AG Mag Magic Pill? Southwest Iowa
Experts differ on how health care reform will impact farmers in Southwest Iowa
Drought relief: Local farmers will benefit from a record number of federal crop insurance claims Future farmers: How schools are preparing Iowa’s students for agriculture careers Bumper crop: The corn crop in Iowa and elsewhere is on course to hit record levels
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Index
AG Mag Southwest Iowa
Publisher Rich Paulsen Advertising Director Craig Mittag Managing Editor Stephani Finley Magazine Editors Larry Lough, Kathleen Schultz
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Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Derek Barichello, Sarah Brown, Pam Eggemeier, David Giuliani, Kayla Heimerman, Philip Marruffo, Matt Mencarini, Matthew Nosco, Amy Hansen Ost, Alex T. Paschal, Larry Peterson, Bailey Poolman, and Kyle Wilson Published by Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 (641) 782-2141 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of the Southwest Iowa Ag Mag may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
COVER STORY
Health assessment A look at how the Affordable Care Act will help and hurt Iowa farmers. Crop forecast Drought has not been a problem this season, but has Southwest Iowa received too much rain?
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AG Mag
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Index
35
Giving the gift of food Linda Collins of Bethany, Mo., has come up with a delicious way to say “thank you.�
25 Heading back to school
The Nickel family farm south of Clearfield is one of the oldest working farms in Iowa.
What farms made the list?
28
When Southwest Iowa students return, what will they learn about agriculture?
38
A look at the 30 oldest farms in south-central Iowa and north-central Missouri.
Career opportunities
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Longtime family farm
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Getting practical experience is crucial to getting one of the most sought-after jobs in agriculture.
Capitol projects What changes have lawmakers in Des Moines made that will affect you on the farm?
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Index Time for a vacation?
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The drought of 2012 has led to a record high in crop insurance payouts.
Where do farm families take vacations? Meet three local families to find out.
Help wanted in vet field
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Society changes fast these days. So, too, do 4-H programs.
44 Roadblocks to career path Long hours, large debts and physical dangers are reasons fewer young people are becoming veterinarians.
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Photo illustration by Alex T. Paschal for Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
HEALTH
ASSESSMENT What ‘Obamacare’ will mean for Iowa farmers
F
BY DAVID GIULIANI For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
or Chris Peterson and his wife, health care is no small expense. In the average year, they spend about $20,000 – an amount that rises every year. Peterson, who farms in Clear Lake, said the Affordable Care Act – otherwise known as Obamacare – isn’t perfect, but it’s better than today’s health system. 14 Summer 2013
More than a third of farmers get insurance on the individual market – a far greater proportion than the rest of society. People who get insurance from their employers don’t have to worry about pre-existing conditions. They’re on group plans, so every member gets the same coverage and premiums. Many farm families have off-farm employment that gets them relatively affordable insurance. Others, though, don’t have that advantage. They must go into the insurance market on their own. CONTINUED ON 15
CONTINUED FROM 14
For the Petersons, who have preexisting conditions, that’s particularly tough. Chris has diabetes, and his wife, Kristi, has a heart murmur. Combined, they pay $16,000 a year in health insurance premiums, up from $13,000 just 3 years ago. They both have $2,500 deductibles. After their deductibles, they pay 20 percent of the cost of their major surgeries. “That’s a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis. We are tapped out,” said Chris, 58. “We really are at the whims of the marketplace.” Because of the high costs, he said, they’re not getting all the care they need. “I put off doctor visits. My wife has a bad ankle. She should have surgery,” he said. “My wife and I are living for and hoping for Medicare at 65.”
Study: Health-care costs burden farmers Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will take effect. Health care exchanges will be set up for each state – either by the federal government or the states themselves. The law also involves mandates, subsidies and tax credits to increase the number of insured people. Under its provisions, insurance companies no longer will be able to charge higher rates to people with pre-existing conditions.
David Derong/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Chris Peterson, 58, farms in Clear Lake. He said he spends about $20,000 a year on health care, an expense that rises annually. “That’s a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis,” Peterson said. “We are tapped out. We really are at the whims of the marketplace.” Few studies have been done on farmers and their health care. Six years ago, though, the Boston-based Access Project examined the situation for farmers in Iowa. It found that farmers and ranchers were burdened by health care costs. More than
one in six said that health care expenses contributed to financial problems, and one in eight had outstanding medical debt – despite that 93 percent reported having health insurance. CONTINUED ON 17
Tractors are big cause of farm fatalities Farm work remains among the most dangerous occupations, and tractor accidents are a big reason for that. The University of Illinois keeps data on farm-related deaths, better than what’s available in some other states. From 1986 to 2011, the university logged 801 such deaths – 44 percent of which were tractor accidents. During the 25-year period, nearly 55 percent of the tractor accidents were overturns, claiming 193 lives. The second biggest factor involved those who fell off their tractors and were run over by them, claiming 49 lives. Overall, 12.9 percent of farm-related deaths were connected to other farm equipment, 10.6 percent were roadwayrelated, and 8.2 percent were in grain bins, according to the university’s data. In 2010, two teen workers were killed at a Mount Carroll, Ill., grain bin, when they became engulfed in corn while machinery was emptying the bin. OSHA cited the company for a number of infractions, including failing to provide body har-
Farm-related deaths The University of Illinois keeps track of farm fatalities. Here are the numbers of fatalities and type of incidents from 1986 to 2011: Tractor .................................... 353 Farm equipment ...................... 103 Roadway-related ....................... 85 Grain bins .................................. 66 Electrocution ............................. 32 Animal ....................................... 20 Power take-off (PTO) ................. 18 Manure pit/storage ...................... 7 ATV ............................................. 6 Other ....................................... 111 TOTAL..................................... 801 Source: University of Illinois
nesses and lifelines to workers and failing to ensure all mechanical equipment was shut down before workers entered the bin. The number of farm-related deaths has stayed about the same over the years. In
the case of tractor fatalities, the number ranges from 10 to 13 a year. Chris Peterson, a farmer in Clear Lake, said the agricultural industry has far too many unnecessary accidents. “The problem is the older tractors [without rollover protection],” he said. “There are a lot of them out there. Most of the guys are smaller farmers. They don’t have the financial ability to get new ones. That’s a huge problem.” Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the last tractors without rollover protection were sold in the 1980s. So the agricultural tractor fleet is gradually becoming safer, he said. “There is a big number of them still without protective structures over them,” said Field, who specializes in agricultural safety. “I’ve been doing injury prevention work for years. It’s much easier to raise money to deal with a crisis. It’s easier to get people to turn up for a training program to respond to a farm accident rather than prevent one.”
AG Mag
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According to the project’s survey, 59 percent of respondents had household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000, with their health care costs constituting between 7 percent and 16 percent of their income. In that income range, according to the project, those who spend more than 10 percent on health care are considered underinsured. The study showed that 62 percent who bought insurance in the individual market had high-premium policies, compared to about one in five who got their insurance through off-farm employment. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents bought insurance on the individual market, compared with 8 percent of the population nationally. “For many farm and ranch operators,” the Access Project concluded, “their only real choices may be to scale back their operations, so they or a family member can obtain off-farm employment in order to obtain better insurance coverage or dip into savings that could be reinvested in the farm or ranch in order to pay for health care.”
‘Not what the doctor ordered’ Experts differ on whether the Affordable Care Act will help or hurt farmers.
‘‘
When you are out purchasing insurance on your own, you buy what you can afford. If you have pre-existing conditions, you are out of luck. You either can’t get covered or it’s way more expensive. Jon Bailey, director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs
Jon Bailey, the director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Neb., said his group believes the law could benefit farmers. “When you are out purchasing insurance on your own, you buy what you can afford,” he said. “If you have preexisting conditions, you are out of luck. You either can’t get covered or it’s way more expensive.” In a group plan, by contrast, the risk is spread among all members. “Where I work, we have 30 employees,” Bailey said. “That’s not a big group, but it’s bigger than a single person. Premiums are reduced.” Farmers who go on the individual market don’t have that advantage. “A lot of farmers who we talk to get health insurance, but they call it bankruptcy insurance: It’s there so you don’t have to sell the farm,” Bailey said. “If someone comes down with a big disease that insurance has to cover, they’re not on the hook for the entire bill.”
’’
But such insurance falls short for preventive care, including checkups. To be sure, he said, the Affordable Care Act will have its kinks. Then again, Social Security and Medicare, which started decades ago, are widely popular, Bailey said, but policymakers still are finding ways to improve them. The American Farm Bureau, the nation’s largest farmers organization, opposes the federal law, saying its taxes will hurt bureau members. A tax on health insurance policies, in particular, will affect farm families and business owners. “The higher taxes and thousands of pages of new regulations that come with ACA are certainly not what the doctor ordered for a recovering Main Street economy,” Erin Anthony, the editor of Farm Bureau News, said in a March opinion piece. CONTINUED ON 18
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She and other Farm Bureau officials didn’t return calls for comment. Bailey, of the Center for Rural Affairs, disagreed with the Farm Bureau. “The health insurance tax only applies to policies of a certain high dollar amount,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll apply to a bigger portion of farmers than other segments of the population. Middle-class farm families have policies valued like much of the rest of society.” Besides, he said, the Farm Bureau’s view on the Affordable Care Act is more ideological than anything else. “They, like a lot of organizations, have characterized it as a government takeover of health care, but the government is not going to tell you which doctor to go to,” Bailey said. The National Farmers Union, the second largest farmers group, parts company with the Farm Bureau by supporting the Affordable Care Act. “Farmers, ranchers and rural residents face significant barriers to obtaining accessible, affordable health care,” the group said in a statement last year. “The ACA contains significant, necessary reforms that help all Americans, including those who are self-employed and purchasing from the individual market. ...”
Dean Cass, southwest Iowa farmer, spent 10 days in intensive care BY KYLE WILSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Dean Cass remembers the day vividly. He and his nephew Cody Franks were “doctoring” one of the steers on the Cass family farm located about one mile west of Fontanelle. The 650-pound steer had an infected foot, and they were assessing the damage. “We touched the foot, and it must have agitated the steer,” Cass recalls, “because it came at me, struck me in the chest and knocked me down. He stepped on my heel. I rolled over and he hit me in the rear hard enough to break my hip. He hit me one last time and broke my shoulder.” While on the ground, Cass was shouting to his teenage nephew to get in the nearby tractor and drive it over
the top of him to provide protection. That’s what Franks did, but the damage already was done. “I was taken to Des Moines for my injuries and spent 10 days in intensive care,” said Cass, a former Marine. “Then I was put on 30 days bed rest once I got home.” Cass, now 78 years old, said he had a small disability policy that paid about $250 per month while he recovered for six weeks at home in the fall of 1997. Because he’s a Farm Bureau member, Cass said, he also has a group healthinsurance plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield that paid for a large portion of his medical costs. “I had no complaints with the care I received at the hospital or my insurance company,” he said.
The Farmers Union said it would work with the Obama administration to ensure the law is carried out as written. The Wisconsin affiliate of the Farmers Union also came out for the law, backing its exchanges in particular.
“[Farmers] often pay way too much for terrible coverage,” Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, said in an opinion piece last year. CONTINUED ON 27
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OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK
Alex T. Paschal/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The corn and soybeans crops on Andy Pratt’s farm in Nachusa, Ill., are “the best they’ve looked in years.” This year, he said, is much better than 2012, when the days and nights were much warmer. “[The corn] never shut down, so it just drained itself,” Pratt said.
Crops planted late, but progressing at record pace BY MATT MENCARINI For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
R
ock Katschnig is sitting behind the wheel of his red 2001 Kenworth T800 series truck, hauling about 925 bushels of corn to an ethanol plant in Annawan, Ill. He looks as comfortable behind the wheel as he would in a recliner in his living room. Driving south on Illinois Route 78, he points out fields of corn that have been damaged by weather, and others that have just started to tassel. He seems slight20 Summer 2013
‘‘
’’
Right now, on the first of July, this is the best they’ve looked in years. And it’s almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry. Andy Pratt, farmer in Nachusa, Ill., on his corn and soybean crops
ly skeptical of the predictions of a record corn yield this year, but says farmers in northern Illinois are far better off than those in the southern part of the state. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered, by 55 million bushels, its 2013 estimate of the corn crop nationally, to an expected 13.95
billion bushels. However, that still would beat the record set in 2009 by about 858 million bushels. About two-thirds of Katschnig’s 3,500 acres is commercial corn, and all of it will, at some point, make its way to Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC, just 10 miles from his fields west of Hooppole. He’ll make the trip about twice as many times as he did a year ago. CONTINUED ON 23
Wet spring, late planting causes for concern locally BY LARRY PETERSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Just one year removed from severe drought conditions in southwest Iowa, farmers encountered a much different problem in the spring of 2013. Through June 30, Iowa received nearly as much rain (24.88 inches) as it did in all of 2012 (26.49 inches), according to the state climatology bureau. With some heavy late June rains, this year edged out 2008 as the wettest first half on record. The wet spring all but erased last year’s drought. By the end of June, less than 1 percent of the state was “abnormally dry,� according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A year ago, that designation applied to 77 percent of the state. By the end of last summer, all of the state was in severe drought. This year’s wet spring and cool temperatures forced many farmers to delay plantings. Stalled by muddy fields, farmers planted about three weeks behind schedule, according to state climatologist Harry Hillaker. Farmers had barely started on corn by mid-May this year, while a year ago they were almost finished by then. As July arrived, some farmers still were finishing their planting, particularly in soybean fields, or busy replanting areas drowned out by heavy rains before crops emerged. Standing water in many low-lying areas continued to be a concern regarding corn and soybeans in the early stages of their development. This late schedule in the 2013 season led to concerns that crops could be
Larry Peterson/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The effect of standing water was evident in an emerging cornfield north of Creston in late June. Yields could be affected by late planting and excessive moisture during the planting season. hit by warmer temperatures and drier conditions during important stages of growth that would suppress yields. Fortunately, better weather conditions in mid-May and June allowed many farmers to quickly catch up. But, was it enough? “We’d like to have kind of a cool summer and occasional rain,� said Tracy Cameron, agronomist for Gavilon Grain in Creston. “You’d be surprised how much you can make up for the bad things. Time is of the essence now.� Cameron made those comments on July 1, a stage when southwest Iowa
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farmers normally are watching their crops flourish, rather than barely emerging. It’s been a season of chemical and seed application interrupted by frequent showers, often followed by weather too cool for prime plant growth. “The frequency of the rain has been the biggest thing,� Cameron said. “When you’re trying to spray or plant, you can’t get much done when you get a shower of six-tenths here, or another half-inch there, with no time in between to dry out.� CONTINUED ON 22
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The USDA’s crop condition report issued July 1 stated that 99 percent of Iowa’s corn crop was in the ground, and 96 percent had emerged, which is about three weeks behind normal. Warmer weather in late June helped push more of the corn into the “good” and “excellent” rating. On the same date, 96 percent of the soybean crop had been planted, with 89 percent emerged, which is 8 percentage points behind the five-year average. Farmers continued to make progress harvesting alfalfa as July arrived, with the first cutting at 89 percent complete.
Crop switches As July neared, Cameron was urging farmers who hadn’t started a field to switch from corn to soybeans, unless chemical applications were specifically designed for corn. It was just getting too late to expect any reasonable rate of return on a corn crop. “Most of the corn-related decisions by the end of June were based on covering spots in fields, so they weren’t bare and possibly fill in with weeds,” Cameron said. “With soybeans, they could still expect somewhat of a good yield.” Mid-June planting of soybeans would generate a yield about 82 percent of optimum, according to studies cited by
Cameron. That figure fell to 60 percent in the final week of June, and to 47 percent in July. Corn yield expectations would be even lower with late planting. “On June 27, we’re talking about 45 to 50 percent yield in planted corn,” Cameron said. “You really run a danger of wet corn that wouldn’t make it to the first frost. You really have to get the right hybrid to make it work. That’s why we’re encouraging soybeans at this date.” Even in emerged fields, standing water in several low-lying areas in late June threatened crop conditions. “Corn plants need air around the roots,” Cameron said, “so that standing water is not healthy. They won’t last long in saturated soil and water. You see them yellowing up. Plus, the root system doesn’t develop, so if you quickly run into a lot of heat and dryness, they don’t have the roots established to get to the (subsoil) moisture.”
Nitrogen loss There was another casualty of all of the heavy spring rains, according to Wayde Ross, Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist for Union and Ringgold counties. “A lot of farmers are talking about shortage of nitrogen,” Ross said. “Some
are putting on supplemental nitrogen. The heavy moisture took the nitrogen down through the soil profile, especially before the soil was saturated. That is why we push for cover crops, to take up that nitrogen and hold it so it doesn’t pass through the soil profile.” Ross said he observed some replanting of corn, but more often a replanting of drowned soybeans, particularly in Ringgold County near Highway 2. “Some of the corn popped up through those wet areas, but quite a few soybeans did not make it,” Ross said. With the late planting, pollination of plants could occur during a hotter, drier period of the summer than usual. So, despite the early-season flooding, there could be moisture concerns in critical stages of the crop’s development. “We’re still going to need timely rains in July for the crops,” Ross said. “But, in general, most of our soil moisture concerns have pretty much dissipated.” “Our subsoil was very dry when this year started,” Cameron said. “But we accumulated a lot of rain, and alleviated those subsoil problems. However, the water that moved through the surface soil carried some nutrients with it, and some are unrecoverable by the root systems. That’s why some farmers had to go in this year and put in some additional nitrogen.”
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Those added trips, which take him about an hour each, are the result of much better crop conditions than a year ago. The first field Katschnig planted this year had started to tassel by July 10. “Corn has been showing rapid growth in the past week as average height increased by 16 inches, up to 48 inches,” said the July 8 Illinois Weather and Crop report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. “Ample rain,” the report said, led to significant crop development, although silking and corn height both were below the 5-year average. Just over half of the state’s corn conditions (51 percent, according to the report) were rated as good, and 17 percent were rated as excellent. For soybeans, 61 percent of the state’s conditions were rated as good, and 12 percent were rated as excellent. The report reflects what Andy Pratt has been seeing on his own land. Since, 2000, Pratt has been farming fulltime, with his father, Mike, and brother, Peter. They have 3,200 acres of commercial corn, 1,200 acres of seed corn, and 1,000 acres of soybeans on land about 10 miles west of Dixon, Ill. “Right now, on the first of July, this is the best they’ve looked in years,” Pratt said from the porch of his home, looking out toward his grain bins and land. “And it’s almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry.” Just as she did June 24, when high winds flattened four empty grain bins in Walton, Ill., also damaging roofs, outbuildings, silos and several trees of area homes and farms, including some of Pratt’s crops. But that type of outburst from Mother Nature has been an outlier in a relatively ideal weather pattern. “Last year, the problem was we had a lot of nights that were in 75 and 80 [degree weather],” he said. “[The corn] never shut down, so it just drained itself. And then that pollen, it just won’t do anything.”
The dry weather caused the corn crops to “cannibalize” themselves, Pratt said. “Right now, it looks like it should be fine, as long as we don’t get a hot spell,” he said. “That 100 degrees is what we don’t want.” There’s also optimism from Darrel Good, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, who specializes in agricultural markets, production and forecasts. “In general, I think as we stand today, prospects are for large corn and soybean crops, recognizing that there’s a lot of the growing season left,” Good said. The further into the growing season it gets, he added, the more comfortable he and others can be about their predictions. “For the crop that’s growing right now, the expectation is that they will be selling it for a much lower price than last year’s stock,” Good said. “Livestock is more stable.” Simply put, more corn means a lower price, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean less profit for farmers. Gunnar Ortgiesen is a symbol of modern-day farming. The 28-year-old Dixon resident spends much of his day at a desk, looking at three computer screens. To his left, there’s a window that looks out onto Dan Koster’s farm in Sterling, Ill. Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain LLC. “I believe there’s going to be a lot of grain to go around come fall,” he said. “Some farmers knew that a few months ago, or felt that that was going to be the case with the amount of acres that were supposed to get planted, and I believe did get planted. So some farmers had sold ahead; some have not.” So far this year, Ortgiesen said, a lot of farmers have been hesitant to forward contract, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season moves through July. CONTINUED ON 24
Michael Krabbenhoeft/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Gunnar Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain near Sterling, Ill. He said that many farmers have been hesitant to forward contract their grain, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season advances. operating beginning farmer buildings ag real estate livestock machinery/equipment
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“July and August, that’s when the grain gets made with the weather,” he added. “Hopefully, we’ll continue the weather trend, and it sounds like we will – depending on which weather guy you talk to.” Tettens Grain has smaller storage space, about 1.6 million bushels, than larger facilities in the area, Ortgiesen said. As a result, he said, they tend to “turn” their storage over often. “We know that in the fall, if there’s a big crop, we’re going to have to be trucking corn out,” he said. “So we sold some ahead, knowing that we’re always going to be trucking it out. … Price doesn’t really matter to us, because we hedge everything off on the [Chicago] Board of Trade so we don’t have the price risk.” It’s the basis levels, Ortgiesen said, that he watches more closely and that are more closely tied to demand, which can be high even when a lot of corn is expected. “Very fortunately, we have more markets for our corn,” Katschnig said. “We have an ethanol plant in Annawan, Illinois, we have an ethanol plant in Galva, Illinois, and we have a rail load out facility in Sterling. … Previously, it was 50 miles to the Illinois River. That’s where all our grain went, the Illinois River.” Four years ago, Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC built the facility in Annawan,
thanks to the town’s proximity to Interstate 80 and state Routes 78 and 6. That plant, along with Big River Resources Galva and Rock River Lumber and Grain, in Sterling, Katschnig says, has created not only increased demand for the corn in the area, but also easier and faster delivery to those facilities. And unlike 2012, when a drought greatly reduced the corn crop and drove corn prices up, this year’s biggest concern seems to be the fact that most crops were planted late. “Only some of the earlier planted crops have begun to silk,” Mark Schleusener, census manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, said in early July. “It’s going to be behind. It doesn’t mean a horrible terrible year;; it just means behind.” Schleusener describes NASS as the bean counters for crops and livestock, measuring and recording purchase and sale prices, crop growth, and other factors monitored by both farmers and traders. They’re the agriculture version of baseball umpires, he said: They don’t tell you where to align your fielders or when to pinch-hit, but they call balls and strikes and close plays at home plate. Because of the late planting, and some underperforming crops, Schleusener said, the yield report released in August will be highly scrutinized by the market and will have a bigger impact on this
year’s corn prices than the previous weekly crop reports his office released. As Katschnig pulls up to the weigh station at Annawan to deliver a load of corn he sold about three months ago, his cellphone rings from his belt clip. The call was from grain merchandiser for Consolidated Grain and Barge Enterprises Inc. Corn had gone up $0.18, and the basis had improved. “A lot or farmers’ bins are empty this time of year,” Katschnig said after making a counteroffer – which later was accepted, he said – and hanging up. “A week, two weeks ago, corn was down to $6.60; now it’s up to $7.10 [cash]. That’s a huge swing. That’s 50 cents per bushel. That’s $500 per load. So it’s just like rolling the dice. It’s just like rolling the dice in Las Vegas.” Katschnig unloaded his corn, made his way back through the exit weight station, and started the 10-mile drive back to his crops. About halfway to his land, it started to rain. “We’re over the hump,” he said. “We certainly need rain [in] August, during ear-fill. But at least, at this point in time now, when we have a crop that looks like it does right now, and we have the amount of rain we’ve gotten, … we’re at least going to have something. “Last year we had a lot of fields that were nothing. … Now, we know we’re going to have something.”
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A DELICIOUS WAY TO SAY ‘THANK YOU’ Bethany, Mo., woman gives the gift of food BY SARAH BROWN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
BETHANY, Mo. – When it comes to marketing and building relationships, Linda Collins knows how to leave a lasting impression. Collins, general manager at Missouri Land Title Company in Bethany, Mo., said giving baked goods to others is a simple way to say “thank you.” “I work with Realtors and bankers, so, as a thank you, I tried to think of something that was different,” Collins said. “I thought it might be something they would remember and appreciate.” And they do. Harrison County Assessor Lila Craig did not hesitate to nominate Collins when asked whose cooking most stood out to her. Amy Maize at the Harrison County Assessor’s office said Collins brings in baked goods about once a month and her “soft and light” cinnamon rolls and Danish pastries are “very good.” Collins also bakes for her Sunday school students for each of their birthdays. “One likes lemon poppy seed bread, one likes zucchini bread, another one likes snickerdoodle cookies, one likes anything coconut, ...” Collins said. “I just know what they like.”
Locally grown Sarah Brown/For Southwest Ag Mag
Linda Collins prepares strawberry jam that she said is “so easy” to make. Ingredients are four cups sugar, two cups crushed strawberries, and a packet of Sure-Jell.
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Collins and her husband, Jerry, moved back to the family’s century farm in Bethany in 1982, after living for 13 years in southern Iowa, where Jerry worked in the soil conservation business. CONTINUED ON 26
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Linda’s tip: For watermelon cookies, add flavoring to frosting. While cookies are still warm, cut in half without separating them and spread frosting on the warm cookie, allowing frosting to fall in the cut mark to achieve the watermelon look all the way through.
CONTINUED FROM 25
The Collinses’ farm, which has been in Jerry’s family since 1857, is where Jerry now raises his cow-calf pairs of red and black angus. While Jerry is tending to the cattle, Linda spends time in the garden, where she harvests a few home-grown goods, such as zucchini, rhubarb and berries, for her recipes. She said she also tries to source produce locally from the farmers market in Bethany and local Amish farmers.
Linda’s Rhubarb Crunch
Collins’ top cooking tip “Make it in advance the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning,� Collins said. And her cooking tip will pay off when others remember you for your warm baked goods. “It’s something that’s easy to do, just no one takes the time to do it,� she said.
Linda’s Sugar Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup powedered sugar 1 cup Crisco 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup oil 2 eggs, beaten
Rhubarb layer ingredients: Linda Collins has a scrumptious recipe for watermelon 4 cups diced rhubarb sugar cookies. 1½ cups sugar 4 teaspoons flour 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Topping ingredients: 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup flour 2 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup oats Ÿ teaspoon almond extract ½ cup butter 4 cups flour Directions: Directions: Combine rhubarb layer ingredients in Cream together first four ingredients. a bowl and spread evenly in an 8-inchAdd remaining ingredients and mix by-8-inch baking dish. until smooth. Refrigerate overnight. Combine topping ingredients in a sepRoll into walnut-sized pieces. Place arate bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over on cookie sheet and press gently with rhubarb layer and bake at 350 degrees a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Sarah Brown/For Southwest Ag Mag
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“Some are uninsurable because of the highrisk nature of farming. ... Exchanges will broaden risk pools for these people and bring down costs of insurance and health care dollars spent.�
‘Someone will have to pay for it’ Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the Affordable Care Act’s effects will be mixed. “Because of the large number of farmers who are underinsured, [the Affordable Care Act] will provide an avenue for at least catastrophic coverage,� said Field, who has long specialized in agricultural safety and health issues. “But I don’t think there is enough money in the United States to pay for everything they [policymakers] are expecting to pay for. Someone will have to pay for it.� In other words, he said,
Alex T. Paschal/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Brad and Erin Shippert have a high-deductible health insurance plan that will be put to the test as Erin, 30, battles pancreatic cancer that has metastasized to her liver. “A few prescriptions may get a little expensive,� Brad, 29, said. “Travel expenses are our biggest thing right now.� Erin is getting care at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, considered one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country. Here, Brad and Erin and their daughter, Reagan, 1, explore their new porch in their Eldena, Ill., home in June. while underinsured farmers benefit, those on the upper end who always have enjoyed good insurance will see higher bills. The problem, Field said,
is that the Affordable Care Act and health care in general puts too little emphasis on prevention. For instance, much greater attention should be paid to
obesity, he said. Those on the lower end, Field said, tend to weigh more and make riskier lifestyle choices. “We may cause someone who does not have those risky behaviors to compensate others with those behaviors,� Field said. “It’s a greater form of charity. We’re not going to request people to change how they live. We’ll be in crisis management.� In farmer Chris Peterson’s view, the Affordable Care Act is a step forward. But he had hoped for more government involvement in the healthcare system, acknowledging that many farmers disagree with him. “A lot of farmers are propagandized by the Farm Bureau and Republicans. They thought Obamacare was a poison pill and that we were better off without it,� Peterson said. “I was for single payer and was a major proponent of the public option to give insurance companies some heartburn, but the health exchanges will help to some degree.�
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Kevin Kurz, a junior at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Illinois, fills the food bins for sheep at the farm of Rick Petitt, who teache Agriculture eduction, Pettit said, used to be more career oriented. “Nowadays, it’s more education focused,” he said. “Kids are gener
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ho teaches agriculture at the school. re generations away from the farm.�
arl Erbsen hardly recognizes his students these days. “When I started teaching, half my kids came from the farm,� he said. “Now, I’m lucky if two of my students live on a farm.� The overwhelming majority of students, even in the most rural school districts, are generations removed from the family farm. School calendars once revolved around the planting, cultivating and harvesting schedule, and textbooks used to include plenty of agricultural references and examples. Indeed, farming, farm animals, and crops were a familiar part of life, even for the youngest of children. Not anymore. The agriculture education programs in schools – at least those still in existence –
focus more on exposure, rather than vocational training. Curriculum at the elementary and middle school levels now is centered on fostering an appreciation for agriculture, while curriculum in the high schools is concentrated on building an interest in agriculture careers and preparing students for college. It is the highly technical, highly specialized programs offered by community colleges that really educate and train people to work in agriculture. Erbsen, 43, who teaches second grade at Eastland Elementary School in Shannon, Ill., is the current Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. He believes young people should have an appreciation for agriculture. “It’s important our kids know what agriculture is about,� he said. “They really need to know where things come from and the process by which those things get here.�
K-12 education Agriculture education starts in elementary and middle schools. CONTINUED ON 32
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The Agriculture in the Classroom program was created in 1981 to integrate agriculture with reading, writing and arithmetic and reinforce the significant role agriculture plays in everyday life. The program is known today as an easy and flexible way to supplement and enhance existing curriculum. The program still aims to expose youths to agriculture, but agriculture has come to include more than just farming, said Katie Pratt, the ag literacy coordinator in Lee County in Illinois. “We used to say it was about corn, beans, pigs and cows,” she said. “But now, we talk about food, gardens, alternative energy, and conservation [of resources], too.” The Agriculture in the Classroom program is most popular among elementary and middle school teachers. Agriculture education looks a bit different at the high school level. Most schools, at least the more rural ones, still have bona fide agriculture education programs and supplemental ag-related activities, such as FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) clubs. Although some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas in the past decade have eliminated agriculture programs. CONTINUED ON 33
Philip Marruffo/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Members of Rick Petitt’s FFA class at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County, Illinois, work through the summer learning how to properly care for farm animals. While some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas have eliminated agriculture programs, most schools still have them.
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Schools with dedicated programs and teachers no longer offer ag classes as vocational training. They instead offer classes to engage students in a smattering of ag-related fields and prepare them for the next level, said two agriculture teachers in Illinois: Rick Petitt at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County and Sara Conner at Prophetstown High School in Whiteside County. Teachers introduce students to the stand-bys, such as plant and animal science, but also more modern applications, such as mechanics, communications and business. “The difference is, years ago, it probably was more career oriented, where nowadays, it’s more education focused,â€? Petitt said. “Kids are generations away from the farm. Their knowledge of agriculture is more limited. It becomes more an education about agriculture than a preparation for a career. ‌ That’s what we have to do: try to reconnect the kids.â€? Conner added that the “face of agricultureâ€? had changed. “And our programs have started to reflect that,â€? she said. “We’re developing their interest in potential careers. ... We’re getting them classes where they can see another side. ... It’s more 21st century agriculture, showing them
what they really have an opportunity to do.â€? Teachers also are preparing students for college, as many jobs in the agriculture industry require bachelor’s degrees, if not more education after high school, and as more career and technical education classes must meet college and career readiness standards. “It’s not just vocational anymore,â€? Conner said. Students, it seems, now demand more ag programming in their schools, possibly because they are aware of the sheer number of available, in-demand and high-paying ag-related jobs, said Pam Clodfelter, the ag literacy coordinator in Whiteside County, Ill. “We need to keep sparking that interest ‌ and making them aware of their planet and where their food and their products come from,â€? she said. “And how they can be involved in that.â€?
Post-secondary schools Agriculture education is perhaps at its best at the community college level. Two-year colleges are equipped to train people for careers, whether in agriculture or another industry, said Andrew Larson, an agronomy professor and agriculture department co-chair at Blackhawk College in Galva, Ill., south-
east of the Quad Cities. “We really promote – in all of our career programs – applied education,� he said. “We focus on things students will need to go out into the industry and work.� Blackhawk has a robust ag program that dates back about 50 years. The college offers two tracks: one for students who intend to transfer to a major university, such as the University of Illinois or Iowa State University, to study agriculture, and one for students who want to quickly move into work in the agriculture industry. The school’s transfer degree options include agriculture, horticulture and animal science, while its terminal, career programs include management, production and mechanics. Community colleges constantly are adapting and changing their programs to reflect the needs and wants of the industry. They are able to adjust to developments in the industry because their faculty members often are engaged in their fields outside of their lecture halls and in regular contact with regional employers, Larson said. “We [community colleges] can react to industry faster than the universities can,� he said. “If Growmark says, ‘We need more people who can do this,’ then, bam, we add it to a class. “We have to. It’s our lifeline.�
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AM-R – Optimum® AcreMax® Insect Protection system with YGCB, HX1, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. Do not spray with Liberty®. Not all seeds in the bag are tolerant to Liberty herbicide. In EPA-designated cotton growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax products. AM – Optimum® AcreMax® Insect Protection system with YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax products.
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34 Summer 2013
CRESTON – Ag-related merchandising and production are two popular job market niches in southwestern Iowa. Practical experience is a key to expanding knowledge in both fields. “A lot of hands-on experience,” said Erika Blair, Southwestern Community College (SWCC) instructor, farm manager, and head of the agriculture program. “That’s where SWCC sets themselves apart from the other schools, is because we give a lot of hands-on learning here.” Dean Michaelson, Gavilon Grain location manager, also said experience is important, with many different levels accepted.
Merchandising There are different types of jobs available in the grain industry, ranging from accounting positions to grain merchandising. “We have grain merchandisers, we call them, and they’re the ones that buy the grain from farmers, and buy it from other customers, and sell it,” Michaelson said. “So, that’s one of our main jobs in the local area.” While merchandising is a popular position locally, there are other paths to take to get to the top in the world of agriculture. “If they want to follow the path to be a manager, we like them at a couple different locations,” Michaelson said, “just to get some different experiences, because every location is a little different in the Midwest.” Positions such as superintendent require a bachelor’s degree because of the security risks and paperwork. Other jobs require a basic high school diploma, or equivalent. Internships also are available, depending on the chosen path.
Bailey Poolman/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
These pigs are ready for their close-up. Southwestern Community College agriculture students raise pigs, chickens and cows on the college’s farm.
‘‘
’’
A lot of the ag industry, what you need to learn is not from a textbook, but it’s from actually being out there and doing it and getting that experience. Erika Blair, SWCC instructor
“If it’s the right fit, we’ll hire them whether they have an ag background or not,” Michaelson said. “A lot of times it’s better, so everyone’s not looking at things the same way, to get someone outside the box.”
Production Blair said most of her students go to work for local producers, including their own farm or a family-run farm. Some go into work in the feed industry, and others look at agricultural marketing as their niche. “Ag marketing is becoming a very big industry,” Blair said. “... The journalism, the marketing, the merchandising side of it, that’s growing. Advertisement, graphic parts, that’s a growing part of the ag industry.” Blair also said production still is why most students go to SWCC. The college has
three agriculture degrees available: livestock production, crop production and agricultural business. Each degree has a curriculum tailored to fit the area’s needs, but all students work on the college’s farm. “We have a 235-acre farm, so the students plant the corn, the students combine, ... they work the calves, they’re in charge of calving, they give the cows the vaccinations, they’re feeding the cows every morning and every evening,” Blair said. “A lot of the ag industry, what you need to learn is not from a textbook, but it’s from actually being out there and doing it and gettting that experience.” Summer internships also are available for more experience. “A lot of the times, the internships really allow them to evaluate: What sections do I like and what do I want to do?” Blair said.
FAMILY TRADITION
Nickle farm among oldest in southwest Iowa BY KYLE WILSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Contributed photo
This is an aerial shot of the Nickle family farm, located about four miles south of Clearfield. The farm is one of the oldest working family farms in southwest Iowa.
CLEARFIELD – It’s a place brimming with history. The Nickle family farm, located on a dusty gravel road four miles south of Clearfield, is one of the oldest working farms left in southwest Iowa, with an origin date of 1855. Six generations of Nickles have worked the land, including the families of O.P., Elmer, Ray, Rue, Randall and, now, Nathan. Nathan just moved his young family into the 5,400-square-foot farm house that was built in the early 1900s. CONTINUED ON 37
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Members of the Nickle family pose after receiving the Heritage award at the Iowa State Fair in 2011. The award is given to family farms in operation for more than 150 years. Pictured are (front, from left) Ruth, Nathan, Brittlyn, Brynn, Braya and Natash Nickle; and (back) Randall Nickle, George and Leona Barker, Nancy BarkerRoss, Candy Nickle, David Cole and Susan Barker-Cole. Contributed photo
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Pictured are Ruth and the late Rue Nickle on a 1947 B Farmall tractor, the first tractor they purchased for their heritage farm located near Clearfield. CONTINUED FROM 35
You could bank on every Thanksgiving and Christmas at grandpa and grandma Nickle’s house,� he said. “I learned to bake and sew in that house. We’ve had celebrations. There have been sibling fights. We even found out there was a funeral visitation for one of my grandfathers in the house. “It’s really the day-to-day operation of this farm over the past century that makes it so special.� Randall remembers when he was an adolescent on the farm in the 1950s. He picked corn cobs from the hog lot to put in the stove in order to keep warm. He also recalls accidentally tossing tea on
brand new wallpaper hung by his mother, Ruth. “My sister and I were arguing at the dinner table,� Randall said, “and I didn’t think there was any tea left in my glass. So, I did one of these [showing the spilling motion] and there was some left. Tea went all over mom’s fresh wallpaper. Needless to say, there wasn’t much talking that day after that happened.� Randall’s mother, Ruth, 97, now a resident at Clearview Estates in Mount Ayr, Iowa, remembers the incident. “I don’t remember if it was striped or flowered wallpaper,� Ruth said. “I just remember it was stained wallpaper.� CONTINUED ON 38
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CONTINUED FROM 37
Ruth was the disciplinarian at the Nickle farm straight through the 1990s, but she’s best known in the family for her rhubarb streusel. For years, she grew fresh rhubarb, along with “any other vegetables she could find seed for,� in her quarteracre garden located east of the farm house. Today, Nathan, Ruth’s grandson, continues to make memories and prolong the rich history on the Nickle farm. He and his wife, Stasia, and three daughters Brynn, Breya and Brittlyn now live in the two-story farm house. Nathan farms corn and beans on the 700 acres surrounding the home. He also farms 5,000 head of swine in confinement and 150 cows. Nathan said he’s already found his replacement. “My 10-year-old daughter Brynn is the farmer,� he said. “She’s all about farming. She chores the hogs, wants to run the combine and shows cattle at the county fair. If she’s not playing ball, she’s out on the farm with me in shorts and mud boots. “She’s the one. She’ll be the one who takes the farm over for me someday.�
30 oldest farms in south-central Iowa and north-central Missouri Owners Origin year Johnny Potter 1813 Fred E. Boyd estate 1839 Clyde & Georgianna Johnston 1841 Guy & Pauline Schooler 1841 Edward & Ruth Schooler 1844 Jim & Nadine Goodhue 1845 Wilbur Goodhue 1845 Howard Hargis 1845 Theodore & Donna Onstot 1846 Craig & Shirley Paugh 1846 LuAnn & Otis Butler LLC 1846 Elliot & Ira Miller 1848 Aaron Loe 1848 William G. Gladston 1848 Frank Mitchell 1849 Ivan Roberts 1849 Harold Pennington 1849 E.F. Warren 1850 Kent Wilbur 1850 Karen Abel 1850 Clell McBroom 1851 Dana McBroom 1851 Richard McBroom 1851 John Stone 1851 Mary Gartin 1851 Linda Johnson 1851 Doris See 1851 Roy Edgar 1851 Harriette Bean 1851 Halden Bertholf 1852
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Iowa adds factory farm inspectors BY MATTHEW NOSCO For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The 2013 legislative session in Iowa brought about some positive changes in the tax and regulatory codes for farmers. House File 512, which passed late in the session, is intended to make it easier for farmers to temporarily downsize their operations – for instance, when farmers have children who partner in the operation and go to college. The bill allows farmers to “mothball” some facilities by notifying the Iowa Department of Natural Resources they would no longer operate a unit of more than the 500 animals, which requires a manure management plan. Rep. Lee Hein, R-Monticello, said HF 512 “simplifies it and allows those buildings to remain intact in case, say, for instance the next generation comes along in a few years and wants to enter back into the hog operation.” But some groups, such as Iowa Citizens
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for Community Improvement, argue the legislation allows factory farms to use buildings for long-term manure storage without being required to meet state code. The agriculture and natural resources budget bill, Senate File 545, included funding for seven additional factory farm inspectors. While a push failed to get 13 new inspectors, which would bring the service back up to the 24 inspectors of 2007, the additional positions will allow for further inspection and code checks throughout the state. Also at the end of the session, a deal
was negotiated to reduce property taxes on agricultural land. The new code will enable farmers to assess their property values more in line with residential property, enabling similar taxes paid on an acre of produce versus an acre of livestock despite the higher property value of a livestock enclosure. Looking forward to next session, there will likely be efforts to seek stronger permitting standards for factory farms. Industry groups are working on several pieces of legislation to relax farm regulations.
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DOWN TIME: What the Clines did away from the farm
ABOVE: Kevin and Marilyn Cline smile as the yacht that they and three other couples rented leaves Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. TOP RIGHT: Kevin (far right) and his wife, Marilyn, sit with three other couples at Willy B’s on Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. From right are Cline, Marilyn, Tony Hovenga, Kevin Jacobsen, Dave Kramer, Mary Kramer, Terri Hovenga and Jodi Jacobsen. BOTTOM RIGHT: The sun sets on Norman Island, the southernmost island in the British Virgin Islands. Norman Island is thought to be the inspiration of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “Treasure Island.� Who: Kevin Cline, 53, of Humeston Where did you go on vacation? British Virgin Islands Who went? Cline, wife Marilyn, and three other couples When? February 2013, on the boat
five or six nights, in a hotel one night What is your favorite memory of the vacation? “We rented a yacht, and stayed at a different island every night on the boat.� Who took care of the farm/ livestock while you were gone? Hired men
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ABOVE: This is a picture of cattle on a Hawaiian ranch that Randy and Tammy Barnard visited while on vacation. LEFT: This is machinery used at a Hawaiian coffee plantation that Randy and Tammy Barnard visited while on vacation.
talked to him about the struggles he has of raising cattle in Hawaii. Randy said he could relate to the Hawaiian cattle rancher on many levels. However, the cattle rancher also dealt with different problems, such as loading cattle onto airplanes. “Anybody that’s loaded cattle will understand the problems,� Randy said. Who took care of the farm/livestock while you were gone? Their neighbors
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MATTER OF ECONOMICS Trends show not enough food animal veterinarians BY DEREK BARICHELLO For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
T
hey brave bad weather, drive far distances on rural roads, and risk the chance of being kicked by animals that grossly outweigh them. There is no denying that large animal – or food animal – veterinarians face a challenging job. Add low profit margins and repaying $100,000 of debt in students loans, and it can become too much, says Pat Gorden, dairy practitioner and admissions committee chairman at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. CONTINUED ON 45
Alex T. Paschal/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
FFA members help Dr. Lynda Gould round up sheep for inspection at a farm in Franklin Grove, Ill. Gould graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 and has her own practice in Ashton, Ill.
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Dr. Lynda Gould of the Ashton Animal Clinic fills out paperwork before inspecting sheep at a farm in Franklin Grove, Ill. CONTINUED FROM 44
The American Veterinary Medical Association released market research statistics in 2010 that suggested a shortage of food animal veterinarians. The research indicated that about 15 percent of veterinarians practiced on food animals, compared to about 67 percent of veterinarians who practice exclusively with pets. The numbers have not changed much, as just short of 15 percent of veterinarians practice on food animals, according to the latest research.
Government agencies are concerned with the shortage of veterinarians in comparison with the number of livestock. For example, some counties, mostly in the Midwest, have more than 25,000 food animals and no food animal veterinarians, according to the research. College officials, on the other hand, worry about the government overreacting to the trend. Gorden said the trend does not surface at Iowa State University, one of the nation’s leading veterinary colleges, until after students graduate, when
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economics becomes the driving force. At Iowa State, which has a heavy focus on food animal study, about 40 percent study in the food animal program, compared to just more than half of students who want to practice on pets. Students there study the same core program the first three years and choose a focused area of study in the fourth year. “Prior to graduation, most of them are interested in food animals,” Gorden said. CONTINUED ON 46
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CONTINUED FROM 45
“A lot of our students come from a rural background, and want to go back to a rural background. They like the ability to work outside, the ability to work with production animals.” That’s before they graduate. Gorden said that once graduates leave with about $100,000 of debt in school loans and have to take on a career that allows them to achieve a certain quality of life, their decision becomes more difficult. “They have a mortgage the day they graduate,” Gorden said. “It takes a substantial, competitive salary package in order to have the ability to raise a family and pay their debt. There are some areas of the country where working on livestock pays solid enough to provide that standard of living to allow them to pay off student loans, but not many.” As a result, many graduates of Iowa State’s farm animal program cannot find a suit-
Numbers of veterinarians by practice In 2012, the numbers of veterinarians by practice, according to market research and published by the American Veterinary Medical Association Private Clinical: *Food animal exclusive .................. 1,164 ,,,,,,,,,,, 1.8% **Food animal predominant ........... 3,697 ,,,,,,,,,,, 5.7% Mixed animal ................................. 4,284 ,,,,,,,,,,, 6.6% Companion animal predominant .... 6,108 ,,,,,,,,,,, 9.5% Companion animal exclusive ....... 42,695 ,,,,,,,,, 66.2% Equine ........................................... 3,821 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 6% Other ................................................ 717 ,,,,,,,,,,, 1.1% Species unspecified ...................... 2,003 ,,,,,,,,,,, 3.1% * — Food animal exclusive 1,109 1.8% in 2010 ** — Food animal predominant 3,890 6.3% in 2010
able job out of college and compromise their practice. In general, Gorden said, there is a surplus of veterinary students graduating and not finding jobs out of school. “Some work in a mixed practice,” Gorden said. “Others go into clinics in cities working on smaller animals. It’s a matter of going where there are good jobs.” At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
another leading veterinary college, students enrolled in programs there mirror the national trend. About 15 percent of students focus strictly on food animals, compared to about 60 percent of students who focus on pets, said Jonathon Foreman, equine doctor and associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.
At Illinois, students are given eight weeks of clinical rotations each of their four years, meaning they gain plenty of experience working on both large and small animals. Foreman is not overly concerned with the national trend. He said most farms that produce food animals are within a larger production unit, and many of them have their own veterinarians on staff. Foreman said the economy is another major factor in the national trend. “Gas is $4 a gallon, and diesel is higher than that,” Foreman said. “Transporting large animals or getting to a farm cuts into profit margins.” To offset those costs, federal and state governments have created programs to recruit veterinary students to underserved areas. Illinois is one such state. It enacted a law to create the Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program. CONTINUED ON 53
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Fiscal and physical jeopardy Obstacles to finding young veterinarians BY SARAH BROWN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Veterinarians aren’t getting any younger. “A lot of our veterinarians are getting older,� said Dr. Greg Weiss of Southern Hills Veterinary Services. “The singleman, or even two-person, practices are finding it more difficult getting young veterinarians.� Weiss started with Southern Hills Veterinary Services the same year he received his Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (DVM) degree from Iowa State University in 2002, before becoming a partner in the business in January 2004. Weiss said it is not uncommon to spend an hour on paperwork after hours. If he’s lucky, he’ll enjoy a night off. But depending on the season, his cellphone will ring and an emergency Caesarean section will whisk him away from his family. CONTINUED ON 57
Sarah Brown/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Dr. Gregory Weiss of Southern Hills Veterinary Services prepares an 18-month-old purebred black angus cow for an emergency Caesarian section.
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Crop insurance program deals with record payouts BY PAM EGGEMEIER For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
M
idwest farmers last year experienced the most severe drought since 1988. Most farmers didn’t have crop insurance in 1988 and were forced to rely on government disaster aid payments. Since then, the agricultural safety net has gradually transitioned from reliance on direct payments to crop insurance. With what’s left of direct subsidies likely to be phased out in the next Farm Bill, the drought of 2012 may have been the first real test of a crop insurance-based disaster system.
Crop insurance payouts 2012 Indemnities/ Policies $13,580,273 / 1,135 $6,726,954 / 1,964
Iowa County Union Jasper
2011 Indemnities/ Policies $3,399,826 / 1,104 $1,408,858 / 1,936
Source: U.S. Environmental Working Group
Northern Illinois farmers, for the most part, found themselves thinking it sure could have been worse in 2012. While the region was not hit nearly as hard as central and downstate Illinois, production and revenues took enough of a hit that record crop insurance payouts were made throughout the area. In Lee County, $10,425,842 in payouts were made through 1,744 policies in 2012. The drought’s effect can be gauged by comparing those numbers to only $723,689 in payouts through 1,802
policies in 2011. Whiteside County’s numbers told a similar story. Payouts were up from $1,105,133 in 2011 to $11,656,875 in 2012. The number of policies was about the same in those years – up from 1,550 in 2011 to 1,578 last year. Bureau County farmers saw crop insurance indemnities jump from about $3.5 million to more than $31 million in those years – the biggest payout in the region. CONTINUED ON 50
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Bureau has much more acreage in production than Lee or Whiteside, and the drought conditions also were worse in parts of that county. Emily Pratt is a 1st Farm Credit Services crop insurance agent serving Lee, Whiteside and Carroll counties. While she said that Lee and Whiteside didn’t have as many claims as surrounding counties, about 75 percent of the farmers in those counties had crop insurance. “We really were lucky,� Pratt said. “The drought was not as severe here, and we had some good crops in this area.� Lee County Farm Service Agency Executive Director Jerry Quinton agreed that northern Illinois held up fairly well in the drought season. “We had more claims west of [state Route] 26 and south of [U.S. Route] 30,� Quinton said. “We had timely rainfall in many areas. The lighter, sandier soils by Nelson took a hit, but the crops are looking pretty good so far, but history tells us that things can change overnight.� Whether or not farmers collected on premiums, Pratt said the drought has increased interest in purchasing or increasing coverage. While crops held up relatively well in last year’s severe
‘‘
I would attribute it to the timely rains we received and better crop genetics. I didn’t see any claims on yield, just revenues. Gary Yoder, Iowa crop insurance specialist, on not seeing as many crop insurance claims as he expected
weather, area farmers realize that the impact of a serious drought lasts for more than one year. So far, so good this planting season, but producers know that the situation can always change in a heartbeat. “It was so wet this spring, it was hard to find a planting window,� Pratt said. “Things look good at first glance, but we won’t know much about yields until pollination is over in the next few weeks.� The drought story in Iowa seems to be similar to that in Illinois. Farmers prepared for the worst, but most were pleasantly surprised by how well crops held up. Union County farmers received a little more than $13.5 million in crop insurance through 1,135 policies from the 2012 drought season. That was up from $3,399.826 paid out through 1,104 policies the previous year. Jasper County producers received about $6.7 million through 1,964 poli-
’’
cies from the 2012 growing season. That was up from just under $1.5 million through 1,936 policies the year before. In Jasper County, Iowa crop insurance specialist Gary Yoder said he thought he would see more claims, but the Newton area fared much better than the northwest part of the state. “I would attribute it to the timely rains we received and better crop genetics,� Yoder said. “I didn’t see any [insurance] claims on yield, just revenues.� Farmers have 45 days after the end of a crop period to file revenue-based insurance claims. Yoder said there has been enough rain so far this growing season to cause a few problems on the opposite end of the weather spectrum. “We’ve gotten an abundance of rain this year, and we’ve had some moisture claims, especially in the Skunk River area.� CONTINUED ON 51
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2012 RMA Crops' Indemnities (As of 07/08/2013)
2012 Indemnity by County
USDA Risk Management Agency CONTINUED FROM 50
Congress no longer authorizes the ad hoc disaster programs that used to send billions in one-time cash payments to the nation’s farmers. These days, lawmakers must find cuts elsewhere in the federal budget to pay for such programs. There still is no bipartisan Farm Bill signed into law, but the current Senate and House versions are cause for optimism about the future of federal crop insurance. Both bills have provisions streamlining conservation programs, expanding the crop insurance program, and slashing subsidy payments – including the elimination of the $5 billion a year in direct payments given to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops. Legislators on both sides of the aisle seem to have accepted the transformation from direct payments to an insur-
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ance-based system. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, a 17th District Democrat from Illinois and a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, says a strong crop insurance program must be a cornerstone of the final version of the Farm Bill. “We need to keep a strong and stable crop insurance program in place so that our farmers who are at the mercy of Mother Nature can continue to provide the food our nation depends on,” Bustos said. “With the likely elimination of direct payments, a robust insurance program is vital to the strength of our farmers, our economy and our nation.” While crop insurance seems to have passed the 2012 drought test with flying colors, it has come at a steep price to American taxpayers. Taxpayers cover about two-thirds of the premiums for crop insurance policies. The cost to taxpayers has grown from $1.5 billion a year in 2002 to $7.4
billion in 2011, and what is estimated to be a record $16 billion from the drought of 2012, according to USDA figures. Government estimates put the cost of crop insurance at $90 billion over the next 10 years. Plus, taxpayers foot another $1.3 billion a year for overhead costs for the insurance companies, such as administering and adjusting the policies, and examining the crop losses. Allen Buhrow farms with his father in the Ashton, Ill., area. He understands that it’s a tough time to ask for federal farm programs, in light of the high cost of the drought season and the need to cut costs in Washington. But he believes that crop insurance is a good deal for producers and the nation as a whole. The Buhrows buy 80 or 85 percent group coverage every year for all of the farms they operate, which saves them money. CONTINUED ON 52 AG Mag
51
CONTINUED FROM 51
Although they had a few underperforming fields from the drought, they decided not to file claims. But knowing that the safety net was there gave him the ability to make the right business decisions in anticipation of the next growing season. “It gives you the security to to know you can cover input costs for the next year,” Buhrow said. “Disaster payments were not an effective way to protect against risk. Without insurance, the uncertainty makes it so you wouldn’t know when to sell crops, how to plan for input costs, or do marketing.” Buhrow is a younger farmer who continues to buy more land. Crop insurance also mitigates risk for lenders and brings security to the people they lease land from. “The insurance program provides great value overall,” he said. “Over the long run, it moderates commodity costs, keeps folks planting crops the world needs, and
good state
‘‘
Crop insurance is vital for today’s farmers, yet outside the Farm Bill, there are few ways to address the issue before current authorization expires.
gives farmers the security to make better business decisions.” Gary Schnitkey, a University of Illinois farm management specialist, believes that during the drought, crop insurance proved its worth. “People may say crop insurance is lucrative, but in a challenging drought year, no ad hoc bills were passed,” Schnitkey said. “It makes a big difference in how people plan for future years. Without crop insurance last year, we would have seen substantial shortfalls this year.” Current federal farm and food aid policy expires on Sept. 30, and failure to pass a new bill in time means another extension or American farmers will fall back to a 1949 law governing the
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industry, which could lead to steep price increases on items such as milk. What worries many farmers is a provision in the Senate version that introduces an income cap to crop insurance. Known as a “means test,” farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $750,00 no longer would qualify for subsized crop insurance premiums. The House version just passed contains no such income cap. While most farmers would not be impacted at that level, they worry that the cap would serve as a convenient vehicle for cutting the program in the future. They also fear that the balance of highrisk and low-risk producers that any insurance system is based on also would be upset. “The problem with this cap is that it assumes larger producers don’t need crop insurance,” Pratt said. “But then the higher premiums they were paying aren’t helping to spread the risk if you take them out of the program.” U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who represents the 16th Congressional District in Illinois, held a conference call with more than 30 area farmers on June 13, leading up to the House Farm Bill
’’
vote. Kinzinger, a Republican, said that farmers had told him they felt they should reach out to legislators on a more personal level prior to the vote, rather than just leave things up to their Farm Bureau and other ag organizations. Kinzinger said crop insurance was a big part of the conversation and one of the reasons he voted for the House bill that passed on July 11. “Having the opportunity to hear firsthand about farmers’ needs was invaluable,” Kinzinger said. “Crop insurance is vital for today’s farmers, yet outside the Farm Bill, there are few ways to address the issue before current authorization expires.” In Iowa, Yoder said that farmers are voicing concerns about the likelihood that many subsidies will be taken away or reduced in the next Farm Bill. As a crop agent, he fears that the adminstration of the insurance could be returned to the federal Farm Service Agency offices. “In 1983, the insurance was set up with private companies,” Yoder said. “I believe the private sector has done a much better job marketing, selling and running it.”
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State land open to emergency haying and grazing in Iowa DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will open up state land to haying and grazing to help farmers impacted by severe weather conditions. “This has been one of the most challenging weather patterns Iowa farmers have ever had to face, and we want to be able to provide some additional options to our livestock producers,� Iowa DNR Deputy Director Bruce Trautman said. Most state lands in Iowa do not have proper fencing for cattle, so farmers wanting to use the land for grazing would be responsible for setting up temporary electric fencing and watering tanks, making haying more likely to be the most viable option. Haying and grazing can
CONTINUED FROM 46
Each student who enters the program agreement will receive $20,000 a year to cover tuition, books, supplies and other expenses incurred in pursuing a veterinary medicine degree, as long as the program requirements are satisfied, Foreman said. The program accepts 16 students. To qualify, students must enroll in a veterinary practice that is at least 51 percent devoted to large animal medicine that enhances agricultural animal health and productivity, or regulatory veterinary medicine that supports public health and safety, livestock biosecurity or food animal disease diagnosis. Gorden worries that too much focus will be given to recruiting students to food animal programs, creating too much of a surplus. Veterinarian Lynda Gould, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 and has her own practice in Ashton, Ill., said her colleagues talk about the issue all the time.
start after July 15, when the primary nesting season for upland birds has been completed. Land available is primarily the upland grassland areas. However, there are some additional opportunities for “flash grazing� in northeast Iowa and other limited opportunities on land not currently being leased to farmers. “The DNR is working very closely with the Iowa governor’s office and all of our stakeholders to make emergency livestock forage available and to make sure that we are helping those who need assistance the most,� Trautman said. Farmers interested in this opportunity should contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at 515281-5918. “There has been a big push to get large animal vets enrolled, but I almost feel like that was a false push,� Gould said. “Now we have a bunch of students in large animals, and there are not necessarily that many jobs. “There may be a need in certain counties, or certain areas, but that likely involves taking a new grad and putting them out in the middle of nowhere, and that’s not necessarily the best idea, either.� Foreman hopes that Illinois adapts its program to give a broader knowledge of all practices to hit more at the issue. “The more knowledge students have, the more flexible they are in their practice,� Foreman said. “That’s one thing we can do.� As trends go, Gorden said, a number of veterinarians always will be drawn to the world of agriculture and treating livestock. “It’s all a choice of lifestyle,� Gorden said. “Many students want that and choose it, because that’s what’s familiar to them, or what they enjoy.�
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‘Constantly changing’ Clarke County 4-H adapts to kids’ interests BY AMY HANSEN OST For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
OSCEOLA, Iowa – If there’s one thing 4-H has done in Clarke County, Iowa, it is evolve. “It’s constantly changing every year,� said Jennifer Pollard with the Iowa State University Extension Office in Clarke County. “When technology and things start to change and enhance, 4-H tries to do that at the same time.� Clarke County 4-H was started in 1910 and sponsored by the local school. Girls’ clubs were first recognized in the 1919-20 Clarke County Extension Annual Report. Clarke County now has a total of 13 4-H clubs. Some are traditional clubs and some are special interest. Pollard said 4-H is not just for people who live on farms or have animals. CONTINUED ON 55
Contributed photo
Members of the Clarke County 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club go canoeing at East Lake Park in Osceola. Clarke County 4-H, started in 1910, now has 13 clubs. Jennifer Pollard, with the Iowa State University Extension Office in Clarke County, said 4-H is not just for people who live on farms or have animals.
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Robotics “We want to expose them [members] to a wide variety of things,” she said. “For example, one of the most recent clubs we got started is a robotics club.” Pollard said if youths are interested in technology, the robotics club builds robots with LEGOS. In the fall, the club will go to First LEGO League competitions. “As the times change, 4-H tries to change with it,” Pollard said. We don’t want everyone to think that, ‘Oh, I don’t live on a farm,’ and, ‘Oh I don’t have animals,’ because that’s not the case at all.”
Other special interests Robotics is just one special interest 4-H club in Clarke County. Others are shooting sports, dog obedience and outdoor adventure. The shooting sports club has leaders who specialize in shotguns, rifles and archery. Pollard said the dog obedience club is “very popular and very neat.” The outdoor adventure club members have gone to East Lake Park in Osceola
for outdoor activities. Members have planted flowers and perennials at East Lake Park. A few years ago, members planted trees in the campground area at Clarke County Fairgrounds in Osceola. Members also have gone canoeing and traveled to other state parks in Iowa, such as Lake Ahquabi near Indianola. “They do some service learning projects,” Pollard said, “but also have a good time of just being outdoors and not being inside all the time, or playing video games or watching TV. They’re getting their ‘hands on’ on outdoor activities.”
Growth Pollard said the number of youths who are participating in 4-H has gone up. A couple of years ago, the 4-H club Osceola Clover Kids was started. This is a club for children in kindergarten through third grade. “It’s giving you the opportunity to see what 4-H is like, but the nice thing with Clover Kids is families don’t pay for that,” Pollard said. “We filled out some grants so that families don’t have to worry about that. We also do it right after school so that students
can go straight from the classroom down to the cafeteria where they meet.” Clover Kids participate in hands-on activities with different themes. Pollard said one popular activity was when children got to dress up like beavers and learn about the animal and its habitat. Recently, another Clarke County 4-H club, Murray Clover Kids in Murray, was formed. It applies many of the same concepts Osceola Clover Kids uses.
Community pride Since 4-H has been in Clarke County for more than 100 years, Pollard said, the community still has a lot of pride in the clubs. People still want 4-H to play a big part in the area and have success. “Past 4-H’ers or former 4-H’ers have always come in and told me stories, ‘Well, when I did it, it was this way,’ or ‘We used to do this,’” she said. “So, I think they take pride in the fact that they got to be a part of this great organization, and the fact that it’s still going, and it’s going strong. [They’re proud] that their children were in 4-H and now their grandchildren are in 4-H.”
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AG Mag
55
Turning knowledge into 4-H star power BY BAILEY POOLMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
HUMESTON — Sage Hook, a 2013 graduate of Wayne Community High School, has been engulfed in 4-H Club since she was 9. “I’ve been in 4-H for nine years. This is my ninth,� Hook said. “I showed cattle for four, and I’m in my fifth year of showing pigs.� Hook, 18, of Humeston, is active as president of 4-H, a position she will hold until after the Iowa State Fair. “I’ve done exhibit building projects that have gone to state fair,� Hook said. “I’ve shown at county fair, state fair, American Royal, just the open shows around the state.�
Show Hook said her father introduced her to animal shows. “My dad was actually in the club calf business,� she said. “And, so, whenever I was old enough, he decided that he
wanted me to show cattle for my first year. So, he was the one that started me in it, and I’ve been in it ever since.� Hook was at a county fair, where she watched a pig show. She thought it looked fun, and decided to show pigs the following year. “When I did try it, I realized I loved it more than showing cattle,� Hook said. “I did one year of showing both, and then I realized I just wanted to go to pigs.� Hook’s family purchases pigs and raises them on their land. Hook said it’s easier to care for pigs, and she doesn’t need her parents’ supervision when working with them, like she did when working with cattle. Pigs should weigh approximately 250 pounds in muscle and fat. “It’s all in their feed. We feed them different things,� Hook said. “They love marshmallows, actually.�
Contributed photo
Sage Hook poses for a senior photo with her pig in June 2012. 4-H experiences close. “It’ll teach you responsibility, leadership skills, especially being an officer,� she said. “It teaches you to be open.� Hook plans to attend Indian Hills Community College in Centerville for two years, then transfer to Iowa State University in Ames, where she will get a bachelor’s degree. “I’m actually going into marketing,� Hook said, “but some of the things that I’ve learned in 4-H will definitely carry over.�
Afterward
Hook said she knows she will keep her
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“It’s kind of a 24-hour-a-day deal,� Weiss said.
Funding
Contributed photo
Sage Hook of Humeston walks through tall grass with her pig for a senior photo in June 2012.
In addition to the long hours, Weiss said, the “tremendous� amount of student loan debt compared to first-year salaries is deterring people from becoming veterinarians. “By the time you get through vet school, you ... have all this debt,� he said. “I would say, $150,000 is a very low end of it.� Weiss said there is some assistance available, however, through the Iowa Veterinarian Medical Association (IVMA), which offers up to $10,000 a year for four years. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture offers a repayment program that will pay up to $25,000 each year toward qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in a designated veterinarian shortage situation for three years.
Physical dangers Being a veterinarian for large
animals can require great physical strength and inevitably leads to injuries. Weiss, who broke a leg when he was pinned down by a cow in 2012, said there are risks involved, such as potential exposure to rabies, broken bones, rotator cuff injuries and, possibly, death. “In order to do pregnancy checks, we use rectal palpations,� Weiss said. “So, you go through rectally, and that puts a lot of pressure on the shoulder. Eventually the shoulder wears out. A lot of large-animal vets have, or have had, rotator cuff surgery.�
Why he does it “You have to enjoy being out there, ... and know that what you are doing is making a difference,� Weiss said. “Otherwise, it’s a profession that you can really get depressed in.� Weiss said he enjoys the people he works with and those he serves. “They are the type of people I was raised around,� he said. “They are committed to what they do.�
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58 Summer 2013
Advertiser Index ADAIR COUNTY MUTUAL INSURANCE .................. 55 ADVANCED AG ...................................................... 46 AIR SOLUTIONS .................................................... 54 AKIN BUILDING CTR/CRESTON ............................ 47 AMERICAN FAMILY INS/TURNER.......................... 56 AMERICAN HOMES BY DAVE LONG ...................... 38 AMERICAN STATE BANK....................................... 33 B & K COMM AGRI LTD ......................................... 57 BARKER IMPLEMENT/CRESTON ..................... 30,31 BIG BOYZ TOYZ ..................................................... 43 BOLTON CUSTOM CABINETS ................................ 49 CARTER AGENCY INC ........................................... 52 CLARKE COUNTY HOSPITAL ................................. 21 CLARKE COUNTY STATE BANK ............................. 17 CRESTON AUTOMOTIVE .......................................... 9 CRESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ..................... 6 CRESTON FARM & HOME SUPPLY ........................ 10 CRESTON LIVESTOCK AUCTION INC ..................... 54 CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES ............................. 40 DIAMOND TRAIL SALES ....................................... 42 F & M BODY SHOP ................................................ 53 FARM BUREAU FINANCIAL/MT AYR ..................... 45 FARMER'S NATL OMAHA ...................................... 44 FARMERS COOPERATIVE CO OF AFTON ................. 4
FIRST NATIONAL BANK ........................................ 23 FOX WELDING ....................................................... 50 GAVILON GROUP,LLC ............................................ 40 GILBERT PLUMBING & HEATING ............................ 8 GIZA LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE ....................... 2 GLENDENNING MOTOR CO ..................................... 7 GOOB'S REPAIR .................................................... 56 GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ..................................... 36 GREAT WESTERN BANK........................................ 29 GREATER REGIONAL MEDICAL CTR ..................... 22 GREEN VALLEY CHEMICAL ................................... 41 H & W SALES ........................................................ 41 HATZER & NORDSTROM ....................................... 16 HIGHWAY LUMBER ............................................... 28 HOTSY ..................................................................... 4 HUNSICKER & ASSOCIATES.................................. 35 IOWA SOYBEAN .................................................... 13 IOWA STATE SAVINGS BANK ................................ 24 JUST POWER & REPAIR ........................................ 25 KELLER'S REPAIR ................................................. 18 KELLY TIRE & EXHAUST........................................ 39 KELNER COMMUNICATIONS ................................. 35 KUBAL SPRAYING ................................................. 59 M & M AG SERVICES ............................................ 28
M & M PONTIAC-BUICK-GMC INC ........................ 26 MEDICAP PHARMACY .......................................... 42 MOBERG IOWA REALTY ........................................ 37 NAPA CRESTON .................................................... 12 OSCEOLA FARM & HOME...................................... 32 PIONEER LEGAL .................................................... 34 PIONEER SEED ...................................................... 19 PIONEER SEED/JEREMY IDE ................................ 45 PREFERRED PROPERTIES OF IOWA...................... 57 QUALITY GLASS CO .............................................. 25 SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA......................................... 11 SOUTHWESTERN COMM COLLEGE ....................... 53 STALKER CHEVROLET CADILLAC INC .................... 3 STATE FARM - BEN ADAMSON ............................. 52 STINE SEED COMPANY (CLINE) ............................ 55 SUR GRO PLANT FOOD CO.................................... 27 TAYGOLD COOPERATIVE ....................................... 21 TAYLOR FINANCIAL .............................................. 40 THOMAS QUALITY FARMS.................................... 29 TROST AGENCY, LLC ............................................. 48 TYLER INSURANCE SERVICES .............................. 37 VETTER EQUIPMENT CO ....................................... 60 WINTERSTIEN CONSTRUCTION .............................. 5
Offering full-service aerial application ,IQUID ^ $RY &ERTILIZER ^ #OVER #ROP 3EEDING
We have 4 Air Tractor Spray Planes with GPS Capabilities
KUBAL’S
AERIAL SPRAYING
Growers can receive As-Applied Maps that show coverage of the product sprayed
Over 20 years experience in Agricultural spraying.
DAN KUBAL
641-791-3453 515-802-8340 2USTY 7ALLACE $RIVE s .EWTON )! AG Mag
59
See Your Local Vetter Equipment Location for More Information 2503 Hwy 2 E
9983 Hwy 92
1703 W South St
Corydon, IA
Indianola, IA
Mount Ayr, IA
641-872-2000
515-961-2541
641-464-3268
www.vetterquip.com