Wallace's Farmer, IA
10-03-07
Iowa's Corn Growers Smell Success in Livestock
Compiled By Staff
Opponents of livestock production may obsess about smell, but having livestock
in Iowa adds jobs, puts money into local economies and delivers needed protein
to the world's dinner tables – and with help from Iowa's corn growers, livestock
producers are achieving those benefits with environmentally positive practices.
Livestock in Iowa doesn't "stink" for local stores and businesses. In a single
county like Sioux, cattle sales alone contribute more than $103.4 million annually,
and across the state livestock sales total more than $8 billion.
Livestock production is critical to family farms, too. Did you know that 98 percent
of all Iowa farms are family farms? In fact, many young adults find raising
livestock the best way to come back to the family farm. That maintains Iowa's
farm sector, which supports one out of every four Iowa jobs and supplies nearly
$15 billion to the state economy each year.
Livestock still single largest market for corn
Livestock production has always been essential for Iowa's corn farmers – it's
their single largest market. The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and Iowa
Corn Growers Association (ICGA) believe that raising livestock in Iowa makes
even more sense today. For example, booming ethanol production offers cattle
feeders a supply of new feed ingredients that can make Iowa's cattle industry
more profitable than many other states.
In Iowa, livestock producers and corn growers are often one and the same,
making it easy for corn growers to reap the benefits of manure as a natural
fertilizer and to feed their own grain back to their livestock. In both instances, the
livestock-corn partnership gives growers more flexibility to manage input costs
and market output effectively. Twenty-three percent of Iowa's nitrogen needs for
crops are currently met by manure instead of non-renewable natural gas.
Livestock and ethanol go hand-in-hand
Adding the coproducts from ethanol production to the equation offers farmers
even greater flexibility and an ability to maintain the cycle of sustainability by
feeding livestock, which produce manure to fertilize crop production and make
more corn available for livestock feeding or ethanol processing.
Farmers who only have crops often work with their livestock-producing neighbors
to capture the benefits of manure. That's possible because of the training and
environmental planning that go into manure management. Out of Iowa's 89,000
farms, only 2,200 farmers and 1,200 commercial applicators are certified to
spread manure in Iowa.
Livestock producers must also have manure management plans that are
approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. These plans determine
how and under what conditions manure is collected, transported and applied.
Properly used, they prevent over-application of manure based on individual field
conditions.
Manage smell and improve air quality
So what about the "stink" in manure? The ICGA and ICPB work with livestock
groups, Iowa State University, and the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers on
multiple approaches to manage smells and improve air quality. Some
approaches already in use include proper siting of new livestock facilities, air
treatment with bio-filters, and the use of wood chips and tree plantings to treat
and disperse odors. Meanwhile, research continues to develop answers like feed
corn that can decrease odor levels in hog manure.
"Iowa agriculture is changing and evolving with the bio-economy. We emphasize
practices that are environmentally friendly and take into account animal welfare
and our non-farming neighbors," said Roger Zylstra, chairman of the
ICGA/ICPB's Animal Agriculture and Environment Committee and a livestock and
corn grower in Jasper County.
"When you look at the economics, the chance to encourage younger generations
in family farming, and the natural cycle of sustainability, I think there are plenty of
benefits to wipe out the 'stink' some people find in Iowa's livestock."
For more information on how Iowa supplies corn for food and fuel, call Iowa Corn
at 515-225-9242 or go to www.iowacorn.org.
Each year, the ICPB and the ICGA encourage all Iowans to recognize the
contributions of Iowa's corn producers by celebrating September as Corn Month.
The ICPB works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide
education about corn and corn products. The ICGA is a membership
organization, lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its 6,000 members.