CAM

AG Mag

Southwest Iowa

More

and

Less Southwest Iowa farmers focus on higher yields as commodity prices continue to be low GOOD DEAL? Farmers make their push for passage of Trans-Pacific Partnership TOO BIG?: Mega-mergers worry U.S. senator, farmers

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Fall 2016 AG Mag

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Index

AG Mag Southwest Iowa

COVER STORY

Publisher Rich Paulsen Advertising Director Craig Mittag

PAGE 8

Managing Editor Scott Vicker Magazine Editor and Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Pam Eggemeier, Kelsey Haugen, Christopher Heimerman, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Philip Marruffo, Alex T. Paschal, Larry Peterson, Bailey Poolman, Rachel Rodgers, Allison Tretina, Scott Vicker, and Jake Waddingham Published by Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams St. Creston, IA 50801 641-782-2141

Farmers weigh in

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.

As another harvest season wraps up, local farmers tell us how they’re managing amid low commodity prices.

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Index

Family Heirloom

Matthew and Lori Weis discovered cooking with fresh ingredients and turned that passion into a familysupported CSA in rural Earlham.

LOCAL FLAVOR PAGE 14

In this edition’s photo story, spend a day in the field with Ron and Elaine Gordon.

Farmers and lawmakers debate the merits of TPP.

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AG Mag

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Accredited Menopause Provider Now Available at Greater Regional “Menopause is not a disease state; it is a natural process women go through,” states Dr. Toby Marshall, MD who specializes in Women’s Health /OB/GYN at Greater Regional Medical Center. “As our population ages, women are having longer life expectancies, resulting in spending nearly half their life in the menopausal state.”

According to the North American Menopause Society, most women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 58 with the average age occurring around 51. However, menopause is not an overnight state of change. Physical changes begin years before a women’s final menstrual period, this time frame is known as perimenopause and it may last four to eight years. The state begins with changes in length of time between periods and ends one year after the final menstrual period.

Menopausal symptoms include mood changes, urinary incontinence, night sweats, trouble falling asleep and sexual discomfort which are disruptive to many women’s lives. “The main reason why women come and seek my help is due to menopause symptoms starting to affect their quality of life,” states Dr. Marshall.

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6 Fall 2016

accredited provider by the North American Menopause Society in this region; I am here to inform women and help them find the treatments that best fit their individual needs,” comments Dr. Marshall.

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“Being able to discuss my symptoms with Dr. Marshall has benefited me and eased my journey through this part of my life,” continued Tami. “I am very happy with the results I have experienced after consulting with Dr. Marshall. I think it is great to have a specialty doctor in our community as well.”

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Index

EDUCATION

Ag revival

PAGE 35

Susannah Miller has not only restored the agriculture program at Southwestern Community College, she’s taking it to new heights.

30

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WEATHERING THE STORM

Local farmers look at ways to cut back in order to survive ag economy downturn

BY SCOTT VICKER AND CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

I

t’s early November, warm, with the shining sun surrounded by blue skies.

It’s a picture perfect fall day, but Levi Buxton is working. That doesn’t mean he isn’t enjoying the view.

What he sees on his family-faming operation west of Creston is a likely record harvest. Of his 1,000 acres, only about 100 are left to harvest.

“We’re looking at record yields on some of our farms – some of the best we’ve ever had,” Buxton said.

8 Fall 2016

In June, a record harvest didn’t seem possible. After a great planting season, a drought threatened Buxton’s crop.

“In fact, we were looking at burning up for a short period of time there,” Buxton said. “Of course, every farmer, when something goes wrong, it’s doom and gloom and the end of the world. But, I think it was actually beneficial for our corn because I think that stress let this corn get some roots underneath it.”

Going into the season, Buxton never would have believed his yields would be this strong.

He said 200 bushels an acre is a likely yield for a majority of the growers in Southwest Iowa. Soybeans in the area will likely be around 50 to 60 bushels an acre.

CONTINUED ON 9

4CONTINUED FROM 8 There’s a literal price to pay, however, for the monster yields farmers have enjoyed the past few years. On the heels of a national drought, corn reached a record high of $8.49 a bushel in August 2012.

Since 2013, corn has rarely crawled above the $4 mark.

With an abundance of crops from last year’s harvest and another carryover from this year, Buxton doesn’t expect to see an uptick in the grain markets in the near future.

“Grain is a lot like money – the more of it you have, the less it’s worth,” he said. “When corn was $7, everybody wanted a piece of the pie, so they ratcheted up fertilizer prices and seed corn cost and herbicide; equipment got high.

Unfortunately, our grains have dropped faster than the cost of production.”

Most farmers were looking forward to getting through the election cycle, so that the Trans-Pacific Partnership could be unearthed from the fodder of a presidential race that smothered other conversations.

“That would help immensely, opening up borders and getting other countries into our trade program,” said Adam Henkel, a seventh-generation farmer in Lee County, Illinois.

The silver lining of low commodity prices is that land prices follow suit.

According to the research by the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana’s Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, cash rents are projected to continue their descent in 2017, down another $23 per acre to $245. Land values have followed a similar trend, having gone down 1.6 percent over the past 2 years, from $7,700 per acre in 2014 to $7,450 in 2016. So now could be an advantageous time to expand or get into the game.

Buyer beware, though. Corn gross revenue from the 2016 crop is projected at $787 per acre, down $43 from 2015, while soybeans are projected to go up $26 per acre to $677 – altogether making for a mixed bag that begs to be offset by stingy input cost management.

“My advice would be to be very careful in managing your finances and cost of

production,” said Mark Bernards, associate professor of Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture.

He said a marketing background can be invaluable for today’s farmer.

“You need to market your crop for a premium,” he said. “This will be the third year running that farmers will be projected to operate at a loss.”

The average grain farm had about $500 in income in 2015, the lowest since at least 1995 and an empty hull of 2012, when per-farm income flirted with the $300,000 mark.

“As long as you didn’t go out and borrow a whole bunch of money for a bunch of new equipment, you’ll weather the storm,” said Brad Shippert, who grows corn and soybeans in Lee County, Illinois. “If you don’t have a lot of debt going into a period like this, you’ll be OK. There will be good years. It’s cyclical. There will be the good with the bad. Farming provides a lifestyle and a way to raise my children the way I was raised – in a rural setting. I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

CONTINUED ON 104

Scott Vicker/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

Levi Buxton drives his combine while harvesting corn in early November in rural Creston. “We’re looking at record yields on some of our farms – some of the best we’ve ever had,” he said. Those yields will have to offset slumping commodity prices and rising costs.

AG Mag 9

4CONTINUED FROM 9 In Southwest Iowa, Buxton isn’t seeing the drops in land value and cash rent other parts of the Midwest might be experiencing. In fact, he said, with land values skyrocketing and cash rents going up, Buxton and his fellow farmers aren’t breaking even at times.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how we move forward into next year and more of a risk management in marketing our grains and using different tools that are available in order to capitalize on breaking even and maintaining our operation,” Buxton said.

Dan Ide farms about 400 acres of row crop and owns about 350 cow-calf pairs south of Creston. The good weather from July through November benefited him, as well, with strong yields helping to offset rising costs and lowering commodity prices.

“We were awful lucky with our weather as far as we had some of the best yields I ever remember on our farm,” Ide said. “We also had as much feed, hay, grass and things for the cattle. The weather was a huge help. It helps us with better yields on the low prices.”

But a drop in the price of feeder calves this year delivered a bit of a hit. Ide had hoped for $1,000 for calves, but instead is looking at $700 to $800. Just 3 years ago, he was receiving $1,800 for calves.

Scott Vicker/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

A grain cart approaches Levi Buxton’s combine on a sunny afternoon in early November, as Buxton and his family work on harvesting the final 100 acres of their farmland.

“It’s somewhere around $600 to carry a cow,” Ide said. “I see [that trend] continuing. From what I see and under-

stand, it might be 2019 before the cattle thing turns around very much. So, we have to figure out how to deal with these prices at this time. I don’t see a big rebound coming.”

Buxton and Ide agreed budgeting will play a big part in 2017.

“It’s pretty easy to be spoiled when we had $1,800 calves,” Ide said. “I didn’t watch my expenses as close as I should have.

We’ll tighten up on things. The weather [this year] was our friend. If we have these same prices next year and the weather does a flip-flop, it’ll be pretty tough.”

Buxton said he will look at negotiating cash rent prices and possibly buying into wholesale-type markets for fertilizer and herbicide. Another option is forward-contracting some grain to cover input costs.

“We’ve got to be very careful. We at least have to manage our input costs, and if it doesn’t break even, there may be some farms a person might have to give up if they’re on a cash rent scenario,” Buxton said. “I think for the guys that have the ground paid for and are in a good financial situation, where they have their equipment paid for, they’re going to weather the storm a lot better than the guys that are leveraged hard by high-dollar cash rent, high-dollar equipment payments. I think it just depends on each individual’s operation how they’re going to weather through this downturn in the ag economy.”

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AG Mag

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Farmers Forum WITH SCOTT VICKER/SOUTHWEST IOWA AG MAG

What surprised you during the 2016 growing and harvest seasons? What are you anticipating doing differently in 2017?

Adam Hill, Warren County “The biggest surprise to me was the soybean crop in our area. Yields were very variable – decent yields, but not compared to what I thought the corn did with the weather we had. ... Probably the biggest change for us is we’ll re-evaluate our soybean hybrid and maybe look at doing a different variety from a different company. We were disappointed in how the soybeans did for us this year.”

Zach Mendenhall, Decatur County “I think the variable weather we had, how it was dry in June and wet in July and August. I think it made it a very good growing year. ... We’re going to try to incorporate more cover crops on our farm and try to improve our bottom line, make sure we can be profitable.”

Justin Lain, Wayne County “Well, in June, we thought we were going to have a drought around here. July and August made up for it. It’s been pretty tough to get the beans cut. It seems like you don’t

Adam Hill

Zach Mendenhall

Justin Lain

get to do anything until 3 or 4 in the afternoon. ... I guess, really, with the year we’re having yield-wise, I don’t want to do anything differently. Mother Nature gets more credit for that than I do. I need to do something different with my soybean program.

It was pretty hard to control the weeds all summer on my soybeans.”

Pat Lynch, Madison County “Probably the most surprising thing to me has been our yields. We were dry in June.

We received very little rainfall in June, maybe just over an inch. But yet our corn yields are the best I’ve had in my 34 years of farming.

Pat Lynch

Levi Buxton

The beans have been very good, too. ... The biggest thing for us in 2017 is we really need to work on our input costs. Everything else is a little bit out of our control.”

Levi Buxton, Union County “I guess the biggest surprise was how June was shaping up dry and looking like we were going to burn up and then, all of a sudden, July and August had record amounts of rainfall. ... I guess just probably a little bit more risk management in marketing. I’d say using different or more marketing tools to try to make sure we’re going to be profitable next year.”

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Family-supported CSA takes root near Earlham

BY BAILEY POOLMAN Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

A warm breeze blows through Lori Weis’ hair as she and her husband, Matthew, walk along the earth in their garden. Weeds sprout up among a variety of tall stems of kale still growing in November.

The plots of ground on the 9-acrelarge Heirloom Farm in rural Earlham are dedicated to growing chickens and more than 40 varieties of heirloom vegetables. The farm is a result of the Weises discovering cooking with fresh ingredients.

“It was a real transition in our lives because we met a couple who cooked that way, and we loved how it tasted,” Lori said. “Once we had a taste of it, we couldn’t go back.”

Lori and Matthew began their adventure into community-supported agriculture three summers ago after Matthew decided he wanted a career change and the family moved from Des Moines to the Southwest Iowa countryside.

The property was home to an abandoned house and land containing CRP grass. Six months later, the Weises moved in and began gardening.

Matthew worked at Small Potatoes

Contributed photos by Amanda Taborga Photography

Lori Weis rinses leaves of arugula (left) and Matthew Weis harvests radishes by hand (right) this summer on their 9-acre Heirloom Farm in rural Earlham. PHOTO ON PAGE 14: These crisp red thai chili peppers are one of a variety of produce grown by the couple. They also grow bok choy, tomatoes, peas and green beans.

(Photo by Bailey Poolman for Southwest Iowa Ag Mag) Farm in Minburn with the Labor4Learning program through Practical Farmers of Iowa, where he learned how to manage a 100-member CSA. “We went through a lot of the logistics of the field and planning and when to plant,” Matthew said. “It’s one thing to grow food in a garden, and it’s another to grow it at this scale. It’s a different ball of wax.”

The first growing season in 2015 was difficult because Lori and Matthew discovered the soil wasn’t ideal and their preferred method of using wood chips as ground cover was not perfected yet.

After that difficult season, the second growing season this summer was more efficient.

CONTINUED ON 174

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AG Mag

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Matthew Weis worked at Small Potatoes Farm in Minburn with the Labor4Learning program through Practical Farmers of Iowa, where he learned how to manage a 100-member CSA. Here, he tends to the radishes on Heirloom Farm, a CSA owned and operated by Matthew and his wife, Lori.

Contributed photo by Amanda Taborga Photography

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STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

“We’re still learning about the intricacies about how to use the mulch and when to use the mulch and when to rake it aside and how it affects soil temperatures,” Lori said.

Heirloom varieties have a story behind them dating back at least 50 years, Lori said. The seeds they purchase come from producers in Michigan and Decorah. They chose vegetables that people enjoy and grow well in Iowa, such as onions, kale, sweet potatoes and various herbs.

They also raise egg-producing chickens and those that provide meat, which they butcher themselves.

Their children also help with the different aspects of farming.

“If I’m going to grow food, I’d rather have it taste good and be good food,” Matthew said. “There’s so many different crops here that you have to keep going with them to keep them producing throughout the season.”

The three-season CSA started out with about 25 members and has grown since. It offers the regular CSA subscription in three sizes, as well as a smaller, individual vegetable box.

During their winter break, the couple make homemade soaps, participate in continuing education opportunities, and plan for the next planting season. In 2017, Lori and Matthew plan to have subscribers choose the vegetables they prefer by going to the farm and picking themselves.

“We started to think, ‘Hey, CSA would be a fun business to have. We like to garden. We like to be outside. We can do this,’” Lori said. “We didn’t think how much science is in farming. So much science is in farming.”

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Creston graduate thrives in FFA state leadership role

BY LARRY PETERSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

A

s Creston High School’s first FFA state officer in 19 years, Zach Hoffman has found his niche in a leadership role in the 87-year-old student service organization.

The Creston High School senior was elected in April as vice president of the Iowa FFA State Association. Hoffman’s duties require a year of service to the Iowa FFA Association.

Zach As a state vice Hoffman president, Hoffman also serves as South Central District president.

Besides making chapter visits across the state to conduct leadership workshops, he leads the South Central District officer team and coordinated the South Central District convention during the State Leadership Conference in Ames in April.

Hoffman is the first FFA state officer from Creston since Ann Moberg was state reporter in 1996-97. Hoffman and Gracie Russell were awarded the Kevin Eblen Memorial scholarship last May. Representing Creston, Eblen achieved the highest possible rank as an officer in FFA, serving as National FFA Association president in 1986-87.

“It means a lot to be the first (state) officer since 1997,” Hoffman said. “It makes me proud after four good years in FFA, seeing it pay off.”

Hoffman said as a high school sophomore he was encouraged by upperclassmen to attend the national convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

It was a life-changing experience.

“It forced me to grow up

‘‘

in the photo Zach Hoffman of Creston leads a workshop for chapter treasurers at a chapter officer leadership training session in northeast Iowa.

Hoffman is a state vice president of the Iowa FFA Association.

Photo contributed to Southwest Iowa Ag Mag earlier, which was good for me,” Hoffman said. “Creston has a long tradition in FFA and has great support from the community.”

Kelsey Bailey, in her seventh year as Creston FFA chapter adviser, said Hoffman made huge strides as a student leader during his years at Creston High School.

“I’m not sure anyone expected this from Zach as a freshman,” she said. “But something just clicked with him. He felt a purpose to serve and really took well to leadership roles. Despite having to balance his athletic schedule, he became our chapter president.”

After interviews, Hoffman was one of two candidates placed on the ballot for a state vice president position, based on a speech given to the state delegation.

“The context of the speech was igniting passion in others,” Hoffman said. “I talked about how those upperclassmen ignited my passion for FFA, and how I wanted to do that for people around the state of Iowa.”

Hoffman, now a freshman at Southwestern Community College in Creston, said he might pursue a career in agriculture public relations as a result of his FFA experiences.

“The skills you learn in FFA, you can put to use in real-life experiences,” he said.

Creston has a long tradition in FFA and has great support from the community.

’’

Zach Hoffman, Creston High School graduate

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AG Mag

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FIELD

ON THE FAMILY FARM D WITH RON AND E

ABOVE: Ron drives his combine through one of his corn fields in northern Union County. Gordon, his wife, Elaine, and son, Ryan, farm corn and soybeans in Union and Adams counties.

RIGHT: Ron dumps bushels of corn into a trailer from his combine surrounded by bee’s wings, or flakes from the kernels.

20 Fall 2016

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ABOVE: Elaine and Ron Gordon of rural Creston pose for a photo in front of their combine after spending part of a November day harvesting corn in Union County.

LEFT: Kernels of corn scatter after being transferred from a combine to a trailer on a November afternoon in rural Union County. The corn, harvested by the Gordons, will be transported to an ethanol plant in Iowa, as well as to grain elevators in the area.

BELOW: Ron Gordon transfers corn kernels from his combine into a trailer in November in a field in rural Union County. Gordon farms corn and soybeans with his family.

Photos by Bailey Poolman/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

AG Mag

21

FINAL PUSH FOR TRADE DEAL

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Farmers could stand to be big winners if Congress OKs TPP

BY PAM EGGEMEIER, ALLISON TRETINA AND SCOTT VICKER For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

F

armers are pushing hard to get the largest regional free trade agreement in history passed in Congress before year’s end, but it could be a tough row to hoe.

A bill to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership was approved

by Congress last summer, and on Oct. 5, 2015, a final agreement was hammered out between the 12 Pacific Rim nations involved.

In addition to the U.S., trade partners in the deal include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand.

Congress must now approve the pact if the United States is to be part of the deal that has been negotiated for 7 years.

The free trade deal has been the top legislative priority of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Farmers and ranchers, in the throes of a cyclical downturn, say TPP would increase direct farm exports to the tune of $5.3 billion a year when it is fully implemented through the elimination of tariffs and other trade barriers.

The trade deal is one of the keystone foreign policy goals of the Obama administration. After receiving fasttrack designation, supporters were hopeful it would be ratified by Congress before the end of the year, but now it appears to be an uphill battle.

Supporters hope much of the uncertainty is political rhetoric that will dissipate now that the election has ended.

Both presidential candidates, Demo-

cratic nominee Hillary Clinton and President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, voice strong opposition to the trade deal.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have said no action will be taken on TPP this year because there isn’t enough support to pass it.

“Both presidential candidates [were] against it, and there [were] some key Senate races where this is a big issue, but I think it’s a whole new ballgame after Nov. 8,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at Illinois Farm Bureau.

Nielsen said time is of the essence, however, before the window closes on a golden opportunity to break down trade barriers, boost income, and create jobs. That window remains open during the lame-duck legislation session that includes most of November and part of December.

“This might not happen at all if it isn’t done this year, so we have kept pushing for it,” Nielsen said.

On Page 22

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement could prove beneficial for farmers in Southwest Iowa, as trade markets would expand into new countries and tariffs would be reduced.

(Scott Vicker/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag)

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4CONTINUED FROM 23 Proponents for the TPP believe it would ensure free trade, increase U.S.-derived exports and create more jobs by removing foreign tariffs and other trade barriers. But opponents like Barbera Kalbach have reservations.

Barbera Kalbach has been farming with her husband in Adair County since they were married more than 20 years ago. While many project the TPP will directly benefit U.S. agricultural farmers, Kalbach has her doubts.

“Theoretically, the TPP would expand exports of corn and soybeans,” she said.

“I’m not buying that argument.”

The TPP is intended to create stronger economic ties among the member nations, cut tariffs and encourage trade to boost economic growth. The countries that signed the TPP represent nearly 40 percent of the value of goods and services produced globally.

Bob Hemesath, chairman of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, said the TPP gives the United States a fair opportunity in new markets.

“For Iowa’s sake, it would be huge for meat exports, especially,” Hemesath said. “It’s going to open the doors, like in Japan, to more cuts of pork. It levels the playing field in a lot of these countries and reduces tariffs they have on our products coming in.”

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Bailey Poolman/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

About 60 percent of the United States’ soybean harvest is exported to foreign countries. Through the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, expanded markets could provide the U.S. with more trade partners.

Kalbach’s chief concern with the TPP is not profits, however. It is the lack of transparency and the new freedoms it allows the countries included in the agreement.

“The TPP grants thousands of corporations a new right to sue our government before a panel of people who we do not know, and this panel can do

unlimited damages to U.S. taxpayers if it is determined that one of our national or local policies has violated their ‘due to potential profits’ (provision),” she said. “That is my biggest, biggest concern.”

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4CONTINUED FROM 24 Opponents like Kalbach project the government will see more lawsuits like those granted by NAFTA, a three-country trade agreement ratified by Congress and signed into law by the Clinton Administration in 1994. In January, TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline, sued the U.S. government for rejecting the pipeline plan in November.

Supporters of the agreement, like Hemesath, said it is a positive step for agriculture.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for agriculture in this agreement,” he said.

“Ninety-five percent of the population of the world lives outside the United Bob States and trade agreeHemesath ments like these give us access to those people looking to buy our products.”

Carol Balvanz, policy director for the Iowa Soybean Association, said the expansion of trade markets will be beneficial for farmers.

“From a soybean industry perspective, we export about 60 percent of our soybeans, so having agreements with an increasing number of countries ... would expand trade and expand different markets we aren’t currently export-

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ing very much to,” she said.

Balvanz said now is the time to get on board with the agreement.

“One of the possibilities, if we aren’t involved with TPP, these countries will sign agreements with each other and fill some of those trade markets with products that don’t come from the U.S.,” she said. “If you drop out now, you probably lose a good opportunity.”

Two northern Illinois farmers, Evan Hultine of rural Princeton in Bureau County and Keith Poole of rural Polo in Ogle County, were among a delegation that recently stated its case for TPP on Capitol Hill. The issue became the centerpiece of this year’s Illinois Farm Bureau Leaders to Washington trip taken Sept. 13-15.

Hultine, chairman of the IFB Young Leaders group, said the farmers met with U.S. trade representatives, and several global groups including the Australian Embassy.

“I’m hopeful we can still get this done when the trade rhetoric calms down after the election,” said Hultine, a fourth-generation farmer. “After all the work the U.S. has put into this, it doesn’t make sense to be left out in the cold.”

Supporters of TPP warn that the U.S. would be removed from a global trade leadership role if it doesn’t ratify the agreement. They fear China and Russia would fill the leadership vacuum.

“This would have ag well positioned

to export a lot of products, and it would help level the playing field for the U.S., but China is working on deals with everyone else, and the longer this takes to pass, the more opportunities we could miss,” Poole said.

American Farm Bureau Federation projections for Illinois show TPP increasing cash receipts by $281.1 million a year, and boosting net exports by $127.4 million annually. The data also estimates 960 jobs would be created statewide. Illinois ag export sales brought in $19.6 billion in 2014.

Nationwide, beef is the biggest projected ag winner, while in Illinois it is pork producers who stand to benefit most from creating new trade opportunities.

Japan’s high tariffs on beef would be addressed in the deal, which could level the playing field for U.S. beef producers, who must also compete with the Australians, who already have a beef agreement in place with Japan.

While corn and wheat would lose in net exports abroad, those producers are projected to make more money overall through increased domestic demand for grains to support elevated beef and hog production.

“We raise corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs, and hogs would definitely be the biggest benefit for us, but we think it would be a big help across the board,” Poole said.

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AG Mag

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At what

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Major mergers spark discussion of impact on farmers, consumers

H

BY RACHEL RODGERS AND JAKE WADDINGHAM For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

is committee can’t necessarily prevent the mergers of seed and chemical giants from happening, but when U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, voices concerns about the agriculture industry, people listen.

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Ultimately, the Federal Trade Commission and the AntiTrust Division of the Justice Department determine whether such mergers stifle competition.

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CONTINUED FROM 26 During the past several months, six of the largest seed and agrochemical companies – Monsanto DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, ChemChina, and Dow – have pursued consolidations worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

The merger frenzy began in December, with chemical leaders DuPont and Dow agreeing to merge and split into three publicly traded companies with a combined market value of about $130 billion. That merger is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Then came a proposed marriage between ChemChina and Syngenta priced at $43 billion in February, followed by a deal between Bayer and Monsanto for $66 billion in September.

The three ag giants resulting from the proposed mergers would own about 80 percent of national corn seed sales and

70 percent of the global pesticide market.

Grassley worries these mega-mergers will allow the companies too much sway over the agriculture industry and will stifle competition in everything from crop conception to product delivery to consumers.

Grassley’s committee had a hearing Sept. 20 for legislators, company executives, agriculture officials and antitrust leaders to weigh in on the impact the mergers might have.

“I’m concerned that further concentration in the industry will reduce choice and raise the price of chemicals and seed for farmers, which ultimately will affect choice and costs for consumers,” Grassley said.

While prices have plummeted for corn and soybeans, the cost of seeds and chemicals continue to rise.

CONTINUED ON 28

On Page 26 A combine harvests corn on the rural Lee County, Illinois, farm of Andy and Katie Pratt. Katie, a fourth-generation farmer, doesn’t think recent mergers between seed and chemical giants will have a negative impact on farmers and consumers. “By the time it trickles down to individual farms and individual rural communities, I don’t foresee it becoming more difficult or easier in the industry,” she said.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

By the numbers Seed and chemical costs for Iowa farmers have nearly tripled from 2003 to 2015.

Chemical costs 2003: $720 million 2004: $820 million 2005: $930 million 2006: $960 million 2007: $1.34 billion 2008: $1.87 billion 2009: $1.7 billion 2010: $1.82 billion 2011: $2.35 billion 2012: $2.55 billion 2013: $2.54 billion 2014: $2.3 billion 2015: $2.04 billion Seed costs 2003: $740 million 2004: $800 million 2005: $850 million 2006: $910 million 2007: $1.15 billion 2008: $1.13 billion 2009: $1.54 billion 2010: $1.6 billion 2011: $1.82 billion 2012: $2.07 billion 2013: $2.22 billion 2014: $2.19 billion 2015: $2.01 billion Source: USDA Economic Research Service

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4CONTINUED FROM 27 The average price of corn hit an alltime high in 2012 at $7.50 a bushel and has since dropped to about $3.50.

“Farmers are unique; their profession involves accepting prices from input providers and commodity markets, while hoping for good weather in between,” Grassley said. “Farmers don’t have the ability to simply raise the price of their crops when they sell them to pass on higher input costs.”

Iowa Congressman David Young said he has heard a lot from constituents, ranging from an overall concern on the mergers’ impact on the agricultural economy to the changes it will impose on jobs, prices and consumer choices.

Rep. David “We need to guarantee Young this will be helpful to the consumer in the end and not have a negative impact on our economy,” Young said.

“When you are dealing with a foreign company (Bayer) buying or merging with an American company (Monsanto), I believe the U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to have some say in the decision,” Young said. “They know this industry better than anyone else on the federal level.”

The $66 billion merger of Bayer and Monsanto is expected to reshape the research and development of seeds and pesticides to help fuel the plant’s food supply.

American Farm Bureau Federation, said national farm income has declined sharply, peaking at $123.8 billion in 2013 and dropping to a projected $71.5 billion this year.

With additional financial pressure being put on farmers, the chance of higher input prices is likely to raise a few eyebrows.

“Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is to think that increased concentration will lead to higher prices for these inputs,” Young said. “Knees tend to jerk reflexively, but sometimes they jerk with reason.”

However, he said, the mergers could create a surge of innovation to bring new products to market in the industry to better serve farmers.

“Synergies and savings are likely to be generated, market share improved, a stronger corporate structure created for facing the regulations and other hurdles to bringing product to market are just a few examples,” Young said.

“The challenge to those involved in the agricultural space from a farmer’s perspective is the sheer number and scale of this activity in such a short period of time.”

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The process to introduce new seed to market can take 13 years of research and regulatory oversight – the process frequently being stretched out longer from wading through litigation – and Young said he hopes the mergers could improve efficiency and potentially shorten that process.

Ron Riley farms in Union County and agreed the lack of competition is a concern. Comparing the cost of inputs to the grain prices local farmers are seeing this fall, there will be some tough calls about where to save.

“It is a juggling act,” Riley Ron said.

“I think you can take Riley a closer look at your input costs and make some cuts, but you don’t want to short your input costs every year because you want to maintain your yield at your maximum.”

As Riley and other farmers look ahead to the spring season, they can only patiently wait for answers concerning the mergers and hope grain prices rebound to help soften the blow of the input costs.

“We need to ask, ‘Does bigger always mean better in the end?’” Young said.

“These types of consolidations always concern me whether it is in agriculture or other industries. … I want to ensure competition.”

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Trees will grow on grants in Creston Southwest Iowa Ag Mag staff

The Creston FFA Chapter and Southwestern Community College Agriculture Department partnered to plant 35 deciduous trees and 11 evergreens valued at $8,000 during the second week of October.

The trees were planted on the SWCC and Creston Community School campuses, Harmony Cemetery and on the property of High Lakes Gun Club.

“The beauty these tree plantings will have on our community will be something future generations will come to appreciate,” Creston FFA Adviser Kelsey Bailey said.

Creston FFA has utilized the Alliant Energy Trees Forever grant since 1992 to secure 37 grants which have resulted in the planting of 2,018 deciduous and 775 evergreen trees worth $305,588. In all, 3,143 deciduous trees, 731 evergreen trees and 786 shrubs valued

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Mitchel Swank, Cullen Bodell and Gavin Sickles planti a burgundy maple on the Creston Middle School campus. at $592,575 have been planted in 124 landscaping projects throughout the Creston community involving a variety off grant resources. This past year saw two Alliant “Trees Forever” grants plant

103 trees valued at $18,000.

The local FFA chapter has utilized the many tree planting projects to build on its success in the State FFA Community Environment Award competition on

the state level. The Creston FFA Chapter has been recognized on the state level for 12 consecutive years winning competitions in community development, economic development or environmental development 10 times since the awards inception in 2004.

“Working with Alliant Energy and their ‘Trees Forever’ program has been a great opportunity to increase tree diversity in our community,” said Creston FFA President Mattie Wheeler. “Not to forget the hands-on learning that takes place when planting the trees.”

Galen Zumbach, who served as the Creston FFA adviser from 1977 to 2010, and currently is an adjunct professor at SWCC, has submitted another “Trees Forever” grant valued at $10,000 for planting in the spring of 2017. Trees Forever will notify the successful grant applicants by Jan. 15.

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Brothers take advantage of a unique opportunity to raise draft horses, sheep

W

BY JAKE WADDINGHAM Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

hen you think about life on the farm, most people picture tractors, cattle, maybe even some chickens scurrying around the front yard. But for the Smith family near Winterset, daily chores include feeding a team of draft horses and shepherding a flock of sheep.

“Both of our boys are involved in raising livestock, but they have had the opportunity to try a couple things not every ag kid gets to do,” said Gwen Smith, the boys’ mother.

Stettson Smith, 16, owns three draft horses and travels to a wide variety of contests, events and shows. He is serving as a youth ambassador for the Iowa Draft Horse and Mule Association.

“We want to pass that on to our youth, so any time we have kids show interest, we try to encourage that,” said Jim Stuart, past president of the Iowa Draft Horse and Mule Association. “When I first met Stettson, he had never driven a team before and by the end of the day, he was driving a four-up. ...That was impressive because he wasn’t very big and had a lot of horse power in his hands.”

Stettson still uses his draft horses for practical reasons around the farm. He is able to maneuver the horse into areas where tractors are unable to fit and uses the horses to haul wagons and manure spreaders.

He has also used his horses during a wedding and several community events for wagon rides.

His brother, Shaine, 15, cares for a herd of about 45 sheep. Shaine’s flock is unique because the sheep are a specific breed that do not require shearing.

Contributed photos

Shaine Smith, 15, leads a sheep he trained to pull a wagon at the Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset. He has a flock of about 45 sheep and elected to go with a breed that does not require shearing. He lends his flock to educational events and herding competitions. ON PAGE 30: Stettson Smith drives his team of draft horses during the Horse Power Days celebration in Maple River. His brother, Shaine, trained sheep to pull a cart to help Stettson with the harvest.

Shaine is an active member of the Madison County Sheep Producers and helps run their stand at local events like the Covered Bridge Festival. He helps with presentations and live sheep shearing for educational and entertainment purposes.

Shaine also partners with Iowa Sheep Dog Trials for the Iowa State Fair, lending six of his sheep to the competition.

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Both brothers found a way to participate in the Horse Power Days celebration. Stettson uses his powerful draft horse to pull the potato plow and Shaine follows with a sheep he has trained to pull a miniature wagon to collect full sacks.

“It’s exciting to see kids still excited about agriculture, especially with the access and interest in technology these days,” Gwen said.

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AG Mag

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About 150 volunteers come to harvest 528 acres of land for Jim Routh

T

BY SCOTT VICKER For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

ears welled up in Sharon England’s eyes on this Saturday morning as she stood in a cornfield 2 miles north of Diagonal watching friends, neighbors and even a few people she didn’t know harvesting corn. “’Thank you’ will never be enough for all of this,� she said. “I’ll never be able to say ‘thank you’ enough.�

About 150 volunteers converged on the cornfield Nov. 5 to take part in a “harvest day� for Jim Routh and England. The event was organized by Doug and Darla Sobotka of Diagonal.

Routh has made frequent trips to Chicago for chemotherapy treatments since being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and also recently injured his back, requiring an epidural injection.

In a Facebook post the next afternoon, England detailed what happened when Routh most recently tried to harvest his fields: “The last time we were home we were trying to get our beans out and I spoke with God, asking Him to help us accomplish that, but as most of you know, our combines did not cooperate and Big Jim went down in the back. ... I feel today that it did not happen because God had a bigger plan for our family. His plan all came into place yesterday with Doug and Darla Sobotka at the helm and so many others that helped remove our beans and corn!�

The volunteers helped in various ways, with 17 combines adorned with American flags, 17 grain carts and 20 semis being used to harvest the 528 acres.

As Routh stood in his field, he was

Contributed photo

Jim Routh watches as about 150 volunteers help harvest 528 acres of land north of Diagonal on Nov. 5. Routh had been unable to finish harvesting his land while making frequent trips to Chicago for chemotherapy treatments. ON PAGE 32: Rich Johnson of Tingley unloads corn from his combine Nov. 5 into a grain cart driven by Todd Boles of Grand River during a “harvest day� for Routh and England. The undertaking was organized by Doug and Darla Sobotka of Diagonal.

(Photo by Scott Vicker/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag) overcome with emotion. “Overwhelming,� he said. “A lot of good neighbors, a lot of good people.

Diagonal has always been a town that’s stuck together. It’s Mount Ayr, Clearfield and Diagonal, even a few from Creston.�

The idea for organizing the harvest day came to Darla Sobotka after seeing England’s posts on Facebook detailing

the struggles they’ve encountered with Routh’s cancer treatments and problems with equipment in the field.

She and her husband, Doug, discussed the idea with others and were encouraged to organize the event. After a Facebook post asking for volunteers, word spread like wildfire.

CONTINUED ON 344

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4CONTINUED FROM 33 The response was greater than Darla could have envisioned.

“No, not in a million years.

I figured we might have 7 to 10 combines out there.

I figured there’d be a good response, but never did I think it would be this huge of a response,” Darla said.

Donations quickly rolled in, as well. A number of individuals donated either food or fuel. Hy-Vee in Creston donated donuts and water.

First National Bank donated food, as did Little Caesar’s Pizza. Gavilon Grain in Creston kept a pit open Nov. 5 for the volunteers to deliver the crops.

Helping Routh and England united all the volunteers who showed up.

“It was truly a countywide effort,” Darla said. “Dividing lines were truly erased yesterday. It didn’t matter if you were Republican or Democrat. It didn’t matter if you were from Mount Ayr, Diagonal, Clearfield or Delphos. They were excited to be there. Everybody was thankful to be part of what happened yesterday. It was truly amazing to sit there and watch the family taking it all in and see the effect they’ve had on so many people in this county.”

One of the volunteers who helped was Todd Boles of Grand River, who recently lost his mother to cancer and wanted to help his friend of 30 years during his time of need.

“It’s about doing all that you can to take care of your

nyder

friends,” Boles said. “This community of Diagonal, by far, is the best community you will ever find in all the places you could possibly go to find people who stick together. If you ain’t got a strong community, you ain’t got nothing. And this community here is huge.”

Rich Johnson of Tingley has known Routh for about 40 years.

In 2005, Johnson was involved in a head-on collision that left him hospitalized. After the accident, a similar harvest day was organized for Johnson – one that Routh and England were instrumental in making happen.

“It’s just something all of us do. You help your neighbors,” Johnson said.

“That many people, that just shows you what kind of a friend Jim is. Everybody likes him. I’m sure it makes Jim feel good, like it did me, to know that you have that many friends. That’s pretty awesome in today’s world, I think.”

The response from Jim’s friends and neighbors shows what Ringgold County is all about, Darla said.

“I think it speaks volumes as to what true character really stands for and really shows the younger generation what can be done when people pull together rather than working on a divided front,” Darla said. “We truly do take care of each other around here.”

Routh tried to soak it all in.

“I just want to say ‘thanks’ to everybody,” he said. “[It’s] more than I can believe.”

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Miller has led an ag program revival at Creston college

S

BY KELSEY HAUGEN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

usannah Miller has had a lot on her plate since day one of filling the only full-time agricultural instructor position at Southwestern Community College – a position that had been vacant for longer than a semester.

But, her educational achievements, 12 years of teaching experience, and role in helping run her family’s row-crop and cattle operations have proved to be sufficient preparation to not only keeping the SWCC ag program going but to improve its standing.

Miller joined SWCC in Creston in July after more than a decade of teaching high school ag educa-

tion: 2 years in northwest Iowa and 10 years in south-central Iowa.

“Susannah had a very successful FFA chapter in the Murray, Iowa, school district, so she’s now able to translate those experiences into post-secondary opportunities for students,” said Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC assistant vice president of instruction. “She’s already revived the agricultural club, and she also has created the livestock judging team. She’s working very diligently to get that going, and students will be participating in the American Royal. They’ll also likely be participating at the [national] Stock Show in Denver along with Iowa Beef Expo.”

CONTINUED ON 364

Susannah Miller is the only full-time agriculture instructor at Southwestern Community College in Creston and has revived its ag program after the school went a semester without a full-time teacher.

Miller, students and two part-time farm managers work on this 215-acre farm and cattle operations.

Kelsey Haugen/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

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AG Mag

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4CONTINUED FROM 35 A 2000 Clarke Community High School graduate, Miller grew up on a farm south of Osceola. She now helps on a farm and feed lot between Osceola and Murray that she co-owns with her husband, Joe, and family. The Millers have three children: Aylah, 6, Cort, 5, and Lydia, 2.

From 2000 to 2001, she was a state FFA officer for Lindsay the Iowa FFA Association Stoaks and was a member of collegiate FFA at Iowa State University. In 2004, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture education and a Master of Agriculture degree in 2015, both from Iowa State.

“Working with those students in Murray and helping them make that transition from high school to the collegiate level, I feel I can ease that transition a little bit,” Miller said. “And, a lot of their ag programs I’m familiar with, just through their teachers and FFA experiences. Now, I can build upon that previous knowledge they have and encourage them to be involved.”

Miller has also won two FFA adviser awards and serves on the Clarke County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

“As an FFA adviser, I was in charge of the program at Murray,” Miller said.

“We had about 40 students working on lots of projects, and most recently, we worked on writing some grants to get a greenhouse at the school, so that was a big project they just finished up building this fall.”

Now, at SWCC, Miller teaches a variety of courses, including animal nutrition, livestock merchandising and ag lab, which involves students working on the college’s 215-acre farm and pasture, which has about 35 head of cattle and some goats.

“Having an operating farm at our

Susannah Miller’s ag-related accomplishments •​ State FFA officer, 2000-2001 • Bachelor of Science in agriculture education, Iowa State University, 2004 • Master of Agriculture, Iowa State University, 2015 • Two FFA adviser awards

• Clarke County Farm Bureau Board of Directors location allows us to get more handson experience without having to take too much time traveling,” Miller said.

“I like to do a lot of the hands-on activities and give students that depth of knowledge and passion for agriculture and try to build on their previous experiences.”

So far, she said her experience at SWCC has been positive, albeit busy.

“I’m thankful for the farm managers I have out here to help with a lot of the day-to-day operations and the adjunct instructors that came in last spring and kept the classes going before I came, as well as Galen Zumbach, who’s an adjunct instructor,” Miller said.

“I think it was the middle of December last year the former ag instructor left, and the new semester didn’t start until about Jan. 11, so for almost a month there, I was the only one out here,” said

‘‘

Having an operating farm at our location allows us to get more hands-on experience without having to take too much time traveling. I like to do a lot of the hands-on activities and give students that depth of knowledge and passion for agriculture and try to build on their previous experiences.

Susannah Miller, ag instructor, Southwestern Community College

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Keith Hoepker of Creston, part-time SWCC farm manager. “Lindsay was in charge of things then until Susannah came on here in July.”

Miller said the farm manKeith agers bring expertise to Hoepker the program and help her educate students.

Two ways in which Miller seeks to improve the ag program involve technology and collegiate FFA. “Agriculture is always evolving, and just trying to keep our ag program up to date with changes within agriculture is a big undertaking,” Miller said. “We have a lot of advanced equipment out here through an AgriVision partnership, ... and we have some technology in the animal industry that the students can get some hands-on experiences with, such as an EID (electonic ID system) reader.”

While SWCC doesn’t have a collegiate FFA, Miller is considering launching a Post-secondary Agriculture Students program.

“We’re looking into PAS and exploring other opportunities for students to get involved, maybe as judges with local FFA groups or helping them train teams or help with livestock-judging teams,” Miller said.

“We’re able to offer a lot of variety for our students and are always looking to expand and figure out where SWCC has a niche.”

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PULL Sixth-grader wins state pedal pull, competes in nationals

S

BY BAILEY POOLMAN For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

ophia Chafa has been muscling her way through pedal pulls throughout the Midwest for 4 years.

Sophia, 11, a sixth-grade student at Nodaway Valley Community School, participates in pedal pulls in the summer throughout the area. She even went to nationals.

She started pedal pulls when she was 7, in Prescott during the town’s annual Septemberfest celebration.

CONTINUED ON 38

Sophia Chafa, a sixth-grade student at Nodaway Valley Community School, poses with her parents, Zeke and Courtney Chafa, and her International pedal tractor and the plaques, trophies and medals she earned during her pedal pull competitions at state and nationals.

Bailey Poolman/Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

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AG Mag

37

4CONTINUED FROM 37 “I did one with my grandma, and then I got first [place],” Sophia said. “I just started doing them from there. ... I did it just to try it. It was fun.”

Sophia qualified for the state pedal pull with a first-place finish July 21 at the Clarke County Fair in Osceola, pulling about 200 pounds. She also had a state-qualifying performance at a pedal pull in Knoxville.

At the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, she pulled about 320 pounds for 40 feet.

The competitions Chafa participated in are Hawkeye Pedal Pull-sanctioned, allowing her to continue to the state and national levels.

The state pedal pull was Sept. 10 at the Coliseum in Marshalltown, and Sophia wasn’t nervous.

“I’ve been there before,” Sophia said about her third-place win at state in 2015.

In Marshalltown, Sophia pulled 315 pounds for 40 feet. She did a full pull the first round, taking the weight the full 40 feet, then pulled a higher weight a second time, reaching near the 36-feet mark.

“It was cool because last year I got third, so it kind of bummed me out.

But, this year, I got first, so I got to stand at the front of the line and not the end of the line,” Sophia said. “I like competition. I like trophies.”

Next up for Sophia were Nationals,

Contributed photo

Sophia Chafa, 11, participates in the Iowa State Fair pedal pull at the fairgrounds in Des Moines.

Sept. 24 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Her parents, Zeke and Courtney Chafa, drove her to the palace, where Sophia competed against more children her age than before.

“There were a lot more kids,” Sophia said of being nervous this time around.

She participated against 13 other girls

in her age group; she was the only one from Iowa.

Once Sophia’s turn was up, a person pushed her part of the 50-foot trek before allowing her to pull the 350pound weight herself.

“We got to go, and then we had to do it all by ourselves with our leg muscles,” Sophia said. “That was the hard part.”

Sophia placed fifth at nationals, something her mother, Courtney, thinks is “awesome.”

“I was kind of mad,” Sophia said.

“It was kind of hard. You were kind of disappointed in yourself,” Courtney responded to her daughter. “It’s fun. It was exciting.

I know she was disappointed that she only got fifth, but it was awesome.”

Sophia also gave thanks to her aunt and grandparents who helped take her to pulls when her parents were unable.

Sophia has one more year to participate in pedal pulls, but she has other activities at school. She is active in basketball, volleyball and softball.

Other local children were eligible to participate in the national pedal pull competition. Brock Jones, son of David and Mindy Jones of Shannon City, placed first in the 8-year-old boy division. Kinzey Ripperger, daughter of Daniel Ripperger and Alison Tracy of Lorimor, won first in the 9-year-old girl division. Raelyn Schwarze of Greenfield placed first in the 12-year-old girl division.

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