewable energy, whether it is ethanol, wind energy or solar. I see all of those things moving forward and getting more attention.” Still, there is concern about some of Trump’s other Cabinet picks, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has deep ties to the oil industry, having been the CEO of ExxonMobil before joining the Trump team. CONTINUED ON 154
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14 Spring 2017
4CONTINUED FROM 14 Farmers are also anticipating cost-cutting measures from a GOP administration and the new Congress. “We’re out there asking Farm Bureau members how the farm bill is working for them, but we’re telling them that we sense there could be less money to spend in the next one,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau. While farmers are upbeat about prospects for progress on the regulatory front, early signs on another key issue haven’t looked as promising. With commodities in a down cycle, farmers are also fixated on trade policies. Both Trump and Clinton had stated their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement negotiated for many years by the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations. Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 that took the U.S. out of the deal that farm interests had lobbied hard for, in the hope it would open new markets for farmers. Trump said trade deals like TPP have hurt American manufacturers, and taken jobs out of the country. Trump’s signature was largely symbolic at this point because U.S. inclusion in the controversial trade deal was likely to be killed in Congress anyway. Farm organizations, however, including Iowa
How Trump carried rural America • Told voters he’d get rid of 75 percent of burdensome regulations • Promised to dismantle the Affordable Care Act • Pledged to protect Renewable Fuel Standard • Specifically addressed Waters of the United States Rule while Clinton did not • Hope that Trump would get rid of estate tax • General dissatisfaction with the Obama administration • Downturn in the farm economy Farm Bureau, didn’t miss the opportunity to issue the president of reminder of their stance on trade. “We will hve to watch how those changes are going to affect our ability State Sen. to export product,” said Tom Shipley Iowa state Sen. Tom Shipley, R-District 11. “We are hopeful that we won’t have any issues that would impede our ability to export, but we don’t know for certain how it is going to affect us.” Adding to farmers’ worries, Trump has also said he plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. “It’s disappointing because TPP would have been a big benefit to farmers, but now with talk about opening up NAFTA, it’s becoming a bigger concern,” Hultine said. Hultine said it takes some farmers back to the grain embargo instituted
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during the Carter administration. Jimmy Carter enacted the embargo against the Soviet Union in 1980, in response to the Soviets’ invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Although Ronald Reagan lifted the embargo a year later, Midwest grain farmers suffered much longer. The Soviets had turned to other grain exporters during the embargo, and continued to buy cheaper grain deal from those nations, mainly in South America. Grain prices crashed, farm credit dried up, and for the first time in history, the U.S. was forced to import grain. One thing state representatives are pushing for during the budget season is coupling the state and federal tax codes to help farmers and businesses align their taxes and make sure large purchases like new equipment are decpreciated appropriately. “Another area we are going to be looking at for agriculture will be water quality,” Shipley said. “It will certainly be on our radar.”
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AG Mag
15
Opportunity’s blooming
Flower growers talk challenges and industry trends
F
rom vases spilling over in pinks, reds and whites to long stalks of purple salvia hanging to dry, farmer-grown flowers continue to grow as a revenue stream, though it’s not as easy as it looks. “It is a big job, and the market can be fickle,” said longtime cut-flower grower Quinton Tschetter of Oskaloosa. Quinton and Carolyn Tschetter began raising flowers in 1991. They ran a store selling dried flowers for 10 years and moved over to fresh flowers in 2002. “The dried flower business has dried up,” Quinton said. These days, they load up the delivery van once a week and deliver their stock to florists throughout Des Moines.
Marigolds, a popular fresh or dried option, grow at Howell’s Dried Florals and Greenhouse in Cumming. (Photo contributed to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag)
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4CONTINUED FROM 16 Howell Farms, run by Fred and Cindy Howell in Cumming, put their dried flower business on hold this spring after 31 years in the business. While they’ll continue to include fresh and dried arrangements in the gift shop on site, the operation has been scaled back considerably from the day when rows upon rows of blossoms led the way to their home. “The worst thing about dried flowers now is shipping,” Fred said. “It used to be by the weight. Dried flowers don’t weigh very much. Then everybody – UPS, FedEx, United States Post Office – went to a dimensional weight, so a big wreath that doesn’t weigh anything costs almost as much to ship as the wreath. That, and Martha Stewart doesn’t care for dried flowers right now.” According to the 2012 Floriculture Crops Summary, 64 percent of fresh flowers are shipped into the U.S., with Colombia and Ecuador accounting for more than 90 percent of those imports. The climate provides perfect growing conditions for large, vibrant tropical plants, and the economies of those countries allow for bottom-dollar pricing. “We really can’t compete against the flowers that come in from South America,” Quinton Tschetter said. “We have to have some other special reason for people to buy our flowers. Freshness.
Photo contributed to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Quinton and Carolyn Tschetter of Tschetter’s Flowers have been in the business since 1991. They sold dried flowers for 10 years, but moved to fresh flowers in 2002. We need to raise things that are unique that they can’t ship.” The Tschetters operate their own full-service floral shop and sell bouquets at a discount for businesses enrolled in a monthly delivery service. Chad and Katie Hensley of Big Creek Farms in Lamoni run a floral CSA and are a welcome sight at area farmers markets. “We try to grow things that are a great
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HUNG OUT TO DRY When the Brenemans harvests their crop in Mount Ayr, they dry it out, add moisture, and bale it up to be shipped off. They grow tobacco, perhaps the only farmers of their kind in Iowa.
Dave Breneman peels leaves off a dried tobacco stalk in early February. The tobacco is hung up to dry throughout the winter.
LEFT: Tiny tobacco sprouts sit in the Walnut Creek Farm Greenhouse in spring 2016 in rural Mount Ayr. (Photo contributed) 18 Spring 2017
Jenifer Breneman threads a needle with cotton binding through a groove in a tobacco press in order to package tobacco in early February at her home in rural Mount Ayr. Walnut Creek Farm Greenhouse is owned by Dave, Jenifer, Aaron and Aaden Breneman. The family grows tobacco for commercial cigarette and chew tobacco production. Once the tobacco leaves are dried, moisture is added – whether from rain or from water produced inside a greenhouse – to make the leaves leathery. Then they are stripped from the stalks and put in a tobacco press that is more than 100 years old. The leaves are then packaged into 50-pound bales.
• Photos by Bailey Poolman • for Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
These dried tobacco leaves hang on a trailer to dry further.
ABOVE: Aaron Breneman strips tobacco stalks from a hanger in early February at his home in rural Mount Ayr.
Dried tobacco leaves sit in a tobacco press before Jenifer Breneman presses them down into 50-pound bales in early February at their home in rural Mount Ayr. The Brenemans plant, grow and harvest the tobacco. Once the plant is dried, moisture is added to make the leaves leathery, then they’re stripped from the stalk. AG Mag 19
Nostalgia with a twist Been here forever? The Northside Cafe has that feel BY JAKE WADDINGHAM For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
A
s you step through the “new” entrance of The Northside Cafe in Winterset, Iowa, the smells, sights and sounds blast you back to a simpler time. There is a relaxed buzz in the air as the patrons – a mix of regulars and weekend visitors – enjoy the comfort food expected of a small-town cafe in Iowa from the security of a cozy booth or a spot along the bar where Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) and Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) sat in the movie “The Bridges of Madison County” in 1995. CONTINUED ON 214
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4CONTINUED FROM 20 Waitresses buzz past with arms full of fresh orders of biscuits and gravy, omelets and the best eggs benedict in the state smothered in homemade hollandaise sauce, according to the Iowa Tourism Board. The staff is quick with a warm smile and even quicker with fresh coffee refills to make every guest feel like they are welcome. “The place does exude a certain kind of solid, been-here-forever staple for the community,” said Walter Jahncke, 50, who owns the cafe with his wife, Michele, and friend, Scott Valencia. “A lot of people enjoy the nostalgia of the simple and historic. People can just relax, be comfortable, because it feels like home.” Walter, Michele and Scott took ownership of The Northside Cafe in May 2012. Over the past five years, they have made many improvements without being forced to modernize the 140-year-old building’s charm. First, they took out the drop ceilings to restore the original, high tin ceilings. To alleviate some congestion near the bar, they re-established the building’s east entrance. CONTINUED ON 224
Jake Waddingham/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Scott Valencia (right) shares some tricks of the trade while preparing a variety of breakfast orders on a Saturday morning. The Northside Cafe is located in Winterset, Iowa, and is featured in Clint Eastwood’s “The Bridges of Madison County.” ON PAGE 20: Walter and Michele Jahncke bought The Northside Cafe in Winterset in May 2012, along with Valencia. They have worked to update the 140-yearold building, while keeping the nostalgia of the cafe intact.
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4CONTINUED FROM 21 Walter said the cafe originally had two entrances, but during the Great Depression, the owner had trouble with customers leaving without paying for their meal. He walled off the east entrance and, for more than 80 years, it was home to The Northside Barbershop. “It has been a huge benefit because if customers saw the front room was full, they wouldn’t bother trying to come in, even if we had 40 open seats” Walter said. “Historically, using the east entrance is going back to the original, but it is also a new change for this generation.” Eventually, Walter wants to work on updating the store front, which faces Winterset’s historic city square and picturesque county capitol building. “The waitresses really like to make you feel special,” said Hayley Payne, who has worked at The Northside Cafe for about two years. “We like to make any tourists feel like they are our
Jake Waddingham/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The Iowa Tourism Board named The Northside Cafe’s eggs benedict the best in the state, making a special mention of the hollandaise sauce that smothers the dish. The Northside Cafe was also featured on Iowa Public Television’s Iowa Ingredient for its blueberry crisp. regulars, not just a place to spend their money. We want everyone to come back and feel like they should come back.” Darrell and Lisa Vossekuil moved from Wisconsin to Winterset in November 2016 and quickly became familiar faces at the cafe.
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Lisa’s go-to order is the ham and cheese omelet and Darrell builds his own omelet, mixing up the flavors each weekend with ingredients like mushrooms or spinach. The menu doesn’t appear flashy, but the owners and staff at The Northside Cafe put extra effort and attention into the ingredients to make it special. They make bread from scratch, source local, farm-fresh eggs, and add unique twists on familiar favorites like lemon and orange zest, rosemary and thyme in the blueberry crisp. “If you know it is farm fresh and you see it looks great, then I think it does affect your overall dining experience in a positive way,” Walter said. Whether it has been years since your last visit or you’re just passing through town before a tour of the covered bridges and the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum, you can find something familiar and filling at The Northside Cafe.
» Ag Business » Crop Production » Livestock Production 1501 W. Townline St. Creston, IA 50801 www.swcciowa.edu
Blueberry Crisp
The Northside Cafe in Winterset, Iowa, is known for several classic dishes on its menu. One favorite that was featured on Iowa Public Television’s show, “Iowa Ingredient,” is the blueberry crisp. “On occasions when I get to share a recipe, I like finding recipes that give an unusual twist on something that a person who has cooked a lot is excited to try,” co-owner Walter Jahncke said.
Ingredients: 8 cups of fresh blueberries 1 Tbsp. orange zest 2 tsp. lemon zest 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar 2 sticks of butter 1 cup of flour 1 cup of brown sugar 1 cup of white sugar 2 cups of organic rolled oats Utensils: Large mixing bowl, Pastry cutter, Rubber scraper/spatula, Measuring spoons, Measuring cups, 9 x 13 Baking dish, Zester/Grater Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To keep things from sticking to the pan, lightly butter the baking dish. In a large mixing bowl gently mix the blueberries, sugar, herbs, 2 tsp of orange zest and 1 tsp of lemon zest, then pour them into the baking dish. With the same bowl, mix the butter into the flour, sugar, and remaining citrus zests, using a pastry cutter or your fingers. Mix until it resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle crumble mixtures on top of the blueberries and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool for 5 minutes after baking. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
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AG Mag
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Learning curve on the upswing
Hands-on projects, FFA contests help ag education thrive in Iowa, nationwide BY JAKE WADDINGHAM AND CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
A
s the morning bell rings to start a new day of learning at Orient-Macksburg High School, Bill Umbaugh has his hands full trying to keep eager students from blowing past the classroom door to start working on their projects in the workshop. “At Orient-Macksburg, there is still a culture that students do enroll in agricultural classes,” Umbaugh said. “FFA plays a very strong part of their educational day at Orient-Macksburg.” Umbaugh said students are excited to get a break from sitting in a classroom. CONTINUED ON 25
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CONTINUED FROM 24 They use technology to challenge their physical and mental skills to complete projects. Throughout the semester, students work through different stations such as arc welding, electrical wiring and woodworking. They recently completed bluebird boxes and Adirondack chairs. “These are cornerstone educational activities we are trying to bring into the 21st century,” Umbaugh said. “I am trying to use different methods of teaching than when I taught 30 years ago, because of technological learning activities that are available now. We are trying to expose students to these different things, then they come in and have an ‘ah-ha’ moment and say, ‘I think I should do this (for a career).’” The diversifications and technological advances in agriculture have helped create a boon in ag education. From tech companies to the lawyers who represent them, its umbrella covers 300-plus career tracks, more than ever before. You can get a 4-year degree in myriad fields, get an associate degree at junior colleges, including Southwestern Community College, or fulfill an apprenticeship or internship. All that’s missing, really, are the ag
“We are trying to expose students to these different things, then they come in and have an ‘ah-ha’ moment and say, ‘I think I should do this (for a career).’” Bill Umbaugh
Teacher at Orient-Macksburg High School
In the photo on Page 24 Prophetstown High School senior Alec Wetzell, president of the Illinois school’s FFA council, saws a board for a project in January in the ag program’s shop. With a $12,000 grant from the district’s education foundation, equipment has been added, more is coming, and an electrical overhaul is on its way, too. Wetzell grew up on a farm and still helps out on his grandparents’ farm. He also works as an electrician and for Mitchell Melons over the summer, takes engineering at Morrison Institute of Technology, and helps his dad with construction. “This program is everything I do, wrapped into one area,” Wetzell said. (Michael Krabbenhoeft/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag) educators. The conundrum: Ag programs in high schools are on an upswing. Iowa Farmer Today reported there were 16,935 high school students enrolled Gary in agriculture education Ochs courses in Iowa in the 2014-15 school year, compared to 15,789 in the 2001-02 school year. Across the nation are 7,800 ag programs. Imagine if there wasn’t a teacher
shortage. Why is that the case? “Industry is seemingly hiring them away,” said Gary Ochs, a 38-year-old teaching associate in agricultural science education at the University of Illinois. “We have school districts that are unable to fill ag positions. The demand is there. The push is to try to get ag in those schools.” Ochs said the upward trend in ag programs and participation is pretty consistent through the Midwest. CONTINUED ON 28
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Growing tomorrow’s leaders SWCC offers Leadership in Agriculture elective
“It gives them new skills and builds upon what they already know about leadership to make them productive citizens.” Susannah Miller
BY JAKE WADDINGHAM For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Ag instructor at Southwestern Community College
A revived elective at Southwestern Community College is helping provide the skills and networking opportunities for the next generation of county supervisors, school board members and community leaders in the Midwest. Leadership in Agriculture is an elective for ag students to learn more about their personal leadership styles and develop other soft skills such as efficient teamwork, public speaking and public relations. “It gives them new skills and builds upon what they already know about leadership to make them productive citizens,” said Susannah Miller, ag instructor at SWCC. “When they go out into their communities after graduation, there are many different roles within their community. They might find themselves being approached to be on a board or unsure how to go about getting
involved and what to expect.” Ag students at SWCC choose from three specializations: crop production, animal production or ag business. The elective fits with all options to help students who plan to transfer to a fouryear university or work after graduating from SWCC. Miller said the course is a blend of learning in the classroom and helping the students get out into the community. One requirement is attendance at a local board meeting. Miller is also working on arranging a variety of guest speakers and networking opportunities. Carter Cooley, a sophomore at SWCC, said she always found herself naturally fitting into leadership roles with her 4-H club and FFA chapter. It wasn’t until taking Leadership in Agriculture that she recognized the variety of lead-
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ership styles and how she can utilize those skills after graduation. “I was the club’s secretary, but multiple times I found myself in a position where I was having to run the meeting,” Cooley said. “At county fair, whether it was cleaning the aisle in the hog barn or helping move cattle while people were washing, I was always encouraging others to get involved.” Miller said it has been her experience that newcomers to local boards and committees work their way into advanced leadership roles. The class also incorporates basic parliamentary procedures so students can eventually run meetings efficiently. “We want to help the next generation who is going to be an advocate for agriculture in their communities,” Miller said.
Agriculture Education Area School Directory UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS Southwestern Community College 1501 W. Townline St. Creston, IA 50801 swcciowa.edu 641-782-7081 Associates of applied science degrees: Crop production provides students a blend of crop-related and practical application. Students learn current practices in crop production and technology, while gaining confidence in producing locally grown crops. Classes specific to this program are farm equipment management, grain and forage crops, precision farming, integrative pest management, and horticulture. Typical careers include seed representatives, row crops and corn genetics. Livestock production provides a blend of animal science courses and practical application. During the program, students obtain knowledge to raise, produce and market livestock. Classes specific to this program include animal health, animal nutrition, animal breeding, genetics and reproduction. This program is considered suitable for students who are interested in working at a local co-op, raising their own cattle or becoming a livestock nutritionist. Agricultural business combines business and agricultural science courses. Classes specific to this program include the essential accounting, economics, farm business management, marketing and agricultural courses. This is a degree for students interested in ag-re-
lated marketing, advertising, journalism, communications and working in the business sector. Agriculture major, associate of arts, is a general education degree for students transferring to a four-year college or university. Graceland University 1 University Place, Lamoni, IA 50140 graceland.edu 866-472-2352 Agricultural Business, Bachelor of Arts – Upon completion of Graceland University’s agriculture business program, students will be able to address ag issues, critically consider global questions, and address complex problems in agricultural business. Students will develop expertise regarding agriculture and related disciplines, including accounting, business, economics, management, marketing and finance. Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 0020 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011 515-294-9123 cals.iastate.edu Undergraduate majors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Agricultural and life sciences education; agricultural biochemistry; agricultural business; agricultural studies; agricultural systems technology; agriculture and society; agronomy; animal ecology; animal science; biology; culinary science; dairy science; diet and exercise;
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dietetics; environmental science; food science; forestry; genetics; global resource systems; horticulture; industrial technology; microbiology; nutritional science; public service and administration in agriculture (now called agriculture and society); undeclared agriculture Undergraduate secondary majors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Environmental studies; international agriculture; seed science GRADUATE PROGRAMS University of Iowa CPHB, Suite 300 145 N. Riverside Drive, The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 cph.uiowa.edu 319-335-4415 Graduate programs in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health M.S. in agriculture safety and health Agricultural safety and health M.S. students gain skills for anticipation, diagnosis, exposure assessment, treatment and prevention of agricultural illnesses and injuries in the fields of education, health care, insurance and agribusinesses as agricultural safety and health specialists. Ph.D. in agriculture safety and health Agricultural safety and health Ph.D. students will receive specialized training at the doctoral level to prepare individuals for academic, research and policy-making careers in occupational and environmental health with a specialty in agricultural safety and health.
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4CONTINUED FROM 25 He has a unique perspective, having taught ag for 13 years between Paris High School and Redhill High in Bridgeport in Illinois. When he’s not in his classroom, he’s often in high school classrooms preaching the ag career gospel, explaining to many freshmen simply what modern ag is, while recruiting upperclassmen to U of I. He was at Sterling High School in Whiteside County, Illinois, on Nov. 22, visiting the first-year ag program run by Elise Baker at the high school and Julie LeFevre at Challand Middle School. Before Sterling’s program was resurrected, Prophetstown’s ag program was the only one in the county. In picking the kids’ brains about what sort of field they’d like to pursue, he learned that Baker, who doesn’t come from a farming background, is doing a fine job telling her kids that’s perfectly fine – preferred in some cases, really. “She’s branching out to a lot of nontraditional students – kids who don’t come from farms,” Ochs said. “Once she establishes herself, she’ll help students realize the skills and opportunities ag can provide them will benefit them down the road, even if they don’t go into an ‘ag’ field.” Sara Conner, 30, took over the Prophetstown ag program in 2012, and is excited to see the Sterling program grow – after all, she had LeFevre as an ag teacher when she was in high school.
Photo contributed to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Orient-Macksburg student Cody Long is pictured after receiving an FFA award. Long, a senior at O-M, is competing in the job interview contest this spring. To prepare, he has to draft a resume and cover letter before meeting with a judge, just like a real-world job interview. Since then, a background in farming, let alone getting dirt under your nails as a production farmer, has become less of an emphasis. “Ag is not just production farming,” Conner said. “You don’t have to come from an ag background. You just have to have an interest in one of those careers, and we can find you a niche.”
Southwestern Community College’s Ag Instructor Susannah Miller had a similar experience during her 10-year tenure at Murray High School in Murray, Iowa. “One thing that I worked on was getting a greenhouse to provide an introduction of horticulture,” Miller said. “It’s introducing a different aspect of agriculture to our
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students who typically think of only cows and corn.” In addition to the hands-on learning in the ag classroom, FFA provides students the opportunity to work on a variety of individual and team skills. Cody Long, a senior at O-M, is active in the FFA chapter and is competing in the job interview contest this spring. To prepare, he has to draft a resume and cover letter before meeting with a judge, just like a realworld job interview. “The interview process is of those things you’re going to need no matter what you go into; you are going to have to apply for a job sometime,” Long said. “The opportunities of the contests like job interview – or I’ve also participated in the ag sales contest where I placed second at state – these contests are all real-world scenarios that set you up for the future.” The teaching jobs, the opportunities to be part of those upstart programs are out there, ripe for the picking. Ochs points out that ag education is anything but limited to a classroom. It’s the “people side” of his department, he said, and includes folks working sales or college extensions, or at farm bureaus or corporations as trainers. “We ... are pushing to get students into our ag education programs. We have a great product, and there’s such a demand for graduates. We just need to identify people, those high school students, who want to go into teaching,” he said.
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Lenox area farm couple named Master Pork Producers Southwest Iowa Ag Mag staff
The Iowa Pork Producers Association announces a Taylor County couple has been selected as 2016 Master Pork Producers. Seth and Jennifer Evans received the award at the Iowa Pork Congress Banquet Jan. 25 in Des Moines. IPPA presented the couple with the award emblem, the brass Master Pork Producer belt buckle, and a certificate of achievement. A brief multimedia presentation of the Evans’ pork operation also was shown. The Lenox farmers have a 600-head sow farm and independent farrow-to-finish swine business. They market 13,000 pigs per year through finishing barns they own and manage. Additionally, they maintain a 60-head cow and calf herd with purebred Angus and Angus-Simmental crosses. Seth grew up in the swine industry, helping with his father’s 300-head sow farm. After Seth returned home from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, where he played baseball and studied animal science, the family built the current sow farm. His father, sister, brother-in-law, wife and children are actively involved in the operation today. The Evanses are very conscious of biosecurity mea-
vation measures such as strip tillage and cover crops on all their acres. The couple is very active in their community. Seth and Jennifer have two children, and both coach their children’s sports teams at Lenox Community School. Seth is a past extension council member for Taylor County, and serves as a township trustee. They are members of the Taylor County Pork Producers and Iowa Pork Producers Association. Nominated by their neighbors and peers, Master Pork Producers are recognized for their innovation, attention to quality, efficiency and production records within their farm enterprise. They are considered industry leaders who are committed to producing the highest quality pork products.
Photo contributed to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Seth and Jennifer Evans are presented a certificate honoring them as Master Pork Producers by Curtis Meier, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association Board of Directors at the Iowa Pork Congress Banquet Jan. 25 in Des Moines. Pictured with Seth and Jennifer is their daughter, Danica. sures and protocols. Their closed herd of 30 years has managed to stay porcine-reproductive-and-respiratory-syndrome (PRRS) naive during this time. With health and biosecurity carrying a lot of emphasis, the operation utilizes very few antibiotics delivered via feed. This speaks to their herdsmanship and exceptional management skills. Seth and Jennifer are rightfully proud of their farm’s ability to utilize all the grain raised on their 1,200 acres of land, as it is the perfect amount of land to utilize the manure nutrients from the
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Waiting on clients hand and hoof Farrier thinks his trade, and agriculture, more relevant today
H
BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
is tools are those of yesteryear – of a trade kept alive through historical demonstrations and reenactments now and then. But his hammer and anvil are the tools of a profession, of a line of work that requires more knowledge and precision than ever before. Anthony Grevengoed is a farrier – an equine hoof care specialist. He trims, balances, and shoes horses’ hooves. A farrier combines some of the skills of a blacksmith with the skills and knowledge of a veterinarian to care for horses’ feet. It would seem Grevengoed, 27, is part of a dying trade. On the contrary, the young Paw Paw, Illinois, native is part of a changing industry. “It is definitely not a dying trade,” says Beth Daniels, executive director of the American Farriers Association. “The standard of work has risen so significantly that it should be called a profession, rather than a trade. … It’s really far from dying. It’s really dynamic and really involving.” CONTINUED ON 31
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LEFT: If the fit is good and the hoof trimmed, Grevengoed will tack the shoe on. RIGHT: Grevengoed heats the shoe in a portable furnace on the truck. 4CONTINUED FROM 30 Grevengoed was raised around horses. His family kept standardbred racehorses, the fastest trotting horses in the world, and they raced them in Chicago. His great uncle, Rob Grevengoed, and his uncle, Brad Grevengoed, both are farriers. Grevengoed served in the Army for 4 years after high school, then used his benefits under the GI Bill to attend the Midwest Horseshoeing School in Divernon, south of Springfield, Illinois. He studied for 16 weeks, then apprenticed with his great uncle for another eight weeks. Grevengoed, who now is based in Sterling, Illinois, is a full-time farrier. He estimates he has 75 to 100 clients within a two-hour drive. “In the summertime, I’m shoeing every day, five to six days a week,” he said. “But in the winter, I’m shoeing only two to three days a week.” CONTINUED ON 324
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Some farriers don’t heat the horseshoe before placing it on the horse, but Anthony Grevengoed likes how it disinfects the hoof and creates a better fit. Grevengoed is a Paw Paw, Illinois, native who now is a full-time farrier based in Sterling, Illinois. In the summer, he says, he shoes every day, five to six days a week. ON PAGE 42: Grevengoed, 27, shoes his horse Cowboy at his mother’s Chadwick, Illinois, ranch.
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After tacking the shoe to the hoof, Grevengoed files down the sharp points. Typically a horse needs to be shoed every six to eight weeks. 4CONTINUED FROM 31 A farrier – armed with knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanics – first must assess how a horse moves, how it lands on its hooves, as well as the condition of its feet. He then trims the hooves to a length comfortable for the horse based on its body and its purpose. He next selects horseshoes, pads, and any corrective shoeing, if necessary, and fits them to the horse. “(Horseshoes) allow the hooves to grow and move naturally, … and to take the abuse so the foot doesn’t have to,” Grevengoed explained. “It’s all based on the horse’s ‘job.’ If it’s trail ridden once a week, it probably
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Anthony Grevengoed presses the hot shoe to the hoof, which creates a cloud of smoke that smells of burnt hair. “I never get used to that smell,” Grevengoed said. will be barefoot, whereas, if it’s a shoe horse and it’s ridden 6 days a week, … that wears down the feet and it will need shoes to protect them.” A farrier might shape a “keg shoe,” a prefabricated shoe – made of aluminum, which is light and ideal for racing
horses, or stainless steel – cold, by hammering it against an anvil or hot, by first heating the metal shoe in a forge and then bending it and hammering it with an anvil. CONTINUED ON 334
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The hooves need to be cleaned and trimmed so the shoe fits properly. 4CONTINUED FROM 32 He then nails the shoe into the nonsensitive part of the horse’s hoof. Grevengoed said most horses are very cooperative, especially if the owner has a farrier come regularly to trim his horses’ hooves. He added that knowing how to act around a horse and how
Contact info Anthony Grevengoed AG Anvil Farrier Service 815-440-2724 Facebook: AG Anvil Farrier Service to read its body language is a significant part of his skills set. “I like to work with the
horses every day,â€? he said. “You’re able to make them better, to see a finished ‘product’ when you’re done. ‌ It’s very methodical and meticulous work. You have to be a bit of a perfectionist, if you want to be good.â€? Grevengoed believes farriers are just as relevant – if not more relevant – today than in decades, even centuries past.
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“We need to know so much more because the science has evolved,â€? he said. “Years ago, it was enough to shoe your own horse, especially if your horse was just a hobby. But today, farriers are pretty in demand because people are riding and showing their horses, and they are breeding them differently, ‌ and farriers have more expertise.â€?
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O
Learning how to grow outside your comfort zone
ne of the most uncomfortable situations you can put an individual in is a discussion about politics. There is a notion that disagreement or conflict is strictly negative, so people will ignore the situation until it passes. The problem with not getting involved is the fact that the conversation still happens even if your viewpoint is not expressed or considered. After a tough presidential election cycle, the notion of participating in political discussions is at a new low for most age groups. I’m encouraged by the elective being offered at Southwestern Community College this semester, Leadership in Agriculture. The class highlights a variety of important skills and it introduces students to the organizations and outlets that influence policy at the local, county, state and national levels. It is important to show the young individuals who are excited about starting a career in agriculture where they can go to
ensure rural voices are heard. Most farmers do not live within city limits, which makes them ineligible for running for local positions like mayor or city council. In southwest Iowa, there is a strong ag presence on the county supervisor seats and school boards. Having a balance of backgrounds and a variety of viewpoints in a discussion helps everyone involved. It paints a more complete picture of any situation, creates empathy for those impacted and even if the conversations become heated, it helps knowing there is an honest belief that regardless of how the decision turns out, the end goal will be working toward the best result for everyone. The class also hits on important life skills such as public speaking and networking. I had the opportunity to meet with Orient-Macksburg senior Cody Long for this issue. He is competing in the job interview contest for his FFA chapter this spring.
Jake Waddingham Reporter, Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
FFA is another great outlet for students to develop the skills necessary to be successful in any career. Having a judge critique your interviewing style and giving real feedback about a resume and cover letter is much more productive than sending off a first draft to a dozen companies hoping for a response. There is a saying that nothing grows in a comfort zone. As a farmer, that might not directly apply to the corn and soybeans in the field that thrive in ideal weather conditions, but it does resonate with how we need to work together to ensure the successful future of the agricultural community. Speaking up during a public meeting, committing time to a board, or volunteering to help support a local FFA chapter isn’t easy. We need community leaders to push out of that comfort zone of avoiding the political discussion and get involved to make sure ag is included in the conversation.
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