Brian Waddingham, CSIF executive director, says the Building Your Livestock Legacy Program meets a growing need that surfaced during the Coalition’s work with nearly 5,400 livestock farmers. “We have received numerous calls from beginning farmers wanting to get into livestock farming and from established livestock farmers looking to bring a family or non-family member into their farming operation. To help with this often difficult and challenging endeavor, we wanted to provide a service to help livestock farmers of all ages.”

Waddingham noted a key barrier to entry for beginning farmers is capital. Without a massive amount of capital, it is exceedingly difficult to start a new family farm or transition into an existing family farm. Consequently, low interest loans, tax credit programs and cost-share programs are essential tools to help realize those farming goals, however many beginning farmers do not know how to access those tools. As a result, they approach a potential lender unprepared and are often dismayed they do not qualify.

For the established farmer, an opportunity to maintain their land and livestock, while working someone into their farm operation, offers opportunities for future generations while providing the farmer with a sense of economic security and the prospect of continuing their farming legacy.

The program is a self-guided online mentorship program hosted on Google Classroom. Participants will engage with a series of video lessons led by industry experts, covering a wide range of topics such as financing, marketing and the loan application process. The program is designed to benefit anyone interested in livestock farming, offering flexibility to work at their own pace. Participants can complete the curriculum in a week or over several months, depending on their schedule.

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In that way, it was no different than the previous 19 years. That has always been the CSIF mission.

“We get a lot of calls from farmers who want to grow and diversify, and they want to do it in accordance with the rules and regulations,” says Kody Havens, CSIF Field Specialist. “They want to grow responsibly.”

In 2004, farming operations were growing in size to capture efficiencies. That often-created farm/neighbor friction and led to nuisance lawsuits and low morale among livestock farmers. Livestock is critical to a growing and prosperous Iowa, accounting for one in five jobs in rural communities. Industry leaders decided it was time to act.

The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers was formed to help Iowa’s livestock farmers implement best management practices, properly site locations for new livestock barns and feedlots, interpret rules and regulations, and enhance neighbor relations. CSIF began to work one on one with farmers on interpreting regulations and facility siting, going beyond the rule book to take into account wind, topography and the type of neighbors, from traditional farmers to a rural/urban mix.

Since 2004, CSIF has directly assisted 5,400 Iowa farm families, as well as provided educational programs.

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Matt and Melissa Ditch Family

Multi-generational Linn County pork producers honored at the 2025 Iowa Pork Congress

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Study Shows Iowa Pork Industry is Vital to State’s Economy

Iowa’s hard working pig farmers are a vital component of the state’s economy, as shown by a new study released by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The data verifies Iowa’s status as the number one pork producing state in the nation, providing 33% of the U.S. hog inventory, and creating more than 120,000 jobs.

Providing Jobs, Economic Activity in Iowa

5,172 pig farms help create more than 64,000 jobs in the state from hog production, more than 39,000 from hog slaughter, and more than 16,000 from hog processing, totaling 120,231. The pork industry contributed $15.4 billion in value added to Iowa’s economy in 2024.

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January WASDE considered ‘trend changer’

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released three bullish reports affecting corn and soybean farmers last week when they published the January World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), a summary of 2024 crop production and quarterly grain stocks numbers.

Al Kluis, managing director of Kluis Commodity Advisors, says the final crop production report was much more bullish than the trade expected and what he thought was possible.

“What really jumped out at me was the USDA lowering yields on both corn and soybeans,” he says. “Corn yield was lowered by 3.8 bushels to the acre to 179.3, which is still a record yield, but a lot different than what we expected. Soybeans took a bushel off an acre, and harvested acres were reduced by 221,000. That is quite a change in soybean production. A change I would call a trend changer.”

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