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From your side of the fence: Combination farms
Combination livestock farms can be challenging if a farmer is considering expanding. The most common example of a combination farm is cattle and hogs on the same farm site. Under state law, for the purpose of new construction permitting, all animals units in the same production practice need to be counted together. What this means...
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Alliant Energy invests $10,000 in the Coalition
WEST DES MOINES – January 23, 2012 – Alliant Energy, a Midwest energy company that provides electric and natural gas services to communities throughout Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, affirms its support of Iowa agriculture through a $10,000 investment in the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF). “We applaud the great effort that the Coalition has...
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January Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to be presented to Ottumwa family
West Des Moines, Iowa – January 19, 2012 – The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) commends the Ryan and Lana Reed family of Wapello County for their outstanding efforts as neighbors. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the award to the Reed family at the “Winter Pork Picnic” during the Iowa Pork...
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Economist says hog profitability expected to rise in 2012
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – January 10, 2012 – The nation’s hog farmers are forecast to have a profitable year in 2012, according to Purdue University agricultural economist, Chris Hurt. “Profits in 2012 are currently forecast to be near $17 per head, which would be the highest since 2006,” Hurt said. That’s prompting more calls...
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Improving Neighbor Relations One Tree at a Time: Ben Waigand
In July of 2010, Union County farmer Ben Waigand took over the management of two nearby hog barns. The previous owners had received considerable opposition when they originally proposed to build in the fall of 2008. In the end, they built two 2480 head hog barns. Unfortunately, in the immediate years after construction, management issues...
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Turkey Farmer Steve Kier From Newell Named November Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award Winner
West Des Moines, Iowa – October 31, 2011 – The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) commends Steve Kier of Newell for his efforts to be a good neighbor. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the “Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award” to Kier Nov. 4 at DFS, Inc. 167 W. 1st St., in...
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Controlling Snow on Livestock and Poultry Farms
Adapted from: “Windbreaks for Snow Management” by James R. Brandle and H. Doak Nickerson of the Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife department of the University of Nebraska. To read the full article, visit http://nfs.unl.edu/documents/windbreaksnowmgmt.pdf In areas of high winds and blowing snow, windbreaks can reduce the amount of effort spent on snow management. They can be designed to...
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Kent and Sandy Franks Family to Receive the Good Farm Neighbor Award
The Kent and Sandy Franks family will receive the Gary Wergin Good farm Neighbor award on Wednesday, August 17. They will be recognized on the Ag Stage in the Agriculture Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds at 1:00 p.m. by Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. The Franks family operates an 80 cow registered Holstein and...
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Randy & Deb Kroksh
The Randy and Deb Kroksh family has been selected to receive the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award at the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 12. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the award at 1:00 p.m. on the Agriculture Stage in the Agriculture Building. Randy and Deb along with their children,...
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Designing Your Buffer
Adapted from “VEB Tool-Kit: A Guide to Vegetative Environmental Buffers for Tunnel-Ventilated Poultry Houses” by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. The most critical part of any buffer planting is the planning stage. If a problem exists with this foundational aspect the whole project is in jeopardy. For this reason it cannot be stressed too often that...
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