THE PRACTICAL FARMER
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA
VOL 12, #4/VOL 13, 1 SPRING 1998
I N T H I S I S S U E
1^ PFI 1998 Field Days
2^ Nan Bonfils Joins Staff
5^ Conservation Farming Option
6^ Notes and Notices
NE IA Grazing Conference
Thailand Student Exchange
PFI District Events
Mississippi Decline Projected
IFGC Forage Leader
Farm Family Pointers
Swine Producers Sought
8^ Share the Garden Bounty
- Nan Bonfils
9^ Harold Wright Library Available
9^ Niman Ranch Sends Iowa Pork
- Rick Exner
10^ Trees Forever Buffer Initiative Sites
10^ Women s Winter Gathering... & Mud
- Virginia Wadsley
11^ Winter Workshop Reports
Acute and Chronic Health Effects of Pesticides
The HM Workbook: A Sunlight Harvesting Manual
Proactive Approaches to Changes in the Swine Industry
Profitable Cow-Calf Management
Women, Food and Agriculture
13^ PFI Family Camp Announced
16^ PFI Profile: Tom and Irene Frantzen
- Jenny Kendall
19^ Flaming for Sweetcorn Weed Control
- Rick Exner
20^ The Value of Biodiversity
- Paul Mugge
22^ Field to Family Project Report
- Gary Huber
23^ 1997 On-Farm Trials, Part I
Fertilizer and Placement Trials
23^ First Year with a Hoophouse
- Steve Weis
26^ Manure Management Trials
- Dick DeLoughery
33^ Footprints of a Grass Farmer:
Deep Bedding Changed Our Lives!
- Tom Frantzen
34^ Poem: The Common Living Dirt
- Marge Piercy
34^ Bits of Sustenance:
A Story of Ingenuity
Donna Bauer
36^ Correspondence to the PFI Board
37^ PFI Membership Application
INTERNET READERS PLEASE NOTE:
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and tables, they will not be available via FTP. Contact
dnexner@iastate.edu if you have a need for these files.
1^ PFI 1998 FIELD DAYS - BRANCHING OUT AND DIGGING IN
PFI cooperators met Feb 12-13 to plan the year's field days
and on-farm research. Their interests represented many of
the current issues in Iowa agriculture. Many of the field
days and trials will be collaborations: manure management
with ISU Extension; management-intensive grazing with the
Northeast Iowa Demonstration Project; and nitrogen
management with the Iowa Farm Bureau, to name a few. A
number of the on-farm trials reflect the growing interest in
marketing opportunities for organically produced meats and
grains. And this year several vegetable growers join the
research network, addressing questions specific to their
production.
This year also marks the start of a concerted effort on the
part of cooperators to gather data on hoophouse swine
production, a system about which there are still large
information gaps. Working with Mark Honeyman, Director of
ISU Outlying Research Farms and with economist Mike Duffy,
Associate Director of the Leopold Center, PFI will be
generating information on the productivity and labor
requirements of these deep-bedded operations. Several
cooperators will also work with agricultural engineer Tom
Richard on the handling and fertilizer value of bedding from
the hoops.
Nitrogen is in the news in connection with the "dead zone"
in the Gulf of Mexico, and Iowa farmers now have some new
tools with which to manage nitrogen use. PFI leaders have
identified an opportunity to collaborate with the Iowa Farm
Bureau on trials related to nitrogen management. IFB
Environmental Resources Director Rick Robinson took part in
the February cooperators' meeting, and a number of IFB
members have agreed to be part of the research network this
year. Dates have yet to be decided for most of these field
days.
Expect to receive the full PFI field day guide in June. In
the mean time, look over these dates and topics. Remember,
the summer isn't complete if you don't get to a few field
days!
June 24 New Melleray Abbey (Joe Fitzgerald, farm mgr.),
Peosta (319-588-2319 ext. 171)
flame cultivation for row crop weed control, compost
production and use in forage and row crops (with
County of Dubuque and Iowa DNR), organic crop
production
July 1 Dennis and Kate McLaughlin, Cumming
(515-981-9684)
preplant N vs. split application for corn, winter
grazing and rotational grazing, strip intercropping,
restoration of a Century barn, filling an abandoned
well, pesticide-free soybeans, pasture poultry.
July 6 Richard and Sharon Thompson, Boone (515-294-5486
(PFI/ISU Extension))
SARE Train-the-trainer in-service workshop on
manure/nutrient management options and integrated
farming systems. Open to both producers and agency
personnel. Pre-registration required.
July 7 Tom and Irene Frantzen, New Hampton (515-364-6426)
integrating hoophouses into a swine production system,
nonchemical quackgrass control (with Laura Jackson,
UNI).
July 8 Greg and Kathy Koether, Giard (319-873-3385) (in
cooperation with the NE Iowa Demonstration Project)
beef productivity under management-intensive grazing,
cooperative marketing of organic beef, ultrasound
results from cow herd and effect on calf crop, gain on
improved vs. traditional pasture (both rotationally
grazed).
Jeff Klinge and Deb Tidwell, Farmersburg
(319-536-2314)
economics of organic crop production, barley as feed
grain, biocontrol of alfalfa weevil and leafhopper.
July 9 Matt and Diana Stewart, Oelwein (515-294-5486
(PFI/ISU Extension))
SARE Train-the-trainer in-service workshop on
management for water quality. Open to both producers
and agency personnel. Pre-registration required.
July 11 Angela Tedesco, Johnston (515-278-4522)
market gardening for community-supported agriculture,
mulch and planting method for onion production.
July 13-15 SARE North-Central Regional workshop, Ames,
Facing a Watershed: Managing Profitable and
Sustainable Landscapes in the 21st Century (Heidi
Carter, UNL (402-472-0917)).
July 16 David and Lisa Lubben, Monticello (319-465-2053)
deep-rip plow, nutrition and economics of wrapping hay
and crop residues, recordkeeping for livestock,
feedlot management.
July 19 Field to Family Ames Community Food System
(515-232-7162)
sustainable farming and market gardening for
community-supported agriculture
Richard and Sharon Thompson farm, Boone
Heenah Mahyah ISU Student Farm, Ames
Onion Creek Farm, Boone
Gary Cornelius farm, Boone
July 23 Vic and Cindy Madsen, Audubon, and Ron and Maria
Rosmann, Harlan (515-294-5486 (PFI/ISU Extension))
SARE train-the-trainer workshop on innovative
marketing, community agricultural strategies, and
integrated farming systems. Pre-registration
required.
July 27 Gary and Venita Wilcox, Correctionville (712-375-5077)
(In cooperation with IFB)
yield goal vs. testing-based nitrogen recommendations for corn
July 29 Les and Lisa Schneckloth, Eldridge (319-285-4200)
(In cooperation with IFB)
N management in corn, farm-produced hog rations, solar
machine shop
Brian and Lisa Sievers, New Liberty (319-893-2930)
(In cooperation with IFB)
yield goal vs. testing-based nitrogen recommendations for corn,
Bt corn hybrid comparison, rootworm insecticide comparison
Aug. 17 Mike Natvig, Protivin (319-569-8358)
intensive rotational grazing pasture management for
beef and swine, fire for perennial grass promotion,
monitoring riparian area grazing, hazelnut windbreak,
cultural practices for weed control, establishment of
native species for grazing.
Aug. 20 Doug Alert and Margaret Smith, Hampton
(515-456-4328)
management-intensive grazing beef cattle on rotational
pastures, transitioning to an organic system.
Dennis and Eve Abbas, Hampton (515-579-6421)
farrowing in hoophouse vs. in pasture, corn population
effect on N sufficiency, composting hoophouse manure.
Aug. 21 Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland (712-446-2414)
manure and/or purchased N for corn (with Joel DeJong,
Northwest Iowa Extension), deep-banding P and K,
managing for spring nitrogen release,
strip-intercropping, pesticide-free soybeans,
hoophouse swine production, composting death-loss,
farm safety.
Colin and Carla Wilson, Dan and Lorna Wilson, Paullina
(712-448-2708, 712-448-3870)
deep-bedded (Swedish) farrowing, hoophouse for
gestation building, composting hoophouse manure.
Aug. 23 Gary and Nancy Guthrie, Nevada (515-382-3117)
market gardening for community-supported agriculture,
mineral oil for corn earworm control in sweetcorn.
Aug. 27 Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, Greenfield
(712-769-2402)
high-oleic acid vs conventional soybeans, 15" vs.
30"-row corn, nitrogen management in corn, transition
to organic system.
Aug. 28 Kirk and Diane Denherder, Sioux Center
(712-722-2341)
(In cooperation with IFB)
Nitrogen management in corn: comparing yield goal
method and testing-based approach for N
recommendations.
Dordt College Ag Stewardship Center, Sioux Center
(712-722-6220)
Bt gene for corn, food-grade soybean production,
Roundup-ready soybeans, high-oil corn, native
perennial legumes, weed emergence study (with Doug
Buhler, Soil Tilth Lab), medic smother crops,
intensive rotational grazing for milk cows.
Aug. 31 Doug Klemme, Collins (515-385-2281) (In
cooperation with IFB)
N management in corn: fall-applied N vs.
fall+sidedressing with late spring soil nitrate test
Dave Struthers, Collins (515-385-2132) (In cooperation
with IFB)
N management in corn, hoophouse swine production, ACA
in corn production.
Sept. 10 Richard and Sharon Thompson, Boone (515-432-1560)
(in conjunction with ISU Agronomy Day) double-throw
ridges for weed management in ridge-till soybeans,
Kverneland plow for quackgrass control, A-frame isolit
farrowing house results, manure dump box, 150' feeder
for ground cornstalks and hay, freeze-branding cows,
separating the turn signals from the slow-moving
flashers on tractors.
Sept. 12 Ron and Maria Rosmann, Harlan (712-627-4653)
seed treatment for corn, manure management for
organic corn, hoophouse swine production.
Ken Rosmann, Harlan (712-627-4217)
organic production and cooperative marketing.
Sept. 13 Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice, Wapello (319-729-5905)
agroforestry options: fruit and nut-bearing trees -
grafted varieties of chestnut, black walnut, Persian
(English) walnut, heartnut, pecan, hican, shellbark
and shagbark hickory, persimmon and pawpaw, hybrid F-1
hazelnuts, nut pines, ginko.
Sept. 15 Larry and Judy Jedlicka, Solon (319-644-2686)
hoophouse swine production, organic farming.
Sept. 19 Virginia Moser, Garrison (319-477-8261)
market gardening for community-supported agriculture,
popcorn economics and production with mulch vs.
rototiller for weed control.
2^ NAN BONFILS JOINS PFI STAFF
The Practical Farmers of Iowa Board of Directors and staff
are pleased to announce that Nan Bonfils is accepting the
position of program assistant for PFI. The position focuses
on communications and on organizational and membership
functions. It will allow PFI to separate organizational
tasks from work related to specific projects. That should
make funders of specific projects more comfortable, and it
will provide PFI members with better and more timely
services!
Nan Bonfils (pronounced Bone-FEES) was selected from
thirteen applicants, including a number of very talented and
experienced candidates. Since 1996, she has served as
Associate Director of the Iowa Arboretum, in Madrid. Prior
experiences include writing copy for Land s End, Inc.,
technical work for Agripro Seeds, and twenty years of
teaching fifteen in Asia. Her current volunteer projects
include work for the Iowa Barn Foundation, the Women, Food
and Agriculture Network, and Plant a Row for the Hungry.
Nan and her husband Don Adams farm just south of Ledges
State Park, in Boone County, where they raise row crops,
small grains, alfalfa, and rotationally graze a beef
cow-calf herd. They live with Don s 87-year-old father who
is still actively farming. Don and Nan continue to sponsor
two Asian refugees, Andrew and Luk, who live in Canada and
Thailand, respectively. Nan and Don have
been PFI members for two years, and Nan has also helped
nurture the PFI women's winter gatherings.
Looking forward to her work with PFI, Nan commented, "On to
new challenges! I'm delighted to be working with PFI, as
its goals are so compatible with our own. I have plenty to
learn and heaps to give -- a healthy balance."
Nan Bonfils will work half-time for PFI and will be officed
in the ISU Agronomy Hall. She will share a phone number
(515-294-8512) with PFI staff person Gary Huber, who will
also be working part time on campus. Welcome, Nan! |
5^ CFO - AN OPTION FOR YOUR FARM?
CFO, the Conservation Farming Option of the 1996 Farm Bill,
is getting closer to being a real, live option for farmers.
It will offer support for innovative conservation practices
with a level of flexibility not seen in other farm programs.
Organizations such as the Center for Rural Affairs and the
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition have worked for passage
and implementation of the CFO.
Because this is a new program, because it represents a
departure from the past, and because its implementation has
been somewhat uncoordinated, farmers will have to take the
initiative if they want to benefit. The application
materials were only released April 21, but the application
deadline is June 1. The CFO is slated to grow in coming
years, but nothing can be taken for granted. If you decide
that the CFO might benefit your farm, it would be a good
idea to stay in touch with Kris Thorp, who is tracking the
program at the Center for Rural Affairs. She can be reached
at CRA, P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE, 68067, or call
402-846-5428, or email to krist@cfra.org. Below is
background information on the CFO from the Center for Rural
Affairs.
What is the CFO? The Conservation Farm Option is a
voluntary conservation incentive program authorized by the
1996 farm bill. It is designed to establish a wide variety
of pilot projects promoting innovation and
environmentally-sound methods for protecting and enhancing
soil, water and other natural resources, including
resource-conserving crop rotations and whole-farm planning.
All projects will be fully funded for a 10-year period upon
selection, and funding may be renewed for an additional 5
years.
Who is eligible for CFO? Any farmer with a production
flexibility contract for wheat, feed grains, cotton, or rice
is eligible to participate. Assistance through CFO,
however, is not limited to a producer's contract acres and
may cover an entire farm. CFO assistance is in addition to
the farmer's production flexibility payments.
Can individual farmers or groups of farmers apply? Yes.
Farmer-based associations and organizations and other
non-profit groups are encouraged to apply on a group project
basis. Individual farmers may also apply. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service may provide financial
assistance to private organizations or local agencies for
technical assistance, outreach, and monitoring and
evaluation costs associated with a project proposal.
How do you apply? CFO application materials are available
through local USDA service centers (NRCS and FSA offices).
The Center for Rural Affairs will be happy to provide
farmers and groups with copies of the materials as well.
Materials include the application form, instructions for
completing the form, and a copy of the scoring sheet that
will be used to rank proposals.
How does CFO relate to other conservation incentive
programs? A farmer participating in the Conservation
Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, or Environmental
Quality Incentives Program may not also receive funding
through CFO. However, farmers may convert and subsume
existing contracts under these programs into a CFO contract.
The CFO is designed to provide payments that are equivalent
to the payments that the farmer could otherwise have been
eligible for under these other programs, in effect
substituting a single annual payment for different types of
payments under the other programs. Flexibility exists
within CFO to try practices that may not be eligible under
program rules for CRP, WRP, or EQIP.
What are examples of CFO flexibility? One example is in the
land retirement area. Generally, CFO projects will not
include large-scale land retirement, given that its aim is
to maintain agricultural production while enhancing
environmental benefit. However, smaller-scale land
retirement for buffer strips and other conservation
practices could be included, with payments similar to CRP
payments. However, a CFO farm plan might include rotation
of conservation strips for soil building purposes, or
grazing plans for buffers to enhance resource benefits, or
plantings to attract beneficial insects for pest control
purposes, practices not ordinarily eligible under CRP rules.
Why does CFO emphasize innovation? CFO provides incentives
for long-term, whole farm natural resource planning as an
innovative approach to conservation program design and
delivery. Emphasis is also placed on innovative
technologies and systems, including those not commonly used
in project areas. These might include longer, more
diversified rotations, new cover crop systems, rotational
grazing, integrated crop management approaches to nutrient
and pest issues, strip cropping, wetland buffers,
composting, and many other sustainable agriculture
practices.
What are the requirements for CFO pilot projects? CFO
proposals should demonstrate:
* innovative approaches to conservation program design and
delivery;
* innovative conservation technologies and systems;
* cost effectiveness in achieving environmental benefits;
* a clear relationship to soil and water conservation, water
quality improvement, wetland restoration or protection,
wildlife habitat, or other natural resource goals;
* effective monitoring and evaluation procedures; and
* consideration of multi-stakeholder participation and
additional non-federal funding.
Are on-farm research and demonstration activities fundable
through CFO? Yes. On-farm trials are quite consistent with
the goals of CFO. In many areas, assistance with
establishing proper protocols is available from extension,
sustainable farming associations, or the USDA Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE). On-farm
demonstration, education, and outreach activities are also a
good way of transferring information and ideas to other
farmers and for promoting program success stories.
6^ NOTES AND NOTICES
* Northeast Iowa Grazing Conference June 16
The morning session takes place in the Wilder Building at
Northeast Iowa Community College, in Calmer.
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-11:30 Sonny Golden, a consultant from Pennsylvania.
In his 40-year career he has focused on helping producers
grow quality forages. Talk will cover pasture improvement,
economics, establishment and benefits.
12:30-2:30 Workshop A: Vance Haugen on dairy issues in the
Upper Midwest; Sonny Golden on nutrition for milking cows on
pasture.
Workshop B: Dick Cates (Wisconsin) and PFI member Greg
Koether on profit opportunities and strategies for beef on
pasture.
3:00-5:00 Beginning and advanced pasture walks at Jim
Hageman farm, just south of Calmar.
Cost of attendance is $15 per person or per farm and
includes supplementary informational materials but not
lunch. For more information call Matt Stewart, Oelwein,
319-283-1337.
* Thailand Student Exchange
Five students came to Iowa in early April from Thailand's
Suwanvajokkasikit Animal Research and Development Institute.
This is part of a student exchange with Iowa State
University. I am trying to place these students as interns
on family run farms from late April until their departure in
late September. Their exchange is for six months, but I am
only asking families to take them on for one to two months
or for however long. Their interests are in swine, dairy,
or cattle operations. These students are hoping to gain
some hands-on experience on these farms and also learn about
American culture.
These were students who were selected out of their institute
to represent their country here in the United States, so
they are very capable and conscientious young people. The
group consists of five young men, ages ranging from 20 to
23, who are capable of communicating in English. They are
willing to work in return for room and board. They will
carry their own health insurance and have their own spending
cash. Orientation and transportation to and from host
families will be provided by Iowa State.
It would be a very interesting and fruitful experience for
the student and for any interested family. Please feel free
to call for more information at (515) 294-8447.
Samone Khouangsathiene
Thailand Project Coordinator
* PFI District Events
In the months following the Jan. 10 statewide PFI meeting,
PFI district leadership organized events on a range of
topics.
Northwest - ISU organic specialist Kathleen Delate led a
discussion on transitioning to organic production.
North Central - At the Jan. 10 annual meeting Steve Weis,
Osage, was elected to the PFI Board.
Northeast - At the Jan. 10 annual meeting, Mike Natvig,
Protivin, was elected to the PFI Board. Members attending
the June 16 grazing meeting in Calmar (see previous page)
will meet over lunch to plan district activities.
Southwest - PFI member Tom Frantzen gave a talk on holistic
management.
Southeast - Wisconsin expert Ron Doetch spoke on profitable
small grains production. A Trees Forever representative
described the organization's statewide riparian buffer
initiative. At the Jan. 10 annual meeting, Susan
Zacharakis-Jutz was elected to the PFI Board.
* Army Corps Report Projects Ecological Decline for Upper
Mississippi
A 1997 report by the Army Corps of Engineers predicts that
the Upper Mississippi River will continue to decline,
leading to poorer water quality, a shift to less desirable
fish species, and fewer areas to support migratory
waterfowl, according to an article in the Sept. 1997 issue
of Mississippi Monitor, a newsletter published by American
Rivers. Levee construction since the 1880s, and dam
construction since the 1930s "are primarily responsible for
converting the Mississippi from a free-flowing river with
braided channels, floodplain forests, and wet meadows into a
series of pools frequently cut off from the river's
floodplain."
"Though these improvements have aided flood control and
commercial navigation, dams, levees, and river training
structures have robbed the Mississippi of its power to
create new habitat during periods of high flow. Sloughs,
side channels, and backwaters (that) fill with silt and
sediment are no longer replaced during floods but are
instead replaced (through) state and federal restoration
programs." The Corps report, according to the article,
recognizes the inadequacy of the Environmental Monitoring
Program, the primary habitat monitoring and restoration
program for the upper Mississippi.
* The Forage Leader - A Benefit of IFGC Membership
The American Forage and Grasslands Council publishes a
quarterly newsletter, The Forage Leader, that is received at
the PFI office at ISU. There is always something worth
reading in The Forage Leader, and readers who are not part
of IFGC may want to consider membership ($15) just to get
the newsletter. In the current issue, regular columnist Jim
Gerrish muses on the merits of harrowing pastures, the term
"management-intensive grazing" is dissected, the
price/availability outlook for warm-season grass seed is
discussed, satellite phones are examined, and specialty corn
hybrids are compared for silage. There is also an article
on management of dwarf napiergrass - but, hey, we can't all
farm in Oklahoma. If you would like more information about
the Iowa Forage and Grasslands Council, contact them at
1-800-383-1682.
* Pointers for Farm Families
Dr. John Allen, a Nebraska rancher and sociologist, spoke at
the Kansas Sustainable Ag Roundup last December. His
comments were reported in Rural Papers, the newsletter of
the Kansas Rural Center. Through surveys and interviews of
Nebraska producers, Allen has identified three distinct
approaches to farm management. These farms generally were
focused on either continuous corn, no-till, or diversified,
sustainable practices.
While those in all three groups highly valued their
community, the sustainable, diversified farmers often saw
themselves as "different" than their neighbors. Their
farming style sometimes required that they go outside the
community for markets, supplies, and information, and
perhaps as a result they were less likely to discuss their
farming and goals with neighbors. Allen suggested it is
important to work against those isolating tendencies, as
difficult as that may be.
Women on these sustainable farms often support the farm by
working for a paycheck in town. This separation from
day-to-day operations can add to the stresses of transition
as new practices and systems are undertaken. Under the
pressures of management, the need for discussion and
consensus can be forgotten, leading to ill feelings and
mistrust among family members. Consequently it is
especially important to work for consensus within the family
about new ventures, and families should think about their
values and goals as they choose those new directions for the
farm.
Allen has also found that farming transitions are aided by
social and information networks of like-minded people who
may have been through similar changes themselves. Early and
frequent communication with the banker is another key to
successful transitions in farming. The reaction of a
surprised banker can even break down equilibrium within the
family, observed Allen.
* "Sustainable" Swine Producers Sought
PFI member Paul Willis is looking for additional pork
producers to market hogs through Niman Ranch (see article on
page 9). The company markets pigs raised without growth
promotants or subtherapeutic antibiotics and in low-stress
environments, for example pasture and deep-bedded systems.
Producers receive a premium of $50 per cwt. Paul has an
immediate need for hogs this June. If you would like more
information, contact Paul Willis at 515-998-2683.
8^ SHARE THE BOUNTY FROM THE GARDEN
Nan Bonfils
Home gardeners all across the country are pledging a row to
feed the hungry. This service project, initiated by the
Garden Writers Association of America, is designed to move
durable produce to appropriate soup kitchens and food
pantries. (Durable veggies are those that can stand some
handling and shipping, like broccoli, cabbage, carrots,
peas, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, winter and
summer squash, onions, beets, apples, and pears. Herbs are
also welcome.) There is no cash involved - just you and
your garden, and some folks in your community who need fresh
food. When you plant your vegetable garden this spring,
simply plant one extra row of produce to give away.
Even if your garden is already planted, it is not too late
to get involved. Just make the mental commitment to send
any extra veggies on to someone in need.
For the address of the nearest Iowa food bank, you can call
the Food Bank of Iowa at 515-244-6555. For food banks
across a broader geographic range, call Second Harvest at
312-263-2303 or Foodchain at 800-845-3008. To obtain free
"Plant a Row for the Hungry" garden markers, call me at
PFI's ISU office, 515-294-8512.
9^ HAROLD WRIGHT LIBRARY AVAILABLE ON LOAN
PFI member Harold Wright has developed a library consisting
of over 100 reference books plus newsletters, journals,
magazines, and other publications on the following topics:
alternative agriculture, biomass, biotechnology, care of the
soil, community-supported agriculture, control of weeds,
cover crops, energy conservation, family farms, global food
supply, global warming, grass farming, green manure, land
stewardship, organic farming, our food system, ozone
depletion, protection of the environment, protection of
wetlands, reduced chemical use, religious perspectives,
rotation of crops, soil conservation, sustaining the
community, water quality, wildlife habitat, wind power.
Harold would be happy to loan part or all of the library to
a PFI member for a period of weeks or months, if that person
would take care of loaning the books out to other interested
people. For example, this could be a short term project for
someone in one of the membership districts. The library
also comes with several bulletin boards that can be used as
displays. Bulletin board topics are: Alternative
Agriculture; Family Farms Sustain the Community; Sustainable
Energy; Nitrogen - Using Too Much; and miscellaneous
articles from newspapers and newsletters around the Midwest.
For more information about this library, contact Harold
Wright at 1718 Clark Ave., Ames, IA 50010-5345,
515-232-3361.
9^ NIMAN RANCH SENDS IOWA PORK WEST
Rick Exner
For several years PFI members Paul and Phyllis Willis, in
Cerro Gordo County, have sold pasture-raised pigs at a
premium to some of the finest West Coast restaurants. Their
pigs are marketed through California rancher Bill Niman, who
has spent two decades developing a customer base for
sustainably produced beef, pork, and lamb. Meat animals
sold through Niman Ranch have received no growth hormones,
subtherapeutic antibiotics, or other growth promotants, and
they are raised in systems that allow them to move about and
interact socially. Niman Ranch has also built a reputation
for premium quality. San Francisco Bay-area restaurants and
retail outlets - and now customers of the national chain
Whole Foods - can buy Niman meats with confidence both in
the flavor of the products and in their origins, or
provenance.
In the past year, Paul Willis has facilitated pork sales to
Niman from several other Iowa farmers using pasture and/or
deep-bedded production systems. (See his call for producers
in the Notes and Notices section.) Paul says they are not
seeking the leanest possible carcases, but animals with
sufficient fat to contribute to flavor and do well in
outdoor or semi-confinement operations.
The business shows signs of taking off, which shouldn't be
surprising given the pent-up consumer demand for
sustainably-produced, premium quality meats. Willis says in
the future they will likely set up some type of marketing
association in which producers have a share. In the mean
time, you can learn more by contacting Paul Willis. Niman
Ranch also has an Internet Web site at
http://www.nimanranch.com.
10^ TREES FOREVER ANNOUNCES 1998 IOWA BUFFER INITIATIVE
SITES
(Editors' note: the following information about the Trees
Forever buffer demonstrations was provided by Trees Forever
communications coordinator Mike Tidman. You may find ideas
or techniques on these demonstration farms that can be put
to use in your own operation.)
Trees Forever has announced 20 demonstration and project
sites for the Trees Forever Iowa Buffer Initiative for 1998.
The demonstration sites will help landowners see the
benefits of buffer technology at work on the ground on farms
near them. For example, at the Bear Creek research site in
central Iowa, nine landowners have invested in buffer
technology on ten farms in the Bear Creek watershed. The
concepts proven at the Bear Creek site will be taken
statewide.
The goal of the Trees Forever Iowa Buffer Initiative is to
increase awareness and use of land management and its impact
on water quality, soil erosion, landscapes, and wildlife.
The results of the Iowa Buffer Initiative will be the
development of:
1) twenty highly-accessible buffer demonstration and
research sites each year for five years;
2) a network of technical assistance to support landowners;
3) shelterbelts as buffers around livestock confinement
operations;
4) a recognition program for landowners who protect streams
and waterways with buffers; and
5) field days for farmers, rural landowners, and youth to
increase understanding of buffers.
Trees Forever is working with landowners, Novartis Crop
Protection, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and several
other public and private sector partners on this program.
An Iowa-based not-for-profit, Trees Forever has been the
catalyst for projects in over 400 Iowa communities and in
all 99 counties. For more information, contact Michael
Tidman, Trees Forever Communications Coordinator, at
1-800-369-1269.
__________________
End Part 1
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