Latest News
Harvesting of hay in state highway ditches allowed
Farmers are encouraged to harvest grass in the state highway right of way as a way to help combat this summer’s drought. “Under the hot and dry conditions that the state is and has been experiencing, farmers are searching for alternative ways to feed their livestock. Harvesting grass along the side of state roads is an...
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Changing Minds, One Tree at a Time: Reed Family
How can one person improve the image of their farm and the public perception of the livestock industry? For one southeast Iowa farmer, planting trees was the answer! Ryan Reed, a young farmer from Ottumwa, wanted to get back to the farm full-time. When he and his wife Lana began the process to construct two...
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Hog barn open house to be held by Wellman July 3
West Des Moines, Iowa – June 25, 2012 – Families, neighbors and community members are invited to attend an open house and complimentary lunch Tuesday, July 3 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Doug and Diane Brenneman farm outside of Wellman. The Brenneman family will offer tours of their new barn, explain how...
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From Your Side of the Fence: Patience and planning
New construction of a livestock barn is a big project; it doesn’t happen overnight. Depending on the size of the barn and location, it can take months before you are ready to build. Things to consider: (example, building a new 2,400 head hog barn) Alluvial and Karst soil: if your site has either of these...
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June Good Farm Neighbor Award to be presented to Daufeldt family
West Des Moines, Iowa – June 21, 2012 – The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) commends the Don and Pat Daufeldt family of Muscatine County for their outstanding efforts as a neighbors and community leaders. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award on Friday, June 29th at...
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Celebrate National Turkey Lovers’ Month
Turkey isn’t only what’s for Thanksgiving dinner– it’s enjoyed by Americans year-round. This may surprise you, but June is National Turkey Lovers’ Month! An estimated 46 million turkeys are consumed at Thanksgiving. However, two-thirds of the turkey produced annually is consumed during months other than November, making June a great time to recognize Iowa’s turkey...
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June is National Dairy Month – Toast Iowa’s dairy farmers with milk
June Dairy Month has been celebrated for 75 years now! It began in 1937 as a promotion supported by the National Dairy Council to celebrate the dairy industry and help stabilize dairy demand during periods of peak production. Today, it is a tradition dedicated to the dairy industry for the contributions they have made nationwide....
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Family farms under attack: What you need to know
It’s a farmer’s worst nightmare: being woken up in the middle of the night by threatening phone calls, your kids falsely accused simply for growing up on a livestock farm, activists contacting your landlords spreading misinformation to upset them – all because you wanted to grow your family farm by adding livestock or poultry. Believe...
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Polk County Cattlemen invest in Iowa agriculture
The Polk County Cattlemen, an affiliate of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, affirms its support of Iowa agriculture through an investment in the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF). Brian Waddingham, executive director of the Coalition, says the group has stepped forward with an investment to support our efforts in working with livestock farmers. “We’re extremely...
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From your side of the fence: Top five neighbor relations tips
Neighbor relations is never an easy topic for farmers, or me, to talk about. No one-size-fits-all approach works for any and all farms. Each farm is different and each neighborhood is different. All you can do is make your best effort to communicate your plans for your farm in a way that is not offensive,...
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