Waste Management on Hog Farms

The Hatton meeting regarding a proposed hog confinement operation brought up a slew of questions. In fact, a list of questions—which were somewhat answered—were handed out at the meeting.

So, with that in mind, how about a little Q&A? The following questions are from the community meeting and I will briefly answer them to the best of my knowledge and ability. 

What is the management plan for air quality and smell control?

While every farm is different, there are a few options. On our farm, we rely on trees to help control odor and fans to maintain air quality within the barns. Some farms also add air scrubbers, which basically ‘scrub’ the ammonia out of the air to reduce atmospheric ammonia. To my knowledge, these are not widely used yet because of cost but they are still in the development phase and I look forward to seeing how they develop in the future.

Another fantastic invention that is gaining popularity is digesters. Digesters convert methane gas into electricity. These are fascinating but again, there is a cost issue so not everyone uses them.

One last way we control odor is by knifing manure into the ground instead of using a traveling gun or running it through a center pivot irrigation system.

Explain how below-building waste pits work.

Basically, the pig does his business wherever and whenever he (or she) pleases. Then, their ‘business’ falls through the slat flooring and is stored in a reinforced concrete basement that is about 8 feet deep and the same length as the barn. Then, twice a year—in the fall and spring—they are pumped out and knifed into the field as a natural fertilizer.

Pit under construction.

What is the average nutrient value of the waste? Does it add organic matter to the soil or only nutrient value?

The great thing about manure is that it is basically a nutrient package deal. Just like the phone and TV companies, they bundle it. In most cases, manure provides all your phosphorus and potassium needs and the bulk of your nitrogen. Of course, only soil and nutrient testing will give a for sure answer to what is there and what isn’t but those are the three nutrients farmers always need and they are the three that are always present in manure. For farmers that don’t use manure, they have to purchase separate chemical fertilizers to cover each of these nutrient needs. Manure also adds organic matter that improves overall soil health. If you care to learn more about the nutrient and economic value here are a couple resources:

Nutrients and Value of Liquid Hog Manure
Economic Value of Liquid Hog Manure

 Will the hog urine be applied to the soils and what is the expected effect on soil quality due to urine?

I was surprised to see this question on the sheet, but it is a valid question. Yes, the poop and pee fall through the slats and into the same pit so it’s all mixed up together into one big pot of liquid gold. See previous question for soil quality concerns

How frequently will the waste pits be pumped dry?

Every fall and spring the fields get feed—by way of manure.

Do you have any questions about farming? Let me know in the comments and I’m happy to answer them.

Raising Havoc in Hatton

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking at a community meeting in Hatton, Mo. Of course, I wasn't exactly invited to speak. I just temporarily took over the mic because that's how I roll. Aaron, my husband, begged me not to go up there. "Just leave it alone," he said. He's not much on public speaking and certainly doesn't like to stand out in a crowd. But, I just couldn't help myself. I couldn't stand there and let the crowd verbally beat down the farmer and his family without anyone to speak up for not just him but pig farmers everywhere.

This meeting was due to a proposed sow facility that an Iowa company wants to build on a Hatton farmer's land. Basically, the family farm in Hatton is teaming up with the company in Iowa to accomplish two things: 1) The Iowa company wants sows closer to Missouri finisher facilities, 2) The family farmer gets all the manure. Some may say the family farmer is getting the crappy end of the stick, but manure is invaluable to a farmer. It decreases costs, adds valuable organic nutrients to the soil and reduces the use of petroleum chemicals like anhydrous-ammonia.

The meeting was fun, for me anyway. I had forgotten just how much I love public speaking, especially when I'm talking about my family's farm. I also get a kick out of mild controversy. This meeting also reminded me that education is needed more now than ever.

Despite the efforts by farmers, ag organizations and others, consumers seem to be shifting further away from agriculture and more towards misconceptions. There's the belief that there is only one way to farm and that there must be some sort of rivalry between farmers--organic vs. modern, small vs. large, old-school vs. new technology, etc. Why?

The moral of this story is simple: If you ever get a chance to go to a community meeting regarding a local farm family, please go! In fact, any chance you get to share your farm story, do it.

My family didn't have to go to this meeting. We don't even live very close to Hatton and we have absolutely nothing to do with this business venture. We went to support a fellow farmer. We went because it was the right thing to do. I didn't have to speak. I could have just sat in the back row and kept my thoughts to myself, but I didn't. I saw an opportunity to represent farmers and I jumped on it.

My challenge to you: Make a point to share your story. Tell a neighbor, write a blog post, post something on Facebook or Twitter or go to a local meeting and start a conversation. It's easy to ignore the issue, but at what cost?

Consumers deserve to know where their food comes from and farmers—not lobbyists, extremist groups or the like—are the best ones to educate them on this matter. It's a heavy burden, but one we must carry.

Pig Out at the Missouri State Fair

It's state fair time again! 

The Missouri Pork Association is serving up some tasty goodness on August 13th and Team Bacon Blogger will be there with bells on.

Come to the fair and say "HI" to all the Pork Proud folks serving up grub, including us.

You can find a schedule of events for the Missouri State Fair HERE.

 Hope to see you at the fair.




It's good, wholesome, cheap fun! Plus, CHICKS DIG IT!

 

Sustainable Ag and Food Myths Busted

Sustainability

This is a powerful word that is creating buzz all across the ag world and among consumers, corporations, farmers, families, everyone, everywhere. I watched a video--just today, in fact--that claims to have all the answers but do they really?

Food MythBusters, which is a "campaign to provide videos and resources debunking the yarns Big Ag players spin about our food system," created a video that, in my book, invokes more questions than answers. The video states that the story of "Big Ag" (I'd love a definition on what "Big Ag" really is because I think we fall into that category but we aren't that big in comparison, we are also family owned but we contract too--define please) is "full of holes" but I found a few "holes" of my own. 

So, lets break it down piece by piece:

1. "[Farmers] Stop practices that keep soil healthy" -- If we don't keep the soil healthy then we would not be able to continue to produce year after year. This statement implies that farmers are irresponsible and uncaring, which is illogical. Comparable to a mechanic that refuses to service vehicles. He won't be in business for very long! Crop rotation is mentioned in the video and is a great way to keep soil healthy. Every farmer in this area, including us, rotates our crops. Usually between corn, soybeans, wheat, and sometimes a cover crop like cereal rice or rye. So, are we really stopping the practices that keep soil healthy or are consumers just confused about farming because they've been removed from it for so long?
2. "Livestock, that use to be raised on the farm, get crammed into polluting factories"-- Our livestock are still raised on the farm. We use barns and modern technology to raise them but they are
   
   still on the farm. We live down the road from one of our barns and my sis-in-law and parents-in-law live next door to our other barns. How is this not on the farm? Furthermore, if we were polluting then we would only hurt ourselves. Not only would we be violating our government issued permits (hefty fees for doing so) but it is our water and our land that would be polluted. Would you pollute your own water? Additionally, if we were a factory then we would have better pay and more benefits. I've seen what the factory workers in town make, heck of a lot more than my husband and they don't even do a fraction of the hard labor. Maybe we should all just work in a factory...Nah!
3. "These farmers now buy expensive inputs" -- Hate to state the obvious but inputs have always been expensive and farmers have purchased them for decades. Inputs, expensive or otherwise, are nothing new. However, the good news is that while farmers still use chemical inputs we use a lot less. Like, 223 million pounds less! Wait! It gets better. Despite using hundreds of millions of pounds less in chemicals we are producing more in yields. Maybe Obama and Congress should take a few hints from farmers on how to use less while getting more to get our economy back on track. Farmer for President! So, are we buying more inputs?
4. "Got to use more drugs [on livestock]" -- Again, antibiotics are not new to the world of farming and the use of antibiotics is not even related to the size of a farm. Farmers that have 10 animals or 10,000 animals all use antibiotics to keep their animals healthy. Unless they are certified organic, then the animals just get chicken soup and wait to die. I'm joking, dark but still a joke! I know some organic farmers and they are wonderful people. Seriously, another interesting fact is that in an IFT report a panel of experts estimate that 96% of antibiotic resistance is actually from human use, not animal use. So, is the "more drugs" an issue of one singular group or do we need to look at the bigger picture and discuss the use of drugs across the board, primarily with human use?
5. "Got to use more chemical fertilizer [on crops]" -- I will again state what I said in #3: Like,223million pounds less! Not only are we using less chemicals of every kind but our farm, our neighbors (plural, all of them with pigs), along with friends and family that all raise pigs in barns use less chemicals than ever before because we have the power of poop. I know for a fact that hog farmers use all that poo in their lagoons and, more commonly, their deep pits to fertilize their crops the way grandpappy use to. Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poop-on? Why, yes. Yes we do.
6. "Corporate ag is good for some folks...not the typical farm family" -- Who is the "typical" farm family? We could be considered under the label "corporate ag"because we contract our pigs through a larger company, as many do. Our family's farm began with less than 100 acres and a husband and wife with three kids attempting to fulfill their dream. Since then, it has grown over the last couple decades to several hundred acres, several thousand hogs, and employs all three children plus spouses and then some. The same is true for several other pig farmers we know. So, how are we not the "typical" farm family? And, if we aren't then who the heck is?

 The bottom line is that I want you to watch the video. I want you to make your own judgment call. But more than anything, I want everyone to understand that farming is just like skinning cats--not the gross, bloody, scratches up and down your arms kind of way, more like there's more than one way to do it kind of way. It is an idiom. I'm not really skinning cats. You people are gross.

Watch the video and let me know what you think. Unlike Food MythBusters, comments are always open and welcome.

 

Snide-ness and Factory Farming: Now open for dialogue

Today I read a comment on one of the BaconCam's YouTube videos that sparked my interest. So, thank you Spikutus for your comment.

Factory Farming Exposed:  Truth about animal handling

Their comment was:

What a snide attitude the narrator has! As if because those bad things don't happen on HER farm, they don't happen anywhere. Who is the one who has to wake up?

I realize that this doesn't seem like a friendly comment that I'd want to point out but there is a great point to be made here, plus a good conversation.

When I narrated this video I was apprehensive about actually posting it. The narration is, as Spikutus points out, snide and much more abrasive than my usual demeanor. I was worried that it would be taken the wrong way or that people would get upset by it or that I would look like a jerk because of it. However, I put on my big-girl panties and made a conscious decision to let my abrasive side show despite the discomfort it gives me (abrasive sides tend to be scratchy, itchy, and they chafe terribly).

The fact is, I had a point to make.

The snide-ness, as I like to call it, was in rebut to all those so-called "abuse" videos with the same exact attitude or snide-ness. In the videos that I have seen the message is clear: This abuse happens here so it must happen on every farm! This is the message I wish to refute most adamantly. Therefore, I took the same attitude, which is so prevalent in the "abuse" videos and spun it the other way.

That was my  point and obviously it hit target.

I know animal abuse exists. I am not refuting that. It saddens me, upsets me, and down right pisses me off that people abuse their animals. However, the same emotional outcome applies to people that want to lump every farmer in one big abusive basket because we choose barns for our farms. That may be my new bumper sticker, by the way.

On a side note, it sickens me to watch those abuse videos that actually show abuse especially when the person filming does absolutely nothing to stop it. Does that not make them every bit as guilty? Well, in my book it makes them worse. It makes them a hypocrite of the worst kind. But I digress.

I'm glad this person commented on the video because the point of everything--the blog, the BaconCam, the social media outlets--is to open the lines of communication. To start dialogues that actually lead somewhere besides an argument. If we can understand both sides of the fence we can make changes, we can better our farming practices, or we can just agree to disagree--at least we are talking and not fighting.

So, as the title states, we are officially Open For Dialogue!

The Masked Farmer--Friend or Foe?

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I had not explained the reasoning behind the masked man in many of my photos. This question has come up in the past and we've answered it but I believe it is time to approach it on a broader scope...via blog.

So, who is that masked man in the pig barn? Why does he wear that stylish mask? Any guesses?

Well, I'm sure there is a lot of speculation out there as to why my dear husband, Aaron, is always masked in nearly all his pictures in the barn. Many speculate that it has something to do with the poop/gases produced by the pigs. So, is that the answer? We'll deal with that a little lower in this post.

So, why does he wear it?

Is it the toxic fumes?

Is the the unbearable smell?

Is it the health hazards these barns pose?

Fumes, smells, hazards, oh my!

Let's take a look at some other pictures and see if we can't sort this out...

This is Kristy--Aaron's sister--and yes she is carrying a pig. She likes to play ma ma hen with the pigs. She also happens to be mask-less.

This curly haired cutie is our niece....also mask-less.

These two may look familiar. They belong to Team Bacon Blogger and as you can see....mask-less. I don't wear a mask either but I rarely take pictures of myself. It just feels weird and wrong to tell myself to say cheese.

Wait! I found one. Here's a picture of Aaron sans that fabulous mask. Even he doesn't wear it all the time. 

The point of all this is to show that while some may want you to believe that there are toxic fumes, rancid odors, and health hazards associated with these barns the facts remain that it just ain't so. 

Aaron, God love him, is a pig farmer. A pig farmer that spends every single day around pigs. Those pigs eat--a lot--which means the feeders are always full of feed. So, Aaron the pig farmer, is around pigs and feed every single day. Unfortunately, poor Aaron happens to be allergic to pig dander and feed dust.

That's it. That's the big reveal. Allergies.

That poor man happens to be allergic to nearly every air born allergen you can imagine. We had him tested once and he reacted to every pin prick except one. Can you guess what that one was?

Pig hair! 

It was quite the joke on the farm. Unfortunately, there is a big difference between pig hair and pig dander--bad news for Aaron. He just can't win.

On a more serious note, lets deal with that previously mentioned speculation.

It is common knowledge that as microbes digest and breakdown poop it releases methane gases. Without getting too technical (because that stuff is way over my head) it goes without saying that there must be methane gases in those pits. 

True story. There are gases down in those pits.

So, what do we do about it?????

First, there are pit fans that keep fresh air in the barns and pit gases out.

Second, the gases stay trapped in the manure and is only released if the pits are agitated which we only do twice a year when we pump out the pits. We also take every safety precaution when doing this to prevent any accidents or dangerous conditions.

Third, (and this is the coolest) there are very cool and innovative additives that we can (and do) put in our pits that minimize the gases, improves the value of the fertilizer, and even eliminates the smell! We started using this additive in one of our barns to test its usefulness and were amazed by the results. 

The smell is the first thing you notice. Animals in general stink. I don't care if you have a dog, cat, cow, bunny, or pig--they stink. But it isn't anything so terrible to make it unbearable. However, minutes after the additive was put in the smell...GONE!

The additive also ate all the solids in the pits, which is a very good thing especially come pump time. Three years later, without adding anymore into the pits, still no solids and when we pump out the manure the pit walls are clean.

Basically, what all this boils down to is knowing what you do and doing RIGHT. 

Aaron is a pig farmer that is allergic to pigs and dust. So, he wears a mask.

Pigs produce a lot of poop, which has nothing to do with the mask but it is the first place people's minds go. However, that poop is essential to our farming operation as a fertilizer in our fields.

 

Finally, every business produces its own challenges. The key is to identify those challenges and meet them head-on. Through proper management and knowing every aspect of our business, our challenge is turned into a renewable, essential, natural resource that is actually better for the soil than any man-made chemical. 

I encourage anyone who has any concerns, questions, or confusion about farming to ask questions. Ask here in the comments section. Ask a farmer on Facebook or Twitter. Ask a local farmer down the road. 

Just ask!

Tragedy Strikes, Farmers Come Together

Bold headline, I know, but when tragedy strikes farmers, neighbors, and other rural community members really do come together--at least they did this weekend.

I had a different post lined up for this weekend. I wanted to introduce my Show-Me Ag Matters project but that can wait. Instead, I wanted to tell a little story. A story about a man, a barn, some neighbors, and a whole lot of pigs.

As many of you are aware, we had a snow storm. Actually, most of the Midwest had a snow storm. This storm dropped a good bit of snow and in our area we got anywhere from 9 inches to more than a foot of snow with drifts 3 to 5 feet deep. This is where the tragedy began.

Snow is heavy, wet snow is heavier and I think you know where I'm going with this. Yes, that's the place this is heading--a roof collapsed.

One of our neighbor's roof collapsed on his pig barn. Unfortunately, it was full of pigs.

No, these are not the actual images of our neighbor's barn but this is very similar to what the damage looks like.

Fret not, there is good news in this story and a happy ending.

Fortunately, because this farmer was quick to act, friends, family, neighbors, and fellow farmers were able to rapidly come together. They were also able to save nearly every pig in the barn. As soon as the tragedy happened phones were ringing, trucks were moving, and people were coming together to save those pigs. Grown men were on hands and knees crawling under the collapsed roof trying desperately to get to the trapped pigs and run out as many as they possibly could.

It was a lucky thing that we recently emptied one of our sites and had room to fit all of our neighbor's pigs. However, there was a downside. This particular site has three barns sitting on it, two 1200-head barns and one 2400-head barn, our 2400-head barn was down for repairs. We needed to replace all the gate posts before pigs could come in. But a group of guys came over and got every single one of those gate posts (there were several!) replaced while another group took care of unloading the pigs in the smaller barns. It was a great show of organization and hustle.

Luck aside, it could not have been done without the help of extraordinary people willing to drop everything and come to aide a farmer and a friend in need. Because these wonderful people came together so quickly they were able to save nearly every pig in the entire barn. The pigs were hungry and thirsty when they came to our barns (due to the feed and water lines busting from the collapse) but otherwise happy and healthy--running, jumping, and inspecting the new facility.

I want to thank those farmers, friends, and neighbors for caring and dropping everything to help.

I want to thank our neighbor for acting so quickly and proving that farmers--no matter the size of their operation--care about their animals.

I want to thank all parties involved for doing the right thing even when they think no one is looking, even when they think no one will ever know of the good deed done. Because guess what guys, I just told on you. But I think in this instance, it's okay to tattle.

Great job getting those pigs out, guys. Now, everyone reading his, go thank a farmer!

Winter Farming

Even in the winter months with the ground frozen and nothing growing farmers are still farming. There is a surprising consensuses that farmers get the winter months off but oh the contrary is true. No, we aren't in the fields but there is much, much more to farming than just cruising in the tractors. There is plenty to do on the farm to keep farmers and ranchers busy year round and then some.

Today in Missouri (and the entire mid-west) we are under a winter weather advisory. In fact, the radio just announced a state of emergency because the sky is layering the ground with an inch of snow every hour and the wind she is a blowing causing whiteout conditions.

 

Luckily, Aaron crammed the trucks in the shed and got the tractor and blade ready last night in preparation for today. There is a very good reason why farmers are obsessed with the weather and I am grateful for it, especially today.

But what about the livestock? Sure, we have tractors for pushing snow complete with cabs, heat, and air-ride seats but how are our pigs faring in this frosty weather?

Good news! Not only do we have heated cab tractors but we also have heated barns specially made for the pigs. You won't find frosty snouts and frozen hooves on our farm; instead, you'll find warm pigs with plenty of food and water. We didn't even have to break the ice for them to drink!

These huge furnaces are throughout the barn and work just like a furnace in a house. When the temperature drops the furnace kicks on until the barn reaches the toasty temperature we designate in the computer. We also have brooder heaters for the little pigs but once they are big enough to generate their own heat we take these brooders down. We also have a generator, which Aaron checked on this morning, in case the power goes out.

Despite whiteout conditions, 40-mile-per-hour winds, and freezing temperatures farmers and ranchers are out checking on their herds--both indoor and outdoor. No matter where the herd is raised--climate controlled barns, pastures, or hoop houses--farmers still have to brave the weather to get to their animals every single day. 

 

 What are you doing on this snowy day?

Off the subject: Is it normal to have thunder and lightening during a snow storm or am I the only one that finds that odd?

President's Day Meaty Monday

In honor of President's Day I decided to take a look at what our former presidents ate, particularly, what meats they favored. I stumbled upon The Food Timeline, where our journey begins.

So, what meat did our first president George Washington enjoy? What about Honest Abe? Did JFK have a taste for a particular morsel of meaty goodness? How about Ronald Reagan?

Here's the run down of just a few:

• George Washington had simple tastes when it came to food. He liked his meals hardy but plain. However, Washington seemed to favor fish above all other meats.
• Abraham Lincoln had the appetite of a farm boy, especially, when it came to bacon. He'd fit right in around here!
• James Garfield reportedly loved milk and squirrel soup but hated oatmeal. Well, each to their own.
• FDR, while he served hot dogs to the Queen of England, loved rabbit for his Sunday supper but he also enjoyed creamed chipped beef, bacon, sausage, and other traditionally American dishes.
• JFK was more upscale and swanky then many of his predecessors. He enjoyed a French cuisine often ordering a bowl of vichyssoise and chicken in champagne sauce. No squirrel for the Kennedy's. 
• The Reagan's were definitely bread eaters but Ronald Reagan loved roast beef.

Hungry for a second helping?

Here's a favorite food list from The Favorite Foods of Presidents Past:

• Barack Obama: Fran’s Smoked Salt Caramels (buttery caramels coated in milk chocolate and sprinkled with smoked sea salt).
• George W. Bush: Homemade ‘cheeseburger pizzas’ composed of a cheeseburger on top of a margherita pizza.
• Bill Clinton: Jalapeño cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, pickles, and onions.
• George Bush: Pork rinds.
• Ronald Reagan: Jelly beans.
• Richard Nixon: Cottage cheese and ketchup.
• Lyndon B. Johnson: Like Warren Buffet, he had a daily hamburger fix.
• John F. Kennedy: Boston clam chowder and ice cream with hot fudge.
• Dwight Eisenhower: Beef stew.
• Harry S. Truman: His mama’s fried chicken and custard pie; his wife’s chocolate cake, as well as chicken and dumplings.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: Grilled cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs, fish chowder, hot dogs, and fruitcake.
• Warren G. Harding: Men’s-only dinners featuring saurkraut and knockwurst.
• Theodore Roosevelt: Fried chicken smothered in white gravy.
• Abraham Lincoln: His mother’s gingerbread.
• Andrew Jackson: Cheddar cheese. A 1,400-pound wheel of it.
• Thomas Jefferson: Expensive red wine.
• John Adams: New England cheese, bacon, white potatoes, and cider.
• Georgia Washington: Nuts, so much so that he had dental issues from cracking them with his teeth so much.

It is interesting to see that each president's tastes are as different as our own. Some people swear by pork or poultry, others are all beef all the time. Yet others prefer to just veg out with no meat in sight. The amazing thing is that we each have that choice to make. Just as every president has certain preferences, ideas, and agendas so too does every person.

As a society we need to be understanding of our differences and respectful of individual choices.

That's enough insight for one day. Enjoy President's Day, everybody!