On Wednesday, August 14, farmers, Iowa agriculture dignitaries and industry leaders met at the Iowa State Fair to celebrate that success.

“I believe our mission is still as viable today as it was 20 years ago,” said CSIF Executive Director Brian Waddingham. “Our pre-emptive approach to helping farmers start raising livestock, or grow their existing farm, has proven to be successful, and in many cases has proven to be essential, to reaching the farm family goals.”

Those goals often include bringing a son or daughter back to the farm. Livestock can provide additional revenue for the operation and equity for that young person trying to get a foothold in production agriculture.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig put the success of the coalition in historical context as he spoke of awarding Century and Heritage Farm recognitions at the fair.

“What has it taken to keep a farm in a family for 100 or 150 years? World wars, pandemics, tough markets, great markets, droughts, floods – these farms have seen everything you could imagine,” said Naig. “Investing 20 years of work to help these farmers grow responsibly, that is work that has mattered to families and to our state.”

The coalition was formed in 2004 in response to changing agriculture methods coming out of the Farm Crisis. Livestock producers were using new technologies to capture efficiencies that also enabled them to monitor the overall health of their animals better, moving from open pastures to under roof.

That created tension with neighbors, resulting in lawsuits and changing regulations.

CSIF was created to help livestock farmers find the best location for a barn, answer questions about rules and regulations and provide guidance on everything from financing and odor management to neighbor relations. As a result, farmers were able to grow their livestock farms with confidence they were complying with the rules and regulations and meeting community standards for environmental concerns.

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Dodds Family

Des Moines County Heritage Farm family contributes to the success of their community, while taking good care of their land and livestock.

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Hy-Vee Promotes ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ Campaign

The Iowa Pork Producers Association is joining forces with Hy-Vee grocery stores to encourage consumers to ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’. Large displays in 200 Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest featuring the viral NIL promotion with Iowa State Cyclone football players launch this week.

In conjunction with the promotion, Hy-Vee will conduct giveaways of 10 Blackstone Griddles and free bacon for a year to 20 recipients. To qualify, consumers simply need to purchase pork at any of the 200 participating Hy-Vee stores between now and October 31 and scan their Hy-Vee PERKS card at checkout. Hy-Vee operates grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

“Our goal is to promote the pork industry and encourage consumers to buy more pork, and this is a fantastic way to do it,” said Iowa Pork Producers Association President Matt Gent, who is also a pig farmer from Wellman, Iowa. “The football players have been fantastic to work with and helped us shine a spotlight on our industry. Bringing Hy-Vee into the campaign to generate more pork sales will benefit hardworking farmers across the Midwest.”

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Deputy Secretary Menke Testifies Before U.S Senate Committee about Disaster Recovery Programs for Farms.

In another record-breaking year, the 42nd annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show continues to elevate the bar raising $568,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. This was a significant jump from last year’s record of $501,000. Including this year’s donations, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer is inching close to $6 million in donations since its inception in 1983.

All money raised benefits the three independent Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux City. These three houses have served over 55,000 families from all 50 states and many foreign countries. Families from all 99 counties in Iowa have benefited from the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa.

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