the .Practical Farmer

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Annual Conference Jan. 9 & 1 0 ...... I Pg. 3 Dan Specht: The OP-Corn Kid ....•...•...... I Pg. 8

Apples in Iowa •••••.••••..•.••.••..•••.••••.•.••...•....•..••••.•..•.•...•.•.•. I Pg. 20 On-farm Research: OP Com ...... ! Pg. 24 New Resource Section ...... ! Pg. 26 ··- Contents ~ {-~·. ·-:;;..~._:"',

Annual Conference ...... 3 Focus on Food: Apples ...... 20

Board News ...... 6 Calendar ...... 23

Member Profile: Dan Specht ...... 8 On-Farm Research: OP Corn ...... 24

PFI Camp ...... 12 Resources ...... 26

Field Day Report ...... 14 Member Perspectives: What is Sustainable Ag? .. 28

Practical Farmers of Peru ...... 15 Reflections: Remembering the Sacred ...... 29

Staff and Program Updates ...... 16-17 PFI Merchandise ...... 30

Member News ...... 18-19 Join PFI ...... 31

Cover photo by Rick Exner: Oats discussion at Stc'A! and June Weis field day, 1999

PFI Board of Directors Tom Wthl, 13882 I A'A!., Wapello, lA 52653-9449. Membership Services and Office Man ager Sandra Trca-Biack ( 101 ), Correspondence to the PFI directors' addresses is (319) 729-5905. [email protected] [email protected] always welcome. Advisory Board District 1 (No rthwest): KenWise,2820Wadsley Dick Thompson, 2035 19oth St., Boone, lA Communications Specialist A'A!., Sac Gty, lA SOS83-7637. (712) 662-7716. 50036-7423. (SIS) 432-1560. Todd Kimm ( 108), [email protected] Larry Kallem, 12303 N.W. 158th A'A!., Madrid lA, Leo Benjamin, 17636 Birch A'A!., Whiting, IA PFI Downtown Farmers Market Master 50156.S15-795-2303. Sl063. (712)458-2001. Katherine Parker (I OS), District 2 (North Central): Mark Tjelmeland, PFI Staff kathe rine@prac ticalfarmers.org PFI Vice President,12461 650 th Ave., For general information and staff connections, The Practical Farmer is published three times a McCallsb urg, lA S0154-8026. (515) 434-2440. call (S15) 232-S661; individual extensions are year by Practical F am1ers of lo wa at 300 Main St., ctje [email protected] listed in parenthesis after each name. Box 349,Ames,lowa 50010; S15-232-566l. A free Nina Biensen, 2454 Bin ford Ave., State Center,lA subscription is provided with each PF! member­ 50247. (641) 483-2292. Director ship (see page 31). Sample copies and back is9.les Robert Karp (102), [email protected] bie [email protected] are available. Associate Director District 3 (Northeast): Walt Ebert, 1273 12oth Newsletter Editor: Todd Kimm St., Plainfield, lA 50666-9647. (319) 276-4444. Rich Pirog ( 109), [email protected] O riginal Template: Michael Nash [email protected] Food Systems Additional Design: Mary Sailer Er ic Franzenburg, 6925 19th Ave., Van Horne, lA S2346. (319) 228-8758. Gary Huber ( 103), [email protected] [email protected] Rick Hartmann ( 104), The Praaical Farmer and the PFI on-farm demonstrations are supported, in part, by Iowa District 4 (Southwest): Angela Tedesco, 10743 hart mann@pra ct icalfarmers.org NW 142nd St., Granger, IA 50109. State U nivt:r>il y Coo pcrative Extemion, and the Andrea Wold ridge ( 107), Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. (SIS) 278-4S22. [email protected] andrea@p rae tical far mers.org Yerian VanWyk. I 5844 S. 88th Ave. E, Searsboro, lA 50242. (641) 527-2927. Farming Systems Rick Exner, (51S) 294-5486, District 5 (Southeast): Susan Zacharakis-Ju tz, [email protected], Room 2104, Agronomy PFI President, 5025 I 2oth St. NE, Solon, lA Hall,ISU,Ames, Iowa, 5001 I. 52333-9155. (3 I 9) 624-3052. [email protected]

2 .·-- ~:. Annual Conference .. - ),.~-~ Annual Conference Workshops galore! Here are some of the workshop topics that are shaping up for the annual conference. January 9 a. 10 Full details will come with your conference flyer in a few weeks. in Des Moines! Friday workshops Judy Heffernan to deliver keynote •:• Market Opportunities for Raising Niche Pork •:• Addressing Herd Health Issues in hat's right, the PFI Annual Con­ Alternative Swine Production Systems ference is coming right up. Yes, •:• Eco-labels in Iowa: What are the T the dates are now Jan. 9 and 10 Opportunities? and the location is now the lovely Air­ •:• Vegetable Production Seminar port Holiday Inn in Des Moines! You •:• Opportunities for Farmers in the will get full details and registration info New Bioeconomy in your annual conference flyer, which you should receive in just a few weeks. But here are a few glimpses to whet Saturday workshops your appetite: ·:· Tapping Niche Markets for Traditional and Small Grains The keynote ·:· Networking Session on Crop Rotations and Cover Crops Rural sociologist Judy Heffernan •!• Organic Weed Control Strategies will kick off Saturday's program with ·:· Whole Farm Landscape Design a keynote address on the challenges ·:· The Latest on Grass-Based Marketing, and opportunities facing rural com­ Health Claims and CLA Research munities. Judy is a nationally re­ •!• Improve Your Soils with the Organic nowned speaker and author on the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Matter Budgeter economic crisis in rural America; the where she completed work beyond her •!• On-Farm Food Safety for the concentrat ion of power within the M.A. Following extensive teaching Small Farmer food industry; and how communities experiences in colleges and universities, •!• Networking Session on Small can help make changes. Judy served as a research associate in Livestock and Poultry In 1989, Judy became the execu­ the Department of Rural Sociology at ·:· On-Farm Research: Why and How? tive director of the newly for med the University of Missouri. Her major ·:· Generating Sales through the Buy Heartland Network for Town and Ru­ research interest has focused on farm Fresh, Buy Local Campaign ral Ministries, a mission agency of the women, farm families and the farm •!• Land Ownership in Iowa: Trends United Methodist Church. In this role, and rural crisis. Former Secretary of and Opportunities Judy resources, consults with, advo­ Agriculture Bob Bergland named her ·:· Making Progress? An Update on cates for and networks on behalf of to a national farm women's advisory Developments in Federal Food and town and rural clergy, churches and committee in 1979. Farm Policy communities in North and South Da­ Judy and her husband, fellow ·:· Networking Session for Small Farm kota, Nebr aska, Kansas, Oklahoma, sociologist Bill He ffe man, have Entrepreneurs Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. worked closely with many local, state •!• From Sustainable Farms to Judy is a Magna cum laude gradu­ and national organizations dedicated Sustainable Communities ate of Hanover College (IN). She was to finding solutions to the problems ·:· Everything You Wanted to Know a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the of rural Arner ica. r~ about the Benefits of Local Food ·:· Celebrity Chef Cooking Class 3 • '<' Annual Conference . :_~- ...

Friday Night Mu Farmer troubadour Chuck Suchy

orth Dakota farmer/singer/songwriter Chuck Suchy will provide musical entertainment fOllowing a Friday evening reception. Crossroads N Magazine called Suchy "one of the shining lights ofthe Upper Great Plains folk scene for many years now. His well-crafted songs deal with the family, home, and working the land." Suchy was born and raised in the blue hills along the Missouri River south of Mandan, North Dakota. After perfo rrning for years in area halls, clubs and lounges, he heard a tape of Canadian troubadour Stan Rogers singing his classic, Field Behind The Plow. "It was at that moment;' Suchy says, "that I realized that the life I was immersed in was worthy of song." He began writing his own ballads and songs, slipping them into his performances and it was soon obvious that he was on to something quite unique-sensitive and honest portrayals of contemporary American farm life, but from an insider's point of view. Suchy's songs have since reflected changes in rural life, including farm cri­ ses, loss of population, and a major restructuring of the agricultural economy. Chuck remains an astute observer of it all, and his songs chronicle not only the events, but the emotions that accompany them. ~

New Location! Discuss PFI's role in policy and politics at the PFI Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines Business Meeting on Friday, Jan. 9 at 5 pm! PFI board and staff have been eserve your rooms now at the working on a document that incredible rate of $69 a night! will guide any PFI involvement RThe Airport Holiday Inn is the in public policy-related activi­ most family-friendly venue we have ties. A draft of this document ever had for the conference, with a large (included on the facing page) indoor pool and play area under a will be discussed at the annual sunlit dome, ping pong and other games business meeting. A revised set for kids, and very friendly staff. The of strategic directions for the or­ meeting rooms are superb as well. This ganization will also be shared is a great hotel that has been locally and discussed. This will be a owned by the same family for over 30 great chance for members to years. And with the new by-pass around communicate ideas and per­ Des Moines it is very easy to get to. spectives to PFI board and staff. Call now to reserve your rooms at Don't miss it! 1-800-248-4013.~

4 ~;::,-- . .~~~ PFI & Policy -r--

Achieving a good balance: PFI & Policy Work

The following document grew out of the against neg:ttive fanning practices and The following actions, under cer­ Aug. 28-29 PFI board/staff retreat. The policies. PFI will not take stands on or tain circumstances, are considered to be next step is to let members weigh in on support campaigns, regulations or ac­ acceptable policy actions to be engaged the subject at the Annual Conference tions against specific agricultural prac­ in by PFI in support of board-chosen Business Meeting on Friday, Jan. 9 at 5 tices, policies or entities. Organizations policy focus areas: pm. Take some time to look the draft already exist in Iowa and across the na­ •:• Participating on policy councils over and formulate some comments tion that engage effectively in this type and issue-focused task forces; and questions to bring with you to the of policy work as their focus.PFI mem­ •:• Providing information to January meeting. bers are free to participate in and sup­ legislators; port these organization, and many •:• Providing information to mem­ FI wishes, foremost, to be an already do. bers on government programs; organization that puts practical •:• Assisting implementation of We will, however, at times: tools in the hands of farmers government programs; P •:• Encourage and infOrm seeking alternatives. To do this,~ need •:• Information-based action alerts; government or university to be a non-dogmatic organization that •:• Op-Ed pieces in support of policies and programs that is seen as welcoming by any farmer or specific practices and programs; support the positive efforts of other person who is seeking alternatives. •:• Joining policy focused alliances; farmers involved in sustainable Our credibility and growth have been •:• Lobbying on a specific piece agriculture; enhanced by focusing on this task and •:• Share research, knowledge and of legislation. staying out of politics. perspectives that inform relevant The following actions, under no At the same time, we recognize that current debates on agriculture; circumstances, do we consider to be there is a difference between policy •:• Take actions in support oflocal, acceptable policy actions to be engaged and politics, and we recognize that state and federal funding for in byPFI: government policy and programs play organizations and programs that •:• Making the PFI mailing list avail­ an immense role in the lives of our support sustainable agriculture; able to policy advocacy groups; members and in the shape of modern •:• Be a member of organizations •:• Campaigning for a specific agriculture. We also recognize that our that are active in sustainable legislator or local elected official members' research, knowledge and agriculture-related policy work. of any kind; experiences have much to contribute to •:• Participating in public protests; the formation of policy and government !P-general, PFI policy work must: •:• Action alerts of a coen::ive or programs and that we have a responsi­ •:• Be constructive and respectful of negative nature; bility to share this knowledge actively diverse viewpoints; •:• Op-Ed pieces against specific with the world and, at times, with •:• Directly reflect our mission and policies or practices. policy makers. There is clearly a role areas of organizational expertise; for PFI in influencing public policy, •:• Be strategic and focused on a Ongoing policy-related projects, albeit a role secondary to our primary limited set of issues or activities actions and membership in policy program work. that the board has selected for organizations must be board Acceptable PFI policy work must policy work; approved. Staff action in support of reflect the organization's history and •:• Be positive and of a nature to board-approved policy-related projects values of supporting positive alterna­ not polarize or alienate parties must conform with the PFI policy tives for farmers, rather than working in a debate. framework. (continued on pg 7)

5 Board ~ews ~ ,~·::·,

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PFI Board: Overseeing Growth, Seeking Input

By Susan Zacharakis-Jutz, PFI board president

This is the first in a semi-regular section that we take the initiative to let their district directors hope will help keep members better abreast ofthe know what they feel are important activities and work of the PFI Boord of Directors. priorities. The latest set of strategic directions will be shared again at this year's business s many of you know, the last two-and­ meeting at the annual conference (See page 4 halfyears have brought a lot ofchange for more info). to PFI, from the hiring of our first ever A 2) Secondly,itisthe boanl's jobtohireand executive director, to the growth of the organi­ supervise an executive director, who in turn zation, to new programs and more staff. All of hires and supervises the other staff. An impor­ this has required a lot ofgrowth and education tant aspect of our job in this regard is to on the part of the PFI Board. conduct an annual "performance evaluation" To help all members better w1derstand our of the executive director. As this process was wmk, I have outlined below some of the major quite new for the board, we got some help responsibilities of a board of directors of a non­ creating a good process from a consulting profit organization, along with some of the organization for non-profits called the Institute current and recently past activities of the PFI for Conservation Leadership. Board in these different areas. For the past two years, our performance Want to contribute 1) In the first place, our job is set overall evaluation of Robert has included getting in­ your 2 cents? direction for PFI and its programs. It is the put from all staff, as well as the board. This has job of the staff, on the other hand, to figure out been a good process that has provided Robert Call or email PFI directors how to take us in those directions. Think of a with valuable feedback and helped the board anytime. Your input is always taxi driver and a passenger: TI1e passenger better understand the work and challenges faced welcome. Complete contact (board) says where he wants to go, but it is the by our executive director. information listed on page 2. job of the driver (staff) to figure out how to get 3) Thirdly, it is our job to be sure the there. Over the last few years, for example, the organization is fiscally sound and fulfilling board has devoted quite a bit oftime to clarify­ all its legal requirements. We do this by ing PFI's overall direction: We have crafted a reviewing financial reports at every board meet­ vision statement for the organization and we ing and by having the books reviewed annually have developed a set ofkey strategic directions, by a professional accountant. Non-profit which we update and prioritize every year at accounting, however, is very complicated, and our annual retreat. Robert has been working hard to put in place a To carry out this responsibility, each board more sophisticated accounting system and to membermusttrytostayin touch with the needs provide the board with more detailed financial of the members and represent those needs at statements. Board training on reading and board meetings. It also helps when members

6 .~~·,_·. Board News

understanding complex statements is a task we I hope this update has been helpful; please see as important for the coming year. The good don't hesitate to rontact me or another district news is that PFI's finances have improved director with your thoughts, comments or steadily in the last three years. concerns about PFI. Our names and contact information are listed on page 2 of every 4) A fourth responsibility is to ad vise the PFI newsletter.~ staff on the development of the different on­ goingprograms.At each board meeting, we get updates on various PFI projects, and we ask questions and help the staff make decisions on questions they are facing with their program PFI Board Seeks work. Sometimes, for example, a question arises about what organizations we should be trying Strong Leaders to partner with in order to further the impact of our work. Board members are often helpful The PFI Board is seeking names of people from across the state who may be in this regard through their ronnections with interested in serving on the PFI Board in the coming years. You don't have to other organizations. be a full-time farmer to serve. What we need are people with enthusiasm for 5) Another responsibility of the board the mission of PFI and the future of Iowa agriculture, the time to come to four involves setting organizational policies and or five meetings a year and work on tasks between meetings, and some procedures. For example, it was a board deci­ understanding or interest in the challenges faced by non-profit organiza­ tions. If you are interested or would like to nominate someone, please sion a year or so ago to submit a ballot to the contact Mark Tjelmeland by phone or email at 515-434-2440, membership asking whether we should give all members-farmers and non-farmers alike­ [email protected]. voting rights in the organization. In addition, the board is currently at work setting a board policy on when, if and how PFI will involve itself in efforts to influence public policy. This is an area thatPFI has become more involved with in the last several years, but we have been lacking a clear set of policies, goals and values to guide these efforts. Members will have a chance to give input on this document at our annual business meet­ ing at the annual conference. PFI Policy (continuedfrompgS) 6) Another responsibility ofthe board is Requests to the PFI staff to engage in to maintain a healthy board and strong board specific policy-related actions that fall outside leadership. We are currently in the process of of ongoing projects, such as signing a letter in putting in place a new nominating procedure support of a certain federal program that is in for board members (see inset), and trying danger of funding cuts, can be acted upon by to do a better job of identifying the type of the PFI executive director, if in his or her judg­ skills and experience we need in new board ment, the action falls clearly in the scope of the members. PFI policy framework and the PFI mission. The The health of PFI ultimately depends on director is encouraged, however, when time creative individuals willing to step up to the permits, to gain agreement or advice from the plate and share their time and skills on the PFI Executive Committee of the board or other Board. We also continue to explore ways to get board or advisory board members, or the full more non-farmer input on the board. board, when possible. So!!

7 ~ --.-... Member Profile .::.i J TheOP Corn Kid

By Todd Kimm

NE Iowa PFI farmer Dan Specht went from being the 'Atrazine Kid' to one of the most well-known organic researchers and activists in the Midwest. Now he's out on the cutting edge of research in open-pollinated corn and grass-fed beef.

pair of fawns block the Bloody Run Creek bridge, slowing me to a rightful backroad pace as I approach Dan Specht's farm. Though I A don't know it yet, I'm driving through something called the Giard Claim, "I liked the idea of being able a three-by-five-mile tract ofland surveyed by French Canadian fur trader Basil Giard in the late 1700s. This and two other parcels were the first to be surveyed in to grow my own seed. what would eventually become Iowa, land that ended up as exclusions to the I heard Walter Goldstein great Lousiana Purchase. The Giard claim makes up the south end ofDan's prop­ erty, adding to the rarified air of an all-organic, diversified farm that searnlessly was looking for farmers integrates corn, beans, cattle, hogs, wildlife, dog Amber and Dan himself. to give it a try, Dan is the type ofguy who will tell you he can't spare an hour to sit down and chat, then when you finally arrive, generously give you twice that...and a so I decided to see handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes and a great story about a Native Ameri­ can cave painting just up the road (according to myth, when the giant ser­ if there was any truth to it." pent disappears from the cave wall it was painted on, the world will end). Dan is braced against a visit from his organic inspector later today and an early afternoon flight to D.C. the day after to attend the Midwest Sustain­ able Agriculture Working Group's (MSAWG) Farmer Fly-in, where he will

8 --- i;~.,, Member Profile

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lobby USDA and congressional of­ ficials on ag-related issues such as the Conservation Security Pro­ gram (see story on page 17). But you'd never know. Time and flavor are a little elastic here in Northeast Iowa-part of the Driftless Zone, where glaciers never set foot- expanding to accommo­ Left: Dan checks an ear of date both basic need and wild ex­ Nokomis Gold in the plot of travagance. The small tomatoes, corn he plans to harvest and popped into the mouth straight off market to lntregity Mills in the vine, explode with flavor, hum­ Cresco this fall. bling the Styrofoam plate of creamed potatoes and ham I felt lucky to find for lunch in nearby Monona. One open-pol­ of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in linated tomato variety is called Mexico Midg­ Wisconsin. Walter is working with PFI farmers ets, another, hailing from the Czech Republic like Dan, and Don Adams and Nan Bonfils, to area of Eastern Europe, goes by Stu pice. take his corn -breeding research out into the real Dan says he scored them from the vast world. [See related stories on pages 11 & 24.] stock of heirloom seeds locked away fOr safe­ "I liked the idea of being able to grow my keeping at Seed Savers in nearby Decorah. The own seed, what with the monopolistic trends tomatoes are planted right up against his test in the seed industry," Dan says. "I heard Walter plot ofopen-pollinated corn--our destination. had new-generation varieties that didn't have some of the problems that the older varieties Everything depends on had [the biggest being anemic stalks]. He was the other looking for farmers to give it at ry, so I decided to see if there was any truth to it." Although the corn trials are Dan's current Five years later, Dan is enthusiastic. A plot source of pride, excitement and hope for the of Nokomis Gold will yield his first sale to future, they are closely connected with the other Integrity Mills in nearby Cresco. The bright aspects of his operation, much like you have to orange, flint type corn with white cobs boasts dodge a hog wallow and wade through a maze what millers want: a high test weight, low of tomato vines to reach the test plot. It's hard starch and sweet taste. Dan invites me to for one thing to stand out as more important sample a kernal, and the taste is sweet, almost than another on a farm like this. So many things buttery. Sometimes, Dan says, he'll eat it like overlap: When Dan had a barn blow over, he sweet corn. "It's about as good," he says. The took the finely weathered boards and sided his white cobs are desirable because the so-called pre-tum-of-the-century house with them. bee wings in this variety are transparent and This marks Dan's fifth year of working don't end up looking like insect parts when with OP corn. His goal is to come up with a they get baked into organic tortilla chips. food-grade seed corn he can sell to other or­ Dan measures his selection progress by ganic farmers. And Dan will be arriving on checking I 0 random ears for cob color: 10 an organic seed corn market ready to explode; for 10 are white. Five years ago the count was beginning in 2005, all organic growers will only one in 20. The kernals, he says, are so be required to use organic seed. hard that ear worms, a common corn pest, Much of the genetic material Dan has at can't even break them open to eat. his disposal, comes courtesyofWalter Goldstein He expects to get $4 a bushel for the OP 9 .. Member Profile -:: c '

field corn this year and up to 10 GMO-free. The rough topography of times that when the seed corn is the area also guarantees that much of ready. the area just isn't farmed. The tree­ Walter Goldstein's work has covered Mississippi bluffs lie a stone's involved a quest for a diverse bank throw to the east and the Bloody Run of desirable genetic qualities and Valley to the south is just as rugged. their careful refinement into pre­ And finally, Dan's busy schedule mium lines. Goldstein built Noko­ often means that crops get planted late. mis Gold out of three different Although neighbors often tease him Native American varieties and an about it, the practice works to his open pollinated 'synthetic' variety advantage. "One way to avoid drift is developed by the late Albert Arens, to avoid it in time, not just in space," a private com breeder from North­ he explains. Late planting ensures pol­ eastern Nebraska. lination cycles in his fields are out of "Walter has used tough selec­ synch with those ofsurrounding fields. tion pressure to breed out prob­ But even with all these safeguards lems like poor standability;' Dan in place, Dan isn't resting easy. "No explains, like pulling over mature one knows how far pollen can travel," plants with dairy scales, and such. he says, evoking a movement even Dan has innovated techniques of Some of the open pollinated tomatoes that more mysterious than the rap tors and his own, such as turning 80- Dan grows alongside his corn. turkey vultures that wheel overhead. pound pigs into his plot and then harvesting what remained standing for seed. Another technique involved leav­ With PFI from the start ing a plot of corn standing through the winter and then selecting from the stalks that weathered through to spring. Dan Specht's name was there at the "Part of the reason you can make breeding progress with Walter's corn is top of the sign-up sheet at that first because it has such a broad, diverse background," Dan explains. "With all that meeting in Ames to gauge interest in a diversity you get a lot of choices to make for selection, everything from kernal grassroots farming organization-what color, to kernal type, to height." Other selection criteria include seedling vigor, eventually became PFI. "I've always disease resistance and ear moisture content. been real interested in wildlife and We head off to inspect some corn whose seed source originated in Cuba. hunting and fishing;' he says. Along the way, Dan points out some souviners left by a black bear that glut­ What drew him to the meeting ted itself on one of his cherry trees and then high in another tree, the distinc­ was a DNR speaker who talked about tive nest of a Baltimore oriole. The Cuban corn is an outcome of the USDA's how the health and fertility of game GEM (Genetic Enhancement of Maize) project, based at Iowa State Univer­ on organic land was so much better sity, which is undertaking experimental crosses of Latin American corn to than on land farmed conventionally. boost nutritional content. And that's not all it boosts. In this plot, even the "That gave me a pretty strong runts stand 7-feet-tall. push in that direction;' he says. Growing up on a farm near Monticello, Dan was known among The threat of GMO contamination family members as the '~trazine Kid." All isn't bucolic in Dan's world, though. He confesses some anxiety about He was in the lOth grade when the possibility of pollen drift from surrounding GMO corn contaminating the intensive chemical use was catching unique gene pool he's worked so hard refining to local conditions. "Contami­ on, a good age to master something nation is forever," he says. "It's a scary deal." Linn County PFI member Laura his dad would just as soon not have Krouse discovered this firsthand when traces of GMO corn turned up in her to bother with. organic corn crop two years ago. Although Dan adopted no-till Happily, Dan has negotiated with neighbors to keep fields bordering his practices out of necessity on the steep

10 . . f.~_:. Member Profile I ~~- •·.,.:

hills ofNortheast Iowa when he set out rowed pigs. He's familiar with each and heart problems," Dan says. "Then farming with his brothers in the '70s, animal's temperament and personality, you look at the changes that were made his conversion to organic farming was and attempts to flush one of the more to the diet ofAmerica's livestock. ..! think an almost complete about face. independent sows and her piglets from there's a pretty close oorrelation." Now he's a seasoned practicioner, their palatial thicket. Dan believes news offindings like researcher and activist, integrating these "can change the world." Smaller those roles so well that he can simul­ Grass-fed beef research sustainable and organic farmers, he taneously talk economic realities, says, are at the forefront of that political dope and production logis­ Dan's favorite part of the day is change. "The multinationals want tics without betraying a seam or con­ moving the rotationally grazed cattle you to believe that food is food, an egg tradiction. in the early mornings or evenings. is an egg;' he adds. "It's not." "Nobody has to think anymore This forage-fed herd is now the He's also interested in investigat­ to farm;' he says. "You just call up the subject of the next big thing on the ing the vitamin and mineral profiles co-op and they do all the decision­ Specht farm. Dan is working with of his corn. Although he realizes it making for you, what to spray and other area beef and dairy farmers on would take expensive testing to nail when. I like this way of doing things a SARE-funded study to test the down every n utritonal benefit, protein because it's more the traditional farm­ health benefits of grass-fed meat and levels have already been found to be ing experience. You have to think on dairy. Early results show that levels higher than in hybrid corn, where your feet and be flexible." of beneficial fatty acids meature "off they've been declining for years. Having 100 acres of row crops the chart" in the milk. Grass-fed beef "I wish you could select for that keeps his work load and stress levels is also showing encouraging levels, visually or through taste;' he says, and relatively low. but the accumulation is slower and hints that OP corn guru Walter "It's enjoyable to be outside, a part levels decline when the cattle switch Goldstein's taste buds may be trained of nature," he says, "working with to grain. enough to do just that. animals." "Look at all the problems with the 'Walter;' Dan says with a grin, "he Dan shows me his pasture-far- American diet right now, with obesity likes the taste of my corn." S!l

The man behind the corn The Michael F1elds Agricultural Insti­ The diverse populations that resulted tute began researching open pollinated have comparable but somewhat lower Walter Goldstein com in 1989. The goal: to discover if any yields and standability than commercial open-pollinated varieties through long­ hybrids. They tend to have a harder, shinier term breeding could become suitable for seed with a homier endosperm than the commercial production. hybrids. They also have a rich maize taste. In the following three years, Walter Tests made of seed quality indicate a gen­ Goldstein, director of crop research, and eral protein content of 9 to 11 percent, his staff evaluated 200 different popula­ wh1ch is higher than expected for tions, or pollinated vaneties, obtained from hybnd com. the USDA and numerous public and Goldstein most recently has focused private breeders. While most were dis­ on breeding for large-seeded flour corns carded because of problems with roots, and feed coms that have a high oil and stalks, ear rot and lodging, staff began to lys1ne content. breed the most promising plant selections Currently, Walter and the Michael in replicated ear-to-row plantings. Gradu­ Fields Agricultural Institute are involved in ally the program combined its best a cooperative effort with PFI, the USDA and selections to make a few populations with Iowa State University to develop corn a similar background. varieties high in specific nutrients.~

11 • :· "'i Program News ..:_ ·-~ - .,_..•' ... Fire Is Key! Reflections on the 2003 Summer Camp and Youth Leadership Program

By Brad Meyer

FI Camp reached several Pimportant milestones this year. On the one hand, this was the first year ofcamp in over seven years without the leadership of Shelly Gradwell, a difficult transi­ tion as you can all well imagine. On the other hand, it was the first year that the primary leader­ ship for camp came from four longtime PFI campers, who are now college-age students: Brad Meyer, Frances Zacharakis-Jutz, Torey Olson, and Meryl Wise. David Rosmann, another long­ time, college-age PFI member, also took on a staff role at camp. It's hard to convey how excit­ ing it is to see camp alumni and the children of longtime PFI Photos by Meryl Wise, Bryce Bauer and Trinity Thompson members begin to take strong leadership roles in the organiza­ s I sat on the freshly painted bench at the 4-H Center watching the first tion. I think it says a lot about the carload of campers drive in, I realized that after months of planning, the depth of the PFI community as we A exciting part was just about to begin. This was my fourth year being involved approach our 20m year as an or­ with camp, but PFI's first camp put on jointly with 4-H. ganization. It had been several years since camp was held at the 4-H Center near Madrid, but Many thanks also to the many older counselors and staff were eager to return to the beautiful oak and hickory forests PFI youth who stepped in as camp and prairie plantings along the scenic Des Moines River. For three days before camp counselors this year-we trust started, youth counselors and staff attended the leadership training. Counselors learned some of you will also want to grow and discussed how to maintain order in their cabins once the younger campers arrived into staff roles in the future! And and how also to be a role model. Part of the three days was also set aside for some fun. special thanks again to Cynthia Don Broshar of 4-H led several leadership- and team-building activities that served Tallman for pulling the many both as great teaching tools and fun times. On the last night before camp, counselors details together and to the 4-H and staff had a campout at Ledges State Park, located just north of the 4-H Center. We Center for co-sponsoring this taught each other games to play with campers if we needed to fill some time, but the year's event. -Robert Karp 12 • -- p ):: Program News

highlight of the campout was the campfire and s'mores. When everyone just got to their cozy tents and fell asleep, we started hearing the "tap, tap, tap" coming from our rain flies. By morning some tents were a little damp, while oth­ ers-or one, in particular, with four boys in it-were in rough shape. They had so much water in their tent, they looked like muskrats. On Thursday, we were all ready for the campers-18 in all. Some were shy at first, some arrived going full speed. Each day, we had rotations where campers got to choose from a list of activities, like canoeing, climbing wall, Another highlight was learning creek walk, learning about insects, and about the joys ofeating locally. We gotto learning about prairies and woodlands. help chefs from Ames restaurants Aunt What about swimming, you ask? Maude's and The Cafe cook a meal of It was one of the first things we put in food produced by area farmers. On Sat­ for the camp schedule, but the pool urday night, we had a bonfire where we was cracked and they finished fixing all learned that "Fire is Key" in keeping it just as we were leaving. We did get prairies and woodlands free of inva­ to do some other exciting things, sive vegetation. By Sunday, campers though. We had a breakfast in the wil­ were getting rundown and tired, but it derness one morning and bird-watch­ only took one s'more a piece to revive ing a couple others. The Ames Area their energy. Astronomers came out one evening to It may seem like we did a lot­ show us the Moon, Mars and a couple but I've offered only a small sampling of other things. We also did a couple ofwhat we did together. PFI camp was ofnight hikes that involved calling for only for a few days, but the faces, barred owls and coyotes. Our barred memories and new friendships will be owl calls were so loud and good we with us for a long time. And remem­ even attracted some 4-Hers. ber, "Fire is Key:' S.~

13 -- Program Updates .. ·· ~ · __ .:.;:_,·

Field Days 2003: Standing Room Only

nother season ofPFI field days presentations by some of the country's came to a dose Oct. 4 with a leading experts in open-pollinated corn, • A standing-room-only corn­ including Walter Goldstein, Michael breeding workshop at Full Circle Farm Fields Agricultural Institute, and USDA near Madrid. The workshop featured scientist Linda Pollak. The workshop was just one example of PFI's new daylong field day format, piloted at five of 12 field days this summer and fall. Afternoon activities Oct. 4 included a farm tour with presentations on mar­ ket gardening and organic certification of field crops. Other daylong events included a Sept. 23 grass-fed beef production and marketing field day hosted by Steve Reinart, Glidden. That event included a standing-room-only presentation by Colorado rancher Kit Pharo and a panel discussion on marketing grass-fed beef featuring PFI farmers. Sept. 19, Francis Thicke, Fairfield, hosted a morning workshop on farm­ based milk processing followed by a controlled grazing farm tour and Con­ Eric Franzenburg talks with the crowd of 140 that tumed out for his daylong field servation Security Program update. day on herbs Sept. 5. Other daylong events included Eric Franzenburg's Sep l. 5 field day on herb production, processing and mar­ keting near Van Horne and Paul Mugge's Aug. 22 field day that in­ • cluded a tour of the American Natu­ ral Soy plant in Cherokee and a prairie walk and camp fire. • All field days received a significant An Amish farmer studies bump in attendance as a result of in­ beneficial insects under creased publicity efforts-many events power of a microscope at more than doubling their numbers. the Aug. 23 Dordt College Many thanks to Del Christensen Agriculture Stewardship for all his work organizing this year's Center field day. field days. ~ Photo by Rick Exner

14 ~ <· Program Updates c· The Practical

Farmers n some ways our Peru experience was like being in Iowa in the mid- 1980s, when farmers were just realizing some of the things they could I accomplish together through PFL Ron Brunk and I participated in a of Peril sort of "rolling workshop;' in which farmers from three communities got on a bus and spent a week visiting each other's fields, corrals and shops. Two communities are on the desert Pacific coast of Peru, and one lies in the By Rick Exner mountains. Many ofthe farmers from the highlands had never even been to the roast, and vice versa. They quickly disrovered that while they don't raise the same crops, they face similar challenges. They increasingly ronsider marketing to be just as important as production. Many are becoming certified as Integrated Pest Management producers and even as organic, and they are looking for corresponding markets. In the U.S., many specialty markets owe their exist­ ence to an economic middle class; in Peru that middle class is much smaller. However, there is evidence the public is becoming aware of the same issues of quality, health and equity that drive those markets here. Everywhere we saw farmers seeking value-added markets. Fruit grow­ ers were looking to turn grapes into the regionally famous pisco distilled beverage. A group of dairyw:>men started a guinea pig cooperative in order to finance their yogurt cooperative. The highland community raises dozens Traditional agriculture clings to steep of unique and delicious strains of potato or!¥nically, bringing them to mountainsides in Peru. Good soil market on the backs ofllamas-what a story for the consumer! A group of conservation indicates an intact community. small producers on the eastern slopes of the Andes has received a prize for raising the best coffee in Peru. But their markets in the capital city of Lima are limited as a result of their status as "outsiders;' so they are seeking to export to Europe and the U.S. PFI farming systems coordinator Rick Exner and How will these farmers work together? They have plans to share pro­ PFI member Ron Brunk traveled to PerU. in March duction skills, which is fairly straightforward and will build relationships as part ofa project that establishes links between and confidence. By the end ofthe workshop they were already talking about Iowa State University and La Molina Agricultural cooperating on trucking, product promotion, and even marketing. Further University near Lima. The project encompasses workshops like the one we attended will involve new communities in the teaching and research, and functions through the growing network. ISU Graduate Program in Sustainable Agricul­ What is our role as North Americans? Our trip was part of a project ture (GPSA) and a C01Tesponding sustainable linking Iowa State University and La Molina Agrarian University. Project agriculture center at La Molina. objectives are to cultivate teaching and research relationships, and also to link farmers and their organizations. Although Peru's small farmers won't try to adopt our production models or most ofour technology, the farmers we encountered were quite interested in PFI and our experiences with networl

Staff and Program ~Updates .~~~f.., .

Grant Funds Des Moines Community Food Project

he USDA Community Food Project Program has awarded an $118,000 grant to Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and the Des Moines Commu­ T nity Gardening Coalition (DMCGC). Called "Digging Deeper," the project will implement a community food project in the central city neighbor­ hoods of Des Moines. The three-year project will: •!• Build 120 raised-bed backyard kitchen gardens in six low-income neighborhoods; •!• Create nine edible landscapes (fruit tree orchards, etc.) in community spaces such as schools, food pantries and rommunity centers; •!• Provide at least 50 families with open-pollinated heirloom seed for their gardens, and •!• Assist two established community gardens (or gardeners) in marketing produce and developing a business plan. "People of all income levels should have access to fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables,"Teva Dawson, project co-leader and DMCGC community gar­ den coordinator, said. "And what better way to accomplish that than by provid­ ing people the resources to grow the food-in a backyard garden billowing with vegetables for the family or a homeless shelter landscaped with apple trees? DMCGC, a program ofthe Des Moines Parks Department, is entering its sixth year of supporting grassroots community greening efforts in Des Moines. ((This is an exciting project Project co-leader and PFI food systems staff person Rick Hartmann said, "This is an exciting project for Iowa, positioned to capture people's growing for Iowa, positioned to interest in healthy fOod and communities. Food is a common denominator capture people's growing among people. And its status as a commodity is being reevaluated, with the important social, cultural and spiritual aspects being restored to their original interest in healthy food historical position. My hope is Digging Deeper wi ll help catalyze this reevalua­ and communities." tion here in central Iowa and beyond." Project goals include increasing food security, economic self-sufficiency, and access to nutritious food for the neighborhoods involved. Another objec­ tive is establishing and strengthening connections between community mem­ bers, organizations and resources to ensure the long-term health of the urban Des Moines food system, and benefit the community in general. The project was named Digging Deeper because it doesn't start a whole new program, but extends and deepens current efforts of the Des Moines community. In addition to the $1 18,000 in USDA funds, the project benefits from another $172,785 in cash and in-kind support from area businesses and non-profits.S!'l

16 ;:f:':O- .. Staff and Program Updates

Hartmann elected PFI farmers participate in D.C. Fly-in to OFRF Board Four PFI farmers offered their environmental quality, farm advice to USDA and congressional income, and rural economic and Rick Hartmann, PFI food systems officials Sept. 5 in Washington, D.C. community development. staff person, was recently elected to Dwight Ault, Ron Rosmann, Dan •!• Congress should fund a new the national board of the Organic Specht and David Williams spent the program authorized in the Farming Research Foundation day in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2002 Farm Bill to promote and (OFRF). Rick joins a IS-member MidwestSustainableAgriculture Work­ strengthen farmers markets and board that includes fellow PFI mem­ ing Group's (MSAWG) Farmer Fly-in. direct producer-to-consumer bers Jerry Dewitt and Ron Rosmann, The group met with a senior opportunities. board chairperson. He serves on OF­ USDA official to urge the release of •!• USDA should protect the money RF's Research and Education Com­ draft rules for the Conservation Secu­ allocated in the 2002 Farm Bill fOr mittee, which helps make decisions rity Program (CSP). Williams, who organic research and extension on what grants the organization funds chairs PFI's CSP Farmer Advisory activities, and expand funding {$114,000 in 2003). Founded in 1990, Committee, is eager to see the rules and for those who are transitioning OFRF sponsors research related to get them to committee members for to organic production. organic farming practices and dissem­ their advice. Farmers in general have •!• Federal crop insurance provisions inates that research to organic been flooding NRCS offices with re­ should not penalize producers farmers and to growers interested in quests for the CSP, which some are call­ for farming organically and adopting organic production systems. ing the ideal program for "master sustainably. Information about OFRF research, farmer conservationists." funding and more can be found at MSAWG is a coalition of 40-plus www.ofrf.org. Other points made by the producers groups, including PFI, that are working at the Farmer Fly-in: for a food and farm system that is •!• USDA should devote substantial profitable to small and medium-sized Website redesign dollars to research that promotes farmers, environmentally sound, is on the way future food production, family-farm based, and socially just. A redesigned PFI website is in the The Farmer Funny works, with a debut expected early this Art by Kevin de Laplante winter. The redesigned site features a new, colorful look with improved or­ The 16-Row Squirrel Planter ganization that makes it easier to nav­ igate and find exactly what you're looking for. The new site also features a gateway to the Buy Fresh, Buy Local site. Stay tuned.

17 _, Member ~ews ~· ·~ .., ~ ... Carol Hunt Will Say Good-bye to Iowa

"It's going to be hard to leave Iowa and all the good people I've met and worked with," she said, "but I'm pretty jazzed about going 'home."' Carol's family lives in the Los Angeles area and Ralph's family in British Colom­ bia-another reason for the move. Carol moved to Iowa City 10 years ago, and for the last five years has served as the Local Food Systems Coordinator for the Johnson County Soil and Water Conserva­ tion District. Her work has included her popular cooking-with-local-food workshops and connecting growers with local restau­ rants and other institutions. Although funding for her position officially ended this summer, she continues work on a volunteer basis. Friends may keep Carol Hunt (right) with cookbook author Deborah Madison at last in contact with Carol through email at year's Field to Family culinary event in Iowa C1ty [email protected]. "I hope to resume some of my work when I return to Iowa next summer;' she said. "I can't FI member and local-food activist predict how things will go, so it's probably "It's going to be Carol Hunt's good-bye to Iowa will be best that I don't apply for funding or make hard to leave Iowa P longer than most. Although her hus­ commitments to upcoming local food projects band RalphAdolphs has accepted a position at at this point. I would eventually like to get into and all the good the California Institute of Technology in local food systems work in L.A., and hope that Pasadena, Cal., the two will continue to spend I can call upon my Iowa connections for in­ people I've met summers and falls in Iowa during a transition spiration and advice." and worked with," period of up to five years. The transition At last year's PFI Annual Conference, period is so Ralph can maintain his research at Carolled a workshop on eating locally dur­ Carol said, the University of Iowa and build strong ing the winter months. She also kicked off "but I'm pretty collaborative relationships between the two our new "Focus on Food" section in the PFI institutions-although Carol doesn't expect it summer 2003 newsletter with an in-depth jazzed about to take that long. article on greens. We wish her luck. ~~ going 'home."'

18 ~-+ . ·'~~~- Member l'fews ~-l

Julie Carlson PFI members Fredericks named inspires local receive SARE to IPIC Board food venture grants PFI farmer Wayne Fredericks will represent PFI on the Iowa Pork Indus­ Cerro Gordo County PFI mem­ Several PFI members have been try Center's advisory board. A coor­ ber Julie Carlson is spearheading a awarded 2003 grants through the dinated effort of the colleges of project to bring a restaurant/store to North Central Region Sustainable Ag­ northern Iowa that will deal almost riculture Research and Education Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, the IPIC of­ exclusively in Iowa-made products. (NCR-SARE) program. fers Iowa pork producers information The plan is to finance a business Two Iowa State University gradu­ to aid in making their operations that will be a part of the town of ate student PFI members were awarded more efficient and profitable. Wayne Swaledale (population 174) and visible grants to further their investigations: from Interstate 35. Other romponents and his wife Ruth raise row crops and •!• Andrew Heggenstaller for hoop-finished pork on their Osage, include a bio-fuel station, a Northern "Developing Educational Tools Iowa, farm. Iowa history museum and a garden. to Facilitate Systems Thinking in Julie said one of the project's main Sustainable Agriculture in the goals is to provide a commercial kitch­ North Central Region." en where local food artisans can pre­ New book •!• Parker Forsell for "Restoring pare items for retail sale. Laws restrict Organic Agri-Culture: Resource features PFI the retail sale of food not prepared in Conservation, On-Farm Recy­ state-licensed facilities. PFI is featured in the brand new cling, and Alternative Marketing Last February, Julie opened a store book, Renewing the Countryside-Iowa. Taught Through Farmers and of her own in Thornton that sells Edited by PFI member She! lie Omgard, Farm Organizations." locally produced food and gifts. She the book is a collection of 38 stories and works with 30 local consigners and also PFI ag producers receiving fund­ eight essays highlighting those who have markets Niman Ranch meats. Hus­ ing from the SARE Producer Grant found a way to make a living in the band Jon is a Niman Ranch producer. Program were: countryside while supporting their In addition to hogs, the Carlsons •!• Tom Wahl, Wapello, for"Value­ communities and protecting the envi­ raise organic hay, oats, corn, and soy­ Added Processing for Small-Sized ronment. The piece on PFI was written beans on 600 acres near Thornton. Chestnuts:' by PFI member Michael Bell. •!• Michael Nash, Postville, for Essays by Michael Carey, Charles "Local Foods Buying Oub:' Carpenter, Mary Swalla Holmes, Paul FOR SALE ______•!• Maury and Mary Wills, Adel, Johnson, David Osterberg, John "Evaluating Alternative Pest Schillinger, Mary Swander and David Beef & lamb, Management Strategies for Williams conclude each chapter. Organic Apple Production." This is the second book in a se­ calves & yearlings •!• Jeff and Jill Burkhart, Woodward, ries on rural revitalization-Minne­ "Picket Fence Creamery .. .To sota was the subject of the first. Beef and lamb ready for the locker. Also Sustain a Family Farm and Available at bookstores or online have many yearlings and this year's calves Preserve a Way of Lite." at http://store.rtcmarket.org. available (sired by Angus bull). No junk and raised on organic grasses, hay and grains. Wise Acres Farm, 712-622-7716. Have you or another PFI member won an award or done something interesting? Let us know about it! Send nevvs items or tips to Todd Kimm at PFI, Box 349, Ames, lA 50010, email [email protected] orcall515-232-5661 ext 108.

19 Apples: The Iowa story ..

By Chef Kurt Michael Friese •

Apple resources ne cool spring morning, about 1880, Sixty years later, Stark had sold more A search of the Internet will Madison County farmer Jesse Hiatt than 10 million trees world wide, all descen­ dants of that original tree. They had renamed yield more than you could 0 was walking the rows of his young orchard when he noticed a chance seedling Hiatt's Hawkeye after Clarence Stark's origi­ ever digest about apples. growing between the rows. Being an orderly nal pronouncement, and the Delicious apple For a more concise and man, and preferring that his trees grow in an was on its way to complete domination of enjoyable read, though, organized fashion, he chopped the seedling the apple industry. turn to In Praise of Apples: down. The seedling grew back the following Back in Winterset, the original tree contin­ A Harvest of History, year, and so he chopped it down again. When ued to flourish in a state that was second only Horticulture and Recipes the seedling sprouted back up a third time, to Michigan in apple production. In 1940, on by Mark Rosenstein, legend has it, Mr. Hiatt said to the tree, "If thee Armistice Day (Nov. 11 ), a ferocious ice storm published by Lark Books must grow, thee may." leveled Iowa's orchards, a blast from which in 1996. Hiatt nurtured the tree for 10 years. Iowa's apple industrywould never recover. With When it finally came to fruition, Hiatt was orchards being expensive to replant and war on "Apples to Apples: pleased with the red and yellow streaked ap­ the horizon, most orchards were turned into A Perspective on pearance and the sweet, impressive flavor. He corn and soybean fields. Hiatt's Hawkeye tree Local Food Systems" named it the "Hawkeye," after his adopted was split in two in the storm, and newspapers This 1999 report by Rich Pirog home state, and began to seek a nursery to and radio commentators across the state of the Leopold Center for propagate his discovery. lamented the demise of the historic tree. As Sustainable Agriculture He was turned down by 10 of them be­ Hiatt had noted all those years ago, though, compares the contrasting fore his big break came: a contest in Louisi­ this little tree "must grow:' fates of Iowa and Washington's ana,Mo., that was seeking new varieties of fruit The following spring it sent up a new sprout right from the middle of the split, and apple industries and uses trees, especially apples. The Stark Bros. Fruit Company held the competition as part of its it thrives to this day not far from those apples as a case study of search for an apple tree to replace their then historic covered bridges in Madison County. how Iowa can increase the most popular tree, the Ben Davis. The Ben The tree has its own monument, a fence and potential for local food Davis had a nice appearance, was weather­ a private horticulturalist to protect it, as well as systems in general. The hardy and durable in shipping, but lacked a festival in its honor in nearby Donnelson. full report is available at flavor. When Clarence Stark tasted the apple Today, the fruit that bears the "Delicious" www.leopold. iastate.edu/ with the unusual oblong shape and the dis­ name has been hybridized out of all resem­ ' under the resources section. tinctive five bumps on the bottom, he pro­ blance to that original Hawkeye. The yellow To get a printed copy, nounced it"Delicious!" Unfortunately, due to streaks are gone, replaced by a seemingly un­ contact the Leopold Center, some poor record keeping, Hiatt's name and natural bright red shine. The apples are bred 209 Curtiss Hall, ISU, Ames, lA address were lost and it wasn't until here-en­ for shelf life, durability and crunch, but have 50011-1 050; 515-294-3711. tered the competition the following year that lost their original flavor. The fruit that once de­ his Hawkeye officially became the winner. served the name "Delicious" is now a mute re-

20 ~·~ ·;( ·~ . Focus on Food ·"' .. minder of the hazards of industrialized stan­ pearing from our tables; to p rotect Iowa orchards dardization in food production. biodiversity; and to champion the art of taste For a list of Iowa Through the efforts of the Leopold Cen­ and the right to pleasure. Recently, over 140 ter for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State varieties of apples boarded the Ark. More orchards go to: University, and the Seed Saver's Exchange in information about the Ark can be found at www.applejournal.com/ ia01.htm Decorah, Iowa, cuttings from the original tree www.slowfoodusa.org. ~ have been propagated. At Wilson's Orchard in Iowa City, owner Chug Wilson's 9-year-old Hawkeye trees are fruiting their second year, and he says this year they look like they will Apple Tips develop fully, ripen and be ready to eat.

Less than 1 % of Iowa farms Choosing apples

Although most grocery stores carry only Which variety to choose depends on what }QU intend to do with a few varieties ofapp les (usually no more that them. Some are good to eat straight, some are better for rooking into three or four), there are actually thousands savory dishes like chutney or sweet confections like traditional apple of varieties being grown worldwide. Here in pie. 0 thers are best for cider, while still others have great shelf life (that Iowa, even five years after the Armistice Day means they store well over long periods of time-months, usually). freeze, apples were being grown on about 40 For a really good dessert or "eating" apple, look to my favorite­ percent of the state's farms. Today that num­ the Gala-or to one of the oldest American varieties, the Swaar. For ber is less than 1 percent. Nationally, both apple pie, the favorite American choice is the Granny Smith (which apple varieties and apple growers are suffer­ originated in Australia, actually), but in England they swear by the Cox's ing from the effects of industrialization and Orange Pippin. If you want to make cider (hard or not), you must find the onslaught of huge amounts of product, an apple with the right blend ofsugar, acid and tannin. Though hard to especially juice, imported from China (which find, one ofthe best is the Foxwhelp, an English apple that dates back to is now the world's #1 producer). Shakespeare's time; Falstaff probably enjoyed this cider. Add to this the fact that orchards are ex­ pensive to start and can take 10 years to yield. Handling and storage Soon it is understandable why the small, sustainable Iowa farmer is not enthused Preserving the bounty of apples that are in season right now is about planting apple orchards. Iowa now pro­ quite simple, and methods date back centuries. Remember three duces less than 15 percent of the apples it con­ words: cool, dark and dry. The old-fashioned root cellar is a great sum es. The other 85 percent travels an place to store apples, because it has all these qualities. Most espe­ average of 1,500 miles and takes approxi­ cially, it is not too cold, as refrigerators are. As with anything, cold mately eight months to go from tree to table. retards flavor, which incidentally is why the big beer companies en­ The rewards can be great, though, for courage you to serve their product ice cold. those with the patience to pursue the delights Also be sure there is some circulation of air. Sealing them into of fresh-picked apples. Local growers can paper or plastic bags will cause them to over-ripen, mold and rot choose from most of the thousands of vari­ very quickly. eties available. One organization, Slow Food, Commercial Red Delicious apples are bred to be shipped. They promotes the growing and consumption of are very tough and can withstand rough handling. Most heirloom heirloom varieties through its Ark of Taste varieties, like the Hawkeye or the Song of September, are more deli­ program. Named for Noah's Ark, the mission cate and should be handled with care. If you do bump or bruise an is to support high quality, small-scale food apple, it will be fine if used right away. Soon though, it will begin to production; to rediscover, catalogue, and de­ oxidize and lose flavor and texture. scribe foods and flavors in danger of disap-

21 -:;- ... r Focus on Food :~-;~ ~:;; .

Apples

Apple-pecan stuffing 2 Granny Smith apples-diced 2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 34 cup pecans-toasted 1 tablespoon salt 1 onion-diced 1 Y4 tablespoon cracked black pepper 1 stalk celery-diced 1 quart chicken stock 1loafFrench bread-diced 14 cup butter Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Saute the apples, pecans, onions and celery until just tender. Add the sage, salt and pepper. Add the bread and mix thoroughly. Add the stock, a little at a time, until it is absorbed and the stuffing reaches the desired consistency (all a matter of taste, really; you may need more or less stock). Cool to use as an actual stuffing, especially for pork chops, or put in a shallow casserole and bake about ~ hour at 350° until crisp & crusty on top to serve as a side dish. -ChefKurt Michael Friese, Devotay, Iowa City

Sorghum-baked apples Scoop out the stem end and entire core of good baking apples (allow 1 apple per serving), leaving the bottom intact. Place in a baking dish. Inside each apple cavity, place a pat of butter, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a tablespoon of sorghum molasses. Place a few additional pats of butter and tablespoons of sorghum, and a scattered pind1 of salt, on the bottom of the baking dish. Bake at 400° until apples are soft when pierced with a toothpick. Baking time may vary depending on apples used; expect 30-45 minutes. Serve with pan juices, accompanied by vanilla ice cream if desired. -Carol Hunt, Iowa City

Raw apple cake

~ cup shortening 1 teaspoon baking soda ~ cup brown sugar Pinch of salt 1 cup white sugar ~ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk ~ teaspoon nutmeg 2 eggs 2 cups peeled, finely chopped apple 1 teaspoon cinnamon ~ cup black walnuts (optional) 2 cups all-purpose flour Topping: h cup brown sugar, ~ cup chopped black walnuts, 1 ~teaspoon cinna­ mon mixed together. Cream shortening; adds ugars, eggs and milk. Sift together flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg; add to first mixture. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. - Mary Anne Reinart, Glidden, from recipe ofher late mother, Olga "Ole" Reinart.

22 OCTOBER •:• "Finding the Center ofthe World:' Quality & Agricultural Con­ Sixth Annual Harvest Lecture, ference, Nov. 10-12, Des Moines •:• Second Annual Celebration of Oct. 23, 7pm, Old Brick, 26 E. Mar­ Marriott, Des Moines. Contact: Sustainable Agriculture and Local ket St., Iowa City. Peter Bakken on Bill Hall, 863-428-7161, Food, Oct. 13, 6-9pm, Hotel Fort "The Grace of Place: Patriotism and wlhall@IMCG LOBAL. com, Des Moines, Des Moines. With Neil the Care of the Earth"; poet Nancy www.ctic.purd ue.edu/ eqa. Hamilton, director,Agricultural Law Adams-Cogan with a reading titled Center, Drake University, and pre­ "Iowa Roadsides"; Places in the •:• "Place-Based Agriculture: The sentation of the International Local Center by Iowa photographer Rod Economics, Ecology, and Commu­ Food Prize. Contact: Catholic Rural Strampe. Contact: 338-7868. nity Ethics Behind Self-Sufficient Life Conference, 515-2 70-2634. Farms," National Biodynamic Con­ NOVEMBER ference, Nov. 14-16, Ames. •:• "Revolution from the Heart of With presentations by Fred Nature," 14th annual Bioneers •:• 2003 Shivvers Lecture, "The EPA's Kirschenmann, Don Adams, conference, Oct. 17-19, San Rafael, Perspective on Agriculture and Its Dewane Morgan, Sarah Flack, Janet Calif., and Fairfield. Live broadcast Relation to Water Quality in Iowa;' Gamble, Walter Goldstein, John of California activities plus work­ Nov. 3, 4:10pm, Pioneer Room, ISU Reganold. Contact: 888-516-7797, shops, panel discussions, etc. in Memorial Union, Ames. With Jim www.biodynamics.com. Fairfield. Contact: 641-472-7033, Gulliford, ISU grad and U.S. Envi­ [email protected]. ronmental Protection Agency •:• Third Annual Iowa Organic representative. Contact: Mike Duffy, Conference, Nov. 17, Scheman •:• "What's Nature Worth? A Multi­ 515-294-6160. Building, Ames. Keynote speaker, disciplinary Conversation with Theresa Marquez, Organic Valley Scott Slovic and Peggy Barlett," •:• "Re-ImaginingCooperationAmong Cooperative, presents marketing Oct. 21, 7:30pm, Sun Room, Cooperatives;'NinthAnnual Coop­ success stories for organic grain Memorial Union,Ames. leopold Cen­ erative Development Forum, Nov. 5- suppliers and livestock producers. ter director Fred Kirschenmann will 7, Crowne Plaza Northstar, Sessions on production, marketing, participate in a panel discussion. Fea­ Minneapolis, Minn. Contact: new crops, farmer-chef connections, tured speakers are Scott Slovic, di­ Leta Mach, 202-383-5450, GMOs and world trade, and grant rector of the Center For Environ­ [email protected], www.ncba.coop. writing. Contact: Kathleen Delate, mental Arts and Humanities at the 515-294-7069, kdelate@iasta te.ed u. University of Nevada, author, and •:• Fall Harvest Women's Gathering, founding president of the Associa­ Nov. 7-9, Good Earth Village, JANUARY tion for the Study of Literature and Spring Valley, Minn. Workshops Environment (ASLE); and anthro­ and activities bring women involved •:• Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual pologist Peggy Barlett who has in sustainable agriculture together Conference, Jan. 9-10, Des Moines written several books about agricul­ from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Airport Holiday Inn Conference tural change and sustainability on Iowa to learn new skills, network and Center. Saturday keynote speaker, campus. Contact: Sheryl St. Germain, eat great food. Contact: Stacey Brown, rural sociologist Judy Heffernan; Fri­ [email protected], 515-294-8211. [email protected]. day music, Chuck Suchy; workshops, All-Iowa Meal, presentation of PFI •:• Value Added Ag Forum, Oct. 23, •:• "Coexisting in the 21st Century: Sustainable Agriculture Achievement 1Oam-2:30pm, Tabor Vineyard/ Balancing Nutrients & Enhancing Award. Contact: 515-232-5661. Winery, Baldwin. Contact: Mary the Environment:' Evironmental Holz-Clause, 515-294-0588.

23 On-farm Research ··~~ ...- --- !.::i;-

Background Most corn hybrids are generally Corn Varieties: developed for yield, not grain quality. Additionall~ technology fees and industry concentration lead some producers to Yield, Quality seek corn varieties whose seed they can own and replant. This includes open­ pollinated as well as other new kinds of and Control public varieties. ISU and USDA-ARS corn breeders are working with PFI and the Michael Fields Ag Institute to develop By Rick Exner and test these on cooperators' farms.

Objective FI cooperators are evaluating The objectives of this effort are: open-pollinated corn varieties A project that began in and varietal hybrids in coopera­ • To evaluate the economics of using P 2003 seeks to develop these public varieties, whose yields are tion with Walter Goldstein of the less than those of typical hybrids but Michael Fields Agricultural Institute corn varieties high which can have unique value as feeds and with USDAandiSU rom breeders. • To move additional grain quality Most people know that corn yields in specific nutrients. characteristics into new public jumped when farmers started using This corn would benefit varieties from exotic corn germplasm. hybrid varieties in the 1940s. Why go to all this trouble when hybrid corn is livestock producers, Cooperators so successful? especially if they could Nan Bonfils and Donald Adams, Madrid Because that success comes with a Francis Blake, Waukon price, literally. So-called "technology demonstrate its benefits Ron and LaDonna Brunk, Eldora fees" on hybrid seed continue to rise. Bob Burcham, Neely-Kinyon Farm Liaison Some producers are concerned that to consumers. Karl Dallefeld, Worthington future consolidation in the industry Paul Homan, Waverly might even limit their choice of seed. for alternative farms; these cultivars Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland These farmers reason that if they had will give farmers new options. They seed that they could save and replant would particularly benefit livestock Results from year to year, then they wouldn't producers, especially if these produc­ Only preliminary results are available. have to get top yields to remain profit­ ers could demonstrate the benefits to Gross yields of open-pollinated and able. Hybrid seed, on the other hand, consumers. An example would be eggs "synthetic" varieties have been less than cannot be replanted, both because the with yellower yolks from increased lev­ those of hybrids. Grain quality analysis next generation crop would not retain els of a vitamin A precursor in the corn will be emphasized in the study that the vigor and uniformity of the parent fed to the chickens. The new project is began in 2003. plants and because most hybrids are utilizing corn from a variety ofsources the proprietary property of the com­ to create "synthetic" lines and other Conclusions panies that develop them. open-pollinated populations that It is too early to determine whether crop Most hybrids, also, are bred for farmers can replant from year to year. quality characteristics will outweigh yield not for nutrition. Breeding High Figure 1 cumpare.s prulein, oil, aml yields. The answer may depend on Quality Com for Sustainable Farmers in starch contents of typical hybrids and whether a producer is selling commodity the Northern Com Belt, a project that some experimental crosses made as number 2 yellow dent corn, feeding began in 2003, seeks to produce a spec­ part of ISU's GEM Project (Genetic livestock, and/or producing for a trum of different corns with higher Enhancement of Maize). specialty market. nutritional value or greater suitability In 2002, in a project funded by the 24 < "(~;_ On-farm Research -~ .. -

USDA SARE program, farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota compared Some corn variety types several open-pollinated and "synthetic" mixtures ofvarieties to a "farmer's choice" Open-pollinated variety of their choosing. Figure 2 shows yield data from the PFI farms that partic­ Plants are a mix of different genetic types, ipated.As might be expected, on most farms the "farmer's choice" yielded the most; all crossing with each other randomly. the exception was on the farm of Don Adams and Nan Bonfils, Madrid, the only farm where the farmer's choice variety was not a hybrid. The highest yielding of the In-bred alternative varieties in 2002 was a "synthetic" mix of two inbred varieties, BS21 (R)C7 Plants are all the same genetically, the and BS22(R)C7. Next was the synthetic mix of inbreds BSSS(R)C14 and result of generations of in-breeding plants BSCB1(R)C14, followed by Nokomis Gold, an open-pollinated variety developed grown from seeds from the same ear. by Walter Goldstein of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Crop characteristics are stable over time. Hybrid Free lunch? Plants are similar because they are the first So just auger next year's seed out of the grain bin into the planter, right? generation from the cross of two (usually) Actually, there's more to it than that, as long-time growers of open-pollinated inbred lines. Hybrid vigor is lost after one corn will attest. It's important to carefully select the seed that you want to be generation. the future of your corn. Varietal hybrid So you go to the field and hand-harvest... but what? The biggest ears, the healthiest plants? It isn't always so obvious how and what to select. Laura Krouse, A cross between two open-pollinated Mt. Vernon, is proprietor ofAbbe Hill Open-Pollinated Corn and an old hand varieties. Some hybrid vigor is expected at selecting seed. But Laura says that in the past four years, when she has been in the first generation. using selection methods suggested by ISU breeder Kendall Lamkey, her corn Synthetic has improved as much as in the previous 11 years of her work with the variety. The result of crossing a number of inbred Laura is using a modified "ear-to-row" selection procedure on the Abbe Hills lines with each other. Hybrid vigor should corn, a variety that in 2003 marks its 100th year on the farm. ~ be maintained. Figure 1. These varieties in Conventional Hybrids and GEM Crosses the GEM project, with traits GEM: Germ plasm Enhancement of Maize Project from Central and South fl - Pr-., Oi 80

14 ...... * . 0 ...... American corn, have grain 12 • • • • • • • • • • ...... - .- Contact the I) RepresentatiVe Hybrids quality characteristics that 1994-1996 GEM Breechn,g Crosses ...... , •••• 2000 could benefit sustainable Corn Doctors ...... • • • • • • • • • • 20 and diversified farms . Walter Goldstein 262-642-3303 ext. 112 [email protected] GEM metenel can be UHd to meke ayn[hetic varielltlls Oet. from L Pollak, ISU Kendall Lamkey Open-pollinated & Synthetic Corn Varieties 515-294-7826 Iowa Component, SARE Project, 2002 [email protected] Linda Pollak 515-294-7831 lmpollak@ iastate.edu

Figure 2. Yields of synthetic, open-pollinated and "farmer's choice" varieties in 2002. PFI ~tes Only

25 Resources : >·~· :.-•-6...

Welcome to our new resource pages. In each issue we'll focus on a selection of resource organizations, or a particular topic, and highlight some of the reports, books, newsletters, etc. each offers. SARE------www.sare.org

The Sustainable Agriculture Re­ A Guidebook for Cooperative index:.htm or order free print search and Education (SARE) pro­ Extension Agents and Other version, 301-504-5236, gram offers a host of resources Agriculture Professionals [email protected]. through its communications and out­ • Alternatives to Insecticides for Other bulletins: reach arm, the Sustainable Agriculture Managing Vegetable Insects • Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds Network (SAN) . Most can be found • Sharing the Harvest: A Guide on Pasture on the SARE website. (The North to Community-Supported • Profitable Pork: Strategies for Central Region SARE office can be Agriculture Hog Producers reached at 402-472-7081) • Vegetable Farmers and Their • A Whole-Farm Approach to Here are a few examples: Weed Control Machines Managing Pests • Compo sting Resources: A Series • Marketing Strategies for Farmers Tip sheets and Ranchers Click on the website's "Tip Sheets" Informational bulletins • How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch shortcut under "Education" link: • Marketing Strategies for Farmers • Diversify Crops to Boost Profits • Improve Soil Quality and Ranchers, download at and Stewardship • Add Value Through Marketing www.sare.org/market99/ • Prevent Pest Problems • Explore Organic Production • Cut Livestock Costs Books available from SARE • Manage Weeds Wisely • Plan For Profit On website, click "Publications and other resources." Order actual books or • Network access online versions of many. • Diversify Crops • Use Thees • The New Farmer's Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers and Communities, 2001 Resources from • Building Soils for Better Crops, 2nd Edition, 2000 • The Small Dairy Resource Book, 2000 SARE-funded projects • Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 2nd Edition, updated in 2001 On website, click "Publications • Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for and other resources": Farms and Rural Businesses • The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing • Steel in the Field: A Farmer's Guide to Weed Management Tools • Alternatives to Insecticides for • The New American Farmer: Profiles ofAgricultural Innovation Managing Vegetable Insects • Sustainable Agriculture Directory of Expertise, 3rd Edition • Adding Value for Sustainability:

26 ~~\ Resources h .

ISU Extension ______ATTRA ____ www. extension. iastate.edu/pubs/ www.attra.ncat.org/

1 2003 marks ISU Extension's 100 h marketing and pest management. .AJ'TRA (Appropriate Technology year of sharing university research The publication was updated with Transfer for Rural Areas), funded by the and expertise with the public. a nice redesign this spring (PDF U.S. Department of Agriculture, is ana­ A listing of Extension's ag-related not yet available online). tional sustainable agriculture informa­ publications can be found at the • The now classic "Community tion service managed by the National above URL where PDF versions are Supported Agriculture: Local Center for Appropriate Technology. available for download. Hard copies Food Systems for Iowa;' covers .AJ'TRA-written reports number in the can be ordered at any county exten­ the basics on how CSAs work, thousands and are all available on the sion office or by contacting the Ex­ lists additional resources and ATTRA website. ATTRA welcomes tension Distribution Center on the serves as a good primer for the questions by phone at 800-346-9140. Iowa State University campus (515- uninitiated few. Here's a sampling : 294-5247, [email protected]). • "Swine System Options for Iowa" Fruits (Horticultural Oops) covers alternatives to large-scale The web site's sustainable ag section • Organic and Low-Spray hog confinement. lists 13 publications. Some highlights: Apple Production • "Reducing Weed Pressure in • "Fundamentals of Organic • Pawpaw Production Ridge-Till" summarizes the fruits Agriculture" offers a good ofPFI co-founder Dick Vegetables (Horticultural Crops) overview in 16 pages, including Thompson's weed research. • Organic Tomato Production sections on labeling, certification, • Specialty Lettuce and Greens: Organic Production University of Missouri Field G:ops Outreach and Extension ______• Alternative Agronomic Crops • Nutrient Cycling in Pastures www.outreach. missouri .edu/ • Genetic Engineering of UM Outreach and Extension of­ • '~g Opportunities" comes out Gop Plants fers many excellent publications on every two months and covers small­ Organic Farming their website. Just a few: acreage and alternative crop news. • Overview of Organic • "Integrated Pest and Crop The Sept.-Oct. issue includes articles Fruit Production Management" is a biweekly on direct marketing meat and forest • Resource Guide to Organic & newsletter dedicated to pest fanning with mushrooms. Sustainable Vegetable Production • "Small Farms, Big Ideas" is a monthly management. Past issues have Livestock included articles on pest manage­ series of articles showcasing Missouri • Sustainable Beef Production ment during drought conditions producers experimenting with • Considerations in Organic and the basics on chiggers. innovative and sustainable practices. Hog Production

Missouri Alternatives Center Website: www.agebb.missouri.edu/mac/index.htm

A favorite of PFI staff members, the home page for the Missouri Alternatives Center offers one of the most complete and user­ friendly directories of alternative ag resources. The site offers an alphabetical listing of resources from universities across the U.S. and Canada, with links that take you direct to the publications. Resources are grouped by state or under regional and national categories and include everything from links to the web sites of organizations to newsletters to a horticulture info hotline.

27 -- . '~ Member Perspectives _-.-~~"'

Sustainable agriculture .. We throw those words around a lot, but are we really sure what they mean, or what we want them to mean? We wondered what the phase means to you, our readers and members. Send your 150-words-or-less definitions of sustainable agriculture to Practical Farmers of Iowa, Attn. Todd, PO Box 349, Ames, lA 50010, or email them to [email protected]. Feel free to be as poetic or technical as you'd like. A free PFI hat to anyone who sends in a thoughtful response. Our second installment is from Mt. Vemon PFI member Laura Krouse, Abbe Hills Farm. Laura operates a CSA for 70 families in the Mt. Vernon area and raises and sells open-pollinated com for seed.

What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

or me, sustainability is an ecological fact, we find ways to take advantage of them. concept. I think that ifl can get the eco­ For example, I grow cover crops for lots Fsystem under my care functioning of reasons, but one important one is to max­ smoothly-following a few simple rules­ imize sunlight capture over the whole grow­ overall, the whole farm will approach ing season. That puts more "food" into the sustainability much more closely. ecosystem, which will eventually translate There are two important processes at into more organic matter and the nutrients work in all ecosystems. It doesn't matter if it contains staying on the farm in a biologi­ you consider a stream, a forest, a terrarium, cally available form. or a farm. Ecosystems are always capturing Understanding a complex ecosystem like and transforming sun energy to provide the a farm, while trying to manage it for profit­ energy needed by the multitude of "crea­ ability and a little bit of fun, is no small task. tures" that live there, and nutrients are al­ I like to think that the more closely I can ways being cycled and recycled through the mimic the processes of natural, sustainable creatures and through the air, soil and wa­ ecosystems, the more closely I can approach ter of the ecosystem. sustainability on my farm. ~ Sustainability for me means that we un­ derstand these processes, and that we work -Laura Krouse with them when we manage our farms. In

28 r-'7 ...... :},~ .,· Reflections :::;;::.,,_ -...l_~~ _.._

Remembering the Sacred

by Robert Karp

the native peoples everything in na­ us seem to feel it, seem to feel called ture has a deep inner meaning. The by it to change the way we think and eagle is not just a beautiful bird that eat and farm. should be protected, but a messenger What else can explain the deep of the spirit world, that can teach us loyalty and connection so many of us specific things that will be useful in feel for the land, the great sacrifices our day to day lives. Likewise the in­ we make to try and preserve our farms sect, the star, the stone, the corn. and communities, the innovation and Spirit was seen in every thing, and creativity we employ trying to grow every thing had a wisdom to contrib­ and purchase food with integrity? ute to the human community. Certainly there are easier ways to live Reverence was the key to unlock these and make a living! secrets of creation. I find it helpful to remember that Another characteristic of native behind all our practical efforts to fos­ people is their deep connection with ter a new agriculture in Iowa, there is the seasons and with agriculture. a rich tapestry of people and families. Planting and sowing, cultivating and Both joy and tragedy are woven into tending, harvesting and cooking and this tapestry-births and deaths, mar­ sharing, were not only means of sur­ riages and divorces, times of plenty vival, but a way of fulfilling a sacred and times of naught. Pleasure and three-day vacation in responsibility to care for the things of pain flow beneath the surface of all the enchanted world the earth-the soil, plants and ani­ our lives. Remembering this can open mals, as well as the people-both the our hearts to one another, to a sense of New Mexico this fall A living and the dead. of community and compassion. got me thinking about some­ It seems to me that many PFI mem­ While PFI is committed to bring­ thing that we don't talk about bers are also deeply motivated in their ing scientific rigor to bear on the cre­ way of farming and living and eating ation of a more sustainable agriculture, too much at PFI meetings and by this same sense for the sacred, by this it is important to remember that for events-the sense for the sacred. feeling that the air and the water, the many of us, it is the thinking of the I spent a day at Taos Pueblo, ana­ plants and the animals, the soil and the heart as well as the thinking of the tive American settlement that has people-both the living and dead-are head, that call us to this way oflife, that been continuously occupied by the all part of a great circle of life. inspires us to experiment with new and peaceful pueblo peoples for over 1,000 Some might call this great circle innovative ways of farming and living, years. Nestled at 10,000 feet beneath the divine plan and some might call and that keeps us persevering-with Taos mountain, the sense of the sa­ it simply the laws of nature-but the strength of buffalo and the help of cred is palpable at this place. what interests me is not so much what a community-through the many joys What struck me there is how for we call it, but the fact that so many of and sorrows of our lives. ~

29 ,..-~

PFI Merchandise .....·_.;~l~ ~ ..-..''

Be a proud PFI member! Wear your love of local foods with PFI's Wear a PFI shirt, cook with a PFI apron, new Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign shop with a PFI tote bag ... logo. Beautiful design, dazzling colors!

Casual Ca~$12 Khaki, Velcro closure, "Healthy Food, Diverse Farms, Vibrant Communities" Posters--$5 each, $20 for five. tagline printed on back. $3 each for orders of 10 or more. Made m the USA. 11 ~"xl3" ___.Qrv ___.$ ___QrY ___$

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Coming soon: T-shirt -$1 0 • T-Shirts with PFI logo & tagline Heavyweight, 6.1 az 100% cotton jersey in S-2XL. • Buy Fresh, Buy Local caps White with full-color Buy Fresh, • PFI yard signs Buy Local logo on front.

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Grocery Tote-$8 Natural color 100% cotton canvas Sub-Total ___ tote with full color Buy Fresh, Buy Local logo. Perfect for grocery Shipping & Handling ___ shopping, or taking to the -$3 for the first item,$! for each additional item. farmers market. Made in the USA. Poster Shipping & Handling -$1 for up to 5, Sl extra for each additional5 posters. ___ QrY $

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30 '·.'-.1;,1: - -~·- '. __ Join PFI .I ,.1 ~____._

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31 Our Vision for Iowa

Food that is celebrated for its freshness and flavor and connection Farms that are prized to local farmers for their diversity .... ~~ to seasons of crops and 11v~~5l. their wildlife tllelriinno¥

places where and spirituality are

Practical Farmers of Iowa P.O . Box 349 Ames, lA. 5001 0

Healthy Food, Diverse Farms, Vibrant Communities