Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
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<strong>2012</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Pork</strong> <strong>Congress</strong> Re-Cap<br />
Southeast <strong>Iowa</strong> pork producers are top<br />
environmental stewards for 2011<br />
A young pork producer family from southeast <strong>Iowa</strong> has been<br />
named the state’s top environmental stewards for 2011.<br />
The <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Pork</strong> <strong>Producers</strong> <strong>Association</strong> presented Ryan<br />
and Lana Reed of Ottumwa with the 2011 Environmental<br />
Steward Award during the 40th annual <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Pork</strong> <strong>Congress</strong><br />
Banquet in Des Moines Jan. 25. The Reeds received a<br />
trophy and $1,000 cash as part of the award.<br />
Ryan and Lana manage a 4,800-head feeder-to-finish farm<br />
north of Ottumwa, where Ryan was born and raised. They<br />
feed roughly 12,000 hogs annually for Cargill <strong>Pork</strong>, LLC.<br />
The Reeds built their barns in 2007 and worked with the<br />
Coalition to Support <strong>Iowa</strong>’s Farmers to properly site the<br />
facilities to limit potential impacts on their neighbors.<br />
They worked with CSIF’s Green Farmstead Partner<br />
program to plant a 1,200-tree buffer around the facility to<br />
reduce odor and particulate matter exiting the farm. The<br />
buffer also provides a home to wildlife and greatly adds<br />
to the aesthetics of the operation. The tree buffer also is<br />
enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.<br />
Manure is injected as specified in a manure management<br />
plan with the <strong>Iowa</strong> Department of Natural Resources.<br />
A nitrogen stabilizer is used to preserve nutrients and<br />
assist in maintaining water quality. Ryan also is a certified<br />
commercial applicator.<br />
Mortalities from the hog operation are disposed through<br />
an on-farm compost facility. This aids in preservation of<br />
biosecurity on the farm.<br />
The Reeds are consistently evaluating new environmental<br />
technologies. As president of Tri-Family Farms, LLC, Ryan<br />
works with two other local farm families to study alternative<br />
energy sources for the hog barns. The Reeds hope to<br />
incorporate more of these technologies in the future.<br />
Ryan and Lana have three children - Conner, Kylee<br />
Jo and Colt Ryan - and the family represents the sixth<br />
generation of Reeds to continue the farming tradition in<br />
Wapello County.<br />
The Environmental Steward Award was established<br />
in 2007 by the IPPA Environmental Committee<br />
to recognize pork producers who go above and<br />
beyond in environmental stewardship. The selection<br />
committee judges nominees on the producer’s manure<br />
management, soil and water conservation practices,<br />
air quality strategies, wildlife habitat management, and<br />
environmental management innovations.<br />
The selection committee consists of the IPPA Board of<br />
Directors, the IPPA Environmental Committee, <strong>Iowa</strong> State<br />
University Extension and Pheasants Forever.<br />
Neighbor and community relations also are important to<br />
the Reeds. They host a Fourth of July picnic each year to<br />
communicate with neighbors and talk about life on the farm.<br />
They are PQA Plus-certified and have completed the PQA<br />
Plus site-assessment.<br />
March <strong>2012</strong><br />
35