the ()Practical Farmer Annual Conference Jan. 14 & 15 ............. I Pg. 4 Profile: Linda Barnes & Mark Rundquist ..... I Pg. 6 Pickles .............................................................................. I Pg. 15 On-farm Research: Triticale ............................................... I Pg. 18 Reflections: Organic Grains and Pulses ............................. I Pg. 24 '"' Contents ~~ •:.!:. - From the Director ............ ........................ .......... ... 3 Focus on Food: Pickles .......................... ...... 15-16 Annual Conference .............................................. 4 Calendar ..................... .-...................................... 17 Policy Update ...................................................... 5 On-farm Research: Triticale .......................... 18-20 Profile: Linda Barnes and Mark Rundquist ........... 6 Member Perspectives: What Is Sustainable Ag? ... 21 PFI Camp ............... ........................................ 10-11 Resources ................. ................... ................. 22-23 Field Day Report ................................................ 12 Reflections .................................................... 24-25 PFI News ................ ............................................ 13 PFI Merchandise ................................................. 26 Member News .................................................... 14 Join PFI .............................................................. 27 Cover photo by Helen Gunderson: Harvest at Vic Madsen's PFI Board of Directors Tom Wahl, 13882 1 Ave., Wapello, lA 52653-9449. Communications Specialist (3 19) 729-5905. redfernfar [email protected] Todd Kimm ( 108), [email protected] Correspo11de11ce to tire PFI directors' addresses is always welcome. Advisory Board Youth Program Coordinator Brad Meyer (109), [email protected] District I (Northwest): Ken Wise, 3566 280th St., Dick Thompson, 2035 !9oth St., Boone, lA Lytton, lA 50561-7574. {7 12) 466-2473. 50036-7423. (S IS) 432-1560. Program Assistant Leo Benjamin, 17636 Birch Ave., Whiting, !A Larry Kallem, 12303 N.W. !58th Ave., Madrid !A, Bill Martin ( 1OS), [email protected] 51063. (712) 458-2001. 50156.515-795-2303. The Practical Farmer is published three times a District 2 (North Central): Mark Tjelmeland, PFI Staff year by Practical Farmers of Iowa at 300 Main St., PFI Vice President, 1246 1 650th Ave., For general information and staff connections, Box 349, Ames, Iowa 50010; 515-232-5661. A free McCallsburg, lA 50 154-8026. (S IS) 434-2440. call (SIS) 232-5661; individual extensions are subscription is provided with each PFI member­ [email protected] listed in parenthesis after each name. ship (see page 27). Sample copies and back issues Nina Biensen, 2454 Binfo rd Ave., State Center, !A are available. 50247. (641) 483-2292. Director [email protected] Robert Ka rp ( 102), [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Todd Kimm Additional Design: Mary Sailer District 3 (Northeast): Walt Ebert, 1273 12oth Food Systems Original Template: M ichael Nash St., Plainfield, !A 50666-9647. (319) 276-4444. Gary Huber ( l 03), [email protected] [email protected] Eric Franzenburg, 6925 19th Ave., Van Horne, lA Rick Hartmann (104), 52346. (319) 228-8758. [email protected] Tire Practical Farmer and the PFI on-farm demonstrations are supported, in part, by Iowa [email protected] Far ming Systems Rick Exner, (5 15) 294-5486, State University Cooperative Extension and the District 4 (Southwest): Angela Tedesco, 10743 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. NW l42nd St., Granger, !A 50109. [email protected], Room l. l 04, Agronomy (SIS) 278-4522. [email protected] Hall, ISU, Am es, Iowa, 50011 Yerian Va n Wyk. 15844 S. 88th Ave. E, Searsboro, !A 50242. (641) 527-2927. Fred lutzi, (S IS) 294-8512, [email protected] District 5 (Southeast): Susan Zacharakis-jutz, Membership Services and Office Manager PFI President, 5025 12oth St. NE, Solon, lA Sandra Trca-Biack ( 10 l ), 52333-9 155. (3 19) 624-3052. [email protected] [email protected] 2 ~ ~;- . r:~:,. From the Director Who Shall We Serve? By Robert Karp t a recent PFI board retreat, a remarkable stream of into a more musical way of farming, whether the farm is poetry began to pour forth from the mouth of one small, mid-sized or large, whether it is raising corn and soy­ A of our farmer directors, something I've gotten used beans, hogs and cattle, or fruits and vegetables. PFI farmers to over the years. tend to take the givens of their farms, their talents and their He was talking about his farm, of course, and the idea finances, and use their creativity to make music that is in that each aspect of his operation is like a musical note; every harmony with nature, local communities and human needs. little chore, he said, strikes a certain tone. Running a good We also agreed that to farm this way requires that farm­ farm operation, therefore, involves bringing these notes into ing be a full-time occupation for at least one family mem­ harmony, or seeing the harmony that wants to arise from ber. PFI then, needs to especially serve those farmers them and being able to improvise amidst the ever changing described above who are trying to make a primary living conditions of weather, markets and the moods and talents from farming. We need to be about learning and doing ev­ of each farmer and his or her helpers. erything we can to make it possible for this type of farming Ah the poetry of common sense! to become a real source of livelihood. Without this, no one These comments arose in the context of a discussion with will have the time to farm musically, and before long, no staff and some PFI past presidents about whom we see as the one will even remember how. core farmer constituency of PFI, or in other words, who are While the board felt that in many respects it was our mid­ the main farmers PFI is trying to serve? sized farmer members who had retained both crops and live­ Are we mainly about helping large, conventional farms stock-who in some ways best fit all three of the above become more sustainable? Are we mainly about helping mid­ described characteristics, and who were most in need of our sized farmers succeed, particularly those who are already support-they acknowledged that this was by no means uni­ committed to sustainable agriculture? Or are we about help­ versally the case. ing the small CSA farmers, the urban fringe farmers, or the They also acknowledged that the entrepreneurial spirit "gardeners" as some members have been known to refer to of our "gardener" farmers, and the connections they have been their fruit and vegetable-growing brothers and sisters. able to forge with the consumer, have played an essential role The conversation that emerged from this topic was not in the vitality of the organization and in helping all our mem­ only poetic, but also, I found, very deep. It was very deep in bers see the importance of connecting directly with consum­ the sense that board members and past presidents were clearly ers and in learning how to market their products effectively. uncomfortable with answering this question easily with ab­ Finally, there was a lot of discussion on the tremendous stract terms that tend to divide rather than unite, terms like importance of both young people and consumers to the mid-sized, small, traditional, conventional or organic. future of the organization and the future of sustainable Instead, what emerged was a very musical way of think­ agriculture. Without involving and working more diligently ing about the farmers and types of farming PFI wants to be with young people and consumers, our work on behalf of most involved in serving. Without wanting to be rigid, current farmers will simply not be successful. everyone nonetheless came to agree on several things. Thus, in the end, what emerged from this meeting was a First, we agreed that PFI farmers are often characterized perspective on the future of PFI that truly reflects the type by their unique view of the world, a perspective on life of musical farming our members are practicing on their characterized by cooperation rather than competition, by farms. From this perspective, the talents and gifts and focus stewardship of creation rather than personal gain and purely of every member of PFI strikes a particular tone, a particu­ human ambitions. lar note, and if we do our work well, we will bring those notes This way of looking at the world, then, often translates into harmony, in the service of our goal of seeing sustain­ able agriculture thrive and prosper in Iowa. So!~! 3 Annual Conference ·=.·:·~~ ,.. Reflections on our Past, Visions for our Future Annual Conference and 20th Anniversary Celebration Jan. 14 & 15 he PFI Annual Conference and mental returns. 20th Anniversary Celebration And don't miss the Friday night Exciting workshops! is set for Jan. 14 and 15 at the 20th Anniversary Celebration. Activi­ T Here's a sampling of Friday and Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines. ties will include: Saturday workshop and networking Our theme will be "Reflections on •!• Reception with cash bar session topics: our Past, Visions for our Future: •!• Light supper Twenty Years of Sustainable Agricul­ •!• Soybean Aphids •!• Reminiscences from the history ture in Iowa." Crop Rotations: Production and ofPFI ·:· Stewart N. Smith and Woody Marketing Issues •!• Showing of Cynthia Vagnetti's Tasch will address the theme Satur­ Reducing Livestock Stress new documentary "Voices