I N T H I S I S S U E
1^ Fences Aren't Fashionable
Vic Madsen
2^ 1995 Field Days and Pasture Walks
3^ Daubendiek Prairie Walk
Laura Jackson
3^ IPM Project Draws Neighbors
5^ Five Sustainable Projects Funded
5^ Prairie Pasture Project
6^ Shared Visions
6^ Community Group Summaries
10^ Enhancing Group Performance
12^ Field Events Planned
13^ Kellogg Meeting in California
16^ PFI Field Day Evaluations
Gary Huber
18^ FFA Sustainable Ag Winners
19^ PFI Profiles: Shelly Gradwell
Gary Huber
20^ PFI Camp for Youth and Families
22^ Sustainable Ag Training Survey
Jerry DeWitt
22^ Notes and Notices
_ New Farm Magazine Ends
_ PFI Represented Here and There
_ PFI at Rural Conference
_ Bean Bar Safety
_ Farm Bill on the Internet
_ FEEL Clinics Set
_ Wetlands Conference
25^ PFI Membership Tops 500
25^ PFI 1995 Directory Coming
25^ Request Form:
PFI Directory
Gentler Way: Hogs on Pasture
Farming Systems Conference & Producer
Poster Info
26^ Farming Systems Conference Set
Rick Exner
27^ Mutant Message: A Review
_ Dwight Ault
27^ Sows on Pasture Report Compiled
28^ Dairy Graziers Tell Their Story
29^ Public Policy Conference
Laura Krouse
29^ Profits of Strip Intercropping
Don Davidson & Rick Exner
31^ Footprints of a Grass Farmer
"How are Your Plans?"
Tom Frantzen
33^ From the Kitchen
Marj Stonecypher
34^ PFI Membership Application Form
35^ PFI Board of Directors and Staff Listing
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1^
FENCES AREN T FASHIONABLE
Vic Madsen, Audubon
A neighbor and I were visiting in mid-April about the fence
we see being torn out this spring. My friend said he had a
couple broken posts to fix in his stock cow pasture. Then
he said, in a half-joking manner, "I feel like setting the
posts at night when the neighbors can t see me fencing." We
both laughed, but since then I have pondered that visit.
What is happening here is peer pressure. Nothing is said.
But there is a definite message sent by our community that
fences are not fashionable. While we don t like to admit
it, most of us like to fit in and are nervous if we do
something that doesn t fit our community s norms.
I have a hunch that sustainable agriculture s biggest hurdle
is local peer pressure to farm like everyone else. We get
more production data and more economic data every year to
prove the value of sustainable agriculture, but change comes
slowly.
Practical Farmers of Iowa helps people who are trying to
shift their management style and mental process. The summer
field days held on cooperators farms are excellent
opportunities to meet people who are trying different
practices and who frequently look at things from a different
angle. So often, too, the person sitting next to you on the
hayrack or at lunch turns out to be a fascinating source of
ideas.
PFI s Shared Visions program can also help people develop
the confidence to try different farming practices. A local
group of people can explore a different management style or
a different crop, or they can do a value-added project. The
key thing is they are not doing it alone. The group has
other people for support and for sharing experiences. There
is also less financial risk for everyone.
For those of you feeling torn between wanting to try
something and doing what is accepted, don t feel alone. If
you think about history, the only way improvements are made
is by someone doing something different. |
2^
1995 FIELD DAYS AND PASTURE WALKS PLANNED
Despite the rainy spring, farmers are thinking about
"show-and-tell" get-togethers for later in the summer.
These occasions generally fall into three overlapping
categories scheduled PFI field days, pasture walks, and
Shared Visions community groups field events.
(Descriptions and schedules for Shared Visions groups
events are on page 12.)
PFI On-farm Trials and Field Days
This year sees field days by some new cooperators as well as
experienced veterans. Through a new project on integrated
pest management funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture, three new cooperators have joined the on-farm
trials program (see article opposite). They are Mark and
Julie Roose, of Pella, Phil and Sharon Specht, of McGregor,
and Joe and Ane Fitzgerald, of Peosta. Ron and Maria
Rosmann, of Harlan, are also involved in this IPM project.
The 1995 cropping year will mark the completion of a USDA
SARE project to study ridge tillage. The grant has
supported a wide range of tillage comparisons, fertility
trials, and weed management evaluations.
ISU soil scientist Antonio Mallarino has also provided a
boost to PFI ridge tillage research by setting out
fertilizer placement trials on several farms, including: Ted
and Donna Bauer, Audubon; Don and Sharon Davidson, Grundy
Center; Doug Alert and Margaret Smith, Hampton; and Dick and
Sharon Thompson, Boone. To augment Antonio s work on
fertilizer placement, PFI invited ridge tillers Dean and
Deborah Ekstrand, Pocahontas, to carry out a placement trial
in 1995.
Steve Hopkins and Sara Andreasen last held a field day
outside of Decorah, where they were grazing the Jersey herd
of PFI member (and NRCS head) Paul Johnson. Now the couple
is settling in on their own farm near Newton. Their field
day August 14 will look at the building process and growing
pains of the first year on the new site. Also on the tour
will be the grazing system of Russ Hughes, Shared Visions AG
2020 member.
Speaking of building, John and Pam Cowles, of Pulaski, saved
and renovated a 100-year-old barn on the farm they bought
two years ago. Having practiced intensive rotational
grazing for a decade with beef cows, John and Pam are taking
up the dairy challenge this summer. The two-story,
45-by-70-foot barn, featuring "peg and pocket" construction,
now houses a double-four herringbone-style milking facility.
There should be plenty new to see at their field day July
19, including the grazing system of neighbor Gary Cossel.
Ray and Marj Stonecypher are now farming the home place
where Ray grew up. They say it s a beautiful spot
overlooking the Cedar River Valley. Ray and his son Tony
have been making fence this winter, and Tony is starting a
dairy herd. The field day August 17 should provide a mix of
grazing and row cropping, with some nice scenery, too.
Tom and Irene Frantzen, Alta Vista, were recipients of a PFI
Sustainable Projects grant for 1995 (see article opposite).
With researchers in the ISU Department of Forestry, the
Frantzens will be examining six combinations of
establishment methods for hazelnut seedlings. These methods
involve mulching, bare-ground, and no grass removal, all
with and without use of plastic Tubex seedling protectors.
Tom also took the initiative, along with PFI cooperator Mike
Natvig, Cresco, of obtaining additional funding from the
Organic Farming Research Foundation, in Santa Cruz,
California. The Natvig field day July 27 and the Frantzen
field day Aug. 16 will show the hazelnut establishment
methods being tried.
Mike Natvig is also part of the study by Laura Jackson (see
article opposite) that will examine the potential of native
prairie plants in both grazed and ungrazed areas around
Natvig s new farm pond. The study, supported by the Leopold
Center for Sustainable Agriculture, also involves PFI member
Dan Specht, who last year started an evaluation of native
plants with the help of a PFI Sustainable Projects grant.
As the newsletter went to press, the rainy weather was
delaying planting and making it hard to say just what
on-farm trials will be seen this year. In June, PFI members
will receive the field day guide with the full listing of
field events and trials. Here is the calendar of PFI field
days.
June 22 Ron and Maria Rosmann, Harlan
June 24 Phil and Sharon Specht, McGregor
July 11 Dave and Lisa Lubben, Monticello
July 13 Joe and Ane Fitzgerald, Peosta
July 18 Mark and Julie Roose, Pella
July 19 John and Pam Cowles,
Gary Cossel, Bloomfield
July 25 Matt and Diane Stewart, Oelwein
July 27 Mike Natvig, Cresco
August 14 Steve Hopkins and Sara Andreasen, Newton
Russ Hughes, Searsboro
August 16 Mike and Jamie Reicherts
Tom and Irene Frantzen, Alta Vista
August 17 Ray and Marj Stonecypher, Floyd
August 21 Jeff and Gayle Olson, Mt. Pleasant
(with Louisa County Shared Visions pasture walk)
August 25 Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland
Colin and Carla Wilson & Dan and Lorna Wilson,
Paullina
Dordt College Ag Stewardship Center, Sioux Center
August 28 Doug Alert and Margaret Smith, Hampton
August 31 Ron and Maria Rosmann, Harlan
Sept. 1 Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, Greenfield
Sept. 7 Richard and Sharon Thompson, Boone
Pasture Walks All Over
One of the nicest ways to learn about intensive rotational
grazing is by taking an occasional stroll through a
neighbor s pasture. That s what twilight tours are all
about, and this summer will see more of them than ever.
Previously, PFI, NRCS, Extension, and other projects all
held pasture walks, but each group was unaware of the
others dates. Now, thanks to Brian Lang, Jack Dillon and
Tony Harvey in Extension, and Jim Ranum in NRCS, these
schedules are finally consolidated in one place. In
northeast Iowa, you shouldn t have to drive more than a few
miles this summer to take a pasture walk.
Pasture walks began in April. The listing of upcoming dates
follows. For details, call the Northeast Iowa Demonstration
Project, in Postville (319-864-3999), your county Extension
office, or the PFI staff. Note also the Audubon and Louisa
County pasture walks listed in the Shared Visions section of
this newsletter.
May 31, 1:00 3:00 pm, Sumner
John Kleppe
June 7, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Farley
Don Klosterman
June 7, 3:00 pm, Plainfield (tentative)
Scott Weinberg
June 14, 1:00 3:00 pm, Giard
Greg and Kathy Koether
June 14, 1:00 3:00 pm, Sumner
Stephanie Mitcham
June 20, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Seneca, WI
Ron Clift
June 20, 1:00 3:00 pm, Calmar
Jim Hageman
June 21, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, New Vienna
Doug and Janet Hoefler
June 21, 1:00 3:00 pm, Tripoli
Jim Wolf
June 24, McGregor
Phil and Sharon Specht
July 5, 1:00 3:00 pm, Waverly
Wayne Carolus
July 11, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Monticello
Dave and Lisa Lubben
July 18, 1:00 3:00 pm, Strawberry Point
Chris Riniker
July 20, 10:00 am 3:00 pm, Elgin (tentative)
Gilbertson Conservation Park
forage plant identification, growth and mgt.
July 25, 1:00 3:00 pm, Oelwein
Matt and Diane Stewart
July 26, 1:00 3:00 pm, McGregor
Dan Specht
July 27, Cresco
Mike Natvig
August 1, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Delhi
Pat Freiburger
August 9, 12:30 pm 3:00 pm, West Union
Tom Schissel, parlor walk followed by . . .
Don Baker, pasture walk
August 15, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Seneca, WI
Don Boland
August 16, Alta Vista
Mike and Jamie Reicherts
Tom and Irene Frantzen
August 17, Floyd
Ray and Marj Stonecypher
August 23, 1:00 3:00 pm, Decorah
Dan and Bonnie Beard
August 31, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Andrew
Andrew Jackson Demonstration Farm
September 6, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Sherrill
Bob and Paul Mueller
September 7, 10:00 am 3:00 pm, Elgin (tentative)
Gilbertson Conservation Park
forage plant identification, growth and mgt.
September 19, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Rising Sun, WI
Joe Liebert
September 20, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Farley
Larry Thier
October 4, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Dubuque (tentative)
Our Lady of the Mississippi
October 4, 1:00 3:00 pm, Waukon
James Weignner
October 17, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Eastmen, WI
Maurice Henkes
November 15, Prosper, MN (tentative)
Vance Haugen
November 21, 10:00 am 12:00 pm, Steuben, WI
Doug Spany |
3^
DAUBENDIEK PRAIRIE WALK TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 10:00 AM
Laura Jackson, Cedar Falls
Daubendiek Prairie is an excellent example of the kind of
pasture which used to occupy much of Chickasaw and Howard
Counties. Over 80 species of plants, including valuable
forage species like big bluestem, switchgrass, indiangrass,
a native brome, and numerous prairie legumes, can be seen
growing in somewhat natural conditions. Graziers may learn
more about what kinds of wild plants could be used to
augment their pasture systems.
Diversity of flowers and grasses should be ideal in late
June. The grasses will be high, and some of the area is a
slough, so boots and long pants are suggested. If time
permits and there is interest, we will demonstrate prairie
management techniques by clearing some white poplar that is
encroaching on the site. If you wish to help, bring
loppers.
The prairie is 3/4 mile east of Highway 63, on Chickasaw
County road B-22. (B-22 is the road you turn west from 63
to reach Frantzens and Reicherts .) The prairie is on the
north side of the road. For more information, contact me at
the Dept. of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar
Falls, 50614. (319) 273-2705. |
3^
IPM PROJECT DRAWS IN NEIGHBORS
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) looks at bug problems
holistically. That is, IPM looks at the whole farming
system for causes and solutions to problem insects. IPM has
traditionally searched for economic "threshold" levels of
pests in order to set rational trigger points for treatment.
The treatments themselves have usually been inherited from
the pre-IPM era. That is beginning to change, as shown by
an on-farm IPM project supported by the Leopold Center. The
research will try out biological controls for some common
pests of Iowa crops.
ISU entomologist John Obrycki and graduate student Kris
Giles have been meeting with PFI members and their
neighbors, setting up research plots in four areas around
the state. Two of these sites will concentrate primarily on
the corn borer, and two will emphasize the alfalfa weevil
and potato leafhopper.
Joe and Ane Fitzgerald, Peosta, and Ron and Maria Rosmann,
Harlan, are cooperators in the corn borer project. Joe and
Ane are new PFI cooperators, and Joe manages the farm at New
Melleray Abbey. When scouting detects the second flight of
the corn borer, these cooperators will release a kind of
tiny wasp that lays its eggs in the corn borer eggs.
Obrycki and Giles will measure the effectiveness of the
wasps in reducing corn borer damage. The technique is used
routinely in European corn fields.
The alfalfa-IPM cooperators are Phil and Sharon Specht,
McGregor, and Mark and Julie Roose, Pella. They will be
making use of insect diseases to manage the alfalfa weevil
and the potato leaf hopper. These diseases occur naturally
in the field and can be encouraged by the timing and method
of alfalfa harvest. For instance, a strip along the upwind
edge of the field that misses the first cutting creates good
conditions for the weevil fungus. In rainy weather, the
disease proliferates naturally. This may be a year in which
most of the weevils caught in the sweep net are already
infected. If so, the cooperators will detect the disease
using methods they learn in the project.
Increasing the "multiplier effect" of this work, cooperators
at all four locations are inviting in the neighbors to meet
John and Kris, learn about the research, and ask questions.
Some of these farmers are also trying out the same IPM
methods in their own fields. All four cooperators will show
the research at PFI field days this summer. |
5^
FIVE SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS PROPOSALS FUNDED
Five good ideas received a little help from PFI Sustainable
Projects this spring. They range from pasture hogs to soil
fertility to woody agriculture.
Joe Fitzgerald, farm manager at the New Melleray Abbey, in
Peosta, is seeking to control weeds without herbicides. He
proposed an experiment comparing different seeding rates of
rye as a weed-suppressing cover crop ahead of corn. The
plots will be shown at the field day July 12.
John and Beverly Gilbert, Iowa Falls, will compare the
economics and production of a group of hogs raised in
confinement and one raised in a pasture system. Part of the
pasture includes different high-lysine corn of three
different maturities that the hogs will harvest.
John and Rosie Wurpts, Ogden, will complete a five-year
comparison of a biologicals-based soil fertility program and
one using conventional fertilizers and ISU recommendations.
This is one of the few long-term studies of this kind.
Tom and Irene Frantzen, Alta Vista, are cooperating with ISU
foresters and Minnesota hazelnut breeder Phil Rutter in an
experiment to determine the best method for establishing
hazelnuts. (See article on PFI field days.)
Mt. Pleasant Explorer Post 1846 will videotape interviews
with retired farmers to document their skills, indigenous
knowledge, and cultural heritage. The post, whose scouts
study and demonstrate life in the 1846 era, will make tapes
available to Practical Farmers of Iowa. |
5^
PRAIRIE PASTURE PROJECT BEGINS
PFI member Laura Jackson has secured support from the
Leopold Center for a project that may unite two worlds and
two separate groups of people. The separate worlds of
farming and prairie studies will be brought together, and
innovative farmers looking for productive, warm-season
forage plants will be brought together with botanists and
prairie restoration enthusiasts. The farms of PFI members
Mike Natvig and Dan Specht will play a part in the project.
"Native prairie species, particularly grasses and legumes,
may have an important role to play in intensively-managed
rotational grazing systems," writes Jackson. "They are most
productive in the mid-summer months, when traditional forage
species grow slowly and are less nutritious. Only a handful
of the most common native grasses and legumes have been
tested for their utility in rotational grazing systems in
Iowa. Currently it is difficult to test the wide variety of
prairie species, because seed is scarce and expensive,
little native prairie exists in private hands, and most
remnants are too small to divide into rotational units.
Furthermore, awareness of the native flora and its
potentially useful components is often limited to
specialists in botany and conservation."
"We will address this problem by testing methods of
establishing native pasture plants into three existing
cool-season rotational pastures in northeast Iowa. Two
levels of grazing intensity will be tested in the second and
third year of establishment, and the quality and quantity of
forage production measured. . . In a separate area adjacent
to one pasture, we will establish a diverse mixture of
prairie grass and forb species in order to introduce farmers
to the enormous variety of native prairie plants."
Mike Natvig s PFI field day July 27 will provide an
opportunity to view this project in its establishment year.
Laura Jackson is also leading a prairie walk on a newly
"discovered" site near Alta Vista on June 27 (see page 3
article). |
16^
PFI Field Day Evaluations
Gary Huber
Since 1992 PFI field day attendees have been asked to help
improve these events by completing evaluation forms. A
brief review of some findings from these evaluations are
given here.
Table 1 (graphics file table1.wmf) gives attendance at PFI
field days from 1992 through 1994. Attendance in 1993
dropped from 1992, probably because of the floods, and then
increased in 1994. Average attendance at scheduled field
days has increased slightly each year.
Table 2 (graphics file table2.wmf) gives information on who
attended field days from 1992 through 1994. Most were
farmers. About half were attending their first PFI field
day, and from about a fourth to a third were members of PFI.
Thus, the field days were consistently drawing new people,
most of which were farmers. Also, most were not PFI
members, though the percentage who were increased from
one-fourth to one-third between 1992 and 1994.
Figure 1 (graphics file fig1.wmf) shows how attendees rated
the field days in relation to their expectations. Responses
were consistent between years. Slightly over 20% said the
field days exceeded their expectations. Slightly over 70%
said they met their expectations, and around 5% said they
fell short of their expectations. To meet or exceed
expectations is a worthy goal, and it appears PFI field days
are doing quite well in this regard.
Answers to open-ended questions revealed a variety of
reasons attendees were please with the field days. A
response that was repeated in a variety of ways was,
"Farmers all do a nice job of explaining what they re doing,
and are honest if it doesn t work." Another response that
typified a recurring theme was, "The look, feel, and talk
approach is as effective as a learning experience can get,
short of doing it yourself."
Figure 2 (graphics file fig2.wmf) shows that of farmers who
attended PFI field days, between 57% and 63% considered
changing practices in some way as a result of attending.
While knowing whether considering changes in practices led
to actual changes is not easy, these percentages are
evidence that the field days appear to have had an impact.
A comment to an open-ended question that relates to the data
in Figure 2 was, "The demonstrated successful results from
PFI farms is hard to beat and often used."
Table 3 shows which practices farmers considered changing.
Grazing management was the most frequently mentioned
practice in each year, maybe because changes are easier with
this practice than some of the others. Grazing management
was also mentioned more and more often from one year to the
next, which may be because PFI field days focused more on
grazing management from year to year.
Table 3 (graphics file table3.wmf) also provides interesting
information on trends over time for some of the practices.
For example, farmers attending were less likely to consider
changes in tillage and nutrient management as the field days
progressed over time.
This decline is likely due in part to less emphasis on these
practices by PFI cooperators, which is a result of these
cooperators having investigated these topics to their
satisfaction. In other words, they know what they want to
know about these topics for the time being, and they are
moving on to practices for their research and demonstration
efforts that hold more personal interest.
Table 3 also shows that the percentage of farmers
considering changes in what has been labeled miscellaneous
practices went from 7% in 1992 to 29% in 1994. What the
table isn t able to show is that most of this increase came
from interest in practices like agroforestry, growing
organic or food grade soybeans, and pasture farrowing.
This increase is likely a reflection of the increased
diversity in the practices that are a part of PFI field
days. It may also be due to the farmers feeling like they
need to consider a wider range of alternatives if they are
to be ale to sustain their operations for the long term.
The information of Table 3 is relevant to a discussion that
has concerned the PFI board regarding what should be the
focus of PFI field days. There is truth to the idea that
the organization needs to continue to emphasize the topics
of weed and nutrient management because these are areas
where improvements could be made among the many Iowa
farmers. On the other hand, the board also has the sense
that focusing on these practices alone will not be enough to
realize the changes they feel are needed to create a truly
sustainable farming system in Iowa.
A balance in the practices undertaken by the cooperators
involved in the on-farm research network is likely to be
part of the answer. Anticipating needs as farming changes
will also be important. Data collected from these
evaluation forms is an important resource for PFI and PFI
cooperators in making decisions regarding on-farm research
and field days as the organization evolves to meet the needs
of a changing rural scene. |
6^
SHARED VISIONS SECTION
Six community groups involved in Shared Visions submitted
project applications for approval in early March. These
applications were reviewed by the Shared Visions Advisory
Council, which sent its comments on to the PFI Board.
The Board then reviewed the applications and Advisory
Council comments and approved the projects for funding. The
amounts requested ranged from $675 to $3,184, with the total
for all projects being $10,885.
Descriptions follow of the goals, projects, and activities
of these six groups. Shorter descriptions are provided of
the two groups that had projects approved last summer.
Ag Connect
Became involved in Shared Visions: December 1994
Goal: To stop the out-migration of farm families and create
a more sustainable agricultural system in southwest Iowa.
Project: Develop a database of retiring farmers that will
include:
1. the willingness of landowners to use various
arrangements to assist young farmers into farm
ownership
2. information on practices owners would be willing to have
used on their farms to promote the long-term
sustainability of the operations
Project Budget: $2,400
Activities to Date: Ag Connect has been in existence for
about two years. During this time the group developed the
details of how this regional beginning farmer program will
operate. They also secured funding for a coordinator who
recently began work to implement the program.
The database of retiring farmers to be developed with
support from Shared Visions will be used by the coordinator
to facilitate matches with beginning farmers. A
questionnaire has been developed and sent to all owners of
land in the eight county area.
Contact: Lana Pals
500 E. Taylor Street
Creston, IA 50801
515-782-7058
Audubon Graziers
Became involved in Shared Visions: December 1994
Goal: To demonstrate that alternative farming methods such
as management intensive grazing (MIG) can be profitable,
sustainable, and improve the quality of life for our
community and ourselves.
Project: Components are:
1. host monthly pasture walks from April through September
on local farms, with each featuring a different topic
or speaker
2. collect data on MIG from the farms of two group members
for cow/calf, stocker cattle, ewe/lambs, and feeder
lambs animal groups
3. charter a bus to the Adams County CRP Research and
Demonstration Project's field day
4. develop a local resource library on grazing management
to be located at the County Extension office
Project Budget: $2,116
Activities to Date: This group existed as an informal
grazing group prior to involvement in Shared Visions. Since
then they have broadened membership and identified a goal
and activities to achieve this goal.
Data collection to assess MIG on member farms has begun.
The first pasture walk took place in April, and the
remainder have been scheduled. A charter bus has been
reserved to take people to the Adams County CRP Project's
annual field day on August 3. They have also begun
collecting publications for the grazing resource library.
Contact:
Donna Bauer
1667 Hwy. 71
Audubon, IA 50025
712-563-4084
Central Iowa Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Project
Became involved in Shared Visions: December 1994
Goal: Create a local food system, build community ties, and
expand awareness of the relationships between food, land,
and people.
Project: Components are:
1. document these elements of establishing a CSA:
organization, marketing, and distribution
economic viability
feasibility of a multiple-producer CSA
educational requirements
2. produce newsletters and a brochure and hold field days,
education programs, and other community events
3. use member surveys and an end-of-season meeting for
producers and shareholders to refine and improve the CSA
4. develop a publication on starting a CSA
Project Budget: $3,184
Activities to Date: This group met several times before
involvement in Shared Visions to discuss starting a CSA.
Their first Shared Visions meeting was a two-day visioning
retreat. They have been meeting once every two weeks to
continue to develop the group and the project.
Producers of vegetables, honey, meats, eggs, and bakery and
fiber products have been identified. A person has been
hired as the group's coordinator/historian. A brochure was
developed and 19 shares sold. A meeting of shareholders and
producers was held in mid-May.
Contacts: Jeff Hall Shelly Gradwell
RR 6, Box 26 1126 Agron. Hall
Ames, IA 50014 Iowa State Univ.
515-292-0322 Ames, IA 50011
515-294-2235
Farm Fresh CSA - Benton County
Became involved in Shared Visions: December 1994
Goal: To benefit local farmers, consumers, and communities
by enabling a group of local growers to market their fresh
produce to members of their communities, thus helping people
take pride in what they grow, harvest, deliver and consume.
Project:
Components include:
1. document information needed to determine profit margins,
positive achievements, and problems experienced
2. group members will grow 58 varieties of vegetables that
16 shareholders will receive over an 18-week period
3. a local orchard will provide apples as a part of what
shareholders receive
4. marketing that will include a promotional brochure and
outreach to local media
5. educational activities during the growing season on
topics such as the nutritional value of produce and
methods of preparing and preserving
6. a late-season picnic for shareholders, which will
include a discussion to evaluate the project
7. a final report/manual
Project Budget: $1,110
Activities to Date: This group did not exist prior to its
involvement in Shared Visions. Since then they have been
meeting weekly to develop the group and work out the details
of the CSA. A marketing brochure was developed and used to
secure 16 shareholders. A distribution plan is in place.
Members determined how much of what vegetables each will
grow, and they have started production of these vegetables.
Contact: Katherine Ollendieck
116 East 4th Street
Vinton, IA 52349
319-472-5545
Louisa County Shared Visions Group
Became involved in Shared Visions: December 1994
Goal: To enhance communication between urban and rural
citizens of Louisa County.
Project: The project will involve a series of "evening
entrees" tours of operations of local families involved in
alternative crops and farming practices. Each tour will
include refreshments and information pertaining to the
topics of the evening. Local press will be invited, and
follow-up articles will be written for local media.
Attendees will also be asked about their interests.
These "evening entrees" will include:
1. a farm producing berries, melons, and crawdads
2. two farms that have incorporated agroforestry into their
production mixes
3. a farm that has been utilizing management intensive
grazing, with crafts and farm recreation opportunities
to also be topics of this evening entree
Project Budget: $675
Activities to Date: This group did not exist prior to its
involvement in Shared Visions. Since then they have been
meeting on a monthly basis to develop the group and plan
projects.
Their first project (described above) is, in part, an
attempt to involve more people from their communities in the
group. They have also been discussing ideas for a more
ambitious project, possibly on the topic of direct
marketing.
Contact: Kathy Dice
13882 I Avenue
Wapello, IA 52653
319-729-5905
Neely-Kinyon Farm Project Committee - Adair County
Became involved in Shared Visions: April 1994
Goal: To develop the Neely-Kinyon Farm into a futuristic
and innovative working farm that researches and demonstrates
alternative approaches that will result in significant
economic returns, that are environmentally sound, and that
have a positive impact on the community.
Project: To involve community members in a process that
will explore value-added concepts as they relate to the
Neely-Kinyon farm.
Project Budget: $1,400
Activities to Date: This group has been in existence since
January of 1994. They have helped plan research and
demonstration projects for the Neely-Kinyon farm, which is a
160-acre farm located just south of Greenfield. The farm
was given to the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and
Development, which gave planning responsibilities to the
Neely-Kinyon Farm Project Committee.
The group is interested in farming systems and technologies
that are not only profitable and environmentally sound, but
that also support the quality of life of people from the
area. The group's first Shared Visions project (noted
above) came through as a strong interest during the group's
planning process.
contacts:
Deb Hall Clark BreDahl
ISU Extension Rt. 1, Box 54
Rt. 2, Box 26D Greenfield, IA 50849
Greenfield, IA 50849 515-745-2323
515-743-8412
Poweshiek Area AG2020
Became involved in Shared Visions: January 1994
Goal: To help Poweshiek County CRP landowners use their CRP
land in ways that are both environmentally sound and
economically profitable.
Project: Survey owners of CRP land in Poweshiek County.
Project Budget: $1,197
Contacts:
Robert Bahrenfuse Eric Pederson
15365 S. 12th Ave. E 3638 Hwy. 146
Grinnell, IA 50112 Grinnell, IA 50112
515-236-4566 515-236-5060
Promised Land Beginning Farmer Program - Grundy and Hardin
Counties
Became involved in Shared Visions: January 1994
Goal: Determine the steps a community should and can take to
help people start farming.
Project: Develop the Promised Land Beginning Farmer
Program.
Project Budget: $3,380
Contacts:
John Gilbert Don Davidson
RR 1, Box 252 RR 1, Box 133
Iowa Falls, IA Grundy Center, IA
50126 50638
515-855-4260 319-824-6347
10^
ENHANCING GROUP PERFORMANCE
During January s networking meeting for community groups,
Mary Foley of ISU Extension used an overhead about six
phases of a project (below). Chuckles from participants
likely came in part from the recognition of an element of
truth in the overhead s message.
SIX PHASES OF A PROJECT
1. Enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Panic
4. Search for the Guilty
5. Punishment of the Innocent
6. Praise and Honors for the Non-Participants
The following ideas may be useful if groups want to avoid
the last five of these phases. The first list is from a
presentation by Rick Foster of the Kellogg Foundation at a
networking conference of groups involved in the Foundation s
Integrated Farming Systems Initiative. The others are from
the book, Working with Groups, Committees, & Communities by
Harleigh and Audrey Trecker.
Ingredients for a successful team:
a "bone deep" respect for each individual on the team
a mutually accepted vision and mission
clear, open communication
established ground rules
awareness of group process
balanced participation
constructive feedback to improve team behavior
well-defined decision procedures
a sense of humor
Poor participation occurs when:
not enough time and thought have been given to the group s
formation and composition
the group's purpose or goal is not clear or is not supported
by some group members
members may not be sure about their tasks
members may be overloaded and overworked
some members may lack knowledge and experience in the
problem area being considered
the group may have gotten stuck in its deliberations
the group may have become dependent on one or two people to
do most of the work
Responsible participants:
are clear about the purpose of the group
make every effort to attend meetings, and if unable to do so
they make an effort to catch up on what went on
openly share ideas, experiences, and opinions about matters
of interest to the group
cooperate by staying on the subject
are fair, considerate, and reasonable in the amount of time
==they use in group meetings
are willing to blend their ideas with others in the group
learn how to use factual materials and ask for clarification
if needed
accept the process in a positive way and see the continuity
between meetings
Some groups are non-productive because:
not all the right people in terms of skills and talents are
involved
its goals are unrealistic in terms of its resources and the
length of time it will take to achieve these goals
its goals duplicate the goals of other groups, and they
don t work together
the group has ignored the planning process, and it lurches
from crisis to crisis without long-term goals and
reasonable, realistic plans
the work is not spread among members
Some groups become productive from:
agreement on procedures and methods members know the
rules of the game and how things are done
clear goals and purposes systematically defined in relation
to resources
a plan to achieve goals that is tied to a time frame, and
members work steadily to complete the plan
an inventory of talents of members and the appropriate use
of talents with a variety of individual activities
members understand their job and stick to the assignment
a schedule of regular meetings that the group sticks to
materials are available for review and discussion prior to
meetings, and members do their homework between and
before meetings
good records of meetings to help to keep from backtracking
members devote time to checking up on each other, looking
for better ways to do the job
others in the community understand the group, which is a
result of devoting time to encouraging this
understanding
Ways to encourage attendance at meetings:
choose the best time and place after soliciting preferences
from members
stick to the time schedule change only for serious reasons
prepare notices with care and send to members well in
advance
send the agenda in advance and word it clearly so that
members will look forward to a planned and interesting
meeting
make advance informational materials clear, concise, and
appealing to members
call to remind members about the meeting
welcome and introduce all members
create opportunities for new members to offer their ideas
invite members to take on responsibilities
organize a systematic follow-up with absentee members
|
12^
Shared Visions Groups Hold Field Events
Many PFI field days this summer will take place with support
from Shared Visions. Besides those field days, Shared
Visions community groups will also be in the field with a
variety of activities. The scheduled events are listed and
described below. In addition to these, the Central Iowa CSA
group will be holding two public field days one in late
July and other in September. The exact dates for these
field days have yet to be determined.
The Louisa County group is hosting a series of "evening
entrees," featuring a smorgasbord of community-supporting
agricultural enterprises. All will run from 7:00-9:00 pm,
and children are welcome. The series began May 25th with a
trip to Turkey Run Berry Farm. Contact Kathy Dice,
319-729-5905, for directions to these evening entrees.
July 6 a forestry-oriented evening entree at Chestnut
Acres near Grandview. Topics will include agroforestry,
nut and tree products, timber stand improvement, woodlot
management, and a demonstration of grafting multiflora
rose to spread disease.
Aug. 21 an evening entree on rotational grazing on the
farm of Roger Hunt near Columbus Junction. Also
featured at this entree will be crafts and recreation
opportunities on farms. (This entree will be preceded
by a grazing-oriented field day by PFI cooperators Jeff
and Gayle Olson, Mt. Pleasant.)
The Audubon Graziers group began their field walks April 19
with a visit to Dirk and Julie Rasmussen s farm. The
sheep were already in the pasture, and ISU specialists
Daryl Strobehn and Dan Morrical stopped by to discuss
the new SPA enterprise analysis and the "sward stick"
used for measuring forage quantity in the field. Also,
the group will be sending representatives to the Corning
CRP project grazing clinic June 15-16, and they ve set
dates through the summer for the following pasture
walks. They will all begin at 7:00 pm and include
supper. For directions and more information contact
Donna Bauer, 712-563-4084.
June 1 John and Deb Kramer will show the watering system
for their cow-calf herd. Rick Sprague will also be
there to discuss water systems. Sprague is involved
with the CRP grazing farm at Corning.
June 30 Ted and Donna Bauer will show how they are working
intensive rotational grazing into the "whole-farm plan"
they are developing with the NRCS. Dave Brand will be
there from the Audubon County NRCS.
Aug. 4 Dennis and Cheryl Hansen are grazing sheep. Don
Faidley, who grazes sheep near Colfax, is invited to
speak.
Aug. 24 Virgil and Charlotte Sorensen graze sheep. ISU
Extension Forages Specialist Steve Barnhart will speak
on grass identification.
Sept. 7 Roger and Jo Ann Barten will show the fencing
setup for their cow-calf operation. Also discussing
fencing will be Don Hostetler, a farmer from Grand River
who spoke at the Extension grazing conference last
winter.
13^
Kellogg Project Meets in California
Rick Exner
In February, some of us working in the Shared Visions
program traveled to Santa Cruz, California for the
semiannual Hub Networking meeting of the Kellogg
Foundations s Integrated Farming Systems Initiative. When
this meeting took place in Iowa, in 1994, we made sure that
participants from around the country had the chance to visit
Iowa farms and communities. Our California hosts did the
same.
Not only was it a shock to experience shirtsleeve weather in
February, it was startling to go from Midwest agriculture to
that of the West Coast. In parts of California, the
specialization and concentration of wealth in agriculture
have proceeded well beyond what we know here. With
$20,000-per-acre land and profit potential to match, it may
not be surprising that a high-input, industrial approach has
become the norm. But despite the specialization within many
operations, there is incredible diversity of crops in the
state overall. And even though the industrial model
predominates, we met family farmers who survive by savvy
marketing and creative management.
The day before the conference, our farm tour stopped at
several sustainable and organic nut farms. These almond and
walnut growers, some from families that have farmed for
generations, are finding ways to bring biological diversity
back onto their farms. This gets easier as they cut back on
the pesticides that have been used to control the wide range
of pests that call California home.
The key for many of these tree farmers is cover crops. They
grow mixes of grasses, legumes, and other plants between the
trees, and they manage the cover crops to optimize
biological pest control and minimize problems with harvest.
These cover crops are the "reservoir" for an army of
beneficial insects above ground and below. For example,
tiny wasps and flies drawn to the flowers of cover crop
plants will lay their eggs in pest insects.
Quite a different kind of experience awaited us later in the
week, when we visited an organization called the Rural
Development Center (RDC). The RDC is one of the members of
the Kellogg project in California, which they call CASA, the
California Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. CASA
represents consumer groups, producers, and environmental
interests as well as collaborators at the University of
California. The RDC works with the community that does much
of the manual labor in California agriculture. This
includes Mexican-Americans and Mexican migrant laborers as
well as other ethnic groups. These people have special
needs because they follow the work from place to place under
conditions that can strain both their health and their
families.
The Rural Development Center is bringing people back into
agriculture as independent vegetable farmers. The RDC
teaches organic production techniques, marketing, and
financial management. One or two acres is sufficient for a
farmer to grow high-value, organic vegetables, and little
capital investment in equipment is required. We heard from
a number of graduates and students of this program, and it
was impressive to see how they were improving their lives
through the project.
At the end of the Hub Networking conference, Tom Frantzen
and I attended the annual meeting of a very interesting
bunch of producers. California Clean Growers Association is
the name of the parent organization, and several of their
members mentioned Practical Farmers of Iowa as influential
in their formation. Their founder, Paul Buxman, talked with
then-President Dick Thompson about PFI s on-farm research
and farmer-to-farmer information sharing. California
Clean s big communication vehicle is breakfast! Members
have taken it on themselves to host regular local breakfasts
to tell their neighbors about sustainable methods of
farming.
The group has been so successful that the California
Legislature made $500,000 available to expand the program
statewide. Through a network of "Lighthouse Farms" that
exemplify sustainable practices, scientists and producers
are cooperating in a variety of on-farm research projects.
It s making a difference. Driving through the countryside
now, you see cover crops in perhaps a quarter of the
vineyards and orchards; a decade ago bare ground was the
rule.
We returned to winter in Iowa with a little bit of suntan
and a broader picture of U.S. agriculture. Now we are
looking forward to visiting rural communities in Arkansas,
the site of the next Hub Networking meeting. |
18^
1995 FFA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The PFI Board initiated an award in 1991 to help advance
sustainable agriculture among Iowa s youth. Each spring two
FFA Awards in Sustainable Agriculture are presented at the
FFA Leadership Convention in Des Moines.
This year s first-place award was received by Josh Miller of
Marengo and the second-place award was received by Jeremiah
Finn of Cascade. While these young men were quite different
in the activities they were involved in, both are excellent
examples of how Iowa youth are helping create farming
systems that can be sustained for the long term.
Josh Miller is the first recipient who is not from a farm.
His father, Ned Miller, operated a feed and fertilizer
business for 15 years before becoming an instructor in the
agri-marketing program at Kirkwood Community College. His
mother, Diane, also works at Kirkwood in the admissions
department.
Josh s link to farming came partly from his desire to apply
an interest he had in science to agriculture. This led him
to contact Brad Buchanan, owner of Crop Tech Services, while
Josh was still a freshman in high school. Josh was
interested in learning about crop scouting, and Mr. Buchanan
agreed to allow Josh to scout 200 acres in 1991. Since then
Josh has steadily increased the acres he scouts so that the
total for 1994 was 1,500.
Josh s scouting involves a variety of measurements. Soil is
sampled and analyzed to make optimum use of available
nutrients and limit overuse of fertilizers that can pollute
water supplies. Stand counts help farmers decide if
replanting is needed, and when these counts are placed on
maps, farmers can locate areas where special attention may
be prudent.
Stages of plant growth are monitored so that management
decisions can be timely. Insect and weed pressures are
determined, which gives farmers data to decide whether
treatment is economically advisable. Also, the
effectiveness of herbicide and insecticide applications are
evaluated, which can help farmers develop management plans
for subsequent years.
Josh summed up his view of this work by saying, "I give
farmers recommendations based on accurate facts and
research. They can then make the wisest decision - both
environmentally and economically."
Jeremiah Finn is the son of Ray and Mary Finn, who farm 430
acres near Cascade. Jeremiah s activities to help his
family s farm be sustainable are diverse, ranging from
planting walnut seedlings in their timber to helping
cultivate their corn. Rather than describe these
activities, Jeremiah has given us permission to use an
excerpt from his application.
"When I was only a baby, my parents made some very important
decisions about our operation. Our farm seemed pretty
average; my parents used the usual pesticides, herbicides,
and fertilizers.
However, there were some problems. There were very large
losses in our cattle herd during calving close to a 50%
loss. Experts from ISU were puzzled at the problems, and
someone tried a water nitrate test. It showed that our
water was very high in nitrates, and seemed to be the cause
of our cattle problems. From that day my parents worked
towards completely eliminating chemical use on our crops and
cattle."
"Farming without chemicals is more labor intensive than
chemical farming, so I help out a great deal on our farm. I
help lay out and maintain strip crops and grassed waterways
to conserve the rich topsoil. I have spent time during the
summer clipping our pastures to eliminate thistles and other
weeds without any herbicides. I reshingled a shed to make
it more useful and to extend its life. I have spread loads
of manure to enrich our soil.
My own special project is mowing the grass in our orchard.
Insects hide from birds in the grass, so I keep the grass
mowed short in order to keep the insect populations down.
Our orchard has 25 fruit trees, so keeping the insect
population down makes a large difference in the quality of
fruit. Practices like these take more work, but are less
expensive and far safer on the environment."
"I have learned many things from my experiences on a
sustainable, organic farm. I ve learned that reusing and
recycling materials is more efficient and less expensive
than buying new equipment. I have come to understand that
soil is our most important resource, and we must conserve it
and take care of it. I also learned that it is possible to
control pests with biological and mechanical means, rather
than using herbicides and insecticides. However, I realize
that farming is a constant learning experience, and in the
future I hope to learn more about farming sustainably. I
believe that sustainable farming will be the only kind of
farming in the future, and I want to be prepared to be a
sustainable farmer myself."
Josh is a freshman at Wartburg College in Waverly, and
Jeremiah is a sophomore at Cascade High School. Josh s FFA
advisor is Andrew Rowe, and Jeremiah s is Milt Luckstead. |
19^
PFI PROFILES: SHELLY GRADWELL
Gary Huber
Volunteers lend much to the work of non-profit
organizations, and PFI is no exception. A number of PFI
members volunteer their time for things such as helping with
mailings, organizing meetings, and transcribing recordings
from cooperator meetings.
One member whose volunteer help was recognized at last
January s annual meeting is Shelly Gradwell. This
recognition was for Shelly s role in the "Ponds, Prairies,
and PFI" camp last summer at the Iowa 4-H Education and
Natural Resources Center, which was attended by nearly
thirty parents and children. During last January s annual
PFI meeting she helped organize youth activities, which had
over sixty youth ranging in age from infant to sixteen.
Both were wonderful events, mostly because of Shelly s
abilities and enthusiasm. Shelly credits who she is in part
to her grandparents, who she said helped foster her interest
in nature. "They were always taking me to learn about the
outdoors, how things work together," Shelly noted. She also
credits teachers along the way, such as Linda Zaletal, who
was a naturalist in Story County. Shelly, at age 14, began
helping Ms. Zaletal with education programs for nearby
students.