Moving forward with a devout faith in science.  This is the direction in which the Iowa AgriBusiness Association seems to be moving.  We had a chance to meet with Joel Brinkmeyer, the President of the association and talk about some of the issues that his organization is facing in its lobbying efforts.  President Brinkmeyer conveyed to us that the association’s focus at this time is on clean water and making sure that Iowa farmers are doing their part to reduce nitrogen run-off.  This effort echoes a familiar theme to that of the movie we viewed, Ocean Frontiers, which highlighted the specific efforts of voluntary stewardship programs within Iowa that are devoted to reducing the effects of the state’s agriculture practices on the hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico.  The nitrogen fertilizers that farms use in their soil is often washed away due to rain and erosion where it ends up traveling down the Mississippi river and out into the Gulf.  The high amount nitrogen (and phosphorous present in the eroded soil) encourages an abnormally high amount of algae growth in turn lowering the oxygen content of the water at the mouth of the Mississippi.  This lower oxygen content in the water creates a dead zone in which little to no fish life can be supported.  The stewardship programs encourage farmers to use techniques such as cover crops to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run off.  They also fund projects in which farmlands are converted into wetland wildlife preserve areas.  These wetland areas help filter out some of the nutrients of the fertilizers as well as pesticides that are common in runoff water.  The voluntary programs are an attempt to prove that Iowa farmers can be relied on as responsible caretakers of the earth and soil that they depend on for their livelihood.  If programs such as these prove not to be effective, it is likely that future government mandates could force farmers to better adhere to conservation efforts.  But referring back to the opening comment about the direction that the AgriBusiness Association is taking–it is clear that a reliance on scientific innovation and the advancement of technology are the methods that this association believes will be the most beneficial and effective in terms of addressing our country’s agriculture needs.  They see precision agriculture and the use of genetically modified crops as the way to increase production to a level that will sustain the world’s population in addition to using those technologies to boost environmental conservation efforts.  This view is in direct contrast to those who believe that our agricultural system should return to the methods of the past and adopt smaller scale operation in a push for local food by which we could possibly lower our total carbon footprint with less dependability on technological advances.  Whichever model will be the best operation or if a combination of the two will be most beneficial is unknown, but the Iowa AgriBusiness Association has chosen its side.

With any belief, there is an opposing side, a different understanding, and clashing argument. We’re to the point in our journey in Iowa that the foundation has been set by many knowledgeable and passionate people that know what they believe. From farmers to professors alike, we talked with them all on their areas of expertise on farming and raising livestock. Today’s adventure took Ryan, Kyle, and I to the Friest farm to tour its facilities and get some first hand practice in artificially inseminating hogs. Mr. Brent’s operation was artfully efficient and awe inspiring to see in practice. Beginning with the sow insemination all the way to the finishing process, his operation has constant rotations with hogs farrowing constantly, maximizing productivity, and essentially profit. An independent farmer, he does not consider himself a factory farm, but I stopped to think, is he? Rows and rows of stalls of hogs waiting to be inseminated, only to be taken to gestation stalls after that. Their ability to walk around is limited and it would seem at first glance to be constricting and factory-esque. Friest, however, was very vocal on his beliefs on behalf of his mode of operation. The sows, he said, are not bothered by the stalls, and seem to be more at ease in them. I can attest that they seemed in no way distressed or unhappy to be in the stalls. In fact, the construction of the gestation stalls prevented piglet fatality from the mothers rolling on top of them. Hog barns such as these are under fire from animal rights activists all over the nation that see the use of these methods as cruel and inhumane. They call for the free range of animals with specific methods of handling and transporting as well. Friest even could attest to the requirements surrounding the loading and unloading of his hogs. One pig in particular would not cooperate with the handlers, and instead of being authorized to push it along, they resorted to waving and gesturing frantically. To anyone who has spent time around hogs, or rather livestock of any kind, this is rather ineffective to say the least. I, for one, think this is ridiculous. Animals are not equivalent to humans, and neither should they be treated as thus. So many accusations have been fired off by animal rights activists that farmers with confinement type facilities are mistreating their animals  never saw in any form or fashion animal abuse or mistreatment on Friest’s farm. I simply saw animals being treated as animals.

Mr. Friest had a lot to say on the current controversies surrounding farm policies, and one of those issues has stuck with me. It certainly isn’t the first time this issue has come up in our democratic society, and certainly isn’t the first time hearing it since being in Iowa. Blanket policies created by governmental legislation pointed towards farms and land-owners in Iowa are not effectively addressing the issues at hand. Varying soils, topography, and shifting weather conditions affect how land and animals are managed, resulting in each farm to have specific needs, sometimes, greatly different from the farm next door. This seems to be the unifying cry of farmers today. They desperately want the government to understand that a one size fits all act does more harm than help.

What did I learn today at the Farm? Well, for one, I now know that the one and only Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnast) and Donna Reed (yes, like from the Donna Reed Show) hail from this lovely state, and that Iowa’s league of high school women’s basketball is very important ‘round these parts. Our trip to Iowa’s Hall of Pride this afternoon taught me that not only does Iowa have many politicians and athletes in their claim to fame, but they also can now claim Dr H-N and his latent Dance Dance Marathon dancing skills. Probably more pertinent to our original aims in this particular excursion lay in the tiny corner of the museum devoted to corn and soybean farming. I found the interactive and animated videos to be very illustrative with the various moving parts in the whole process from seed to stalk. Being a history buff, the Wallace house this morning was most interesting. To see how one family so powerfully affected the agricultural industry, and how one man so critically altered the position of Vice President was definitely eye opening. And to know who began the movement towards making it possible to produce hybrid seeds on a large-scale basis made the changes seem less removed. His aid in Mexico and Siberia was instrumental in helping those people a time of great need and famine. I truly hope that I can use what I know about nutrition and food production to one-day help others  — in ways that they do not know how or cannot do themselves.  

I had an amazing time at TableTop Farm. The farm’s business plan, layout, and inventive farming techniques need to be implemented at more farms. I was incredibly impressed. Not only did they represent the art of farming, working the land with their hands not chemicals, but they also adapted a realistic approach towards farming. They farm organically because they do not want to handle potentially harmful chemicals and also because there is a market for their products. Technically speaking, how much do local foods or farming organic actually help the earth? Chris, who is in charge of planting, discussed both topics in some depth, but he was especially open with whether organic planting processes are better for the earth than the use of chemicals or pesticides. Sometimes to ready the ground, he has to till the land ten times – how is that better than two passes with added chemicals. Which is the worse evil: over-tilling or using chemicals? Unfortunately, the stereotype is that conventional farmers are hurting the earth and organic farmers are hippies. It is not black or white. Both practices have their positives and negatives. Furthermore, “lowering your carbon footprint” has been an overused phrase uttered out of the mouths of trendy foodies. When many farmers and families drive to one location to sell food or purchase it (using their cars), how is that lowering the total carbon footprint? Furthermore, driving to a hip restaurant located an hour away drop off ten pounds of parsnips is local, but using plenty of fossil fuels per unit. Chris mentioned that this was a request of Table Top he actually fulfilled. Many alternative farming techniques are winning acclaim in the media: free range, grass fed, organic, non-GMO, no pesticides/ fertilizer, etc. How can the average consumer know what to buy without traveling all the way to Iowa or a local farm? In short, I love the art of organic, the style and especially knowing my food hasn’t been processed from Hong Kong and back. But in the long run, what is better for our earth and which method can feed the people?

We had an amazing start to today: puppy playtime! There is a family that breeds racing greyhounds about a miles from the farm. They were the cutest puppies I have ever seen. I firmly believe we need a mascot and a puppy would be a top-notch candidate. Afterwards, we traveled to the Iowa Soybean Association for a three-hour discussion that focused on issues from the environmental impacts of agriculture to the farm bill to the world-wide outlook for soybeans demand to programs the ISA is using to promote its product:  all factual presentations. Many of the associations we have visited say the same thing, “We feed the World.” However, ISA was also interested in our definition of local. According to them, Hellman’s mayonnaise is local because it was made in Iowa and McDonalds is local because pork and eggs come from Iowa. An interesting argument to start the day, but I firmly believe local means a direct social connection with the farmer. Following our time at the ISA, we met Joe Sweeney in Ames who took the group on a tour around Iowa State – such a beautiful school! I really liked the cozy atmosphere and layout of there school. As a sustainability sciences major, there are only so many directions I can go for grad school. Currently, I am really interested in sustainable agriculture and will definitely look into the program at Iowa State. After dinner, we went to a local whole foods market and learned how to make baklava and tabouleh a Middle Eastern salad. I have always wanted to be a chef. Unfortunately, I have never really known what route to achieve this goal. By working on our cooking projects at the house and seeing different food related videos, I firmly believe I know what kinds of foods/dishes I would like to try. More importantly, I now have a sense that I can actually make them!

It is somewhat amazing how many miles we have covered in a little over two weeks time. It’s also amazing how much more productive the day is when you are up for breakfast by 8 o’clock. However, this 7:45 AM wake up was somewhat different, as we were about to venture to the northeastern part of the state and visit McGregor, Iowa. Our three-hour car ride was mostly uneventful, mostly consisting of my sleeping and others playing extremely loud music on their iPods and such. One thing that was eventful (in some way) was the magnificent change in geography as we progressed farther north and east. It really was fascinating. Our journey from the farmhouse in Hardin County, which is extremely flat, to the almost mountainous terrain of northeastern Iowa was really eye opening. It was also interesting to note how much the agriculture of the terrain changed as we progressed. There are distinct geographies in Iowa, and Northeastern Iowa is part of Little Switzerland, a region that encompasses Southeastern Minnesota, Southwestern Wisconsin, Northwestern Illinois, and Northeastern Iowa. The glaciers did not touch this region in the same way as North Central Iowa, and hence, it is filled with hills and valleys. It went from almost completely corn and soybean fields, to a few fields with hilly pastures, to very few fields of corn and predominantly cattle and livestock operations. I learned this is due to nature of the terrain. The mountainous features of the area make it very hard to grow crops because almost all of the nutrients and water run off to the bottom of these hills and steep slopes. This area is also referred to as the “driftless zone” due to the fact that glaciers did not touch this part of Iowa thousands of years ago. This perfectly fit what we were going to see at the farm in McGregor. We went to what I would essentially call a “town hall” for farmers. Really, it was a class for the locals and others from all over Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Practical Farmers of Iowa, which is an organization that encourages the transparency of new ideas for farming around the state, put on this event. They are an organization composed of over 1500 farmers and friends of farmers, who focus mainly on issues surrounding corn, soybeans, cattle and hay. Their mission is “to advance profitable, ecologically sound, and community-enhancing approaches to agriculture through farmer-led investigation and information sharing.” This “class”, however, was mainly centered on the importance of cover crops for protection from nutrient runoff, for a healthier soil, and for wildlife conservation. A member from the Audubon Society (a society for the promotion of bird wildlife) was even in attendance. However, it wasn’t hard to tell the birdwatcher had never been to a middle-of-nowhere farm in northeastern Iowa for a field day. All in all, I learned a lot about the importance of cover crops and how they are necessary for not only conservation, but also many other things. The most important to me was the significance of using that cover crop as hay in the winter or colder months for cattle. This saves literally thousands of dollars for farmers who choose to do this. However, it is much more labor intensive, as it requires the baling and transporting of your own hay. It can also be very profitable for the farmer. Overall, I thought the trip was a valuable experience and definitely worth the drive. We also got to take a short venture into Wisconsin afterward! I’ve never been to Wisconsin, so that was cool to stop and try to find some cheese that was worthy of my consumption (I ended up not buying any but did try some). We then made our trek back to Hardin County after stopping for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Oelwin, upon which I crashed like I just came off a sugar high.

Yesterday was wonderful. Although another early morning led to an IV of caffeine and coffee, I was still very excited about what was coming for the day. We started out at Pioneer Seed Company in Johnston, Iowa. Pioneer Seed, founded by Vice President Henry A. Wallace has been extremely prominent in the world of agriculture for decades. Over the past two weeks, we have read, discussed, and heard first-hand accounts on both sides of the issues surrounding agriculture today. However, we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of many of these issues. Our visit with Pioneer made this point very clear. The people at Pioneer aren’t angry mad scientists working for their own benefit; they are working to “feed the world.” Although I did enjoy our visit with Pioneer and found it to be interesting, I still feel like what they were saying came out of talking points our tour guides received on their first day on the job. Every answer to every question we posed was answered with caution. Daniel, our tour guide, was very informative and charismatic (I wonder how he got the job), so our tour was very good. While there, I asked the question that has been bothering me for the past week or so. Almost the whole time we’ve been around production agriculture, we’ve been discussing the issue of overproduction. The various farm bills and subsidies provided by the US government, as discussed in Imhoff, provide a reason for this overproduction. Farmers in America are rewarded for producing as much as they possibly can. The question I had prepared was a way for people on the side of production agriculture to give me their perspective. I asked, “We’ve been talking a lot about mass production of corn in class, and have even interviewed and experienced the process up close and personal. We’ve also discussed what mass production and overproduction can do to the prices of corn not only in the US market, but in the world market as well. Overproduction leads to cheap corn that is imposed on other countries, which may not be as developed as our own, in the form of dumping. This seems to make America look like the villain. Why?” I briefly stumped them. But in a very round about way their response had to do with the “feed the world” issue. Okay, I thought to myself, I can agree with that. Iowa is actually feeding world anyway. Iowa ranks first in the country in not only corn for grain production, but also a plethora of other things. Some examples are hog and pig inventories, egg production and soybean production. Although a fair amount of these products are consumed in the US, many of these products are exported to other countries for use. Countries such as China that has over a billion mouths to feed provide a perfect example of the “feeding the world” theory of agriculture. The visit with the Iowa Corn Growers Association was very interesting as well. We got great insight on the real scientific facts behind not only corn in Iowa, but also corn around the world. It was pretty fascinating. One thing I have learned on this trip thus far is how curious Iowans are. Just about every person I’ve spoken to has asked me the question, “What are you doing here?” After our meeting with the Iowa Corn Growers, a few of us were even interviewed by the local television station (I happened to be one of the lucky victims). We then trekked back and watched The World According to Monsanto, a film bashing on the terribleness Monsanto and what it is doing to the world. It was interesting, especially after spending most of the day being convinced to not believe what we hear from films like the one we watched. However, I do believe the film was deficient in making its argument because of the spastic nature of the film. The main researcher, a French woman, was seemingly spastic in her research. Quite frankly, she lost me after her first example.

Caroline Lepczyk

Tuesday, May 29^th

For the past three weeks, six Furman University students spent time in Iowa at the farm where political science professor Dr. Halva-Neubauer’s spent his youth. While we stayed at the farm, we traveled all around the state of Iowa touring farms, museums and crop associations, reading books on the Farm Bill, and watching movies and documentaries about agriculture. We often visited more than one farm or association in a day, watched at least five documentaries about food and agriculture-related issues, and read almost four hundred pages on the subject, so I believe it is safe to say that we are leaving with a wealth of information about agriculture which we would not otherwise have ever come across.

Living in Iowa has been a quite different experience than living on the east coast. Neighbors are rarely closer than half a mile away, trees are few and far between and houses are judged on the ways their lawns are cut. The conversations of farmers concentrate less on sports or national news and more on the weather, community funerals, and recent farm accidents.

This trip has definitely been an enjoyable and enriching experience. Visits to corporate giants Monsanto and Pioneer and organic farms showed us opposing viewpoints on GMOs. Visits to small organic, local farmers, and neighboring large-scale conventional farms also showed us opposing views on the proper way to raise food for human consumption. Although I am still an ardent supporter of GMOs, the trips to small organic farms created an interest in me to join a CSA program. These community supported agriculture programs, where a farm sends weekly or biweekly in-season vegetables and fruits allows people who do not live in rural, farming locations to still have access to fresh produce, and stay in the loop with farming life.

One of the reasons that I originally elected to apply for this May Experience, was because I have had an interest in agriculture for a long time, but have not been sure in what direction I could take that interest. Recently with the biology classes I have been taking at Furman I have discovered an interest in Biological Engineering and Agricultural Engineering. On this trip I was able to learn more about what agricultural engineers do, and was even able to talk to one fore quite a while about the profession. Every time field tiling, nutrient run off and control, waste control, or new tractor technology was brought up, I was reminded of how important agricultural engineering is, and why I was so interested in it. This trip has definitely increased my interest in and knowledge of agriculture and has solidified my dreams of becoming an agricultural engineer and helping the farmers of tomorrow. So, thank you for such a wonderful experience, and wish me luck!

Today, we visited a wonderful farm with old-fashioned ideals. Located roughly an hour away, we saw some of the most expensive farmland in Iowa en route to the Ubben farm. On the Tom and Sharon Ubben farm, the expectations were established fifty years ago. Absolutely no antibiotics are added to their animals’ feed and the couple abides by fresh air practices. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the cutest assortment of sheep and goats. The lambs and kids were so precious, and we got to hold and pet them! Next we visited the Ubben’s cattle and hogs. Their hog practices were totally different from what we saw earlier this week as the Ubbens sell pork in the Niman Ranch system, which promotes animal welfare standards. A seemingly small business is actually thriving in the current animal rights eating fad. The Ubbens discussed adding more and more families wanting animals that are allowed to see the light of day. We walked down and saw the gestation area for the hogs: a beautiful long lawn for three hogs and their babies – an idyllic setting. Many people prefer free range because they think the animals are happier in that setting. It is hard to tell what an animal is thinking; but, if I were a pig, I would want to live at the Ubben farm. No gestation crates are allowed; no antibiotics are allowed in the feed – producing smaller hogs with more marbled fat (succulent). Conventional to traditional practices literally are night and day. Earlier this week we saw pigs in confined spaces and experienced horrible odor. Traditional hog farming had the pigs roaming outside and they got to keep their tails (cut off in conventional practices because other pigs bite each other’s off)! It is hard to sway in either direction: both practices have pros and cons. Conventional feeds the masses, but traditional seems like it provides a much healthier, happier environment for the animals. I completely understand why people have a side for which they pull whole-heartedly. If I had a farm, the traditional way is romantic and comforting, but I would still promote conventional for the world. 

I thoroughly enjoyed our political day today! Before heading to the Iowa State Capitol, we had an interesting discussion with agriculture lawyer and Iowa State University professor Roger McEowen. He told the group about some recent vexing decisions made by the Iowa Supreme Court. In February, the Iowa Court found when farmers invited people onto their land they did not enjoy any special immunity from lawsuits if unpreventable accidents occurred. As a result of the decision, farmers who invite people onto their farm to show them their operations enjoy no special immunity from lawsuits.  Obviously, some key points in Iowa’s laws need to be adjusted.  The public needs to see farms, but farmers need to be shielded from lawsuits that are not the result of gross negligence. If people get hurt on their land, the farmer gets sued even if he is clearly not their fault. Although I have not studied law, it is evident the Iowa government needs to pass a bill correcting the deficiencies in the law and protect the state’s farmers.

 After talking to Professor Roger McEowen, Annette Sweeney graciously hosted us at the capitol an hour away in Des Moines. First, we met with Joel Brinkmeyer, the new head of the Iowa Agribusiness Association. We had a great discussion about the importance of growing food and he even talked about visiting Tanzania and the plethora of that country’s food problems. Maybe Iowa could make a connection, like China, with Tanzania to help feed the starving people over there? Every single association we visited never fails to deliver the message: Iowa feeds the world. But the Iowans always speak of China; while the places in the world that are really in need are in Africa.  If Iowa could have a connection with countries in Africa, then they would really be feeding the world. Another person in our meeting with Mr. Brinkmeyer made a very interesting point about how we humanize our food. Livestock farming has been all over the national news because of animal mistreatment videos that have gone viral. Also, hog gestational crates caused a huge uproar with their confinement in such a small spaces. After visiting situations likes those presented in the videos, the animals really are cared for. We produce these animals for food – not pets. Ironically, I do not feel as bad eating them after seeing the way they are treated.

 After meeting Mr. Brinkmeyer, we drove up to the gorgeous capitol building. While on the tour, we discussed how the goldleaf dome is the largest in the nation and about the horrible 1904 fire that almost destroyed the entire building. Afterwards, we saw the House in session and were even introduced to its members. Then, we took photos with the state auditor and met with the governor for 15 minutes. Everyone we talked to was super nice and very welcoming. It was a great experience!