AG Mag Southwest Iowa
High Stakes
The new farm bill provides two new options for revenue safety nets. Which is better for you?
BULL MARKET: Cattle farming surges as meat prices climb GREAT DEBATE: Have corn yields reached a plateau? RURAL LIFE: Wind projects and their impacts on farmland A Publication of Shaw Media
Spring 2015 Spring 2014
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Index
AG Mag Southwest Iowa
Publisher Rich Paulsen Advertising Director Craig Mittag Managing Editor Kyle Wilson Magazine Editors Larry Lough, Jeff Rogers
30
Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Sarah Brown, Pam Eggemeier, Dave Fox, Amy Hansen, Mike Krabbenhoeft, Matt Mencarini, Mike Mendenhall, Bailey Poolman, Jake Waddingham and Kyle Wilson Published by Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams St. Creston, IA 50801 641-782-2141 Articles and advertisements are the property of Creston News Advertiser. 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 Creston News Advertiser. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Creston News Advertiser cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Creston News Advertiser 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
Decision to make Southwest Iowa farmers weigh their options for revenue safety nets in the 2014 farm bill. Beefing up Farmers in the cow-calf business have seen a dramatic increase in prices. Will the good times continue?
10
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Index 16
Plenty of recipes on file
A glimpse into the future
When Debbie Roach is not busy being postmaster or mayor, she’s cooking up great food in Grant City, Missouri.
A Graceland University program gives prospective agriculture students valuable information and experience.
25
The great GMO debate
Growing pains on the farms
Is there a need to label foods made with genetically modified ingredients as such?
Wind power projects have farmers concerned about the viability of their farmland after construction.
18 Technology might prolong golden era
20
34 Fontanelle teen in his element
37
Farmers in southern Iowa and northern Missouri continue to see corn yields increase. Will technology help that trend continue?
Nodaway Valley High School sophomore Joe Herr feels most at home when he’s outside, on his family farm.
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Farmers Forum WITH KYLE WILSON/SOUTHWEST IOWA AG MAG
Rural roads and bridges continue to deteriorate across southern Iowa, causing transportation issues for area farmers. Should the fuel tax, which hasn’t increased in Iowa since 1989, be raised? Paul Ackley, Bedford “If they raise the gas tax, the revenue generated needs to be designated – in writing – to be used for rural roads and bridges. There needs to be a guarantee. Otherwise, the money will disappear into a black hole and used elsewhere in the state.”
Dr. Gary Runyon, Allerton “The fuel tax is the most fair way to go. I just can’t believe we had money to build this infrastructure, but don’t have the money to maintain it. That’s what surprises me.”
Ron Gordon, Creston “My first question is, Where has the road tax money went in the past? Was it all spent on roads and bridges like it was supposed to? I guess, before I’d be in favor of a fuel tax increase, I’d want to
Paul Ackley
Dr. Gary Runyon
make sure the money is earmarked to be used for infrastructure.”
Jay Lischer, Bedford “Most of the farmers in my circle agree that the gas tax needs to be raised so long as money is earmarked for rural roads and bridges. The bridges we have now are 50 and 60 years old. They were built when I was a kid.”
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Cattle farmers have seen historic profits in recent years. In 2010, the average hundredweight price for cattle in the U.S. was $97.18. In November 2014, it was $169. “This year has really been a bright spot for us,” said Dan Hanrahan, who raises cattle near Cumming, Iowa. (Jake Waddingham/ Southwest Iowa Ag Mag)
A BULL MARKET E
BY JAKE WADDINGHAM AND MATT MENCARINI For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
conomic conditions for the cow-calf industry in the Midwest could be chalked up to simple supply and demand, or perhaps the cyclical nature of all commodities, or even the perfect storm of conditions that started in 2011. Or maybe all three. But the end result is the same: Historic profits. In 2013, the average hundredweight price for cattle in the U.S. was $126.83, up from $97.18 in 2010. But 10 Spring 2015
Cattle prices remain a ‘bright spot’ for area farmers
the highest month in 2013 – $132 – was dwarfed by the prices once the calendar turned over into 2014. By March 2014, the average hundredweight price for cattle in the U.S. was $150. It kept climbing, reaching $159 in August and $169 in November. W. Travis Meteer. beef extension educator with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the cow-calf business is traditionally a break-even business. But that changed last year. CONTINUED ON 11
CONTINUED FROM 10
“We’ve seen it increase dramatically,” he said. “It depends on what economist you use, but profits have been as high as $700 a cow. That’s a huge, huge increase from what cow-calf producers are used to seeing.”
Seeking efficiency Among those who have benefited is Dan Hanrahan, 38, current president of the Madison County Cattlemens Association in south-central Iowa. “It is really remarkable the prices we are seeing,” said Hanrahan, who farms about 120 head of cattle with his parents near Cumming, Iowa. “This year has really been a bright spot for us.” Hanrahan said efficiency was quickly becoming the main theme for area cattle farmers. “As input prices really escalated with the high commodity prices – corn and soybeans – I think there has been a stretch of time here where people have taken another look at how to get the
most out of their hay or their expenses in terms of supplemental feed,” Hanrahan said. While a lot of farmers are expressing interest in expanding the herd, current prices are forcing them to look at the long-term value of an expensive heifer. “The value of that replacement heifer is so high, by expanding now, you are expanding with a really high-priced female,” Hanrahan said. “We are looking at other areas in the herd where we can invest some dollars and lower our cost for the years ahead.” One area Hanrahan is looking into is fertility. He hopes an investment in that aspect of his operation will improve the carrying capacity for many years. Patrick Gunn, animal science assistant professor at Iowa State University, said expansion required a strategy. “If we are going out and buying replacement females, we should be buying females that are elite, or at least an upgrade from what we currently have in our production system,” he said.
Cattle sell-off The cattle charge all started with a drought-stricken southern U.S. in 2011. Once cattle producers in the South lose water, they can’t maintain animals, Meteer said. They can bring in hay, but water is the issue, so a huge liquidation of cow herd occurred in 2011 in the Southwest, he said. The drought returned in 2012, again during the grazing season, but this time it affected a larger portion of the country, including much of the Midwest. When cattle operations don’t have water, cows get sold, Meteer said, and the industry went through two years of massive liquidation. That’s where the simple law of supply and demand comes into play, said Phil Reemtsma, who is president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. And that was helped, he said, by some misfortune in the pork industry with the spread of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDV, which killed off much of the pig supply. CONTINUED ON 12
Jake Waddingham/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Dan Hanrahan, 38, is president of the Madison County Cattlemens Association and farms about 120 head of cattle with his parents near Cumming, Iowa. While current cattle prices have been a boon to farmers like Hanrahan, he said they also are forcing them to look at the long-term value of an expensive heifer. “The value of that replacement heifer is so high,” he said, “by expanding now, you are expanding with a really high-priced female.” AG Mag 11
CONTINUED FROM 11
“We had sort of a perfect storm there of a shortage of animal protein,” said Reemtsma, a veterinarian from Dewitt. That perfect storm resulted in record beef profits. And what cattlemen are doing with those profits can set them up for future success. Some operators are building new facilities. In Iowa, many are building indoor facilities that will Phil Reemtsma not only reduce costs, but reduce the chance of run-off making its way into rivers or streams. “From a big picture standpoint, it’s great time to be in the cattle business,” Reemtsma said “There is going to be some up and down. But people investing in those operations … I think it’s going to be a good investment long term.” Others, like Dan Dykstra, vice president of Whiteside County Cattlemen’s Association who also has 50 head of cattle, will keep back more heifers than he usually would on his farm about 5 miles northwest of Morrison in northern Illinois. While a heifer usually pays for itself in about 7 years, Dykstra said, he thinks
‘‘
If we are going out and buying replacement females, we should be buying females that are elite, or at least an upgrade from what we currently have in our production system.
he will cut that time in half with the animals he’s keeping. Cattlemen looking to reinvest their profits from 2014 should consider all their options and evaluate whether they’re already Lee Schulz maxed out, in which case the reinvestment might be best used to secure wealth against future loses or to make small changes to improve efficiency. While starting up livestock operations on a farm that doesn’t already have them might be too expensive to take advantage of the current conditions, Meteer said, diversified farms with livestock and row crop may have an advantage over straight row crop. “It just needs to be approached with common sense and awareness,” he said. “It is a little bit of an unforgiving business.”
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Patrick Gunn, Iowa State University, animal science assistant professor
’’
Cyclical business Lee Schulz, assistant professor of economics at Iowa State University who specializes in livestock, said production agriculture, and livestock in general, is notoriously cyclical. There was already tight a supply in the cattle industry before the liquidation happened, he explained, and that’s what triggered the high prices. “If we look at the markets, the fundamentals of both supply and demand are really supporting record profits in the livestock industry,” he said. And 2015, Schulz said, looks like it could be on par with 2014. Hanrahan believes the improved profitability may help encourage the next generation – like Sam Keating – to make raising livestock a career. CONTINUED ON 14
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CONTINUED FROM 12
Sam, 14, and his brother, Justin, 16, help their father, lifelong cattle farmer Russ Keating of Winterset, Iowa, who manages 30 head. Sam said he enjoys working with his dad, helping to provide food and water for their cows. “I like watching how different their behavior can be,” Sam said. He added his goal is to have a mild-mannered herd that he can easily interact with while working. But just as the weather in other parts of the country contributed to the rise in prices for cattle in the Midwest, it can also contribute to its fall. “I just talked to a fellow in South Dakota,” Illinois cattleman Dykstra said. “They’re tickled to death with how things look this winter. If they have a normal year, a normal couple years, I say 2 to 3 years [of more high prices]. “If they experience another drought, it’ll extend it even more.” What might seem like uncertainty to some, Illinois extension educator Meteer said, is just another year in the cow-cattle business. “If you ever want a humbling experience in life, own cattle,” he said. “There are a lot of factors that can come into play.”
Jake Waddingham/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Dan Hanrahan unrolls hay for his cows in northeast Madison County. Hanrahan said the previous high input costs have made cattle farmers re-evaluate their expenses with hay and supplemental feed.
‘‘
We’ve seen [the cow-calf business] increase dramatically. It depends on what economist you use, but profits have been as high as $700 a cow. That’s a huge, huge increase from what cow-calf producers are used to seeing. W. Travis Meeter, beef extension educator
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AG Mag
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Great food? She delivers Debbie Roach rules in the kitchen, at city hall, and at the post office BY SARAH BROWN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Sarah Brown/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
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In a search for the best cook in Worth County, Missouri, one name comes to the mind of its residents – Debbie Roach. Roach, 60, of Grant City is known not only for her comfort food and baked goods, but she is also the mayor and postmaster of neighboring city of Sheridan, the chairwoman of Northwest Missouri Regional Solid Waste Management District A, president of Grant City Betterment Group, and vice president and national legislative committee member of the Missouri branch of the National League of Postmasters.
But before Roach was serving residents of Northwest Missouri in a civic capacity, she was learning about their lives as the co-owner of a popular Grant City restaurant – Uptown Cafe, which Roach started with her mother, Mary Thompson, and brother, Jerry Saville. Another brother, Roger Saville, also bought into the family business, which was open from 1978 to 1989. “It was the type of food that you would get if you were going to go sit down at mom’s house and have Sunday dinner,” Roach said. “It was a meat-and-potatoes type of establishment.” CONTINUED ON 17
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Sarah Brown/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Debbie Roach thumbs through a recipe box, which holds all of the family recipes she and her mother prepared at their family restaurant, Uptown Cafe, in Grant City, Missouri, from 1978 to 1989. Roach said her mother often wrote original recipes on scraps of paper as ideas and ingredients came to mind. CONTINUED FROM 16
Roach continues to cater two or three special events a year. Her cookies – chocolate, peanut butter, no-bake, snicker doodle, oatmeal and scotcheroos – have become an attraction of sorts at Northwest Missouri Days, an annual event in its 11th year to showcase the towns in Missouri north of Interstate 70. “The first year that we went I made cookies for just the people in our booth as we were setting up,” Roach said. “As word got around, neighboring vendors found out about the cookies and asked if they could have some.” Roach said she used to bring six dozen cookies to the event, but now she brings more than 24 dozen, which are also given as gifts to state and city officials who attend the event.
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Whether it was baking her first peach pie at age 9, waitressing at Grant City Live Stock Market, running her own restaurant, current catering jobs or baking for her friends and family, Roach said she enjoys cooking and sharing meals with others. It reminds her of family dinners with her seven brothers gathered around the table in her mother and father’s kitchen, where “there was always a pot of coffee on and homemade cookies or rolls.” “It [cooking] is a way for me to show that I care about people,” Roach said.
1. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon and spread into an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 400º for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool, crumble and set aside. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon and toss with apples. Place apples in pie shell. Cut a circle of foul to cover apples but not the edge of pastry and place over pie. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375º and bake for 35 minutes or until apples are tender. 2. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan over low heat, melt caramels with evaporated milk. Stir frequently. Remove foil from pie. Pour caramel mixture over apples. Sprinkle with topping. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve warm. Yields 6 to 8 servings This recipe was submitted in 1996 by Debbie Roach and published in Taste of Home Cookbook.
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Sarah Brown/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
In response to consumer demand, General Mills announced its original Cheerios cereal is now made without the use of genetically modified ingredients. While there are no GMO oats, which is the primary ingredient in Cheerios, General Mills now uses only corn starch derived from non-GMO corn and non-GMO pure cane sugar.
Is GMO labeling worth it? Mandated GMO labeling bills in Iowa failed; debate continues BY SARAH BROWN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Bills that would require the labeling of genetically engineered foods have been introduced in the Iowa Legislature but never emerged from committee. “I don’t think there is anything pending right now, but, that can always change,” said Ruth MacDonald, professor and chairperson in food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University. Senate File 194 was introduced in the Iowa Senate in early 2013. That same year, House File 463 was introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives. The Senate bill, authored by Sen. Joe 18 Spring 2015
Bolkcom, would have required “consumer labeling information for food, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.” The House version – sponsored by nine Iowa representatives – proposed “food items to be labeled with information that identifies the food items as genetically modified.”
Why GMO labeling has failed Mandated labeling of genetically modified organisms has failed at the state level for a number of reasons. While the U.S. does not have a federal law to mandate labeling of GMOs, vol-
untary labeling by states is permitted. “You might not be able to win an individual state and do it [mandated GMO labeling],” MacDonald said, “but, if you get enough states to say ‘this is important to us’ and pass the laws, that would force the hand of the federal government.“ MacDonald said the FDA’s position on GMOs since the 1980s has been that the process of creating foods through genetic engineering does not change the nutritional or structural chemical composition of the food, therefore it does not need to be labeled. CONTINUED ON 19
CONTINUED FROM 18
“Adding a label that a product is produced by genetically modified technology does not change the safety or the quality of the food in any way,” MacDonald said. “It would become an additional regulatory factor for the food industry to manage for no benefit to the consumers.” Ruth MacDonald MacDonald said there is no evidence that non-GMO products are better or safer than GMO products. However, Howard Vlieger, an independent crop and livestock nutrition adviser, and a third-generation farmer, disagreed. “There are tremendous amounts of incidents of the ill effects that are being observed and documented by a growing number of pediatricians across the country,” Vlieger said. “I think it [GMO labeling] is a must for protecting the health of our future generations.” Vlieger, a self-described “student of the soil,” began using alternative farming practices in 1989 to decrease the use Howard of chemicals Vlieger on his crops. In 1992, Vlieger’s advisory work, which now spans 16 states, has helped farmers to decrease their dependency on chemicals and move to organic or biological farming practices. In Vlieger’s advisory work, clients started to recognize a change in their animals as BT, or genetically engineered corn, was removed from their feed. Problems causing gastrointestinal tract infections, ulcers, false pregnancies and bloody bowels went away. Vlieger’s concern: if this is happening in animals, what is it doing to humans? A long-term feeding study, co-authored by Vlieger, was published in 2013 in the
Journal of Organic Systems. Researchers found significantly higher rates of severe stomach inflammation and thickening of the uterus in pigs that were fed GMO corn and soy. “It proposes a real health risk,” Vlieger said.
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Current options A 2013 study on consumer behavior, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Iowa Farm Bureau, concluded consumer decisions, when selecting meat and dairy products, were based on three primary factors – price, taste and nutrition. Less than 20 percent of consumers were concerned with how the products were produced. “If you are worried about some particular ingredient or have a logical reason of why you want to avoid that ingredient, that is your decision,” MacDonald said. MacDonald said there is already a way to avoid GMOs without the rigmarole, regulatory processes, and mandates on the food industry that are already in place: Eat organic. Organic labeling is voluntary, but any producer who chooses to label products as organic are subject to strict verifiable guidelines by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Anything that is made in the United States out of corn or soybeans, and any of the ingredients that come from that, pretty much are going to be GMO,” MacDonald said. “So, if you don’t want to eat GMO stuff, don’t buy things that have those ingredients.” However, some people avoid buying organic produce because of its higher price. MacDonald said the cost of mandated GMO labeling would be absorbed by the consumer. Despite being against mandated GMO labeling, MacDonald said “consumer knowledge is a good thing,” but, is against a labeling program being adopted “just because” someone wants to know.
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AG Mag
19
HOW HIGH CORN YIELDS
Technology continues to argue against a plateau
S
BY KYLE WILSON AND DAVE FOX For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
ometimes, the only certainty in farming is uncertainty. Take corn, for instance. Both yields and prices in corn markets have seen record highs in recent years. Yields continue to fluctuate, ever upward, while prices seem to have corrected themselves – downward – after the golden grain hit an all-time high in recent years. For decades, farmers in southern Iowa and northern Missouri have seen yields rise, doubling since 1975 to record-breaking levels for many growers in 2014. “There’s a big debate within agriculture nationally: Do we have continued room for growth in yields?” said Chad Hart, a professor and crop market specialist from Iowa State University. “You look at state-level numbers, you see well over 200. Somewhere in the 200s is where I think we can plateau.” Mark Johnson, an Iowa State University field agronomist, said a plateau could create a major problem, since Iowa is such a large producer in the heavy corn-exporting U.S. “A plateau is highly unlikely,” Johnson said. “And if we had one, we wouldn’t be able to feed the world.” 20 Spring 2015
CAN GO?
Greg Wurster farms 11,000 acres across southwest Iowa and northern Missouri. He’s pictured here on his farm near Lenox, Iowa. Wurster said he doesn’t see corn yields expanding much over the next 20 years. “At least not at the pace they did the past 20,” he said. “But, as soon as I say that, they’ll come up with something else – some new technology.” Kyle Wilson/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Upward trend
Dave Fox/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Corn is moved from one step to the next in the seed corn processing plant at Prairie Hybrids in Deer Grove, Illinois. In Iowa, farmers produced 181.81 bushels of corn per acre in 2014, much higher than the national average.
Iowa produced 181.81 bushels of corn per acre in 2014, Johnson said – much higher than the national average. He said ethanol production accounts for about one-third of that total. He said that while yields have not increased or decreased by the same amount in any two consecutive years, the trend has still climbed, Mark Johnson in general, for more Iowa State than 30 years. University field “There are no two agronomist says years that follow the corn yields in trend line,” Johnson Iowa have been said. “But we now on the rise for have about 14 million more than 30 acres of field corn in years. this state. There’s still a trend line.” Greg Wurster – who farms 11,000 acres across southwest Iowa – said at some point yields will have to level off because there is only so much space in a field and only so much available sunlight. “I don’t see yield numbers expanding much over the next 20 years,” Wurster said. “At least not at the pace they did the past 20. But, as soon as I say that, they’ll come up with something else – some new technology.” Wurster and Doug Holiday – who farms about 4,000 acres in Adair County, Iowa – agree that the genetics of today’s seeds continue to get “better and better,” ratcheting yields upward. Holiday said the beans he harvested last year were the best he’s had in 35 years of farming. Holiday’s plan for the 2015 season is to plant 75 percent soybeans and 25 percent corn because he feels the economics are there for beans, and he’s not worried about a plateau coming anytime soon. CONTINUED ON 22 AG Mag
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SOUTHWEST DISTRICT AVERAGE CORN YIELDS, 2004-2013 (BU./ACRE) This table, created by Iowa State University, shows the average corn yields recorded in Southwest Iowa over the past decade. Data in this table was compiled by Iowa Office of National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn Yields Adair Adams Cass Fremont Mills Montgomery Page Pottawattamie Taylor Southwest Iowa
2004 182 169 192 188 185 183 180 190 158 183
2005 159 157 168 161 164 158 165 171 157 164
2006 165 145 171 146 160 164 153 172 142 160
2007 161 153 158 151 147 145 140 162 138 153
2008 169 156 174 147 156 160 133 178 135 160
2009 181 169 184 189 193 193 178 194 151 184
2010 139 139 155 153 160 157 150 165 122 152
Market correction
CONTINUED FROM 21
“I can’t see yields hitting a plateau,” Holiday said. “We’re learning new practices all the time and implementing them. We’ll soon have the use of drones to monitor our fields to see what’s going on. And, the hybrids are getting better and better.” Jeremy Burgmeirer, a farmer in Adair and Union counties, also doesn’t see yields slowing down. “I’d say they won’t plateau. We’ve all seen yield monitors go over 300 in certain fields,” said Burgmeirer, who plans his normal crop rotation of half corn, half beans for 2015.
But after record yields and high prices, the market has worked to correct itself. There is somewhat of a downward trend on the number of corn acres being planted, according to USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, which was released in January. According to that report, an estimated 97.3 million acres of corn were planted in the U.S. in 2012-13, with that number dropping to 95.4 million acres the next season. The agency estimates a drastically lower 90.6 million acres of
2011 153 152 175 156 155 153 136 171 141 158
2012 104 110 120 131 129 132 116 132 92 121
2013 139 149 161 161 172 155 156 181 137 160
Avg. 155 150 166 158 162 160 151 171 137 159
corn being planted in the U.S. in the coming growing season amid corn prices at half of what they were less than three years ago. Iowa State agronomist Johnson said weather and long-range forecasts make an impact on planting choices. “A lot hinges on weather during the growing season,” he said. “Farmers only have about a three-week window in June, or close to it, when the real meaningful plant growth happens,” Moisture levels also make a huge difference, Johnson said. CONTINUED ON 24
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AG Mag
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Plenty of corn
CONTINUED FROM 22
“If it goes real hot or real wet, the crop and the yield are affected,” he said. “Corn needs oxygen to grow and flourish, and in standing water, there isn’t enough oxygen. And if gets real hot for a few weeks in a row or more, the plant dries out.” Gilbert Hostetler, president of Deer Grove, Illinois-based Prairie Hybrids, said actual yield per acre would largely depend on the type of seed planted. “GMO [genetically modified seed] tends to produce slightly lower yields per acre than non-GMO,” he said. “Non-GMO corn generally produces about 15 bushels more per acre than GMO varieties,” he said. “Some of our non-GMO seed averages 200 to 225 bushels per acre, and we have had some go as high as 300.” Hostetler attributes much of that to the fact that non-GMO plants break down into organic matter in the soil much more effectively after the harvest. That, in turn, leads to higher plant productivity. And while GMO corn may not be keeping up with non-GMO in yields, it does lend itself to other advantages. “There tend to be less insects and other things,” said Dan Koster, president of Tettens Grain based in Galt, Illinois, “because GMO corn has traits built in that make it insect and fungus-resistant.
Pioneer Seed’s Steven Long, based in Sterling Illinois, said there will likely be more beans and less corn planted this coming season, at least in the Midwest, as a step toward correcting the market. “It’s a little more economical to put out beans,” he said. “It’s a crop that costs less to produce than corn.” Once existing supplies shrink, prices could rise again and more corn could be planted. But not this year, in all likelihood. “We’ve got enough supply of corn on hand right now,” Long said, “Planting more beans probably won’t drive corn prices back up, but it will give existing supplies of corn a chance to be used. ... “As there’s an abundant supply of corn, and less demand, the price will always go down,” he said. “Low prices cure low prices.” Hostetler, with Prairie Hybrids, agrees there will likely be less corn acres this season. “There will be definitely less corn in 2015,” he said. “Farmers are scared stiff they’ll be making a lot less money. The market is correcting itself.” Dennis Janssen, an agronomist with Key Co-op in Sully, Iowa, said he’s not sure exactly what farmers are thinking, but his co-op has received more seed
orders than usual. “All of our orders were received back in the fall,” Janssen said. “We’ve gotten in about three [big-rig] trucks so far, and will probably get about another 10 to 12 more.” Iowa State’s Johnson said ethanol is not having an impact yet on how much field corn farmers decide to plant, as their product can still be sold as food – just not necessarily for as much money. He said he could not imagine ethanol becoming so lucrative that farmers would want to stop producing corn for food – even though ethanol already accounts for one-third of field corn yields. It’s not a matter of how many farmers are in the corn business or which ones produced corn for what purpose – it’s more a matter of planting less if the price is low. Technology also sometimes plays a part in yields and planning, Johnston said. “A few years ago, no one was talking about drilling into shale [fracking], and getting tons of oil out of it,” Johnson said. “But look what’s happening in North Dakota now. No one really knows when a phenomenon like ethanol or shale oil is going to come along – even in the corn business.” Jason W. Brooks contributed to this report.
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An agricultural daze Graceland promotes ag through annual event BY BAILEY POOLMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The hoop house is one of several sustainability projects on Graceland University’s Lamoni campus. (Photo submitted to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag)
LAMONI – For a new high-school graduate, preparing for the next step can be scary. But, an opportunity at Graceland University in Lamoni could change that fear into something a little different. Graceland University offers an annual agriculture business/FFA day, which is an informational event done twice a year at the college and surrounding area. CONTINUED ON 26
Lamoni Branch Loan Officers Jodi Hensley; Vice President, and Kevin Lloyd; President
AG Mag
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CONTINUED FROM 25
“Any ag student who is in high school can attend this day,” said Graceland junior Truly Mothershead. “This year, I was a student committee member for the ag business days. I helped make major decisions to get ready for that day.” Mothershead, 19, is one of many people at the university who prepared for the events held Oct. 8 and Nov. 20. “People who attend this event get to see what we as ag business students get to do on campus, and what Graceland has to offer for those students,” said Mothershead, who is majoring in agriculture business and art studio. “As for students like me, it helps some solidify their choice to attend our university.” The event consists of different sessions throughout the day. Those include visiting the corn and soybean test plots, hoop house, and Invinci Graphics, a Lamoni business.
Photo submitted to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
This Graceland University banner boasts the agricultural business department on the university’s campus in Lamoni. “I think that one very good result is that students get a chance to come to campus that they might not ordinarily get, and they get exposure to the college environment, and see what it’s like to be on a college campus when they’re a freshman or sophomore [in high school],” said Julie Breshears, aca-
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demic assistant in C.H. Sandage School of Business, Graceland. Breshears’ responsibilities, she said, are behind the scenes, while Max Pitt, associate professor of business in the School of Business, is one of the leaders. “Max and I work very closely to make this event come
together, but Max leads,” Breshears said. “He arranges most of the rotation sessions, contacts. ... I wanted to make sure he gets credit where credit is due.” The program in 2014 marked the fifth year since it started – and the first time students from north-central Missouri were included. More than 200 students attended the two events total. The next sessions will be in fall 2015. “I would say that my favorite part is seeing it all come together in terms of so many people working,” Breshears said. “It’s just really fun to see all of us coordinating together to make this an event the students really enjoy, and see them enjoying a day out like this.” As a student and mentor, Mothershead agrees. “I have always enjoyed being a mentor to younger students,” Mothershead said. “This makes me happy to see younger students learning and getting excited about agriculture business.”
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26 Spring 2015
Agriculture Education Area School Directory UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
GRACELAND UNIVERSITY 1 University Place, Lamoni, IA 50140 www.graceland.edu (886) 472- 2352 Agriculture business, bachelors of arts – Upon completion of Graceland University’s agriculture business program, students will be able to describe ag issues, critically consider global questions, and address complex problems in agriculture business. Students will develop expertise regarding agriculture and related disciplines, including accounting, business, economics, management, marketing and finance.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 100 Enrollment Services Center Ames, IA 50011-2011 www.iastate.edu (800) 262-3810 Undergraduate majors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Agricultural and life sciences education Agricultural biochemistry Agricultural business Agricultural studies Agricultural systems technology Agronomy Animal ecology Animal science Dairy science Forestry Genetics
Horticulture International agriculture Public service and administration in agriculture Seed science Undeclared agriculture
SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 1501 W. Townline St. Creston, IA 50801 http://www.swcciowa.edu (641) 782-7081 Associates of applied science degrees: Crop production provides students a blend of crop-related and practical application. Students learn current practices in crop production and technology while gaining confidence in producing locally grown crops. Classes specific to this program are farm equipment management, grain and forage crops, precision farming, integrative pest management, and horticulture. Typical careers include seed representatives, row crops, corn genetics. Livestock production provides a blend of animal science courses and practical application. During the program, students obtain knowledge to raise, produce and market livestock. Classes specific to this program include animal health, animal nutrition, animal breeding, genetics,, and reproduction. This program is considered suitable for students who are interested in working at a local co-op, raising their own cattle, or becoming a livestock nutritionist. Agricultural business combines business and agricultural science courses. Classes specific to this program include the essen-
tial accounting, economics, farm business management, marketing, and agricultural courses. Blair said this is a degree for students interested in ag-related marketing, advertising, journalism, communications, and working more in the business sector. Agriculture major, associate of arts, is a general education degree for students transferring to a four-year college or university.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA CPHB, Suite 300 145 N. Riverside Drive, The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242 http://cph.uiowa.edu/ (319) 335-4415 Graduate programs in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health M.S. in agriculture safety and health Agricultural safety and health M.S. students gain skills for anticipation, diagnosis, exposure assessment, treatment and prevention of agricultural illnesses and injuries in the fields of education, health care, insurance, and agribusinesses as agricultural safety and health specialists. Ph.D. in Agriculture Safety and Health Agricultural Safety and Health Ph.D. students will receive specialized training at the doctoral level to prepare individuals for academic, research and policy-making careers in occupational and environmental health with a specialty in agricultural safety and health.
AG Mag
27
Watching farming evolve Chases share 100-year story of family farm BY AMY HANSEN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Amy Hansen/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Billie and Alice Chase hope their farm north of Osceola, Iowa, receives designation as a century farm this year.
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Billie and Alice Chase of Osceola, Iowa, have a goal to get their farm designated as a century farm. “It means that my ancestors and I have lived here for 100 years on the same land,” Alice said. The Chases’ farm is just north of Osceola in Clarke County. Alice, 85, said she hopes the designation for 100 years will happen this year, but there’s still quite a process to go through to get official approval. Alice recalled growing up on an Iowa farm in the early to mid-20th century. “In that day, everything was horses,” she said. “It wasn’t tractors.” Billie, 89, grew up in Nebraska and was as a sailor and cook in World War II. He was was among a large group of World War II and Korean War veterans who toured Washington, D.C., in 2013, as part of the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight. CONTINUED ON 29
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Farm life Billie and Alice married on April Fool’s Day in 1951 and eventually settled on Alice’s family farm. “A farmer, no matter what year it is, especially when we were younger, you had a garden,” Alice recalled. “You had your own meat, and you canned.” Billie was an independent farmer of cattle, hogs, corn and beans. “In today’s world, it’s not there anymore,” Billie said.
“Now, it’s all big farming.” The farm is currently 80 acres. The couple sold a lot of land several years ago after Billie stopped keeping livestock. Billie couldn’t recall the exact date he decided to retire from farming. “It just got less and less,” he said. He said he misses working the farm and being able to be his own boss when it comes to the agricultural business. “Well, now I’m not able,” he said. “I’d like to be able, but I’m not, so you just do with what you’ve got.”
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AG Mag
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‘Complex and difficult’ Photo submitted to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Drew Weyers works in the field of his farm south of Monroe, Iowa. Weyers said he is leaning toward going with Agricultural Risk Coverage as his revenue safety net but wants to learn more about his options before making a final decision.
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Deadlines loom for new safety net options BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND JAKE WADDINGHAM For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Direct payments disappeared in the new farm bill, and farmers have until March 31 to choose between two new safety net programs. One of the programs modifies the previous farm bill’s target price program. The Agricultural Act of 2014 replaced the Counter-Cyclical Payment program with the Price Loss Coverage program. The other option, with two variations, changes the revenue safety nets. Agricultural Risk Coverage replaces Average Crop Revenue Election with ARC County and ARC Individual Farm. Those who don’t make a decision will automatically be enrolled in PLC; they will be paid for 2015, but not 2014 because CCP payments were based on the previous marketing year averages. But before farmers make that choice, there is a more pressing information-gathering deadline coming. Farmers have until Feb. 27 to update their base acreage reallocation and yield history information. Bruce Travis with Hometown Insurance said he is encouraging farmers to start with updating their payment yields
and looking into reallocating their base acres. “Farmers are able to update their yields for the first time since 1986,” Travis said. “They are allowing farmers to use their crop insurance history to fill out the sheets.” Bruce Travis Farmers are using he Hometown years 2008 to 2012 to Insurance agent update their payment said he is yields. encouraging “Those were pretfarmers to start ty rough years as a with updating their payment whole,” Travis said. “If yields and looking we can gain any tracinto reallocating tion, we are helping their base acres farmers look into it.” Union County farmer Chad Ide said he took advantage of the opportunity to reallocate the base acres on his farms to reflect a better representation of his current operation. “We had some acres that were still listed as oats and hay that we had switched over to row crop,” Ide said. Travis said the final step is determining which enrollment option in the farm bill is best for ensuring the farmer’s crop will
Adair County Mutual Insurance Association — since 1888 —
be protected. With ARC, the county option has a higher trigger at 85 percent, but the benchmark yield is based off the entire county’s average. It also calculates corn and soybean yields separately. Chad Ide The individual farm Union County option has a lower farmer said he was trigger at 65 percent leaning toward and considers only the the Agricultural yield harvest from the Risk Coverage farmer’s field, but it county option averages corn and soybeans together. Ide said he was leaning toward the ARC county option because it seemed like a better risk management tool that incorporates average yields and commodity prices. If farmers do not take action, they will be placed on the PLC option, which sets a protection price from 2014-18 on crop prices. Corn has a reference price of $3.70, and soybeans are set at $8.40. CONTINUED ON 32
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CONTINUED FROM 31
Jerry Quinton, executive director for the Lee County Farm Service Agency in northern Illinois, said farmers and landowners need to take care of the revisions before choosing a safety net option. FSA needs the yield data as bushels per acre between 2008 and 2012. “We take 90 percent of that and it becomes the new yield,” Quinton said. “That can then be used for the new PLC program.” Even if they choose ARC County, FSA still needs producers to certify their yields. To reallocate the base acres on a farm, FSA will use the average of the reported acreage from 2009 through 2012. “I would urge farmers to take advantage of the yield and reallocation opportunities because it’s the first time they could do it since 20022003,” Quinton said. Given the delay in crafting a new farm bill, the FSA offices are under the gun
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Michael Krabbenhoeft/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Farmers look through information about the 2014 farm bill during a meeting in January at the Carroll County Farm Bureau in northwest Illinois. Farmers in Iowa, like those in Illinois and nationwide, have until March 31 to decide which revenue safety net they wish to use. with the deadlines. Quinton said farmers should make an appointment with his office as soon as possible. “We didn’t get the green light to start this until after October 1,” Quinton said. “Given the current situation, we’d need to average 46
farms a day now to finish on time.” Several educational meetings were held in November and December. While ARC County seems to be the popular choice in northern Illinois, many farmers are still weighing
the risk in their decisions. Some farm organizations in northern Illinois are pointing producers in the direction of the ARC County safety net option because they believe it favors Midwest grain producers. It uses a collective benchmark yield, for example, $1.70 for Lee County. An important difference between ARC and PLC is that ARC is a revenue program. PLC uses target and loan prices with a $1.75 spread. It covers only loss and doesn’t protect revenue. ARC Individual doesn’t receive much attention in Illinois because it is believed to be a better choice for farmers who have smaller farms where climate, soil types, and yield can vary greatly throughout a county. The only part of the safety net process that crop insurers are directly dealing with is the Supplemental Crop Option, which is available only as an add-on with PLC.
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The PLC option would seem to be better suited for farmers in the southern states, where crops like cotton and rice are king. Because PLC offers a deeper net, it might also be a better choice for new farmers who are just getting established. It’s important to note that neither program is intended to replace crop insurance. Gary Schnitkey, an agriculture economist at the University of Illinois, breaks down the decision process into three parts: Which has the highest expected payments; how concerned you are about low prices; and what is the availability of the supplemental coverage? “ARC County probably has the highest expected payments for corn,” Schnitkey said. “This is best if you believe prices will be above $3.30 over 5 years, but you’d better be in PLC if you’re concerned corn will come in below $3.30.” Current corn prices have been in the $4 range. Schnitkey said the availability of SCO isn’t likely to be a big factor because it adds only about 1 percent to the mix. In Iowa, Dave Miller is a go-to guy on the safety net options. He is the director of research for commodity services at Iowa Farm Bureau. Because of the complexity of the programs, even an expert like Miller has changed his mind on
some of the finer points. “A few months ago, I said ARC County is probably best for most people in Iowa, but now I believe PLC competes pretty well in southern Iowa,” Miller said. Miller believes efforts to educate farmers are starting to cut through the initial confusion. The hesitancy has backed up the process, adding to deadline stress at the FSA offices. “We had very good attendance at our state meetings,” Miller said, “and many people had gone to several meetings before they said they were finally getting it because it’s complex and difficult.” Miller still believes ARC County is best for soybeans in Illinois and Iowa, based on his calculations showing there is only about a 5 percent to 10 percent chance of getting PLC payments for soybeans in any of the 5 years. For corn, the decision is not so simple. Farmers are urged to remember that the safety net options will cover 5 crop years – a period from 2014 through 2018. ARC County is likely to provide a bigger payout in the first 2 years, but not much protection on the back end of the contract. With PLC, if corn hangs around $4.25, farmers might get only one payment, but it would provide much deeper protection if prices were to drop off the table into the $3 range. PLC also seems
to be a better choice in areas where yields are steadier. Miller said much of the decision should be about assessing debt load and risk tolerance. “If $3 corn could put you out of business, you should look at PLC,” he advised, “but others should get the max now with less protection in the back end. It’s kind of like sitting down at a poker game, and with ARC, you’re assured of winning your first two hands.” Some global issues at play are cause for concern when betting on corn prices. Weather is always the biggest wild card, and farmers have been blessed with a longer up cycle with prices than usual in such a cyclical business. Another record production year in 2014, nationally and in Illinois, could stoke worries about oversupply. “It’s not a big concern at the moment – we went from $3 corn in August to near $4 now – but if we have another good year in 2015, it could get back to $3 in a hurry,” Schnitkey said. Ethanol is another piece of the supply puzzle. Plunging oil prices and a trend toward reduced gas consumption present a potentially dangerous mix for the ethanol industry. “Oil’s effect on the markets will definitely be something to watch moving forward,” Miller said. “It could put a great deal of pressure on the ethanol industry.”
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AG Mag
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LIVING ON THE
LINE
Mike Mendenhall/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
There are 67 turbines on the Laurel Wind Farm near Laurel, south of the border of Jasper and Marshall counties. Iowa is second only to Texas in production of wind-generated power. According to the Iowa Utilities Board, Iowa generated about 27 percent of its power from wind in 2013. The development of wind power projects like the Laurel Wind Farm and Rock Island Clean Line have farmers in their paths concerned about the viability of their farmland after construction.
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Construction date of RICL Iowa segment still unclear; developers filing for franchise agreements BY MIKE MENDENHALL For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Before construction begins on the 500-mile, 3,500-megawatt direct current transmission system of Rock Island Clean Line, project developers would like to win over land owners like Greg Gillespie. The O’Brien County resident filed a letter of objection to the project in March 2013, concerned about the viability of his farmland after construction. “They’re going buy the area at current land value, but we feel that that value is pretty low,” Gillespie said. Texas-based Clean Line Energy Partners – the company spearheading the project – has asked to utilize 75 feet of property on Gillespie’s land. The company wants to negotiate easements with landowners in the 16 northern Iowa counties affected, but there is some resistance. Gillespie has joined the group Preservation of
Rural Iowa, a nonprofit organization formed to assist landowners who oppose the 375-mile Iowa stretch of the transmission line. Illinois has already approved 125 miles of transmission lines for the project, but withheld eminent domain authority. The line would carry wind-generated power from western Iowa to a substation in Grundy County, Illinois, for use in Chicago and eastward. Before construction on the wind energy transmission project can move forward, it will have to get approval from the Iowa Utilities Board – a three-member, nonpartisan panel appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad. The IUB is currently considering approval of a hazardous liquid pipeline proposed by Dakota Access Pipeline LLC, which is slated to bring North Dakota crude oil through Iowa to Patoka, Illinois. CONTINUED ON 36
Mike Mendenhall/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Larry Wehrman, of Laurel, stands under a 263-foot-tall, 2.3-megawatt windmill on his acreage in Central Iowa. Developers are seeking approval from the Iowa Utilities Board for the Rock Island Clean Line project, which would transmit wind-generated energy produced on wind farms like the Laurel Wind Farm.
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CONTINUED FROM 35
Rob Hillesland, information specialist for IUB, said this is the first time in recent memory that IUB has considered two such significant statewide projects simultaneously. RICL completed the countywide informational meetings required by Iowa Code in 2013 and filed its permit to build in November of last year. Currently, project developers are petitioning for franchise agreements and hope to begin construction in 2016, taking five to seven years. Before the project can reach approval, the IUB will hold a hearing in the county seat closest to the center of the transmission line. A date for the hearing and venue have not yet been decided by IUB. According to figures from Hillesland, 1,704 letters of support for the RICL – and 1,105 letters of objection – have been filed with the regulatory agency. Most of the debate surrounding the project is with eminent domain. The current project route takes the RICL through 2,000 parcels of land. Gillespie is concerned that construction crews will compress topsoil, making his land untillable and unplantable for years – although RICL would be responsible for a land reclamation process as part of the easement. Iowa is second only to Texas in production of wind generated power.
36AG_Mag_Hlfpg_Horz_Gabe_Adair.indd Spring 2015
1
This map, provided by Rock Island Clean Line, shows the entire RICL project, which begins in northwest Iowa and ends in Grundy County, Illinois. The Illinois route has been approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission, while the Iowa portion of the route is still under consideration by the Iowa Utilities Board. According to the IUB, Iowa generated about 27 percent of its power from wind in 2013. Larry Wehrman owns a 160-acre row crop operation in the center of the Laurel Wind Farm, a 121-megawatt project producing for Mid-American Energy in Marshall County. As with the RICL project, Wehrman and other property owners within the 11,000-acre wind farm received easement offers from developers, but most felt the project was positive and did not have to fight an eminent domain claim. After developers approached the land owners,
area land owners jointly hired a lawyer to represent all their interests at once. After construction, Wehrman said he was pleased with the reclamation process and noted that any damage to his land was promptly repaired by Mid American. As far as the noise and skyscape, Wehrman said he couldn’t be happier. “It’s like living next to train tracks after a while,” he said. “The only thing noticeable is you go outside at night and, if the weather is right, you can hear them. Just a little swish noise. But, heck, they don’t bother us a bit.”
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Bailey Poolman/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Joe Herr, a sophomore at Nodaway Valley High School in Greenfield, Iowa, fixes a barrier between his show pigs in January on the family farm in Fontanelle.
Continuing the tradition Teen works family farm, plans to continue work BY BAILEY POOLMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
The outdoor is where Joe Herr feels most at home. “I like coming outside every day, and the challenges every day,� Herr, a sophomore at Nodaway Valley High School, said. “There’s always something happening. I enjoy watching nature
[and] being free to do whatever you want to do.� Herr, active in baseball, football, FFA and 4-H, works throughout the year on his family’s Fontanelle farm, which consists of row crop and cow and calf operations. He also shows cows and pigs. CONTINUED ON 38
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Shows
CONTINUED FROM 37
I started driving a tractor when I was 7 years old,” Herr said. “I remember I was raking hay, and my dad, he went around the outside once and told me, ‘Good luck.’ Ever since then, that’s where it started.”
Operation Herr wakes up every morning to do hand chores. He also opens gates and breaks ice in water troughs for the animals. After school and during vacations, Herr helps his father to build continuous fencing and maintain and update farmJoe ing equipment. Herr “If I’m messing around outside, Dad’ll find something for me to do,” Herr said. “I check a lot of cows in the summer. I do a lot with my show stock in the summer.” He also does field cultivation in the spring, planting soybeans, corn and alfalfa. “There’s a lot of older farmers around here, around my home place here,” Herr said. “A lot of them ... have kids but they’re not agriculturally involved. Someday, I can see myself farming a lot of land around here.”
Herr shows cows and pigs at the county fair and state fair. “The state fair is probably the funnest thing by far,” Herr said. “There’s nothing like the Iowa State Fair. I’ve been to a lot of other state fairs, and they’re not as active.” Herr also shows animals at four different national shows at different times of the year. Herr, who has been showing animals since he was a toddler, also attends open shows throughout the winter as practice. “I just kind of learned from scratch,” he said. “I always looked up to people. I’d watch what they were doing, and I’d suck it all in. Now, there’s people watching me, and that’s kind of cool. I enjoy that.”
Background The son of Lori and Clel Herr, Herr has two siblings. He wants to continue with the agricultural background his father instilled in him, and has tentative plans to attend Iowa State University in Ames and major in agricultural business. Herr plans to go back to the Fontanelle area after college to continue his love of farming and being outdoors.
Bailey Poolman/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag
Joe Herr gets grain to feed cows on his dad’s farm in Fontanelle, Iowa, in January. Herr helps his father, Clel Herr, throughout the year with the row crop and cow and calf operations.
Advertiser Index ADAIR COUNTY MUTUAL INSURANCE ...........31 FARMERS NATIONAL .....................................22 PREFERRED PROPERTIES OF IOWA...............26 AGRI VISION ..................................................15 FIRST NATIONAL BANK .................................27 ROTARY AIRLOCK ..........................................23 AMERICAN STATE BANK................................33 FOX WELDING ................................................40 RUETERS .........................................................4 B & K COMM AGRI LTD ..................................33 GILBERT PLUMBING & HEATING .....................5 S. I. DISTRIBUTING/KELNER ..........................35 BIG BOYZ TOYZ ..............................................24 GIZA CONTRACTING ........................................2 SOUTHWESTERN COMM COLLEGE ................31 BTC BANK ......................................................25 GLENDENNING MOTOR CO ..............................7 STALKER CHEVROLET CADILLAC INC .............3 CARTER AGENCY ...........................................34 GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ..............................12 STATE FARM INS/JOHNSTON ........................17 CLARKE COUNTY STATE BANK ......................37 GREAT WESTERN BANK.................................37 SUR GRO PLANT FOOD CO.............................30 CRESTON AUTOMOTIVE .................................13 HIGHWAY LUMBER ........................................24 TAYGOLD COOPERATIVE ................................37 CRESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ............14 HUNSICKER & ASSOCIATES...........................32 THOMAS QUALITY FARMS.............................17 CRESTON FARM & HOME SUPPLY .................19 IOWA STATE SAVINGS BANK .........................29 TYLER INSURANCE SERVICES, INC ...............29 CRESTON LIVESTOCK AUCTION INC ..............26 JP AUTO SUPPLY ...........................................32 UNION CO DEVELOPMENT ASSN ...................35 CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES ........................8 LAMONI LIVESTOCK AUCTION INC ................29 VETTER EQUIPMENT CO ................................39 F & M BODY SHOP .........................................28 MATTRESS WHOLESALE CENTER....................9 WENZIG CONSTRUCTION CO .........................37 FARMERS BANK OF NORTHERN MISSOURI...34 MEDICAP PHARMACY ...................................37 WHITETAIL PROPERTIES ...............................36 FARMERS COOPERATIVE CO .........................16 O’HAIR AUTOMOTIVE .....................................28 WILBUR ELLIS .................................................6 38 Spring 2015
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