Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

2012 Iowa Pork Congress Re-Cap
Southeast Iowa pork producers are top
environmental stewards for 2011
A young pork producer family from southeast Iowa has been
named the state’s top environmental stewards for 2011.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association presented Ryan
and Lana Reed of Ottumwa with the 2011 Environmental
Steward Award during the 40th annual Iowa Pork Congress
Banquet in Des Moines Jan. 25. The Reeds received a
trophy and $1,000 cash as part of the award.
Ryan and Lana manage a 4,800-head feeder-to-finish farm
north of Ottumwa, where Ryan was born and raised. They
feed roughly 12,000 hogs annually for Cargill Pork, LLC.
The Reeds built their barns in 2007 and worked with the
Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers to properly site the
facilities to limit potential impacts on their neighbors.
They worked with CSIF’s Green Farmstead Partner
program to plant a 1,200-tree buffer around the facility to
reduce odor and particulate matter exiting the farm. The
buffer also provides a home to wildlife and greatly adds
to the aesthetics of the operation. The tree buffer also is
enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.
Manure is injected as specified in a manure management
plan with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
A nitrogen stabilizer is used to preserve nutrients and
assist in maintaining water quality. Ryan also is a certified
commercial applicator.
Mortalities from the hog operation are disposed through
an on-farm compost facility. This aids in preservation of
biosecurity on the farm.
The Reeds are consistently evaluating new environmental
technologies. As president of Tri-Family Farms, LLC, Ryan
works with two other local farm families to study alternative
energy sources for the hog barns. The Reeds hope to
incorporate more of these technologies in the future.
Ryan and Lana have three children - Conner, Kylee
Jo and Colt Ryan - and the family represents the sixth
generation of Reeds to continue the farming tradition in
Wapello County.
The Environmental Steward Award was established
in 2007 by the IPPA Environmental Committee
to recognize pork producers who go above and
beyond in environmental stewardship. The selection
committee judges nominees on the producer’s manure
management, soil and water conservation practices,
air quality strategies, wildlife habitat management, and
environmental management innovations.
The selection committee consists of the IPPA Board of
Directors, the IPPA Environmental Committee, Iowa State
University Extension and Pheasants Forever.
Neighbor and community relations also are important to
the Reeds. They host a Fourth of July picnic each year to
communicate with neighbors and talk about life on the farm.
They are PQA Plus-certified and have completed the PQA
Plus site-assessment.
March 2012
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