NDN-MAG-11-30-22

AG Mag

FARMING BEYOND THE FIELDS

HIGH ON THE HOG: Conversations with a Monroe pork producer.

SAFE DRIVING: Tips for driving with farm equipment on the roadway.

EDUCATING THROUGH FFA: Local grad traveling the country and beyond for agriculture education.

Farming on parade

page 8

page 7

Safe driving during harvest season — page 11

Life of a livestock farmer

PCM grad going places with FFA

Blake Van Der Kamp traveling the country and beyond for agriculture education

Three years after attending the Washington Leadership Conference as a student, PCM Grad Blake Van Der Kamp was back in the nation’s capital acting as a facilitator at an experience that has been instrumental in shaping his future in agriculture. Van Der Kamp spent the summer in D.C. at the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) for the National FFA Organization taking on a leadership role at the event that means so much to him.

“I first heard about this role in the summer of 2019 as an attendee,” Van Der Kamp said. “This was the same conference that led me to create the Samson-Curtis Drive. Thus, WLC was so instrumental in my develop-

ment and professional career that after two years of not having the conference due to COVID-19 and finally reopening it, I had to apply.”

With his prior experience as a state officer for the Iowa FFA Organization and facilitator at the National FFA Convention in 2021, he was selected for the conference and added to the staff of 14 other talented individuals.

“WLC inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities,” Van Der Kamp said. “Each day of the conference focuses on a different principle taught through the context of our nation’s capital: explore, encourage, advocate and serve. At the end of the week, members leave with a Living to Serve Plan

they can implement in their communities.”

In his position, Van Der Kamp taught workshops in front of groups of more than 340 students about advocacy, service and leadership. He was also charged with navigating the students through the city to visit local monuments and attractions throughout the week.

“We are also assigned a small group of students, which we call our community group. Thus, I had the privilege of getting to be a leader and mentor to around 20-30 students each week for seven weeks,” Van Der Kamp said. “And to build on the Cont. 12

LIVING HIGH ON THE HOG

Changing industry, hard work, reliable income: Conversations with a Monroe pork producer

It was around 30 degrees by the time I hopped into ad Nearmyer’s pickup for a farm tour and pleasant conversation, but I could barely feel the heat billowing through the vents from my passenger seat. While the two of us were struggling to stay warm in our three-layer out ts, the 4,800 or so pigs in the four con nement buildings of Nearmyer’s Monroe farm were living high on the hog.

To keep the pigs comfortable and protect them from the extreme cold of Iowa winters, Nearmyer and his

brother Todd have each building out tted with climate control functions. We had to wait a few minutes to get the feeling back in our ngers and cheeks, but the pigs were already busy enjoying their summer temperatures, likely unaware of the brisk fall that surrounds them.

Times have changed from the time Nearmyer’s grandfather was farming hogs outdoors behind cattle. Heck, the old-timer would even keep them in the same pen. Over time his grandfather did separate the hogs

from the cattle, still keeping them in outdoor lots. At most, his grandfather raised about 120 sows. Around that time, Nearmyer said, is when the bottom fell out from beneath the hog market.

“ e industry was changing, going from pigs on every farm to the bigger style buildings, like the custom-feeding operations that we have now,” he said. “ ere was a point where a lot of people got out of the hog business.

Cont. 14

FARMING ON PARADE

Cruising down the street in an antique tractor, latest model or equine friend is a time-honored tradition at community parades and festivities

SAFE DRIVING

Traveling the roadways in farm equipment or with the large machinery can be challenging. The safety of everybody on the road is paramount, but unfortunately accidents involving farm equipment have struck the area in the past year.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, along with Iowa Farm Bureau, have several tips on how to travel safely during harvest months as tractors, combines and more take to the roads.

While most drivers assume equipment will mostly travel on gravel roads and smaller highways, Chief Deputy Duane Rozendaal said that is not always the case.

“As you may know the interstate is not an area that you will be encountering any type of implements of husbandry,” Rozendaal said. “However, Highway 163 does not fall under that criteria due to the fact it is not a fully controlled access highway. These slow moving implements are allowed to use that roadway.”

With the large equipment taking up more than their side of the road and driving at much slower speed than average traffic motorists, drivers need to be alert and not distracted when traveling in areas where tractors could be moving.

“Individuals should use caution and slow down both catching up with these

The challenges of driving with or behind the wheel of farm equipment

types of vehicles or meeting them on the roadways. They may be wider than the lane and due caution is important when meeting or passing,” Rozendaal said. “People get the impression that they can pass a slow moving implement regardless of the road markings (passing zone or no passing zone). Individuals must follow the roadway passing zones and can not pass unless the roadway allows such movement regardless of the speed of the vehicle they are following.”

He also suggests looking ahead of the implement to ensure there are do driveways or farm entrances that the equipment may be turning into. If a vehicle does try to pass a unit and it turns, the passing vehicle is in violation of an unsafe pass if there is an accident.

“Regardless if your in a passing zone you must make the pass without interfering with the turning implement,” Rozendaal said.

For those farmers and hands operating the farm equipment, caution should also be used with traveling with regular traffic. While those citizens who are from the area have more experience in sharing the roadways, visitors may not know how to safely proceed when approaching farm vehicles.

“Farmers should be familiar with

the equipment they are driving or pulling. They must know and watch out for traffic from behind as well as meeting them,” Rozendaal said. “Most will take this into consideration as they are looking for places to move or stop at to allow safe passage on meeting a vehicle. Numerous times I have seen the wide unit coming down the road and pull into a wide spot or drive to allow it to safely pass before I move on.”

He added farmers need to make sure slow moving vehicle signs are visible on the rear of the equipment they are driving or pulling and they can use yellow flashing lights to help warn others of their presence.

“Lighting has improved with the implement units and we see more all the time to enhance the warning for all motorists on the roadways,” Rozendaal said.

Paying attention to the road, being respectful of those traveling and using caution when making any moves will help keep everyone safe when traveling. Farming is a large and important part of Iowa life and making sure the work can get done out of harm’s way is important not only for the farmers but everyone.

— Jamee A. Pierson

BALE WRAP SALE

Cont.

nostalgia of coming back to the conference that changed my life, I named my community group the same name that mine was called when I attended: that name being ‘The Movement.’ I love the name as I think it represents the change we want to create as well as symbolize the idea that we are part of a movement and creating change even when we don’t think of ourselves as leaders like that.”

While it is a very rewarding experience it does come with challenges. Washington, D.C. is a city full of activity, often politically charged, as the group found out during the summer.

“Our staff faced numerous challenges this summer

Cont. 13

besides the usual growth and development that comes with any new job,” Van Der Kamp said. “Specifically, one of the largest challenges faced include being in front of the Supreme Court during the announcement of Roe v. Wade as we then chose to evacuate our students off Capitol Hill for safety. However, now looking back we were trained and prepared to handle such a situation. This situation has also made me more equipped to handle stressful situations regardless of the background, a skill that is beneficial for any career I engage in.”

While he is often putting in 80hour work weeks, Van Der Kamp did have some down time to enjoy the area. With history right at his doorstep, he was able to get out into the city and have experiences that he will remember for the rest of his life.

“With the time we had off, we spent exploring the town and visiting the monuments. I have been inside of the capital, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the list goes on,” Van Der Kamp said. “Not to mention, I made lifelong friendships with the staff as well as my students. I always run into people I know no matter what state I am traveling to for my

next FFA Conference.”

After having such a valuable experience attending the conference, being a part of the leadership team and guiding students toward their interests and passions was more than rewarding for Van Der Kamp. Also, the bond he formed with the group he worked with was especially memorable from his time at D.C.

“My favorite experiences from this summer were, hands down, the rewarding nature of the work we were doing and the friendships made. I have never felt so close with a group of colleagues as we worked through numerous high-stress situations and were by each other’s side for over 80 hours each week for seven weeks,” Van Der Kamp said. “Additionally, the growth witnessed by students who came to the conference struggling with self-confidence, mental health or other unfortunate circumstances is unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen. Seeing a student realize their potential and value for the first time in their life is an emotional experience. For that precise reason, I continue to work for the National FFA and live by the quote, ‘You’ll have someone tell you that you changed their life. And that makes all the other junk worth it.’”

One year of serving as a leader isn’t

enough for Van Der Kamp, as he recently interviewed to go back to WCL for the summer of 2023. He thought about taking another position at the conference, but he found his passion continues to be serving as a facilitator.

“The idea of not doing this again for another summer,” Van Der Kamp said. “(It) was too hard to pass up.”

The summer conference isn’t the only work Van Der Kamp is doing for the National FFA Organization. In August, he took a position to travel to states across the country to facilitate leadership conferences.

“As of right now, I have already been to Michigan and I have conferences in New York and Nebraska also scheduled! Thus, I have no plans on stopping my work with students,” Van Der Kamp said. “It’s also such a privilege to get paid to travel while doing your passion and being only 21.”

Even at such a young age, Van Der Kamp has a passion for agriculture, continuing his studies at Iowa State University, and he wants to share everything he has learned, and to grow the love for the industry that is so important to his home state. With all of the work he has done so far and where he is going in the future, he is well on his way.

— Jamee A. Pierson

We did, too. And we had lost a lot of money at that point. They got so cheap that people were just giving pigs away because there was no market.”

Larger agricultural companies were leaving the little guys high and dry by flooding the market with pigs, significantly devaluing the livestock. While it didn’t mean much for those big businesses, the drop in price forced family farmers into an ultimatum. Either they invest in capital and upgrade their facilities to match higher volumes of pigs or close shop.

“If you had 100 sows, you couldn’t afford that,” he said. “It wouldn’t take you very long to run out of money. So people had to get out, people who were lifelong pork producers. A lot of them did what we did. You gotta change with the times, but we kicked it around for several years whether we were going to become custom feeders and build barns. We talked about it on three different occasions.”

Eventually the Nearmyer and his brother realized if they did not adapt, they knew would get too old to do the work. They relented and built two hog buildings to start out. Each building can hold up to 1,500 hogs. It was one of the best things they ever did, he remarked. Hog farming, which at first seemed like a volatile investment, now provides the brothers with a steady income.

“It’s work,” he said. “But we’re used to work.”

“I don’t think there’s easy farm work out there, is there?” I asked.

“Ha! Haven’t found it yet.”

Nearmyer has been a farmer for most of his life. Like many Iowans, it’s a job that runs in the family. At one point he “left” the profession — as much as a once-a-farmer-alwaysa-farmer can — for a job at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, where he worked for about eight years. He would eventually find himself back in the fields full time, tending to corn, soybeans, hay, cows and pigs.

“Hog farming brought me back from working in Des Moines and allowed my brother to come back from working on my cousin’s farm full-time to working back here part-time,” Nearmyer said. “I enjoyed my time at Principal … My life’s changed more than once. Because I originally thought that I would farm forever. Then I thought I would work in Des Moines forever. Ended up coming back to farming.”

Each aspect of Nearmyer’s farm benefits the other in a continuous cycle. The manure produced by the hogs and cows go directly to the fields, working as a natural fertilizer. In turn, some of the harvested grain goes back to the hogs or cows for feeding. It’s a good system, Nearmyer said, and it keeps fertilizer costs down, which is a godsend at this time. Costs just continue to increase.

“They’re going up for everybody, but especially your grain farmers. Fuel and fertilizer and the herbicides and

the seeds. Everything is just going up,” he said.

With 740 acres of fields and pasture to tend to, costs can add up pretty quick. It is Nearmyer’s and his brother’s job to raise the pigs until it comes time to transport them to market, where they are then transported to another location for processing. The good news is the production and feed costs of operating a hog farm has decreased significantly since the early 1990s.

But that doesn’t mean the job isn’t without its challenges. For Nearmyer, a past integrator — the person or business that provides the pigs — decided to step away. Which meant Nearmyer had a to find a new integrator. This was easier said than done. Iowa may be the No. 1 pork producer in the United States, but he said there are more open hog spaces in Iowa then there are pigs to fill them.

“When our integrator said he wasn’t going to do it anymore, that was a little unnerving because we didn’t know what the future held,” he said. “He had a bunch of guys around

Monroe, Oskaloosa and Ottumwa areas that were feeding for him. That feed all comes out of Two Rivers CoOp in Pella. Two Rivers worked with all of us to help find a new integrator.”

Finding a new integrator is a lot like dating, Nearmyer said. He and his brother met with a number of organizations to find the best fit for them and their operation. Keeping the pigs healthy and well-fed is the ongoing challenge that Nearmyer is tasked with on a daily basis, but he and his brother are up to the task. It’s a good living. It pays the bills.

Hog farming is a continuous cycle for Nearmyer. It isn’t a one-season job, and it differs from a cow-calf operation, too. Spring is usually the time for calving, which leaves the summer for livestock to be out on the pasture before turning them out in stocks for fall. Pigs come and go. By the time the pigs leave, the buildings have to be washed and disinfected to be ready for the next load of pigs.

It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard work. Iowans who grew up around farming know it all too well. Figuring out a farmer’s motivations or reasoning to stay committed to the profession is

about as easy as predicting the weather for next growing season. Heck, it may be even more difficult to determine. Last I checked the “Farmers’ Almanac” doesn’t have a chapter on that subject.

“What has kept you in it for all this time?” I asked the 54-year-old farmer. “What is it that you like about hog farming?”

Nearmyer laughed. “Well, after you make that initial investment like we did, you’re in it for life. I figure my retirement plan is to work it until I keel over dead.”

After giving it some thought, Nearmyer chucked it up to he was born into it. He has always liked to tell people his family has farmed since they got off the boat to America, probably even before that. Might have been raising tulips, he said. Many Iowa families have the same story: It runs in the family. Nearmyer is no different. He admitted he likes farming.

“But, you know, if my dad was born into racing that would be a lot cooler,” he said. “I can’t explain it. It’s just in your blood, you know.”

— Christopher Braunschweig

SIGN ON BONUS

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

FAMILY-OWNED

A FOCUS ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

TODAY!

SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO APPLY!

ACCESS TO THE LATEST TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY

“WORK PERKS” OPTIONS FOR QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES

TO LEARN MORE VISIT OUR CAREERS PAGE, BY SCANNING THE QR CODE ABOVE OR TEXT YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME, PHONE NUMBER, & HIRE ME TO 641-354-5613