The day began at the capital building where we got to meet the Lt. Governor, Kim Reynolds. Her aim was focused on the feed-the-world attitude and the pride she took in Iowa’s chart-topping production of pork, eggs, soy, and corn. She also briefly mentioned the strong relationship between Iowa and China because the Chinese buy more of Iowa’s soybeans more than any other nation. The building was beautiful inside. We visited the House and Senate chambers, as well as the fancy library.

Afterwards, we visited the Henry A. Wallace Farm House. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch followed by some gardening with Mosa. He was very knowledgable about gardening and willing to show us everything. We helped him thin out some green beans which were planted too close, and so we cut off the ones that were closer than two inches so that they had plenty of room to grow. When we finished, we walked around looking at the greenhouse and the apple, pear, apricot, and peach trees. They produced so much fruit it was mind blowing to hear the apple trees last year produced 10,000 pounds of apples. It made me want to have an apple tree in my back yard when I get a house so I can enjoy fresh apples when in season. Another interesting factor of the farm was the compost. Also, we got to finally see cover crops in action. It was a fun day in the garden all in all!

From the reading in Paarlberg, I agree it is true that all forms of agriculture damage the environment, but I definitely side with the agricultural scientists believing we should use high-yield crops and the newest technology so we can get the most out of the land and cause the least amount of damage possible. By using the precision agriculture techniques, the rest of the land can be restored to or kept in its natural state that is not needed any longer due to the high yields produced from precision agriculture. I know we use way too many pesticides that damage the environment, but hopefully with more research we can produce seeds that will require less pesticide use. I found it interesting that agriculture is left out of the cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.

I also found it interesting that today when we met with the Iowa Environmental  Council that they have voluntary suggestions and narratives as well. I feel like they should advertise stronger the negative effects of what the farmers are doing to the water and spread the word to change. Once they begin this, they should over time change the policies from voluntary ones to mandated compliance so change will actually occur. They are right that they need to go for the generation that is up and coming because I cannot see the older farmers changing their ways. Another attempt to make change is through the public. Since the people claimed that they wanted transparent water from the surveys then I believe they should be involved in the efforts to make that change. The public makes up the communities here in Iowa, and if its wants to make change then it should put in efforts to making it happen. If the community is involved, there is awareness and change will happen, especially if there are policies with teeth in them.

May 21:

When we go to the grocery store, we see normal, conventional, milk on the shelf, and organic milk next to it whose price is significantly higher, but why? According to Paarlburg, the price of organic milk can be up to 128% higher than the conventional. When picking up that organic milk, and paying over double for it, wouldn’t you think it was better for you? That is the current question under investigation. If organic prices are so much higher, one would think it is because it is so much better for you, but studies are showing there is not much of a difference between conventionally produced and organic milk. Paarlburg says, “strictly on nutritional grounds, health professionals from outside the organic community have found little or no advantage from organic foods” (171). The Mayo clinic backs up this argument by claiming, “No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than is conventionally grown food” (171). The Mayo clinic also states in its book, The Mayo Clinic Diet, that research is ongoing, but they have found the two different forms of food to be comparable in nutritional content. The Harvard Health Blog did studies as well and agrees there is not much of a health benefit given that,”researchers discovered very little difference in nutritional content, aside from slightly higher phosphorous levels in many organic foods, and a higher omega-3 fatty acid content in organic milk and chicken”. If the nutrition doesn’t seem to be the key to spending the extra money for organic, it must be the other factors that weigh into the need to buy them such as environmental or the decreased use of pesticides. However, an Oxford study found that organic milk, cereals, and pork production tend to generate more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output than the conventional style of farming. It is true that they use less pesticides, which pose a very small health risk anyways, but that is one factor drawing people towards organic. We need to be aware though that organic foods do carry risks, something we learned about today. Paarlburg mentions several episodes of people dying after eating organic foods that contained things such as E. coli and salmonella. There are pros and cons to organic as well as conventional, but from a strictly nutritional view point, there is little to no difference in the two; so paying double the price would not benefit the customer looking to strictly eat a more nutritious diet.

The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates was a very eccentric place. The emphasis was placed on Norman Borlaug, of course, as well as the billion of lives he has saved. We learned about how he earned the Noble Peace Prize, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. Three awards that only three (or seven) people have received, one being Martin Luther King. Norman Borlaug developed a semi-dwarf wheat hybrid which produced high yields and was disease-resistant. It required a lot of water and nitrogen, but the high yield was like never before. It dramatically changed the life of farmers in rural and poorer areas in Latin America and Asia. The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates seemed to focus more on the history of the house and the renovation I felt, but our book was very informative on the topic.

From Food Politics, Paarlberg explains that the Green Revolution introduced new wheat and rice seeds to Latin America and South and Southeast Asia. This cross breeding produced 8,000 new seeds with 11 different crops. These plants produced higher yields than had ever been seen before, but was not ignored by critics. The fears consisted of greater income inequality arising, environmental damage, reduction of biodiversity, and a few others. However, the benefits were so strong the people in these rural communities were not afraid. It reduced hunger in Asia, drove down the prices and increased the abundance of food, benefited the farmers, benefited nutrition, and was the quickest escape we have seen to malnutrition in a short amount of time. These crops were monumental, which is what the World Food Prize emphasized. The negative effects were those of poorer farmers being excluded from government benefits in Latin America and well as inequalities worsening. Also, excess water and pesticides we used killing the bugs that benefited the crops in Asia. Although there were pros and cons of the Green Revolution, they say that the only thing worse than the negative effects of it would be not having it at all. I believe that Borlaug opened the door to innovation in agriculture, including GMOs. Like the World Food Prize, I am all for these modified seeds and believe they cause more good than harm for these rural communities.

After we got done with the World Food Prize, escaping a parking ticket, we went to Dalona’s to help her plant. We did about 4 rows of flowers and also fed the cows and collected eggs from the chickens. It was a different experience for sure to reach under a chicken and grab the eggs right out from under it.

We got to feed them today!

May 19:

DuPont Pioneer is where the day began for us this Monday morning. The tour guide enlightened us on the company’s three main goals, food, energy, and protection, and all that goes into accomplishing these goals. DuPont is a leading seed production company, and it has invested time and money into GMOs or genetically modified organisms. They begin by looking into the plants DNA, specifically the phenotype to locate certain marker genes that carry certain characteristics within the DNA. Once these markers are found they can experiment with modifying different plants to find which will be the best of the best.  In areas like drought resistance, a seed called Aqua-Max for example, has been developed. It is amazing how far they have come in this research given that in 1926, little was known about DNA. With this Aqua-Max line of crops they have balanced the obstacles perfectly, being that the corn survives in drought, but also in perfect conditions where water is plentiful. This is a huge breakthrough because it works so well in both conditions. Usually, it is one or the other. How they get to the final product however, takes years. It begins with the seeds and continues through greenhouses and then into the fields. Numerous tests are done in each location before they take the product to market. The science behind this is baffling at how it all works but some how it does and DuPont has figured it out for both the U.S. and the counties they modify seeds for to export to. They have many facilities around the world ensuring the seeds are adapted to those different environmental factors. There are some people that are against GMOs, but I do not really see the problem with them. If you can get the most out of the crop by making it insect resistant and drought resistant, why wouldn’t you? I get that the argument against them is people want their food all natural, but if the food isn’t harming the health in any way that we can tell, and is making the farmer the most benefit, why not use it? We have to think about the farmer. If they aren’t using these GMOs and drought or bugs are getting to their crops, they are going to lose money. GMOs to me seem like the best option all around for the farmer as well as the consumer.

Instead of focusing our attention on GMOs, I believe we should be putting our efforts into better treatment of animals specifically in the food aspect. Get them eating less corn and more grass. Also, on the food side of things we need to direct our attention to consuming less high fructose corn syrup in attempt to lower the diabetes statistics and over-all better our health as a nation. Corn has taken over in our diet, and as a result we are the most obese generation so far. We eat more fat in food due to the cows eating corn and our sodas accompanying them with the high amounts of corn syrup in them. I do not see why time or effort would be spent on GMOs posing no direct threats when corn is directly harming us and animals.

P.S. Finally made a coke slushy work today, Adam’s 1st attempt did not work, however his second one was successful. He also admitted he could not lift his part of the rock from yesterday, so it was a successful day all in all.

This morning began a little later than most but was still just as busy. I began with the Iowa tradition of picking up rocks with Adam and Kris. We went with Scott down to the fields, and Adam and I got the pick-upable rocks while Kris and Scott used the loader to get the larger ones. There was one rock, however, that Adam thought we could lift, but was just too large. While we were trying to pick it up he told me, “you need to get stronger” thinking it was just my side that was the problem. However, I did not see the rock lift up or budge at all when he was lifting on it. His blog may claim differently, but he is wrong.

After the rocks were picked up, I went with Rachel to the Friest farm to take care of the horses. We started by brushing them and washing some of them off. Then I took some pictures of them for Brent because he is looking to sell some of them. After that Rachel showed me how a lot of stuff works. She taught me the proper way to work a horse in a round pen. Once we were done warming them up, we saddled them. It took a while because we had eight horses to get ready for riding. Once we finished getting set up we had to wait for Brent to get ready to go because he was spraying, so Rachel and I went to see the cows. They let us pet them, and I finally got my picture with a cow!! Once we finished we were ready to go and drove down to a public park to ride the trails. It was so nice and a beautiful wooded scene. We walked and galloped a bit and then headed back after a few hours. Once we got back we had to unload and brush them all down again. Horses are an intense amount of work, but definitely worth it for the experience we got on them.

Picking up rocks!

Adam and my rocks

The day began with a trip to the Des Monies farmers market. The first stop I came to was a man who sold blueberries and when I asked him where they came from and if he grew them, he told me no, they were from Georgia and he just repackaged them. This response was very surprising to me and made me realize this farmers market was not all local. The purpose of them, I thought, was to eat local, and I would think they would restrict all products from locations other than Iowa. Also, while trying to ask questions to other venders I found they were not interested in talking. The lady Kris bought his honey from did not seem interested in talking or very knowledgeable about the bee farm either. Most people, that I encountered at least, seemed as though they wanted to sell their product rather than inform the public about them. Other stands however had great selections of Iowa grown produce and one man was sure to fill us in about everything about the mushrooms he found on the farm. He told us that the picking season is limited to two weeks and that was why the price was so high. So I guess it is just a mix of personalities at the market and cannot make one generalization. Also, I did notice one stand was selling what they called “ugly” fruit and were available at a cheaper price, so it did seem practical for families to shop at who have a low income.

The next stop was at the living farm exhibit where we walked through time beginning in the 1700s. We began with teepees and ended with pop tarts in the modern kitchen. It was fun going through the town and seeing the old-timey pharmacy, bank, and other stores. So much has changed from the 1900s and it was neat seeing the drastic differences. When we got back, I went on the tractor with Brent Friest, who is the son of Denny Friest, one of our hosts families here in Radcliffe.. He told me all about the precision agriculture and his current trials to see if 15 inch rows were more efficient than 30 inch ones. It was awesome to ride in the tractor and watch the process of the seeds getting planted.

P.S. Adam and I tried to make coke slushies today in 3 seconds and they did not come out as planned. This will become on ongoing science project to determine the exact time and location of the bottle necessary to produce the perfect amount of slush along with the precise taste of coke.

May 16:

Today began with a bacon taste testing between farm bacon and a general store bought brand. The general one seemed to be thinner and crispier and almost dissolved in my mouth, whereas the farm bacon was a bit thicker. We then continued our day with the reoccurring theme of a long car ride and visited Iowa Pork. There we were taught a new term farm-to-farrow where the farmer raises the pig from the beginning until market. Most farmers however no longer follow this practice, and just get pigs at a more mature age to raise until they are market ready. I had not heard of this technique before today, simply assuming they were all born and raised on the same farm. Also, Pork Quality Assurance was discussed and interested me. This is a policy that ensures the animals are treated to the standards necessary, but the results of the inspections are kept private. There is no pass/fail system here, just guidance on how to improve. I feel like this is not the best system because if I was intentionally breaking the rules, unless a fine, or shut down of my company was coming, I do not think I would change my ways. When I asked if somebody did need more guidance or the animals were not treated right would they ensure to go back and check it was changed? He says they would, but did not say there would be any punishment if they had not changed, just more vocal encouragement to change. I am not sure that is the right approach, I believe there should be fines, or a shut down of the facilities for improper treatment.

After Iowa Pork we ventured down to a biodiesel plant and learned the process that goes into refining it from soy beans. It was interesting that they use so many different parts of the bean and when they strip things like the oils they make them into other products so they are not wasted. Once we got home, I went for a run around the block surrounding the house. I was neat to pass the Greyhound farm because I have never seen one of those before and right across from it was a painted tire with the words “No Hunting” which I got a kick out of. When I got back I talked to Dalona for a little while about her experiences here on the farm and how she transformed from being a nurse to running the house. I asked her how she liked working at home and doing every meal and full of joy she looked at me and said, “I love it!”. Having her cook for us has been so amazing and such a treat. Its awesome how much she enjoys to cook, and she told me her family sits down to eat dinner and supper (as she calls them) together. That is something I will strive for in the future with my family because it is so nice just to sit down together after a long day. Dinners are one of my favorite things here!

May 15:

Our morning began with some delicious home made granola followed by our drive to Ellsworth Community College where we met Kevin Butt, a man full of knowledge and experience. Listening to him speak was fascinating not only because he was so interested in the topic himself, but because he had his own stories to tell that added a personal twist to the day. I learned a lot about how dangerous farming can be and it was really an eye opener into the life of being a farmer. Not only will I be extra cautious while here on the farm, but it did make me realize how careless I can be driving which is something I will change when I go back home. I am notorious for texting and driving or driving with my knee. It is somewhat impressive, but after seeing all the accidents that happen from just being too comfortable with a machine will make me head towards stopping those habits. Also, all the information about the hogs was fascinating. It never crossed my mind that people have to give them vaccinations or move them, but I am glad that they are doing so by trying to cause the least amount of stress possible to the animals. That makes me feel a little better about the treatment, but I do wish that they would incorporate outside time for the animals. I am curious as to how my outlook on food will change by the end of this trip. I really haven’t thought about where it came from or how it was handled but now I am intrigued.

This brings me to farmers markets which we discussed some over dinner. I do not go on a regular basis to ours, but I actually want to go now. I think I will eat more local foods after this and I may try to eat more free range animals. I cannot say for sure though because Chick-Fil-A is probably the world’s greatest thing to me, and I couldn’t give up on that, but I think I will incorporate more local and free range foods when possible. I am glad that we did discuss this because I have never really had the opportunity to discuss it or think about it and I am loving the different view points and discussions from the other students here. Also, random, but I totally want a drone that zaps weeds!

Kevin Butt teaches us about tractor safety

First animal visit!

My trip to Iowa began this morning at 6:30 A.M., a time that I usually am never up to experience, but have the feeling that this month will change that. I was all packed and ready to go, even though my flight was not. But, somehow it all seemed to work out, and I was able to eat lunch with the whole group, which was something I enjoyed. Once we got to the farm, the guided tour by Denny was a nice outlook on farm life. It is amazing to see how big some of the equipment is and how much it costs. I will be very interested to see these machines in action. I love the small town feel and how everyone is so warm and hospitable here. Farming culture is very admirable from the values ingrained in the people to the wide variety of skill sets required to be a farmer. I cannot imagine all the things I would need to know to live and function here. Especially given the fact that my income was based on the weather. That would scare me regularly, but it may be worth it to get the life experience you receive. It was so nice to sit down to dinner, all as a group, and relax and laugh while sharing stories. This concept is something I am afraid we are losing in this day and age of communication. Cell phones and busy schedules are ruining family dinners, and I really look forward to a month of home cooked meals sitting with a group of people who were strangers to me this morning and I already feel close and comfortable with tonight.

The movie was the other part of my day that I enjoyed. I learned a lot about Henry A. Wallace that I did not know and I must say the man impressed me. It is crazy to think that one guy innovated so much. I am intrigued to hear more and to hear the other sides of the debate. Today was a nice day so far with a mixture of information and has me looking forward to the rest of my time here.