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!

Factory Farms: An Issue of Scale

Factory farm or family farm?

As a concerned mother, wife, and fellow consumer I can understand how the idea of a “factory farm” can scare, anger, or even confuse the general public. However, as a farmer’s wife and pork producer I must ask what is a “factory farm” anyway?

I have found through reading blog posts, tweets, and FB comments that the biggest defining factor for “factory farms” is an issue of scale. The bigger the farm the more likely it will be categorized as a “factor farm.” Technology also plays a role in people’s perception. The more we utilize technology the more we are all lumped into a corporate farming pile.

But does a larger scale of farming make you a factory/corporate farmer or a successful/sustainable farmer?

We raise 26,000 pigs over the course of a year plus several hundred acres of corn and soybeans. We utilize modern farming techniques to make us more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. Because we are larger in scale and have modern techniques does that make us factory farmers or successful farmers?

Fertilizer--knifing hog manure

We also participate in contract farming. We contract pig space and have manure spreading agreements with local farmers. This means that we “rent” pig space in our barn and—as a family—raise company owned pigs in our family owned and operated barns. The manure spreading agreements help fellow farmers reduce fertilizer costs while still putting needed nutrients into the ground in the form of a natural fertilizer. By farming in this way our farm has grown large enough to support four separate households—all of which are family members. So, are we factory farmers or family farmers?

I suppose the biggest issue here isn’t scale, technology, or even technique; instead it seems to be a matter of perception. The original 50 acre farm with a few dirt hogs wasn’t enough to maintain a growing family and by utilizing modern farming practices we were able to grow in size and support four separate family households.

To me this says successful farming because it is done responsibly; however, many don’t agree with that. It would seem there is a double standard in farming. If any other business grows in size over the course of years and is able to employ more people it is seen as a successful business and the business owner is considered to be living the “American dream.” However, if we place a farmer in this same scenario the farmer is considered a “corporate sell-out” or “factory farmer” instead of being seen as successful. Why is this? Why can’t farms be large in scale but still maintain family values and ownership?

So I ask again: What is a “factory farm” anyway?

The Cent of Swine

This is a post that I feel needs revisiting because it is an important factor in the farming industry. Manure management is also an environmental issue and John Q Public needs to know more about the renewable resource (and money saving resource) that we are producing. Enjoy...

A lot of folks whine, cry, and complain about the smell of a hog house but let me tell you...that, my friends, is money you are smelling. Don't get me wrong, we aren't a bunch of suits snapping our greedy claws at every dollar we see; we are family farmers. That means family owned and operated but farming is first and foremost a business...no matter what kind of farming you do. Furthermore, which is better, natural or chemical? Well, when it comes to fertilizer, I'll take natural over chemical any day of the week.

I ran across an interesting blog post The smell of money from a blog I follow, Brumm Speaks Out. In his post, Mike explains the financial benefits of utilizing swine waste as a natural fertilizer. He also describes the nutrients found in hog waste. Of course, here at Bacon Blogger HQ we have always appreciated our manure but here is a mathematical breakdown excerpted from Mike Brumm's post:

The average composition of the manure in pounds per 1000 gal of manure was 60 pounds of nitrogen, 30 pounds of phosphate (P2O5), 35 pounds of potash (K2O), 7 pounds of sulfur and 1 pound of zinc.

At the same time, I’ve seen prices quoted for commercial fertilizer in the range of $800/ton for anhydrous ammonia (82% N), $600/ton for phosphate and $800/ton for potash. Applying these values to the above manure analysis, the manure is worth $42.80/1000 gallons as it is removed from the pit.

For a wean to finish barn, you get about 340 gallons of manure per pig space per year or a net value at time of land application of $9.25 per pig space. For a 1250 head facility, this is $11,560.

When applied at 180 pounds of nitrogen per acre (3,000 gallons per acre), this becomes 8.2 pig spaces per acre from a grow-finish barn with a total land need of 150 acres.

Now, to put this into perspective, I'll give you the scoop on pig poop. To use a chemical fertilizer it will cost a farmer around $200 to $300 per acre; whereas for manure, we only pay what it cost to run the machinery--which doesn't even come close to $300 per acre. We also apply manure for other farmers and charge a fraction of what it cost to use chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, according to recent Canadian research manure actually helps rebuild topsoil. I think we can safely say that manure isn't waste, it is one of the most valuable byproducts from pigs. And, with proper waste management it can be an invaluable renewable resource for farmers.

Here is another scoop on pig poop:

Manure Management

Photo of Anhydrous Ammonia Tanks

It's that time of year again. The crops are out, the ground is worked, and now the fertilizer must be spread in preparation for next years crop. This is where manure managment comes in.

The dominate fertilizer is anhydrous ammonia. This is a chemical fertilizer that injects nitrogen into the soil, which is needed to grow corn. However, there is another option, manure. Not all farmers have access to manure; furthermore, despite the thousands of CAFOs in America, we just don't make enough manure to go around. Our farm, and a few surrounding farms that contract us to fertilize their fields, are the fortunate ones because we have the best fertilizer you can get--Pig Poop!



Image of slurry wagon knifing
manure from a swine CAFO


Not only does manure significantly cut costs by $30 to $50 per acre, it also rebuilds topsoil. Since hog manure is a natural fertilizer made of organic materials it does more than just inject a specific nutrient, it puts back what crops take out creating soil that will, over years, need less fertilizer to maintain high yields.

Many anti-CAFO people believe that we are polluting the water and destroying the environment but we are actually doing the opposite. By reduces the use of petroleum-based chemical fertilizers and replacing them with the original fertilizer that our grandparents, great-grandparents, and generations before them used we are created a safer, healthier environment.

As long as farmers follow the rules and regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and enforced by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) we are doing our part to remain good stewards of the land, which is what farming is all about. We take care of what takes care of us.

See manure in action on YouTube by watching the latest video on the BaconCam Channel,

Manure Management: The Scoop on Pig Poop.

Everything But The Oink: Swine Waste Hits The Road In St. Louis

Here is a great story for all my pig eating friends; a 500-foot stretch of St. Louis roadway was paved with recycled swine manure. That's right; the outer road along Interstate 44 next to Six Flags is now pig poop pavement. Pigs make so many by-products, from plastics to fiberglass to insulation; we can now add bio-oil and asphalt binder to the growing list. One of the big issues that animal activists overlook is the plethora of products that would become near impossible to make (or at least unreasonably expensive to make) if animal Ag was abolished.

Innoventor with the help of Pace Construction Co. have embraced the three R's of sustainability--reduce, reuse, recycle. By replacing petroleum based products with a renewable resource, like hog manure, they are not only helping the environment but also finding a use for a controversial waste product. This is truly a win-win situation for environmentalists and hog producers everywhere. I just hope everyone is willing to see it as the great achievement it is.
 
Read more...you know you want to.