Kevin and Kendra live on a farm near Nashua, Iowa where they have raised three children. Their farm is a diversified operation of 340 sows and approximately 700 acres of row crops. They sell all 6000 head of feeder pigs they producer per year to a local farmer who then finishes feeding the pigs to harvest weight. Their livestock facilities are a combination of recently constructed indoor farrowing and nursery space, an older Cargil unit and an open front shed.
Last spring a then state senator began mustering support to pressure Chickasaw County, Iowa to declare a moratorium on new livestock facilities. In May the opposition group held an “informational” meeting so people could learn what they could expect if a new farm was located near them. After two hours of “professional testimony”, 30 minutes was given to the audience to respond. Appalled at what they had heard, Kevin and Kendra decided this information would not go uncontested. It was time to tell the truth.Kevin and Kendra found a small group of farmers and livestock producers who would help orchestrate their own town meeting. In August 2002, several experts from Iowa State addressed the issues of air quality, manure management, water quality and economics. Hadwen Kleiss, a local dairyman and pork producer, gave the most powerful presentation at the meeting. Hadwen has been in food production for over 50 years and described the changes over the years and why changes have occurred. Hadwen has 5 sons who have chosen to return to the farm and an entire tribe of grandchildren who wish to return also.
Their meeting also included a panel of 5 pork producers from the county. Each of them was involved in pork production a little differently than the other. They described their role and why they chose it. There was a range of involvement-one farmer owns the facilities, the animals, manages the animals daily and farms and utilizes the manure on his farm, another owned the facilities but doesn’t own the animals, another owns the animals but doesn’t feed them, another young pork producer manages a 1300 head sow unit and doesn’t own any of it and yet another farmer only takes the manure nutrients produced as fertilizer for his grain farm. Wow, there are opportunities in agriculture – it’s up to you to decide which avenue you pursue. As Kevin and Kendra have found out – there is no lack of opportunity to correct misinformation. At Christmas time Kendra’s aunt from Texas came back and spent some time on their farm. Although she was raised in a farming community, she had not continued in food production and of course had read and heard all of the negativity surrounding modern livestock production. During her stay she took a tour of the facilities and learned that what you read and hear is not always accurate.
Additional Profiles
Jason Buss
Jessica Melvin
Leonard Wulf
Joe and Janet
Jorgensons