I am currently sitting in the airport waiting for my flight out of Iowa. Before I transition into the next part of my summer, I want to spend some time analyzing and summarizing all of the information I have received over the course of the last three weeks. The focus of the course was farming but I learned that almost everything in Iowa can be traced back to farming so the course was basically on the whole state of Iowa and what has made it what it is today.

Many of the things that we learned can be placed into categories, I wish I could create a system model of the influences on agriculture in Iowa. Instead I will try and blog it out. ‘

An important thing to consider is the difference in scale; scale of farms, scale of power, scale of productivity. Scale influences voice in Iowa. The monopolizing companies (Corteva and Bayer) that hold a huge share of the market for seed sales have a lot of say in how agriculture operates in Iowa. Farmers with large scale farms dominate how agriculture is done. The expectation to grow enough corn to “feed the world” has increased the scale of production on each farm, giving us the “fencerow to fencerow” mentality that has resulted in the destruction of the natural landscape.

There are two broad categories that I think Iowa farmers utilize in their land use practices. They are organic and conventional, which everyone seems to agree with (except for Mr. Friest). That is not to say that conventional farmers are excepting that their methods are causing issues for many Iowans and Americans. There are very valid arguments for both practices. Conventional farming allows for food prices to be cheaper and more available for everyone (aside from the fact that so much is not even staying in America). Organic farming is better for humans and the earth. In spirit of increasing diversity, I think that both practices should remain. We should try to increase the use of other practices and maybe add another crop into the big ag rotation (it would increase biodiversity–so necessary in the Iowa landscape, and also assist in reducing nitrate and phosphorus flowing into the state’s rivers and lakes, and also improve soil quality), but I do not think that we should aim to eliminate it.

We talked a lot about policies and how much influence they could have on a solution. The Farm Bill will never be able to please everyone because some people are just plain wrong, and in some cases a compromise is not possible. There are things that need to be included but I feel that there can be policies to benefit both sides, or not destroy either side.

After talking to people about all of the terrors of agriculture and the condition of Iowa, some offered a closing remark that was meant to be uplifting. They said there is hope because our generation is better equipped to face these issues. While this is something, I’m not sure if it’s uplifting. I do think that serious changes will occur without the support of the government. I think that we need carefully written regulations that do not favor one practice over the other but make a balanced compromise. I don’t think something like this will happen until our generation fills more of the spots taken by elders stuck in their ways. Hopefully we can incorporate more sustainable practices and beliefs in higher levels of the system

This trip has really opened my eyes to the importance of well-rounded and thorough research. Before I came, I had formed what I thought were concrete beliefs about the agricultural system, now that I have experienced first-hand some of the leaders in each way of thinking, I have come to two conclusions. One, never predetermine how you feel about something without expecting to change your opinion. Everyone I met in Iowa seemed to want the best for themselves and for the state. They just had different understanding of the way things work; no one is out to destroy others to make a quick buck. Two, farming is COMPLEX. There are so many things to learn and to consider when examining agriculture in America. There is so much left to learn and I think more people should take an interest, that includes outside of Iowa State and University of Iowa.

I love Iowa and everyone I’ve met has been so incredibly sweet for absolutely no reason other than just being a better human—in the words of Storm Lake Police Department. Thank you to all who have accommodated us throughout out journey.

During our second day in Iowa City we met Dr. Dave Cwiertny, he is the director at Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination at University of Iowa. We talked a lot about water with Dr. Cwiertny and what he thinks about some of the known contaminants of water that cause human health effects. Dave mentioned that there is a funded program that supplies Iowans with different types of water quality tests for free. He says that most people do not take advantage of the program and he is not sure why. Mary Skopec also talked about providing individuals with water quality tests. It seems like resources are available to people who want them. I think that people not utilizing the water testing resources has a lot to do with the stubbornness that we have seen through our trip. It has caused some people to do things that allow them to deny that there is a problem. Dave also mentioned that the population of rural Iowa is old, and people of an old age are less concerned about their water quality because there are no infants.

We met another scientist, Dr. Chris Jones at City Park in Iowa City. The information he gave us pretty much aligned with other except for his closing statement. He basically said his hope is gone, and he is not an optimist about our future. He also thinks all the people his age and up need to die before we can make any progress. He’s not wrong, but dang. He also thinks that fake meat will make a huge difference.

On a lighter note, we got back to Radcliffe just in time for dinner at Morris’s. He made Adare and I a vegetable pizza that was DELICIOUS. After dinner some people went to the Neubauer Family Farm to play croquet. I came in last place both games. I’ll blame it in Shadow (the dog) for distracting me.

Before we left for Iowa City, some of the group went to the Brent Friest Farm to learn how to artifically inseminate sows. (Brandon will be a dad to 17 babies now). While the boys were learning the finer points of animal husbandry Hannah and I went to ride a planter with Brent Friest. After playing ISpy to find the planter in like seven different fields, we spotted the green tractor with a blue planter (blue = Kinze implments in Iowa). We hopped in the tractor and got the run down on how it works and everything the human needs to do, and everything the human does not need to do. Most of the work is done my automatic GSP steering. The farmer must turn around at the end of a row but can just watch the monitors when going down the row. There were five screens in Brent’s tractor that showed him his progress and productivity. He was planting around 35,000 seeds per acre while going 7 mph. He said it would take him about 5 hours to finish his field today.

Riding the tractor was SO COOL and is really nothing like I would have imagined it before coming to Iowa.

When we got to Iowa City, we went to speak with Connie Mutel about Climate Change Presentation. She was the first person to talk about individual efforts to lessen effects of climate change, other presenters focused on mitigation strictly through agriculture. That was interesting. She basically gave a science lesson that filled in the blanks between all of the policies and opinions we have been getting. It was helpful to hear facts to help us shape our own views.

Tonight, for dinner we ate with Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) at Orchard Green. It was a really fancy restaurant and the food was amazing. I’m not one for overpaying for food but I certainly understand why others are. Representative Masher, who is friends with Morris, is just as nice as Morris. She really thinks we need a moderate president to accomplish anything beneficial. We chatted with her over dinner more about what we’ve learned and about politics. After dinner, some of us went with her to a microbrewery and continued to chat over hipster beer.

In the morning we ventured back to Radcliffe from Okoboji. We got back and had some free time before we headed to Garden City to help set up for the performance of “Map of My Kingdom” that was put on for friends of the Neubauers. The one-woman play was written by Professor Mary Swander who is the Poet Laureate of Iowa. It was performed by Lindsay Bauer. The play was commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa (a group that we visited earlier in the Maymester). She writes about the struggles that families face over land ownership and the regrets and mistakes it leads to. It was a good show; I have no idea how one woman can remember so many lines.

Immediately following the play there was a Talk Back with the Poet Laureate. She discussed that the play was based off of people that she knew, including her grandmother. She encouraged people to take steps to be prepared for passing down the land. She answered questions from the audience and then talked a little about how common it is for families never to discuss their parents will. It is an awkward and upsetting thing to bring up. After a short break we closed with a panel siscussion with The Rev. Dr. Matthew Rueger, Mr. Ron Pepples, Esq., and Mr. Chris Brinkmeyer from Central State Bank. The panel consisted of a reverend, a lawyer, and a banker. They each gave a small introduction and then answered questions. The panel was selected based on which professionals deal with these issues the most. The lawyer got the most questions, and I think this was a good thing because it meant that people are thinking about their own situations.  

I found that this play is relatable even if you are not from a farming family. After the death of a loved one, there is so much to take care of and it can be very complicated and create a lot of dispute if there is no planning.

This morning we woke up and made our way to the Storm Lake Times to meet Art Cullen. Art Cullen is a Pulitzer Prize winner for his newspaper. We were assigned his book Storm Lake before we arrived in Iowa forever-ago. I read half the book and then downloaded the audiobook to listen to the second half while on the plane. The narrator of the audiobook led me to believe that Art was going to be much different than he was. Art was casual and opinionated. He responded to every question we had with a well worded, well rounded answer that aligned with what many of our class thought as well. Like Jose Ibarra, he was very humble. I got him to sign my graph paper notebook, I think he thought that was crazy. It was cool to meet someone who has brought so much attention to an area that people outside of Iowa probably would not have heard much about otherwise.

The second half of the day was spent testing water in Okoboji with Mary Skopec. We went to two different sites to test the water quality. The first site was on the site of the Lakeside Laboratory, which is reserved landscape, so we didn’t expect to find any issues. The next place we tested was besides a field that had just been planted. Although we were expecting to find issues there, they were minimal. The levels of Phosphorus and Nitrogen were definitely elevated but not enough that they would be regulated as unsafe. Mary Skopec said that at one point all of the rivers in Iowa were clear enough to see the bottom. I thought that was really crazy to think about.

After we were done testing the water, Hannah and I decided it was clean enough to go Kkayaking in. We paddled around Lake Okoboji until it was time for dinner. It was really fun and relaxing. For a while, we followed a group of geese for fun.

We spent the day in Storm Lake today. The temperature was in the high eighties and the sun was out all day. We were able to spend time outside in between our two scheduled meetings. Our hotel was lakeside, so I sat by the water and caught up on some non-Iowa work I had to do.

Our meetings were both with people who hold positions in Storm Lake. First was Mark Prosser who is the director of Storm Lake Public Safety and Chief of Police of Storm Lake. In the evening we met with Councilor Jose Ibarra, who is the first Latino on Storm Lake City Council. In Storm Lake there are 24 languages spoken in schools, and 30 languages spoken among adults. There are people from all over the world that have ended up in Storm Lake to work and now to settle down and grow families. Most of the immigrants worked in the Tyson plants that are located in Storm Lake. Many have since gained citizenship and started their own business or moved up to other jobs. I think Storm Lake is amazing and full of culture. While other towns in Iowa have had declining populations and mass migrations to urban areas, Storm Lake is growing, and people here are happy.

Chief Prosser is retiring this year after serving for almost 45 years in law enforcement, 30 in Storm Lake. He comes from a family with two parents that were missionaries and he is an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church. I think his religious background and upbringing has a lot to do with how accepting he is of every citizen in Storm Lake. I loved his philosophy, and I hope that the Storm Lake story and method spreads and catches on to other places that have diverse populations. Prosser and his team have taken steps to make immigrants feel like its police force is there to protect and help them. He has done a really good job of finding ways to break through some tough cultural barriers and bring people together and out of hiding.

Jose Ibarra is a Verizon employee full time and also serves on Storm Lake city council. Our meeting with him was a very casual conversation. I think this is part of what made him such a good option to be the first Latino on the council. He was very humble saying that “If I can do it, anyone can”. He wants most to get more immigrants to participate. Jose used the perfect amount of humor and seriousness that I think would do a really good job of making people feel comfortable. We discussed his position on a lot of political debates and I think he falls in line with exactly what one would expect. He also shares a lot of similarities with Chief Prosser. I think that both the men we met today are doing amazing things that are benefiting a lot of people.

Tomorrow we meet Art Cullen, the author of Storm Lake. It’s a big day and we are all really excited. Adare wants him to bless her journalism career.

Its’ Called “All Natural Eggs & Gluten-Free Ham (disclaimer- that joke was from google)

Today we spent the day with the Kruses, our host family for two nights. They took us to see multiple organic farms that they had connections with. We went to two grass-fed dairy operations and one grass-fed meat operation.

The first dairy we went to was Paint Creek Bulk Food Store, Bakery, and Dairy. It was on an Amish Farmstead. We spoke to two women about the operation they had. It seemed very similar to other small operations we had seen. Most of their stuff is run using batteries, not electricity. The children were playing outside in bare feet in the rain stomping through piles of cow poop. I think kids in Iowa have a very different childhood than I had. They were not fazed by the poop at all.

Next, we went to Jeremy Peake’s farm to see their Organic Grass-fed dairy operation. Here I got some GREAT pictures with his very curious cows. You could tell that the cows were happy with their lives and they all had some little personalities. Jeremy uses a form of mob grazing that he says is a little less intense than that prescribed by the practice’s guru, Joel Salatin.  

Last we went to Welsh Family Organic Farm. They had organic chickens, beef, and hogs. Their operation seemed the least free range to me. The chickens were enclosed for most of the time. The pigs had small areas of concrete outside they could go to. The cows had a barn where they were outside standing in piles of mud and poop. There were a couple of heifers standing in grass on another plot. Although the hogs were still not able to access grass or too much free space, you could tell the difference in the pigs. They were not afraid of us when we came near them, they came to the gate to check us out. They were much smaller, a size that seemed more normal for pigs to be. I think this farm was an example of a family that raises organic animals for the price tag, but I may be wrong. Regardless, it is still better than conventional livestock operations, at least for the animal. There are controversies about runoff in outdoor pig operations. I can understand why because we were standing on a river of pig waste, but I also think that’s largely due to the fact that they were on slabs of concrete. What else would happen?

Organic farming as a whole seems to be in more of an experimental phase than conventional farming. Of the four farms we went to, all of them were making changes to their system each season to perfect the way that they raise livestock and crops.

Awwwwwwwmonds.

Today we spent the day at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Seed Savers is a nonprofit that was started by a couple that began collecting seeds from people around the world that did not want to lose seeds that were important to their family history. They arranged an exchange system that allowed seed holders to trade with each other. The first catalog of seeds only had 29 participants, today their over 400 participants and 21,000 seeds available. They grow and sell seeds from their own farm. Which is where we worked.

When we first got there, we worked in the fields with other volunteers. We weeded four or five different beds across the farm. The tools that we used to weed were much more helpful than the tools that we got at Whiterock Conservatory (none). Seed Savers has 890 acres and only farms 25. They do this to ensure the purity of each seed but avoiding cross pollination. Between plants, they use beans and tomatoes (which self-pollinate) to stop any crossing. After we worked in the fields, we ate lunch and toured the local Co-Op. Good food and knowledgeable man giving the tour. Apparently, there are controversies around Whole Foods, I didn’t know that.

When we got back to Seed Savers, we took a tour of the visitor’s center gardens, spoke to the “seed man” in the basement, Phil Kauth. Then we spoke to Lindsay Lee who is in charge of raising the apple orchards. The seeds in the basement were the most interesting part. They were everywhere and seemed unorganized to us, but we were assured there was a system run by a computer that logged the location of each seed. Unlike Organic Valley, there is much more room for human error in their organization.

This morning we left the Kruse’s house at 7:45 to get a tour of their own organic dairy farm. I was still half asleep but from what I remember it was very similar to the other organic farms we saw the day before. Mr. Kruse used a similar technique that Jeremy Peake used to rotate the cows grazing. He has 24 plots that he moves the cows through on different days. While the cows are in one pasture, the pasture grows back for them to eat.

Later we drove to Cashton, Wisconsin to meet Jim Wedeberg for a tour and a meeting with Organic Valley Cooperative. The tour was really impressive because I have never been to a warehouse that was so advanced. There were systems that took care of 40% of the work that is done daily in the warehouse. It is able to do double the amount of work that an employee can do. It runs through a computer system that keeps track of the location of every pallet. There are different rooms for different temperature foods. It was complex and organized.

Some people criticize the size of Organic Valley because it started as a small market Co-Op and grew to a nationally recognized brand. I think that its size is good because the company has helped to demonstrate that we can treat animals better on a large scale and still be productive. I also think they have created a lot of opportunities and jobs for people and spread the organic label across the U.S.

On the way to our next sleeping place, we drove through Minnesota for fun. That made three states in one day. We got dinner at an Italian restaurant in the middle of the woods. Hannah and I were in charge of picking it out and despite some concerned looks as we turned into the dirt forest path on our way to the restaurant, I don’t think we disappointed.

Today I was reminded of why I am a vegetarian. We visited a hog confinement. A very kind family owned it, they also happen to be Rob’s long lost family. We first went to their family farm and discussed what it is like being on the Pork Producer’s Board with Dennis Liljedahl. There were a lot of questions asked about his farming practices in regard to his crops. Once we got to the farm where he keeps his hogs (away from his own house), we toured the buildings. The first building we went in, and the last I went in, we saw piglets and sows enclosed in gestation crates. Apparently, gestation crates are supposed to limit piglet mortality because it prevents the mother pig from rolling over on a piglet. I think a better solution would be not having so many damn pigs in such a small area. Comparatively speaking, this was one of the best kept hog confinements in Iowa. There was a rotting piglet and a starving mother in one of the stalls that looked as if it hadn’t been attended to in weeks. I think that speaks a lot about what humans are willing to sacrifice for “cheap food prices”. For the life of me, I cannot understand why or how anyone can be okay with the treatment of animals around here. I guess I am just not desensitized yet, I don’t think I ever could be. It literally made me physically ill. The farmer told us to watch out because “they can be mean”. I think that is an incorrect explanation. The pigs are animals, WILD animals. They are not domesticated. And on top of that they were all terrified from the second we walked in. There was a point when the farmer slightly raised his hand to point at the fan and all of the pigs screamed and huddles in the corner furthest away from the farmer. It’s crazy to me that at three weeks old, the piglets already understand they should fear the humans.

I would understand if there was even one single health benefit of eating pork. I have never heard anyone say, “eat your bacon, it’s good for you” and there’s a reason for that. Next time you get the opportunity to eat bacon, TURN IT DOWN.

I have no judgments to the family who raises the pigs, aside from the fact that it is so far away from their own house and so close to others. I understand that given the market and the culture that exists in America today, someone has to do it. A change in the way that people farm animals would require a change in our diet and the way that we demand food. These people are merely an actor in the system.

After we checked into our hotel and ate some dinner, we played card games. Of everyone, Michael talked the most smack but is probably the worst. We played a version of UNO called “Spicy UNO” which is regular UNO plus a variety of random rules added. I think I was the worst at the quiet rule that occurred anytime anyone out down a number seven.