Farm Update: Big Projects

I haven't written much about what is going on right now on the farm, and there is a lot of catching up to do.  First, we have started our new barn for the pregnant sows.  By starting the barn, I mean we have started to dig a huge hole and now have a big pile of dirt.  This project will take up most of our resources for the rest of the summer, and most likely into the fall.  We hope to have all the pigs moved in by November.

(The big hole and dirt pile)

We are also preparing to get into the field for planting.  It rained last night, but the soil temperature is up where it needs to be (50+ degrees) and the weather looks promising, so as soon as we dry out we will start planting our corn.


On Thursday, our marketing guru, Greg, received a call from our buyer that we will have a third party audit at one of our Amish locations.  This is probably a good thing, but we are transitioning between our old record keeping system and our new one right now, so it is going to be a bit of a rush to make sure we have everything we need in the proper format in time for the audit.

(3 years worth of pig care records)

On the top of the crisis list this Monday, our fat tank sprung a leak.  Why do we have a fat tank?  It is part of our feed mill.  The fat we put in the tank is yellow grease.  That is basically the leftover fat from restaurants that is taken out and cleaned up a bit, then used for animal feed. I like to think it gives the feed a salty french fry flavor.We have been working to replace our current tank, knowing that it is on it's last legs, but the company we bought our old tank from is out of business.  We have a bid from another company, so we are in the process of getting the new tank built and installed, but that is still a few weeks away.

Unfortunately, the fat is kept warm in the tank so we can pump it, making it not very easy to contain once it spills.  We called the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD)  to report the spill and to figure out the best way to clean it up, but there won't be much to do until the fat hardens as it cools to air temperature.  To give perspective, this is the only time in 30 years that our fat tank has leaked.  Once the fat cools, it is pretty easy to clean up- similar to scraping ice off of your windshield, and we will dispose of it as MDARD recommends.  Fat isn't really a "hazardous" substance, like manure or pesticides, so it shouldn't be too bad of a clean up.

Things like this happen on the farm, even when we do our best to make sure everything is well maintained.  It is just like any other work place where problems occur from time to time.  We plan ahead for possible emergencies, so that we know what to do when something happens.  It's not fool proof, but it is the best that we can do.

Meet our Pig Farming Experts

Happy National Ag week!  It's nice to see all of my farmer friends taking the time to talk about how much they love agriculture with their friends.  People really seem to be into it this year, and a lot of stories are being shared.

(Ag story: wait until it's a bit drier to get in the field.)

This week on our farm we had one of our consultant's visit.  His name is Al, and he has spent is whole working life in the pork industry.  He comes through our farm about once a month, often with our other consultant Dale, and they look at all of our pigs, making suggestions on everything from feeding to handling to maintenance.  Al works closely with our vet, and with the people that sell us breeding stock in order to help us make the best decisions for the farm.  Dale really takes interest in pig structure and genetics, and helps us select the right animals for our system.  These two consultants have practical experience and industry connections, helping us to solve any problems we may have.  They also give us valuable outside information.  Sometimes you can look at things every day, but not actually see the problem.  Dale and Al keep us in check.

In addition to our consultants, we work with two vets.  One vet is a local large animal vet, and he visits each of our farrowing farms (where the piglets and mamas are) once a month to do a general health check-up.  He works closely with our other vet, who is a swine vet.  The swine vet doesn't make it out to the farm as often, but he is only a phone call away for any help that we need.  Our local vet takes care of us in emergencies, and helps us with diagnostics on a regular basis.  We are lucky to have two vets that can work so closely together and help our farm.

Besides these visits, our management team meets once a month in order to discuss all of the information that the consultants and vets give us.  This helps hold the whole team accountable on the changes we have decided to make, as well as make sure that we are all on the same page.  We also chat on a daily basis to make sure we are accomplishing the things we intended.  There are still things we miss, but working together makes a difference.

Keeping the communication flowing from top to bottom is one of the harder jobs on the farm.  Even a small change has 10 people working on it, and easily 10 another people having to implement it.  No one person on the farm is an expert on everything, nor should they be.  Farmer's generally don't make changes to their farming practices without talking to an expert.  We don't want to do anything that will harm the animals, the land, or the farm family.  Not every decision is the right one; not every change is positive, but we move forward with the information we have and keep trying to improve.  That is a huge part of any farm story.

6 takeaways from the Great Lakes Crop Summit

(Sign Welcoming Farmers to the Great Lakes Crop Summit in Mt. Pleasant, MI)

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Great Lakes Crop Summit.  It is nice to have such a well run cropping event so close to home.  After listening to a dozen or so speakers over the two days of sessions, I gathered up a few key points.

1. Export markets are there, and they are important.  If grain marketing at most farms in anything like it is on my farm, we just work with our local elevator.  That isn't the worst thing to do, but being aware of the international trade climate, and of the other ways you market grain (at a premium), can really help crop farmers manage their risk.

2. We have to be business smart to farm smart.   Farmers are always proud of the fact that we farm out of love for the land.  We also tend to be slow to change or adapt.  By treating downturn years the same way as high profit years, we are really shooting ourselves in the foot.

3. Soybeans have a lot of unrealized potential.  In Michigan, soybeans are more of a rotational crop, not the main money maker.  The Great Lakes Crop Summit made me realize that we are giving up potential on soybeans just because we don't make them a priority.  Some of the things we can do with soybeans don't even take more time or money, it's just applying effort at the right time instead of whenever its convenient around corn.

4. New to cover crops? Get Help! After listening to multiple sessions on cover crops and vertical tillage, my biggest takeaway is don't go it alone.  Many things in crop farming are trial and error, but investing $25-45/ acre, or thousands in new equipment isn't something you should do without working with someone who has experience.  This will save a lot of trouble down the road.

5. Customer connection is key.  This is true in all parts of business, and not always something we think of first in agriculture.  Traceability is something that is gaining importance everyday with consumers.  Delivering a product tailored to our clients will result in better relationships, and a healthy pocketbook.

6. Manage your risk.  What happens when you have an accident on the farm?   How prepared are you to handle it?  This isn't just about insurance, but also about knowing what you should be doing before the accidents happen to protect yourself.  Working with your lawyer, your accountant, and your insurance agent to best guard yourself against potential harms will leave you feeling confident and prepared to handle any situation.

An Anomaly: the Agriculture Optimist

Happy New Year!  It's finally getting cold around the farm and while we don't have snow right now, we are running into the typical winter problems with housing the sows outside.  Putting straw in the sow huts outside is a weekly activity, and frozen water bowls are something to look out for.  Friday we had a breaker that kept blowing and shutting off the water bowl heater, so Dad and I went over to thaw one it out (Dad did most of the fixing, I was emotional support).  The sows were sure happy to see us!

(The orange juice container had hot water to thaw the frozen heaters. The mud is from the Michigan freeze/thaw winter.)

While we were out fixing heaters, I was really enjoying my day.  I love going around the farm and looking at things.  I love seeing the people and the animals.  I love actually being able to see the difference we make every day.  Most of my friends don't have jobs where they get to see the whole supply chain of their industry.  I get to see the pigs from birth to market (and even into bacon or ham), I see the crops go from seeds to feed, and I get to see how our part time help grows from young high school kids with no plans to responsible adults with a passion for their prospective careers, even if it's not on the farm.  Farms are just a good place for things to grow.  

What I never see on the farm, but always deal with when talking about it is the politics of farming.  Maybe farms have done it to themselves, but I don't see how my life can be such a big political issue.  Some people think I am "brainwashed" by "Big Ag", not able to learn the "real" methods of agriculture.  Others feel that I am "oppressed" by the way things are in the industry, that I don't have choices or channels to make my farm the best it can be.  I like that people are talking about farming.  I love that we have research on what we grow.  I know these things can help us improve, that new methods and technology will develop from these conversations.  I only want the cynicism to subside on both sides, trust to flourish, and real listening to occur.  On both sides.  Farmers need to be open, honest and vulnerable.  Consumers need to be the same.  We aren't going to agree all of the time, but the mutual respect needs to be there.  It's the way we can move forward for the betterment of all.  I am tired of seeing people fighting back an forth about the "right" way.  We aren't listening, just throwing around the ideology that sounds best at the moment.

While I want to talk about the hard questions of agriculture, I want to stay an optimist.  I love what I do, I love the animals, and I see any challenges as an opportunity to do something great.  I have found through my own experiences, that most people are good people. I have faith that we can make ag better, we only have to try.

Ditch the Rule, but not the Reward

If you follow any type of farming publication, or ag social media you can see the #DitchtheRule campaign out in full swing.  If you haven't been following, #DitchtheRule is the push by the agricultural community to stop the EPA's change to the definition of the Waters of the United States.  The proposed changes  would make man-made ditches (even those that do not flow most of the year), wetlands, any pond area (even private half acre ponds, or small field ponds), drains and tiling all navigable, thus putting them in the EPA's jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.  By having this federal control of the water, farmers applying fertilizers and pesticides to adjacent lands may have to seek additional permits, or may not be able to use these products at all.  It also could make problems for farmers wishing to plant additional acreage that is not currently used for agriculture.  Overall, this seems to be an overreach of the EPA's control in commerce and of privately held property.

I am very wary of any federal agency taking claim to property owned privately.  I don't agree that more regulation will help the process of commerce, nor that it is the best way to keep the waterways clean.   I do think it gives us a chance to review what we are doing privately to protect the water, and what programs are out there for us to educate, promote, and support water and agriculture.

As a farmer, I can take a look at my nutrient management plan.  I can see what I am applying to the fields, use the proper amounts, and see if I am having my desired effect.  When looking at these things, I need to realize that anything flowing into the "little ditch by the road" will eventually make it into bigger water.  Using buffer strips, cover crops, crop rotation, and other soil conservation practices are things that I can do to reduce the chances of run-off.  Applying manure and fertilizers at the right time in relation to rain, plant maturity, and incorporation will make them more effective and less likely to end up in our waters.  I also need to respect the wetlands as nature's filter for our waters.  That 2 acre wetland may have me itching to farm it, but it really does a lot of the dirty work for my farm.  These techniques are being used by farmers, but there is always room to improve.

In Michigan, our water is a big deal, and we have many organizations to help us keep the water clean.  We have a great relationship with NRCS(Natural Resource Conservation Service), an active Michigan Department of Argriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and farmer-fair Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). On a more local level, we have watershed organizations that seek to educate farmers, and the general public on how to clean or better maintain our waterways. We also have a great voluntary environmental farm certification, titled MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program).  In this program, farms undergo audits in different areas of crop, livestock, and farmstead management and receive recommendations to reduce our environmental impact.  After making the updates, farms are visited again, and if it meet the standards of environmental stewardship, it will become a MAEAP verified location for the next few years.  Thousands of farms in Michigan have undergone this process.

As we move forward in the discussion about our waters, we need to realize that while this rule may not pass, the call for water conservation will not.  Farmers are stewards of the land, and due to our
use of the land we will have to take responsibility for our waters as well.  This isn't something to be taken lightly, but it does give us a chance to show our role as front-line environmentalists.  By showing additional care to our water, we will reap the rewards of good stewardship, keeping our farms and our communities running clean and strong.

Are you talking to a Farmer?

There are a lot of people talking about food, generating conversation, and taking interest in how we get from the farm to the table.  We talk about what it means for health, for the environment, for the economy.  We spend some time preaching, some defending, and some pointing the finger.  Often times I hear that "real farmers" like myself are good at what they do, but "cooperate farmers," a category I also fall under,  are the bad guys.  For most farmers throughout the country, we can easily fall into both categories.  People have a hard time identifying a farmer at times, and there are some dead giveaways to let you know that you have a farmer in your midst.  

1.  Plaid/checkered shirt.  It's a must.  The farmer's uniform.  Daily wear with jeans, all other occasions with a nice pair of khakis.  If you went to a farm show, 95% of the farmers would be in some form of this outfit.

2. Work boots.  We wear them everywhere.  Yes, there is a farm pair, a day pair, and a "dress-up" pair.  This designation is given by how long the boots have been out of the box.

3. Preoccupation with weather.  All farmers, be it crops, livestock, indoor or outside facilities, we are all worried about the weather.  Rain, wind, cold, or heat effect the growing cycle not only of the crops, but also of the animals.

4.  Family.  If you meet a farmer, you don't just see him or her.  You will also meet, the spouse, the children and/or parents.  We work together, we live together, we travel together.  We are close, and we are a team.

5.  Community Involvement.  For all the talk of farmers keeping their heads in the sand when it comes to issues, we spend a lot of time and money in our communities.  We vote.  We fund schools, post-prom trips, libraries, roads, and community activities.  We want to not only produce for our tables, but give back to those who put up with our manure hauling, road-blocking ways.  Community is something most farmers take pride in.

6. University Involvement.  Farmers are educated, probably more so than would be expected.  We have Alma Maters, which we will show unwavering support.  We value the resources they provide, working closely with extension agents to implement better management practices and technologies.  And we love to support the football, basketball, and livestock judging teams, among others at the university level.

Once you have identified your farmer, ask him a little about the land, or the livestock.  One who may have seemed quite or reserved just a minute ago will open up to share his life's work.  You will soon be able to tell that his pride is what's on your plate.

Summer Recap: Busy Building

How the summer has flown by!  I have been running all over the farm, learning new skills, working on new projects, and generally being caught up in the excitement of summer.  Since my last blog post, I have been building my skill set:  I learned how to collect boars and run our AI (artificial insemination) lab.  Now this might not sound like the best job, or the most exciting job, but it actually was a lot of fun. I was able to work closely with the animals, learning their personalities and quirks, as well as with my aunt, who has been running our collection lab for the past 10 years.  On top of that, I have been doing the Tyson animal care training each night with one of our 41 contract growers- 36 of which are Amish.  It has been fun to go out to everyone's barns and connect with growers and their families, and a challenge to set up meetings without the use of phones and answering machines!

My work on the farm probably hasn't even been the most exciting compared to our newest project, building our first inside gestation barn.  It is a very big project for us, although not an expansion. It is a move to streamline our business, while also reducing our environmental impact.  Moving hogs inside a barn is a big step for us.  Many people don't initially see how this is "better"  for the pigs or the land, but do see that it is less expensive for the farmer.  That is true, and it makes smart business sense to do things that cost less money, while also improving the conditions of our farm.  It makes us more sustainable.

How are we improving conditions?  Well, lets start with the pigs.  Our pigs have been housed outside during gestation for the last 50 years.  They have endure hard winters, where their ears tend to get frostbitten and fall off.  They have endured rainy springs, where the mud in the pastures makes it thick and difficult to walk.  They have endured scorching summers, with some dying due to heat stroke.  In the fall they have fought diseases when treatments couldn't administered at the proper time, just because the multiple acres of pasture sometimes lead to a pig getting missed.  They always had food, water, and shelter, as well as 3 or 4 acres of space per 60 pigs. Upon coming inside, these problems no longer exist.  The temperature is a stable 68 degrees, similar to what we prefer in our offices.  There are warm, dry places to sleep, and protection from the elements.  Treatment is faster and more effective, being administered at the right time.  The pigs are still in pens and can roam around inside the building. I can't say that the pigs prefer it that way, but I can say they tend to thrive in it.

What about the land?  Currently, we house our pigs in 3-4 acre lots, about 60 pigs in each space.  They tend to poop in the same areas, eat in others, and sleep in others.  Most of the lots are pasture grass, where the pigs really don't seem to hang out.   This means that in the corner with manure, the nitrogen content in the soil is extremely high, and run off can be a problem, even though the lots are plenty large for the number of pigs in each pasture. Over time, the manure builds up all over the lot, even though we plant alfalfa in the lots, and cut them multiple times per summer.  We don't know how to make it sustainable for the environment.  By moving the pigs inside, we can manage the manure, and put the nitrogen where we need it most.

This summer has been full of trial-and-error, and we have a lot more to learn.  Maybe we will decide that after trying this inside gestation style we might need to do something different.   However, we are trying to improve, not only for our short-term profit, but also for longevity.

Growing Community

Like many farmers, my family farm is having to do a lot more than it used to in order to keep farming.  We do a lot more record keeping; we pay more attention to animal care than we used to.  We keep manage manure application and take soil samples.  We have to show proof that we are good farmers and not just know it in our hearts.

As I have been going around to all our contract barns, I ask about the neighbors, manure management, and any other issues the growers may have.  Our growers are a little different than some, being that they are Amish, but they deal with the same issues with their neighbors.  One of the Amish gentleman, his name is Joe, that I visited last week has a neighbor that has the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)  on speed dial.  Joe is on a first name basis with many of the DEQ workers, who have made multiple visits to the farm because of these calls.  Joe isn't doing anything wrong with his manure, and he has good records to prove it, but the DEQ comes out when they receive the complaints to check on the situation.

Another Amish man, named Jake, also has a neighbor who is interested in his manure management, but in an entirely different way.  Whenever this neighbor sees that Jake is getting ready to haul manure, he asks if some can be put on his garden.  Jake and the neighbor have a very good working relationship, and they are able to reap the benefits of being rural neighbors.

In both cases, we have a responsible farmer, living in rural areas, who is trying to have responsible manure management plan.  We just can't depend on who we have as neighbors anymore.  They might not be from the area, they might not know about the farm.  They definitely don't appreciate the weird hours, or funny smells that often accompany farms, and it's our job to make the neighbors understand our line of work, or at the very least, make it a comfortable place to live.  Our communities don't need farmers to support them like they used to, or at least they don't see our impact as they may have fifty years ago.  So whether is is delivering a Christmas ham, creating a scholarship for the local high school, or volunteering with the FFA program, we need to nurture agriculture in our communities.

Sustainability and Productivity

Some days it is just hard to be a farmer, or maybe more specifically, to work on a farm.  People respect my profession, but not day-to-day job.  Consumers want me to farm, but they don't think I know how.  I believe that I do care about animals, and the Earth's resources, but with Earth Day celebrations, this week has allowed me to see just how little regard farms are held, and how much we don't understand the consumers.

An Earth Day buzzword is of course "sustainability."  It is often used in opposition to current farming practices, and in animal care discussion.  I understand that we can always improve on both of these fronts, but I see farming as so much more sustainable that it used to be, largely because we are able to produce so much more with fewer resources.  Yet, we are badgered for making these advances.  Isn't it somewhat counterintuitive?

To answer my question, I have done a simple search on the definition of sustainability, hoping to gain some further insight on the issue.  For my purpose the EPA's definition seemed most relevant; "Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.  Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations"(For the direct link, click here).  This definition seems relatively straightforward.  We need to produce for now, and produce even more in the future.  Preserving resources is important in production, and using less to get more really does help us become sustainable.  It requires us to be productive and efficient.  Two things that most people don't like to think of when they see the word "farm."  Definitely not what they want to think of in animal agriculture. 

How can we be productive, sustainable, animal friendly, and respectful to the needs of our customers, all while creating a financially sustainable business model?  Are we buckling under the pressure, or just ignoring it, hoping that it will pass?  Answering these questions is the ticket to being the producer of the future.  We have to strive to come up with the answers that will build trust, instead of waiting for someone else to force them upon us.  We have the tools through universities, extension agents, government agencies, and our own human capital that are full of ideas on how to make production better.  At the same time we have to put our "customer hats" on and see how new production methods will sound on the front page of the local newspaper.  We have to be our own PR people.  It is a full time position, not just something we work on between planting and harvest, when every animal is healthy and nothing is sitting broken in the shop.  We have to create our own industry sustainability everyday, one conversation at a time. 

Conservation Compromise

Last night I went out for dinner with my family and a good friend, Matt.  He isn't someone most farmers like to share dinner with, let alone call a friend, but I feel lucky to know him.  He works for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a watershed conservationist.  Many farmers have a hard people who work in these positions, and we think that they are trying to take away land that we own, and that they don't understand the position of farmers.  In many cases this may be true, but Matt and I have some of the most thoughtful and exciting conversations about the future of agriculture, since with have different perspectives, but see the value in the land.

One point he brings to me about his job is that he is working towards getting people to realize the importance  of the wetlands.  The filter sediment, rejuvenates the soil, and generally make the water we have better.  They are things that whether or not we want to admit it, are good for the longevity of farming.  The point he brings to farmers is, that by protecting the wetlands, he is protecting the future value of the land for farming.  

With that in mind we talked about regulation.  As the conversation continued, I wondered whether we need a certain amount of regulation to protect us from our own best intentions.  For example, I want to plant the best crops I can, and have the best yields possible, year after year.  I would like to think that someday, my children will get to do the same thing if they so choose.  I know that I need the land to be in top condition each year, and that I need to do everything in my power to keep it that way for the next season.  In a way, some regulation on water quality, air quality, and soil conservation helps me to do that.  It makes me not only accountable to myself, but also my neighbors, cities, states, and nation.  It also allows me to record how well I am taking care of my land from year to year.  While many may find this to be a violation of rights, every time I drive downtown Detroit by the old automobile manufacturing plants, I am glad they can no longer dump sewer water straight into the river, or emit big clouds of black smoke.  They are more accountable for the waste they produce than the whole field of agriculture is; not that we are doing it wrong, but why not be accountable for what we do?  We need to have guiding principles to the care of our resources, and we need to make sure that we are part of the discussion when the principles are being made.

As we talked, Matt reminded me that with any adoption of environmental reform, we need to make sure our food production systems are protected by some kind of trade barrier. He doesn't believe that throwing farmers under the bus will do the country or the land any favors.  We need to maintain some type of self-sufficiency, and sometimes protecting our natural resources comes at a price.  However, once we have lost them, natural resources won't come back, so we need to if future longevity is worth some sacrifice now.  We need to see that conservationists and agriculturalists are working towards the same goal of protecting our land while producing from it.