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AG Mag Central Iowa

The Quiet Zone The presidential candidates have had very little to say about agriculture issues on the campaign trail.

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Spring 2016 AG Mag

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AG Mag Central Iowa

Publisher Dan Goetz Advertising Director Jeff Holschuh Managing Editor Abigail Pelzer Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Breanne Hunter Reporters & Photographers Jason W. Brooks, Pam Eggemeier, Dave Fox, Christopher Heimerman, Kate Malott, Mike Mendenhall, Alex Olp, Alex T. Paschal, and Jamee A. Pierson Published by News Publishing Co. 200 First Avenue East Newton, IA 50208 641-792-3121

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Plants & politics

Presidential hopefuls made tracks through Iowa this campaign season, but said little about ag issues.

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AG Mag

Index

AG OUTLOOK PAGE 22

Better days ahead for ethanol?

Ethanol is a big deal in Iowa. If the industry is able to break the blend wall at the pumps, it could become an even bigger, and better, deal. Newton High School junior Emily Bollhoefer went to ag camp this summer.

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Eric Siebrecht, who farms in Jasper and Marion counties, plans to maintain about a 50/50 split between corn and soybeans for the upcoming planting season. “Both the corn and beans yield pretty good, and I can’t see any reason to go away from it right now,” he said. (Jamee Pierson/Central Iowa Ag Mag)

COMFORT ZONE

Amid market dips and weather uncertainties, Central Iowa farmers stay with routines BY JAMEE A. PIERSON AND CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN

For Central Iowa Ag Mag

hen the market is being unkind, is it best for farmers to stick with what they know? On the eve of the 2016 farming season, local growers are keeping with the familiar when it comes to planting corn and soybeans. Jeremy Terpstra and Eric Siebrecht, who both farm in Jasper and Marion counties, are finding consistency in their planting practices. 6 Spring 2016

“We’re going to stay about the same, which is 50/50 corn and beans just because it does pretty good for us,” Siebrecht said. “Both the corn and beans yield pretty good, and I can’t see any reason to go away from it right now.” ■■■ Corn yields were great in Iowa in 2015, a record, in fact, of nearly 2.5 billion bushels. Iowa farmers also yielded about 520 million bushels of soybeans, the second most on record. CONTINUED ON 7

4CONTINUED FROM 6 Those kinds of yields led many farmers, like Siebrecht, to store a lot of grain last year as they waited, or hoped, for prices to go up as had been predicted. In reality, prices actually dropped. But Siebrecht still anticipates keeping to his plan, all while taking unpredictable weather into account. “Weather doesn’t make so much of a difference; it is more price than anything,” Siebrecht said. “As screwed up as the weather has been the last few years, it is really hard to tell. I have no idea what this next year is going to bring, the way this winter has been.” Terpstra also is sticking with his regular plan, which includes planting more corn than soybeans. “We’re probably going to be growing more corn,” he said. “We like growing corn better than growing soybeans.” Terpstra said that he stored a lot of grain last year, but that is typical of his farming practice. Although planning on planting more corn, Terpstra said he is open to switching to soybeans in some areas, depending on the weather. “The weather may play a factor in what we decide to do come spring. We don’t have any anhydrous on yet, so we are open to go to beans if we want to,” Terpstra said. “It is pretty wet out there now, and it is probably going to be a late spring, so we may go to beans on a couple of farms that we have.” Wet weather has been a problem throughout the Midwest during the late fall and winter months. In the final two months of 2015, U.S. farmland took on more rain than it had in 120 years, a sign that corn and soybean yields will shrink in 2016. In the past 15 months, farmers had only two bona fide opportunities to seize market rallies: around Christmas 2014 and late June last year, said Scott Stoller, a grain merchandiser with the Dixon, Illinois-based, family-owned grain consulting firm AgPerspective. “Unfortunately, from the low to the high to the low again in the marketplace was five weeks,” he said. “Did growers take advantage of that? How worried were they about their own yields? If they were originally thinking 180 or 190 bushels, when the crops were damaged, did they pare their yield back to 140 at that point?” The financial climate hasn’t been much more kind to farmers than the actual climate lately. Corn prices in 2012 hit record highs around $10 per bushel. That was after a drought. In mid-September, that price was around $3.60. The prospects for price hikes in 2016 are slim. In mid-January, corn futures were selling between $3.70 and $3.80.

Jamee Pierson/Central Iowa Ag Mag

Jeremy Terpstra, who farms in Jasper and Marion counties, plans to plant more corn this season because it is his preferred grain.

The market has been brutal on beans, too. Soybeans hit a high of more than $17 a bushel in 2012, largely due to the same drought that caused shortages and price spikes for corn. By last fall, prices were hovering around $8.65 a bushel. Bean futures in mid-January were only about 10 cents higher. Between low market prices and El Niño living up to his reputation, Stoller said lenders will play a huge role this year. “Unfortunately, the lender is probably going to be a bigger part of that than he should be,” he said. “Some decisions have been pushed off until this calendar year as they decide what they can or can’t afford. But agronomic decisions are not necessarily best based on what can I afford or not afford today. It’s what does the plant need, and how does it need to be fed?” Farming veterans, meanwhile, have been here, seen this before. But what about the young farmer who hasn’t yet

lived through lean years like 1987, 1998, or 2001? “Those years really teach you that you’d better be paying attention to what’s going on, because [when] they turn, they turn quickly, and they get ugly in a hurry,” said Jim Schielein, a 51-year-old farmer in Lee County, Illinois, who’s been in business for himself since 1990, before which he worked “forever” for his dad. “Cash is king. In this type of situation, cash is always king, and you’ve got to keep your leverage ratio as low as possible.” Stoller urges farmers to buy crop insurance, to protect against disasters such as the one 2015 brought. It’s a year he wishes could simply be put in the past. But that’s not realistic. “We’ve still got to get out of 2015 as profitable as we can, or lose the least amount of money we can,” he said. “That’s a very negative term, but that’s where we stand.” AG Mag 7

What I did last summer Newton High junior attended unique ag camp at ISU BY JASON W. BROOKS For Central Iowa Ag Mag

Newton High School junior Emily Bollhoefer poses with a llama during the sixth annual AgDiscovery program, held at Iowa State University and other Iowa farm sites during summer 2015. (Photo submitted)

When Newton High School junior Emily Bollhoefer returned from the AgDiscovery program at Iowa State University last summer, she had been taught how to take a blood sample from a chicken. That’s one of thousands of items covered at the two-week camp, held at the ISU campus and other Iowa farm sites from July 19 to Aug. 1. The sixth annual AgDiscovery camps, sponsored by the USDA, were held at 17 universities, and Bollhoefer was one of only 18 American high school agriculture students selected for the program from a list of 77 nationwide applicants for the ISU program. CONTINUED ON 9

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CONTINUED FROM 8 “We covered so much stuff,” Bollhoefer said. “It was great to get to know everyone, and find out where we had common interests within ag.” Bollhoefer and NHS ag adviser James Horn had to hurriedly prepare the application and recommendation materials in the spring, so she had no idea what her chances were of being selected. She said ISU is still working on getting the word out about the program, as many advisers don’t seem to be aware of the opportunity. The outreach program, which allowed students to stay in Eaton Hall on ISU’s campus, is designed to help high school students learn about careers in plant and animal science and wildlife management. There were students from 12 states in the program in 2015. Not only did Bollhoefer have a much shorter commute than most of the 18 students, who flew in from as far away as Miami, but that also made her a sort of resident tour guide, familiar with many of the counties and farms the group toured.

The group was kept busy most of the time, rising early and taking two vans to farm sites throughout northern and central Iowa. One of the stops was C & M Acres Alpaca Farm in Maxwell. Dealing with llamas and alpacas isn’t easy, and Bollhoefer said the photo she had taken with a llama was on the same day as one spit on her. The group participated in a swine necropsy – basically a dissection of a baby pig that died during or shortly after birth. There were also stops at One Heart Equestrian Therapy, where students learned how much horses love to run, along with the ISU Dairy Farm and an animal rescue league. There was even a trip to a Jasper County locale: the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, where the group was unsuccessful in spotting any of the well-known buffalo on the day of their drive-through. The program covered lessons in anatomy, bacteriology, hematology, parasitology, immunology, embryology, animal

‘‘ ’’ We covered so much stuff. It was great to get to know everyone, and find out where we had common interests within ag. Emily Bollhoefer

necropsies, epidemiology and other veterinary diagnostic procedures, with a focus on the connections between plant and animal life and their ecosystems. Another purpose of the program is to help high school students decide between areas of concentration if they plan on pursuing an ag degree in college. Bollhoefer said the camp helped her determine she’d like to specialize in small animals and exotic animals. She also said she enjoyed meeting ag students from different parts of the U.S. “My roommate was from Arizona,” Bollhoefer said. “She said she thought it was kind of cold here in Iowa in July.”

About the program The 2016 AgDiscovery camps will be at 19 colleges in the lower 48 states and Hawaii. Iowa State University is among the 19, and will have a July program for ages 15-17. Applicants must be 15 by May 31, and cannot turn 18 before the end of each program. All applicants must be postmarked no later than March 7. The full brochure can be found here: http://bit.ly/1JaPvEa To learn more about the AgDiscovery program, contact Sophia L. Kirby of the USDA-APHIS Office of the Administrator, Office of Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion, at 301-851-4192 or Sophia.L.Kirby@aphis.usda.gov.

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Central Iowa Post-Secondary Agriculture Programs DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Des Moines (Campuses in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Newton, Carroll, Perry, Boone, Ames and Ankeny). www.dmacc.edu 515-964-6200 or 800-362-2127 Associated of Applied Science programs: Agri-Business, Veterinary Technology. Certificate programs: Agribusiness, Agronomy, Animal Science, Farm Management, Agriculture Sales/Service, Sustainable Agriculture, Turf Maintenance, Landscape Design, Greenhouse Production Certificate programs: Agribusiness-Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Supplies (Retailing and Wholesale) DORDT COLLEGE Sioux Center www.dordt.edu 800-343-6738 Bachelor’s degrees offered: Agriculture, agribusiness, animal science, ag missions, biotechnology, plant science. Associate degree: Agriculture. Other programs: Pre-veterinary medicine program; Agriculture education that allows teachers to earn an endorsement through Dordt’s education program IOWA CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE Fort Dodge (East and west campuses in Fort Dodge; others in Webster City and Storm Lake) www.iowacentral.com

800-362-2793, or 515-576-7201 Programs offered: Agricultural Technology A.A.S. Degree; Agriculture Transfer Program A.A. Degree IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Ames (Several extension campuses/programs) 515-294-2518 www.cals.iastate.edu/about/ departments Undergraduate majors offered: Agricultural and Life Sciences Education; Dietetics Agricultural Biochemistry; Environmental Science; Agricultural Business Environmental Studies; Agricultural Studies; Food Science; Agricultural Systems Technology; Forestry Agriculture & Society; Genetics; Agriculture Exploration; Diet and Exercise; Global Resource Systems; Agronomy; Horticulture; Animal Ecology; Industrial Technology; Animal Science; International Agriculture; Biology; Microbiology; Culinary Science; Nutritional Science; Dairy Science and Seed Science ISU College of Veterinary Medicine programs: Veterinary Anatomy (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Other (Cert, MS PhD) Veterinary Medicine (DVM); Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Preventive Med Epidemiology/Public Health; Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management

HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Waterloo 319-296-2320 www.hawkeyecollege.edu Degree/certificate or transfer programs: Agricultural Business Management, Agricultural Science, Veterinary Assisting, Golf Course and Country Club Management, Horticulture, Natural Resources Management INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Ottumwa and Centerville www.indianhills.edu 800-726-2585 A.A.S. programs: Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship. A.A. or A.A.S. programs: Biology, A.S. program: Natural Resources. One-year program, no formal certificate: Forestry IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE Campuses in Algona, Emmetsburg, Estherville, Spencer and Spirit Lake www.iowalakes.edu 712-362-2604 or 800-521-5054 A.A.S. programs: Agribusiness Technology, Agriculture Production Technology, Farm Equipment & Diesel Technology, Landscape & Turfgrass Technician and Veterinary Technician Transfer programs: Agribusiness, Agriculture Communication or Agriculture Education, Agriculture Studies, Agronomy, Animal Science and Horticulture

SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Campuses in Red Oak, Creston and Osceola www.swcciowa.edu 641-782-7081 or 800-247-4023 A.A. degree: Agriculture major. A.A.S. degrees: Agricultural Business Crop Production, Livestock Production NORTH IOWA AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Mason City www.niacc.edu 1-888-GO-NIACC Transfer programs: Agriculture cluster: Marketing & Finance, Agriculture Operations Management, Agriculture Sales & Service, Agriculture technology. Other transfer programs: Biology, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Horticulture, Veterinary Medicine. Also: Animal Ecology KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Cedar Rapids 319-398-5609 www.kirkwood.edu Two-year programs: Agricultural Geospatial Technology, Agriculture Business, Agriculture Production Management, Agriculture (Liberal Arts transfer degree), Diesel Ag Technology, Diesel Truck Technology, Floral Careers, Golf Course & Athletic Turfgrass Management, Humane Officer Training, Landscape Construction and Design, Parks and Natural Resources, Pet Grooming, Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Technician.

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BY JAMEE A. PIERSON For Central Iowa Ag Mag

n his more than five decades of farming, Dan Keuning, known to some as Danny, has seen just about everything. From farming with his father to taking over the operation, Keuning is happy with all of the years he has spent in the fields.

“I helped dad all through high school,” he said. “We used to bail a lot of hay. He had all of those cows, so we bailed square hay, all day, every summer. We would fill six barns.” Following his graduation in 1970, Keuning worked for a year at a wagon factory, then did construction in Perry, before head-

ing back to the farm. “Dad was farming, and he milked about 30 head of cows. He had rented about four or five farms, and I started farming and picked up a farm and then another. I bought a little equipment as I went and we did it together,” Keuning said. CONTINUED ON 17

ABOVE: Dan Keuning has had his wife, Denise, by his side almost his whole farming life, although she has stepped foot in the fields only a couple of times. Instead, Denise helps by keeping the books. number is: (Photo illustration by Jamee Pierson/Central Iowa Ag Mag)

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A CROWDED, The many presidential candidates have had little to say about agriculture issues BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND JASON W. BROOKS

For Central Iowa Ag Mag

f you’re wondering where the presidential candidates stand on important agriculture issues, you’re not alone. Although the presidential election kicked off here in Iowa, both parties’ candidates have managed to dodge what’s most important to Midwest farmers. “If it weren’t for there being such an important early primary in Iowa, we might not hear anything about ag from the candidates,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau.

nnn Farmers say renewable fuel is about the only issue that has brought much input from the candidates because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s November ruling on biofuel requirements.

While ag issues have been far from hot topics on the campaign trail, what has been said had been heard from candidates since they started showing up here in late spring 2015. Candidates occasionally bring up ag issues, but it has been mostly up to farmers to raise the sometimes complex, multifaceted issues that confront rural America. Dan Schmitt of Marshalltown came to hear Democratic Party candidate Martin O’Malley speak in nearby Jasper County in early January. It was the former Maryland governor’s fourth visit to the area. He said O’Malley and other candidates might have a chance to help explain economics to the masses in layman’s terms. “If a cost of supplies or a service goes up for a farmer, that cost will be passed along an average of seven times before the effect on consumers is realized,” Schmitt said. Another concern raised by Iowa farmers during the leadup to the Feb. 1 caucus was the use of eminent domain. The Iowa Utilities Board held contentious hearings in late 2015 as part of the approval process for the proposed 1,134-mile Bakken crude oil pipeline, generating much discussion about land being taken from farmers who refuse to sign over land for easements. Illustration by Alex T. Paschal for Central Iowa Ag Mag

12 Spring 2016

, QUIET FIELD Bryce VanGorp hosted Republican candidate Rand Paul, a U.S. senator from Kentucky, for a town hall event at his farm in Reasnor in September. “They are cutting across another farm of ours that has the water access 40 acres away from the main pasture and the main feed for the summer,” VanGorp said. “They are cutting through our alley and they are shutting off either my feed or my water source over on that farm during however long that pipe is open.” The pipeline would go straight through VanGorp’s farm. VanGorp said that’s not the main issue for him. It’s having to cut off either the source of feed or water for his cows during a lengthy period. On the question of whether eminent domain can be used to access the landowners’ private property for the pipeline project, Paul said he opposes the forcible access of Iowa landowners’ land. “Government shouldn’t take private property from one property owner and give it to another property owner,” Paul

‘‘

said. “There are times when you have to use eminent domain for roads and things like that. But for this it’s going to another private property owner.” If you are a farmer outside of Iowa, you are even less likely to have heard agriculture issues discussed by candidates. “Short of the Renewable Fuel Standards, I haven’t heard any significant policy statements for ag from any of the candidates,” said Jim Schielein, a Lee County, Illinois, farmer. Nielsen, of Illinois Farm Bureau, said farmers are challenged by a cyclical downturn, and while this environment certainly isn’t reminiscent of the great farm crisis of the 1980s, lower commodities prices should merit some discussion. “We’re just coming out of the ‘glory days’ where income was high, and farmers were able to make investments, and now income is running behind production costs,” Nielsen said. Plunging commodities prices, especially oil and metals, are shaking the global economy, leaving farmers wondering how low ag-related commodities could go. CONTINUED ON 144

We’re just coming out of the ‘glory days’ where income was high, and farmers were able to make investments, and now income is running behind production costs. Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau

’’ AG Mag

4CONTINUED FROM 13 “Oil has been a wake-up call for farmers, and it’s been a nervous time for any commodity,” Schielein said. “If you translate what’s happened with oil prices to corn, we’d be at $2.” While the 2014 farm bill has brought a workable safety net, farmers fear crop insurance might fall woefully short if corn drops below $3. That scenario could have farmers calling for the return of the ad hoc disaster system that disappeared in the farm bill. The importance of finding new markets grows as crop prices drop, pushing trade issues near the top of Farm Bureau’s legislative priority list this year. Ag leaders are strugging to find a candidate in either party who can make strides on exports. “There is a protectionist strain that runs through both parties now, and they are equally bad on trade,” Nielsen said. Ag interests are pushing for the enactment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement with 12 Pacific Rim nations, that among many other things would lower trade barriers for Midwest farmers. Negotiations between the nations that started nearly 8 years ago wrapped up in October, but the pact faces stiff challenges in Congress. Some of ag’s top issues mirror those of business at large, so the candidates

have addressed them in a general fashion. Immigration would be a prime example, and Nielsen fears the issue is one of many to have fallen victim to theatrics. “Farm Bureau has worked hard on immigration for the last few years, and it’s obvious that we need a clearer policy,” Nielsen said. “The candidates haven’t talked about it much in reference to ag, and it’s almost turned into a competition to see who’s most anti-immigrant.”

The immigration issue also is a good example of how difficult it can be to figure out the candidates’ positions on an issue. Several have flip-flopped on their immigration policy stances since the campaigning began, and complicated conditions are often attached to those positions. Political analysts are struggling to find clarity, so it’s no surprise that voters are as well. CONTINUED ON 154

Jason Brooks/Central Iowa Ag Mag

Dan Schmitt of Marshall County speaks during a campaign event in January in Newton for Democratic Party presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley. Schmitt said he hopes this year’s presidential candidates try to educate the public about economics and food.

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CONTINUED FROM 14 Farm Bureau doesn’t formally endorse presidential candidates, but it takes a key leadership position in smoking out candidates’ positions on their prioritized issues. That task has been made more difficult by the GOP logjam – 12 candidates were still in the race going into the Feb. 1 Iowa caucus. “When we have nominees, they’ll sit down with advisers and write specific positions on ag,” Nielsen said. “Then we’ll look more carefully at the candidates’ records, but now there isn’t much to look at.” Schielein said he’s hoping the tenor of the campaigning will become more thoughtful as the field narrows. “As some candidates drop out, we should start seeing more focus on the issues,” Schielein said. “It’s the nature of the beast – there’s a lot of theater early, but at some point they have to stop with the reality-TV politics.” Voters were trying to decipher the politics of 12 GOP candidates and three Democrats who were still in the game heading into Iowa. After the New Hampshire primary a week later, there was one fewer Democrat (O’Malley) and five fewer Republicans (Mike Huckabee, Paul, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, and Chris Christie). “This election field is different – we have a billionaire who went bankrupt and resurrected himself, a self-described socialist, and populists on either side of the aisle,” Schielein said. The ag lobby is still well organized and wields considerable influence in both parties, but political pundits contend there are some dynamics at play that have made it riskier for candidates to line up with ag interests. “The ag lobby is still powerful, but it has generally fallen out of favor with both parties,” said Scot Schraufnagel, a political science professor at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. The declining number of farmers who are running bigger businesses can

make support of many key ag issues a tougher sell with political strategists. “With fewer small farms, Democrats that used to identify with the family farm are less inclined to support farmers who now are running a large corporation,” Schraufnagel said. He said the GOP is hesitant to be linked with such issues as price supports and ethanol while espousing fiscal conservativism. Political strategists call for ignoring an issue you can’t win, and many ag issues can be painted as lose-lose propositions. “While candidates don’t want to offend the ag lobby, openly supporting the ag lobby can be perceived as support of more government spending,” Schraufnagel said. Regulatory pressures on farmers

is a key concern every year, but the ag lobby has rallied hard against the implementation of the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule. The rule would pinpoint the reach of the nation’s Clean Water Act, bringing some smaller waterways such as streams and wetlands into federal jurisdiction. Farmers using those areas would be forced to meet environmental permit requirements of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers. The issue has stalled along party lines, with Republicans calling the rule another example of “executive overreach” and a violation of the rights of states and private property owners. “We’re hoping they’ll take their foot off the accelerator on regulations when ag prices are down,” Nielsen said.

Farmers Forum What agriculture issue would you most like to hear presidential candidates talk about? Donnie Martin, cattle farmer, Bloomfield “I’d like to see them quit all the government programs because they’ve just made the farmer a welfare Donnie Martin person. I have cattle, and you don’t get a lot of government aid. It’s more for crop farmers. It just feels like you’re making the big farmer bigger and the family farm gone.”

Mike Gilbert, organic farmer, Prairie City “I would like to see a president who continues to back the ethMike Gilbert anol usage of our corn. I’m looking for a president who has integrity, who stands upon the values that this nation was built upon — godly, biblical principles.”

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How the candidates lean on ag-related issues How the candidates stack up on three key agriculture issues as prioritized by the Illinois Farm Bureau – immigration, environmental regulation, and trade: Republicans Donald Trump – No path to citizenship for undocumented workers; fair trade advocate, opposes Trans-Pacific Partnership U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz – Opposes letting undocumented immigrants legally remain in the U.S.; vocal opponent of renewable fuel standards, environmental regulations; opposed Trans-Pacific Partnership U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio – Work toward piecemeal immigration reform; once staunch environmental supporter, has backed off stance; supports Trans-Pacific Partnership Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – Create a legal status, not a path to citizenship, for undocumented residents; supports environmental regulation; supports free trade, Trans-Pacific Partnership Ben Carson – Allow undocumented residents access to a national guest worker program if they leave the country first; mixed messages on environmental policies; says he supports free trade and open to Trans-Pacific Partnership Ohio Gov. John Kasich – Allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally; mixed record

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16 Spring 2016

on environmental issues; supports Trans-Pacific Partnership Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore – Strict on border security, fix broken immigration system; launched environmental initiative in Virginia; enforce trade laws to level playing field Democrats Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – Wants comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to legal status; supports environmental regulation; opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders – Offer path to citizenship, waive some deportations now; supports environmental regulation; opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership Libertarian Party Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson – Simplify legal immigration, crack down on illegal immigration; supports EPA clean air and water efforts; supports free trade, but not Trans-Pacific Partnership Green Party Jill Stein – Supports creating legal status and path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants; strong advocate for environmental health; opposes expansion of free trade agreements

‘‘

Quality Service You Can Trust I just enjoy working in the field. It’s just like throwing dice – you never know what you are going to get. You put the crop in, watch it come up, try to take care of it during the year, and hope you have a good yield. Dan Keuning

CONTINUED FROM 11

’’

He took over following his father’s retirement, farming about 800 to 850 acres in Jasper and Marion counties. As the years passed, Keuning saw many changes to the farming industry, from equipment to seed technology and, most importantly, prices. “Farming has changed a lot in the last 50 years,” he said. “You used to go out there and plow everything, disc it, harrow it and then plant it. Now you go out there, no-till it, plant it, spray it and harvest it. “It’s changed more than I have. The new technology they have, you take the tractor to the field, push the button and it drives itself. I don’t have any of that and I am too old to start. To me, you buy a combine that cost $200,000 and the heads each cost another $100,000 and you use it for, say, a month. Then it sets in the shed the rest of the year.” Through the years, he has seen the prices go up and down and remembers a year in the 1970s that really had an impact on the business. “1977 was tough,” Keuning said. “it was a dry, drought year. The corn got about waist high. Up in the flat ground they would ride all afternoon to get a hopper full. Down in here in the creek bottoms, we had some corn.” Harvest is his favorite time of year, when he can find out if all of his hard work paid off. “You always want to know what the yield is going to be, what the price is, and what you’re going to make an acre,” Keuning said. “You don’t know that until that happens.” Mostly, he just enjoys the work and hopes to do it years into the future. “I just enjoy working in the field,” Keuning said. “It’s just like throwing dice – you never know what you are going to get. You put the crop in, watch it come up, try to take care of it during the year, and hope you have a good yield.”

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Iowa Choice Harvest provides local products to Central Iowans BY KATE MALOTT For Central Iowa Ag Mag

owa Choice Harvest is an Iowa brand. It’s a food business owned by Iowa farmers, made of Iowa produce, and packaged in Iowa with a mission to connect customers with “Earth-conscious Iowa farmers who grow

high-quality fruits and vegetables.” Iowa Choice Harvest distributes frozen apple blends and sweet corn to local restaurants, grocery stores and cooperatives. Its buyers also include businesses such as Mayflower Homes, in Grinnell, and the Des Moines public schools’ food and nutrition department.

CONTINUED ON 19

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Ingredients: 1/2 pound bacon, chopped 4 cups onion, diced 2 cups celery, diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 6 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and diced 2 pounds Iowa Choice Harvest golden sweet corn 10 cups chicken stock 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup flour 4 tablespoons butter Directions: Cook bacon and allow to render fat. Remove bacon and add butter, leaving any drippings. Sauté onion, celery and garlic until softened. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and potatoes. Allow to cook until potatoes are cooked through and soup is slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add corn and allow to heat through. Serve in bowls garnished with bacon.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients: 2 cups rhubarb (freshly cut) 2 cups Iowa Choice Harvest frozen apples 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1/3 cup butter Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place fruit in an ungreased 8×8 pan. Sprinkle fruit with salt. Mix remaining ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture and then sprinkle over the fruit. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Iowa Choice Harvest products are as organic as they come. Iowa Golden Sweet Corn and Iowa Grown Apples have no added sodium or sugars. Non-GMO seed is used for sweet corn, and apples have no ascorbic rinse added. One package might include as many as 21 varieties of apple, including heirloom varieties. “No one provides fresher frozen food products than we do,” CEO Penny Brown Huber said. “Iowa Choice Harvest is the only place in the country where sweet corn can be frozen the same day that it’s picked.” As an idea that began 10 years ago, a group of 13 farmers noticed a niche market among fellow farmers and consumers, and together they planned a new company to help bring Iowa produce directly to the tables of more Iowans. Besides having a positive impact on consumers, the idea would impact farmers as well, creating change in the food system and expanding opportunities to market fruits and vegetables. Iowa Choice Harvest launched its Marshalltown packaging facility in 2013 after much planning and hard work. This year will be its fourth season of operation. Iowa Choice Harvest products can be found in many stores, such as Fareway and Hy-Vee, and towns throughout Central Iowa including Newton, Pella, Knoxville, Baxter, Grinnell, Marshalltown and Malcolm. ABOVE: Iowa Choice Harvest sells golden sweet corn that has no added sodium or sugars. Non-GMO seed is used. Iowa Choice Harvest products can be found in Fareway and Hy-Vee stores throughout Central Iowa. (Photos by Kate Malott/Central Iowa Ag Mag)

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AG Mag

One on the way Horse’s pregnancy new experience for drill team captain BY ALEX OLP For Central Iowa Ag Mag

ed Rock Riders member Chelsey Lourens, of Colfax, just finished her first semester of college on the dean’s list, but has several other things on her mind while she has been away from home. One of which is her pregnant horse, Scoot – the

main horse Lourens rode in competitions with the Red Rock Riders drill team before the pregnancy. During Lourens’ schooling at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Scoot has spent her first six months of pregnancy back at the family farm in Colfax. But Lourens returns home just about every opportunity she finds to care for Scoot and work her other horses.

CONTINUED ON 21

ABOVE: Scoot, the horse of Red Rock Riders drill team member Chelsey Lourens, stands on the family farm in Colfax. Scoot was Lourens’ main horse for nearly 10 years, but because of the horse’s pregnancy, Lourens has had to perform with her other horse, Gator. (Alex Olp/Central Iowa Ag Mag)

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4CONTINUED FROM 20

“I definitely miss not having them at my back door, but it’s nice to go home on the weekends and go to rodeos so I can still meet up with my friends,” Lourens said. “It’s working out.” Scoot is due in late March to early April and is the first pregnant horse Lourens has had. “It’s cool to see the whole process,” she said. “I’ve taken pictures of her every time I come home and see her get even bigger than before. I’m prepared to miss school when she actually goes into labor so I can be there, because I’ve never seen that way before.” Scoot is very close to Lourens’ heart, as the two began training with each other more than 10 years ago and have been an award-winning combination. However, since Scoot is pregnant, Lourens’ had to divert to her other horse, Gator, in July and might continue riding him through this summer. She didn’t know then how well Gator would perform as Lourens’ new main horse, but the transition proved to be very smooth.

‘‘

She’s a very level-headed, goal-oriented type of person, so she does what she has to do. Chris Lourens, Chelsey’s mother

’’

“He didn’t know a whole lot when I got him four years ago, but he has definitely developed into just as good of a horse as Scoot is, if not better,” she said. Lourens, who is studying agricultural business, still rides many weekends with the Red Rock Riders and recently performed at the National FFA Convention in Kentucky. “She is a very level-headed, goal-oriented type of person, so she does what she has to do,” said Chris Lourens, Chelsey’s mother. “She has even come back in the middle of the week when she has a break from classes to care for the horses. And when she can’t, momma rides them for her and takes good care of them when she’s gone.”

Chelsey Lourens, of Colfax, signs autographs in January during the World’s Toughest Rodeo at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Lourens is the Red Rock Riders’ drill team captain.

AG Mag

Breaking through the blend wall Millions of bushels of U.S.-produced corn are used yearly to produce the ethanol blended with gasoline, primarily either an E10 or E85 blend. (Dave Fox/Central Iowa Ag Mag)

E15 could be the key to even better days ahead for ethanol BY DAVE FOX AND MIKE MENDENHALL For Central Iowa Ag Mag

thanol has come a long way in the American marketplace since it was introduced as “gasohol” in the early 1970s. Then, it was a response to a gasoline shortage that had quickly driven prices of regular gas from about 25 cents per gallon to more than 75 cents. The blend of ethanol and gasoline was widely met with skepticism, as naysayers questioned the performance of engines running on gasohol.

22 Spring 2016

Today, ethanol still is considered an alternative fuel but is established and popular. Its positive impacts on the environment (cleaner emissions), geopolitics (less dependence on foreign oil), and the U.S. agriculture economy (outlet for domestic corn crops) are generally accepted. ■■■ Ethanol is a big deal in Iowa. The state is the No. 1 ethanol producer in the nation, and in 2015 its 43 ethanol plants produced more than 4 billion gallons. That’s about 27 percent of total ethanol production nationwide.

More fuel ethanol is produced domestically now than ever – a record 14.313 billion gallons in 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s 1.02 billion gallons more than was produced in 2013. EIA estimates for the first nine months of 2015 show a 3.6 percent increase from the same period in 2014. But how does that supply jibe with demand? During those first nine months of 2015, the EIA said, consumption of ethanol produced domestically was up 4 percent from the previous year. Total consumption in 2015 was expected to reach 13.982 billion gallons – about 13.897 billion of that being conventional ethanol made from corn. The University of Illinois Extension reports that U.S.-produced “ethanol consumption in 2016 could be about 200 million gallons larger than projected, requiring an additional 70 million bushels of feedstock.” That, the report said, would require a combination of a larger increase in domestic gasoline consumption, a larger consumption of higher ethanol blends, and an increase in ethanol exports. Those increases would not only be good for the U.S. economy, but it also would improve corn markets, helping to reduce surplus stockpiles that are common to good crop years.

A better blend

A “blend wall” stands in the way of more consumption of higher ethanol blends. Now, most gas is an E10 blend – 10 percent ethanol blended with gasoline. Vehicles produced in the past 30 to 40 years run well on that blend, and exhaust emissions have been shown to be greatly reduced. But the ethanol industry has pushed for more E15 gasoline. That would require the oil industry to invest in blender pumps, storage tanks, and other infrastructure compatible with E15-and-higher ethanol blends. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, E15 is the highest-tested fuel to date, burns cleaner than gasoline, and benefits local farmers. It also generally costs less at the pump than other blends. “The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) says there’s a blend wall; they don’t think we can use any more ethanol in this country,” said Darin Schlapia, Creston Farmers Cooperative branch manager. “But in reality, if they opened up E15 for consumers to use year-round, we could see our use of ethanol increase by 50 percent if everybody started using E15.” CONTINUED ON 23

4CONTINUED FROM 22 Iowa farmers, producers and ethanol retailers have been cautiously optimistic with the Nov. 30 announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency that it would increase the overall renewable fuels standard volume requirements to 18.11 billion gallons of ethanol in 2016 from 16.93 billion in 2015. Des Moines-based Kum & Go Convenience Stores sells more E85 blend of the corn-grown renewable fuel than any other fuel chain in the U.S. The company’s vice president of fuels, Jim Pirolli, said E85 can be found at 170 stores in the Midwest. Although the VP wouldn’t give Kum & Go’s full feelings on the new EPA rules, he said the only way the U.S is going to get beyond the 10 percent fuel blend standard is to increase the market requirements faster. “[Providing E85] aligns with our goals of sustainability, environmental protection and it serves the economic benefits of farmers in the communities we serve,” Pirolli said. “It [allows] customers to be able to buy a lower-price fuel at the pump.” Despite the low volume increase, Pirolli said, Kum and Go is pleased to see the EPA expanding the market volume requirement – a move that industry leaders and lawmakers thought would never happen as late as October. Prairie City farmer Dean Taylor knows firsthand how the RFS affects his bottom line. The row-crop farmer has been associated with the Iowa Corn Growers Association for 14 years, spending 10 years on its board of directors. He said that the volume requirements released Nov. 30 are “a much better story” than the initial drop in requirements proposed earlier in the year. He said reaching Congress’ initial 22.1 billion-gallon target would provide more market stability, but the increase is a step in the right direction. “It’s one of [U.S. farmers’] major markets now,” Taylor

said. “Your corn market is kind of like a threelegged stool. You have ethanol, you have exports, and you Jim have food conPirolli sumption. You take one leg out and you don’t sit very well anymore.” Taylor said the U.S. has an annual surplus of 1 billion to 2 billion corn bushels that includes exports, domestic use, and using 5 billion bushels for ethanol production. He said that production has increased by approximately 4 billion bushels domestically since 2000. A larger percentage of Iowa corn goes into ethanol than other corn-producing states simply because the state produces more of the crop. This supply, Taylor argues, makes the RFS essential. “We never had that market 15 years ago. We’ve increased our supply enough that if we don’t have something like this, we’re in trouble,” he said. “If you look at our current production, if it says where it’s at now, we could double our carDean ry-over in the Taylor next 10 years. There’s up years and there’s down years but that’s then normal business of the commodity market.” But Taylor and the Iowa Corn Growers feel that farmers also need to better support their own product. The Prairie City farmer said he’d like to see every Iowa farmer and ethanol producer filling their equipment with biodiesel and ethanol if their truck and tractor are capable of burning the fuel. He says it’s a matter of better education. “I think [farmers] see a corn market out there, but I don’t think they see the importance, yet, of renewable fuels,” Taylor said. “I think they’d be using the renewable fuels more intensely. I don’t think a lot of guys know it’s as large a part of their market as it is.”

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