Up until now our two perspectives of conventional agriculture versus sustainable agriculture could roughly be summed up as big v. small. The farms we visited in North-East Iowa associated with Organic Valley bucked this trend. There we toured various farms run by farmers part of the Organic Valley Co-op and they were very different from the organic farms we had previously experienced. Our hosts happened to be some of the kindest people. Their willingness to let complete strangers into their home and then to give us behind-the-scenes access to not only their farm but others is testament to their amazing generosity. They cultivated an engaging tour that led us throughout Northeast Iowa and Wisconsin. Organic Valley presented itself as a unique beast as it promoted family farms, and yet it was an organic and grass-fed juggernaut. The company is uniquely focused on the welfare and well being of its farmers. This focus on the farmers is sensible as the company is a marketing co-op where the farmers serve as the owners.

For thousands of years, humans have cultivated crops. Thought different parts of the world various seeds are used. Generally, these seeds were native to the area. As years went by and as humans began to migrate to different parts of the world, they brought seeds with them. in certain cases, these seeds have been passed down from generation to generation. The preservation of these unique seeds and the story surrounding them is what organizations like the Seed Savers Exchange has tasked itself with. While its main objective is to preserve seeds and their history, Seed Savers also has a catalog of roughly 21,000 seeds which people can order the seeds they desire. The unique part of this catalog lies in how the majority of the seeds listed in the catalog are provided by farmers and gardeners who simply want to make their seeds available to others. On our tour of the property, we helped weed the various seed plots, got an inside tour of the seed banks, got to walk the rows of the nascent orchard.

Unlike the majority of the cities of Iowa, the city of Storm Lake is its own diverse melting pot. Various Latino and Hmong communities thrive there as they work in the Tyson Meat Processing plants in the area. On Friday we got to hear the perspectives of two integral parts of the community. In the morning we met with Mark Prosser who is the Storm Lake Public Safety Director and the Chief of Police. With him, we sat down and opened a dialogue about how one goes about policing such a diverse community and what he does in terms of public outreach to change the negative views of the police. Surprisingly, he let us know that one of his lasting regrets as Chief of Police was his role in aiding an ICE raid on one to the meat plants in either the 90s. In his eyes, this shattered the relationship between the police and the immigrant community. Since then Chief Prosser has focused much of his efforts in community outreach and education with the desire to cultivate a better public image for the police force.

Prior to coming on the trip, we were required to read the book Storm Lake by Art Cullen. Storm Lake gave us a base understanding the importance of agriculture in Iowa and educated us about certain Iowa traditions. Along with Busch Light, farming is an integral part of Iowa which is why the Des Moines Waterworks lawsuit was such a big deal. Storm Lake details the case presented by the waterworks and then goes into how these small towns and drainage districts got the case thrown out. As students, we were surprised to hear from our professor that we would be meeting with Art Cullen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Storm Lake. With Art, we covered a wide range of topics ranging from the contents of his books, the current political climate of Iowa and the economy. Water was still an important topic throughout our discourse but it took up less of our conversation than what I originally thought it would. After our meeting with Art, we had the honor of meeting with royalty. Mark Skopec, crowned the Queen of Water by one of her students who gave us a tour of the Lakeside Laboratory in Okoboji. There she demonstrated how to test the nitrate and phosphate levels in the water.

“Map of My Kingdom” is something anyone whose family has any sort of property can relate too. The looming question of who gets the farm in the play can be applied to things like the beach, lake, or mountain houses. A single child household does not necessarily have to consider about who gets what, but a family with two or more children does. Any additional child adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

This morning started with pigs and a phone call home. In the am, the group was split into three parts. Two people decided to sleep in, two others decided to go for a ride on a big green tractor and the four gentlemen had the wonderful opportunity to experience a hog operation first hand. The phone call mentioned above consisted of a certain someone (it could’ve been me, who knows) telling his mother that “ she’s pregnant”. Little did the poor mother know that her son meant the sow he artificially inseminated but why ruin the fun! She still loves me; I hope. After our fun on the Friest farm, we made our way to Iowa City where we met with Connie Mutel where we discussed the impact climate change had on the farms and how the current way of farming is not sustainable.

Originally, our final non-travel day was only supposed to consist of a morning meeting with Dr. Dave Cwiertny. But due to our 2:00 appointment yesterday being rescheduled today we had the honor of partaking in two activities. With both Drs, we continued our discussions about water quality, the effects of pollutants in the soil and waterways, and what could be done to circumvent or stymie the nutrient loss. In between these two meetings, we had the opportunity the walk around downtown Iowa city and visit the old haunts of our professor.

Wednesday, June 5

Today, like many of Iowa’s youth before me, I left the farm. I’ve learned a lot in my three weeks here. My mind was tickled by the societal differences like the evident feud between John Deere and International Harvester-Case tractors (green v. red), the curiosity of wild asparagus or Iowa’s love for its State Fair. As I ponder more: Are there really that many differences or are we connected to the farm more than we think? Everyone is connected to the farm; whether through personal ties or simply just eating food that was grown there. As I was learning about all the problems with agriculture over these three weeks I kept coming back to one conclusion. Our society has caused all this. Our reliance upon corn as America’s cash crop has degraded our soil, reduced biodiversity and is fueling more problems than it’s doing us good. There are so many other players that all combine in fueling these problems, like the government, the consumer, Big Ag or chemical companies. There is no one scapegoat, we all play a part. However, I believe a lot of these problems can be fixed if we start to use conservation practices, increase our biodiversity and demand better farming practices.

My 21 days in Iowa have contained some of the most unique and enlightening days of my life. The old saying about not wanting to know how the sausage is made definitely applies to my time in Iowa. There are a lot of things I now know that will forever change my perception of where my food comes from and how its made. Now that I know, my whole understanding of the food industry is changed. For example, it will be a long, long time before I eat pork again. Although my views have changed, I am happy I have this knowledge. I feel empowered to know where my food comes from and the great meaning behind the little labels, we take for granted. Many of my preconceived notions of Iowa have been shattered–the state is not all one long flat piece of farm land. 

What I found to be the most significant take away from the trip is that pretty much everyone has a different opinion about how to fix agriculture in Iowa. The organic farmers don’t all have one unified solution. The conventional agriculture people don’t agree on one solution. Everyone has different research and life experiences that shape their opinions. Many of the views and data we heard directly contradicted other information we received. Some farmers thought health soil was the biggest concern, some thought the consolidation of small family farms as the most important issue, others thought water quality was of the highest importance, and others still saw the trade war with China as Iowa’s biggest problem. We heard an extremely wide variety of opinions and they were all unique. The one uniting aspect is that if something does not change soon, the agriculture business in Iowa will be in serious trouble. 

In my opinion, more regulations need to be put in place in the agriculture business. If farmers were going to do the right thing for water quality and soil health, they have had plenty of time to do it on their own. Because this has not happened, it is time to force their hand. We are at risk of losing one of America’s most valuable assets, its soil. We need to stop pushing fence row-to-to-fence-row farming and start focusing on implementing more practices such as no till, rotational crops, cover crops, and prairie strips. These changes need to be made now as climate change is only getting worse, and the soil health in Iowa is deteriorating. Family farms are just barely surviving in Iowa and creating higher incentives to switch to these practices will be a win-win for everyone, money for the family farm and improved soil, water and air health in Iowa. Despite all I know about Iowans distaste for government intervention, I deeply hope in the next couple years, big changes are made in the regulations for farming practices.

Something I mentioned when I reflected on my first 24 hours in Iowa still rings true. The community of the small towns. Throughout our stay in Iowa I was fortunate to meet a number of HN’s high school classmates as well as a variety of family members. I also met what seemed like the entire population of Morris’s family. Everywhere we went, whether it was in southern Iowa or the northern most tip, everyone was connected. They all had friends in common and knew many of the same people. For a state with a population of over three million, it seemed like everyone knew each other. I thought the community feeling was lovely. Farmers could see how other farmers handled their land and learn from each other, seeing what works and what doesn’t. Everyone is united by one important thing. They are all trying to make a living doing one of the hardest, and most dangerous, jobs out there. 

As the trip has come to a close I feel as though I have learned more about farming that I thought I would on this May X. Being thrown into tractor safety on day one I thought I had all the bases covered, but then a calf had to teach the rest of it. Policy was the portion that I latched onto the most. All of the regulations placed on farmers, and the ones that can be ignored (spraying directions) and some water regulations. Meeting with the interest groups and commodity groups showed how people feel about the trade war, but that even if it is tough, some truly believe in it. Plus, the government giving farmers “bailouts” doesn’t hurt their opinions. They all drove the same message that they are out to help farmers and drive policy that assists them. Compared to the IEC, where it was a group of, mostly, young women who are fighting to regulate water and this will effect farming and animal operations. They care about water and not the baseline on a farmers account balance, they are driving their agenda just as others are. It can be a difficult trail to take. Farmers have definitely gained more respect from me because they work long, hard hours to provide food for the American people at a good price, and provide food for the world and trade for America. The experience is more than I can summarize in a blog post, and more events than one can capture. It has helped me better understand the agriculture system from start to finish, and the regulations and governance it is surrounded in creating controversies and problems for farmers to navigate. A farmer is truly a small business owner, politician, and will generally hold another “off-farm” job too. Thank you to the Neubauers, Dr. Halva-Neubauer, the Sweeneys, and to Mr. Stole for all that has been done behind the scenes on this great experience.

Going into this May X I had no idea what to expect. I had never been to Iowa in my life, and I could count the number of times I had been on a “small” farm on my hand. That all changed on this trip. Throughout the trip, we met with farmers, lobbyists, politicians, and businessmen and heard a little from each one. With each conversation, I was able to better understand the situation of Iowa farmers. I have learned a lot about Iowa and the many misconceptions like that the whole state is flat, which from the cross-state road trip was not the case. I have come to realize that the farms seem to get the short end of the stick a lot. Yes, the government tries to help them in various way, but in many other areas, they are vilified and portrayed as the bad guys. Unlike popular opinion, they do care about the environment, and they have to because that is how they make their money and without it, they would lose everything.

Another takeaway from this trip is the politics behind farming and how divided it is. The thing that makes this division even worse is the fact that there is no one solution to any of the problems that Iowa faces. Topics such as CAFOs, organic farming, and GMOs are all heavily debated with no end in sight. The problem here is that many of the people in charge believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution and that cannot be further from the case. Every farm is different, and I feel like that is one thing that is not emphasized enough. Each farmer has his preferred practices and what might work for someone farming chestnuts in Radcliffe might not work of the farmer growing soybeans and corn in Essex or the dairy farmer in Lansing. This May experience has really shed the light on the issues that Iowa faces now and in its future.

I thought being stuck in Dallas Fort Worth airport for five hours would make me want to finish up my last assignment, sadly it did not. Instead I became fascinated with all the people sitting, standing, and running all over the airport. Everyone was so different, going different places, seeing different people, telling different stories. I could tell by the whispered conversations next to me, hugs and kisses across from me, or worried looks passing by me that every person had a purpose for their travel.

My airport experience reminded me a lot of my farm experience. Full of so many stories and many purposes. I learned so much in Iowa. I met some pretty awesome people. Most importantly I learned a lot about myself.

Farming is a special craft, and it may be a craft that is dying. Similarly so are all the small rural towns that make up Iowa’s landscape. Because consolidation and increasing markets farm has changed. Instead of communities where every home may have a couple of acres of land to farm, there are now vast amounts of land in between the few scattered homes that have managed to survive the ever-changing farm market, nearly destroying the communities that can barely manage to supply students for schools, keep open post offices, or have places to shop for groceries.

Going into the trip I thought I would be on the side of the farmer who manage and tend to these huge operations, but over time I learned that these big agricultural operations weren’t helping the small communities. After coming to my realization I wanted an answer. I wanted so badly for someone in one of the many presentations we went to give an answer, but they did not. Like many problems I learned there is no single solution. Furthermore, I learned that farming is not equitable. For the people still holding on to their small operations there were less opportunities for them. For the people who just do animal agriculture there were less opportunities for them. For the people who do organic farming there was less opportunities for them.

Even though farming in Iowa seems to be producing more and more yield, there was less and less for the farmer. Where is the equity?

I don’t know, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find it. I do know that I appreciate everything I consume as a consumer. I know I want to uplift and support small communities in my home state. For every farm there is a community behind it and we should invite people from the community to explore these farm spaces to investigate exactly where the food comes from.

Iowa opened the complexities of farming to me and showed me how important my role as a consumer in. No matter what you believe the right way to produce food may be, has consumers who have access to many food options we can support what ever farming style best fits us. Continued education will help me decide what food sources to support and can also help figure out how to make all the food options accessible to everyone, especially the communities where some this food directly comes from.

This may be might last blog about Iowa, but I feel pretty confident that this trip won’t be my last time visiting Iowa. There is a space for me there that I didn’t think I would discover.

Thank you Iowa, for the bees, for the food co-ops, and the cows…especially the cows.

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.

June 5^th, 2019

Over the past three weeks we’ve covered lots of ground. We traveled to Storm Lake in the northwest, Decorah in the northeast, and made a lot of stops in between. We examined agricultural practices that can damage, restore, and sustain the environment. We discussed conventional, sustainable, and precision agricultural production methods and the controversies they prompt. We learned Iowa’s state facts and read books and articles discussing topics from immigration to pesticide drift, and the politics of obesity to farm subsidies and trade tariffs. We worked on farms and spoke directly to farmers; we talked to environmental advocates, agriculture researchers, farm bureau representatives, Ag policy experts, and even a seed historian; we met the Poet Laureate of Iowa, a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, and a Pulitzer Prize winner; we herded cows, bottle-fed calves, made cheese, pulled weeds, and artificially inseminated sows…a lot of cutting-edge stuff is happening in Iowa.

Aside from my first-hand encounter with manure, one memorable experience for me was being able to see various types of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) at Dennis Liljedahl’s farm, Brent Friest’s farm, and Gary and Clint’s Welsh’s organic farm. At the Liljedahl and Friest farms they used similar practices, both keeping their hogs in gestation crates with little space to move. The Welsh’s farm however, had their hogs outdoors in separate and open areas. Other key takeaways were working at and seeing multiple farms and organizations throughout the trip, especially the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, the Whiterock Conservancy, and Seed Savers. At these different places, we learned about the various jobs they perform including pulling weeds, removing an invasive species (known as Dame’s Rocket), and spading out the omnipresent thistle. Also, discussions about water quality and pesticide drift stuck with me. In regards to water quality, many places, including Iowa Soybean Association, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Environmental Council, and specifically Connie Mutel, a retired plant ecologist at University of Iowa, discussed the issue of nitrogen and phosphorous runoff from farms entering the Mississippi River and later the Gulf of Mexico causing dead zones or hypoxia, for example.  After this trip, whenever I hear or read about the Gulf of Mexico, the terms “runoff and “dead zone” will pop into my head. We were also able to meet with Mary Skopec, also known as the “queen of the water,” at the Lakeside Laboratory. We performed water quality testing, measuring dissolved oxygen and nitrogen levels and also the water’s turbidity. This was especially fun for me, since it is an activity I am very familiar with, performing similar tests throughout my coursework as a sustainability science major. When discussing pesticide drift at Practical Farmers of Iowa, Mark Tintjer’s bee farm, and Grinnell Heritage Farm, we learned that products, such as dicamba, when applied can “drift” or spread from one farm one to another, killing crops and causing legal disputes. These are all places that deal with assisting farmers with pesticide drift problems, but also places that have been personally affected by such drift. Understanding the on-the-ground reality of pesticide drift is one example of how the Farm experience changed the way I think about food production. There is more to farming than just yields.

All in all, this Iowa journey has been a very enriching educational opportunity; loaded with information, experiences, and memories I will never forget. I am sure I will find my way back to the Hawkeye State at some point, but until then… peace out Iowa!

Monday, June 3

Who knew it would be difficult to find a green tractor in the middle of corn country, while everyone is planting, when you’re given vague directions to look for the wind turbine road (when you are surrounded by wind turbines). We finally found the right tractor. Sammy and I decided to ride the planter with Brent Friest while the boys AI’ed sows. Climbing into the planter is like entering a office that just happens be on top of a tractor. We got to see Precision Agriculture in action. Sammy, Mr. Friest and I had hour long conversation in the moving tractor, all the while Mr. Friest didn’t even steer. With the exception of turning at the end of the row, the tractor did all the work. With the use of GPS, the tractor knows when it is off track and the farmer can program special planting patterns. For example, Mr. Friest has a grass strip in his field that is curvy and winding. He has programmed his tractor to plant near this pattern and follow the curves.

Around noon we traveled to Iowa City to meet with Connie Mutel at the University of Iowa. Ms. Mutel gave us the history Iowa from the time before settlers, to breaking the ground and present day. Man-made changes to the earth have lasting effects. The loss of plant diversity and soil health have all contributed to climate change. However, we were encouraged to become “climate warriors”. There is still time to keep climate change below a two-degree increase in temperature, but we should start sooner than later.

We ended the day by meeting Representative Mascher for supper. I tried escargot for the first time, a bucket-list goal of mine (who knew it would happen in Iowa). For the second time in one day, we were reminded by Representative Mascher that our generation is the future. The future of this country, the future of the earth, and maybe the future of agriculture.

Friday, May 31

Today we made our way to Storm Lake, a town that is the focus of the book of the same name by Art Cullen. We first met with Chief Prosser, director of Storm Lake Public Safety, to get his story on how the town has adapted to the influx of immigrants. 

Chief Prosser has made mistakes but he openly admits and talks about them. These are learning opportunities and one can see their result by looking at how Prosser runs Public Safety in Storm Lake. Storm Lake is home to many immigrants from all over, many working at the Tyson processing plant in town. Over 30 languages are spoken in this small town. Knowing that with such a diverse community there are cultural differences, Prosser and the Public Safety go through training anytime a new ethnic group moves to town. Prosser says that the tactics taught at the Police Academuy cannot be used when dealing with a diverse community.

Through the years Chief Prosser has seen crime increase, but not for the reasons some think. After immigrants began being blamed for the increase in crime, Storm Lake began reporting crime based on gender and ethnicity. They found that no one ethnicity was committing the majority of crime. The crime had simply gone up because the town’s population had increased. Now Storm Lake has seen decrease in its crime rate–it’s currently at a 27-year low in major crime, and the town more diverse thanit has ever been.

I felt like Storm Lake could owe part of this decrease in crime in the way Prosser conducts Public Safety. The police department regularly builds relationships with the community. They also engage the community by having informal meetings to talk about concerns. This is a grassroots approach that we have seen at other places, and I feel that it is a good practice.

Next we met with Councilor Jose Ibarra, who is the first Latino city councilman in Storm Lake. Councilor Ibarra mirrored Chief Prosser in his sentiments. They both mentioned being engaged in the community and Councilor Ibarra is urging other Latinos in Storm Lake to do so. For now the very diverse Storm Lake is not represented by a diverse city council. Maybe this can change as relationships are built by Chief Prosser and Councilor Ibarra in the community.

Saturday, June 1

After meeting with Art Cullen, author of Storm Lake, for a much more political conversation we traded Storm Lake for another kind of Lake–Lake Okoboji. We met with Mary Skopec of Lakeside Laboratories to do some water testing. After donning our rubber boots we took a walk to a small ecosystem. We tested the water for oxygen, phosphorus and nitrates. This particular water was protected upstream by a wetland and therefore it tested high in oxygen and low in both phosphorus and nitrates.

In comparison we drove 20 minutes away to another water source and tested. The results: this water had both phosphorus and nitrates. We have heard all about different methods on how to clean our water such as wetlands or prairie strips while in Iowa. It was nice actually be able to test the water protected by these methods and prove to ourselves that they actually work.

After our water quality testing we had free time to just enjoy Lake Okoboji and pretend that we were on summer vacation. I chose to spend my time kayaking on the glacier-made lake.