SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 21, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/26/22
In this edition:
*All Ag This Week!
*Farmer’s Markets
*Johnson County Agricultural Data
*Statewide Agricultural Data
*ARPA Funds at Work!
*Farm Roots
*Did You Know?
*All Ag This Week!
Farmers will soon be out in the fields, and spring has arrived. Time to dedicate an edition of Salvos to agriculture!
*Farmer’s Markets
It is almost May, and that means it is time for our local Farmer’s Markets! My mouth is watering!
People who know me know that I am a farmer’s market fanatic. I can be found at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market pretty much every Wednesday and Saturday. Unfortunately, there is no Wednesday market this year. I love the food, I love the farmers, I love the customers … I love everything about it! See you at the market!
*Johnson County Agricultural Data
The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers provided these statistics for both Johnson County and the State of Iowa:
There are 1,257 farms in Johnson County, totaling 304,239 acres. That is an average of 242 acres per farm. If I had to guess, I’d say these folks are defining a “farm” quite liberally.
Johnson County is one of the only counties in Iowa where the number of farms is going up, but the acres farmed is going down. This reflects our strong local foods culture.
In 2012, the market value of Johnson County crops was $143 million. The value of livestock sold was $76 million.
Agriculture and ag-related industries accounted for 4,044 jobs, about 3% of the county total. Ag and ag-related industries accounted for $171 million in wages, and $867 million in sales.
Johnson County is a bit better than average when it comes to farmland; our average Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) is 69, while statewide it is 68. But of the land in production, the average CSR is closer to 80. We have more woodlands than most counties, which also affect things.
We think of Johnson County as an “urban” county, and rightfully so. All of these ag numbers have dropped over the past 10 years. Yet it is important that we recognize the huge role that agriculture plays in our local economy.
*Statewide Agricultural Data
Statewide, the economic impact of agriculture is truly staggering. Ag accounts for one out of every three dollars in the Iowa economy. One in 5 Iowans works in ag or ag-related industries. Iowa ranks number one in hogs, corn, soybeans, and eggs, and in the top 5 for cattle, chickens, and turkeys.
*ARPA Funds at Work!
Johnson County will increase food security and access to local foods in the community by expanding support of local foods initiatives. The expansion is a result of Johnson County’s investment of funds received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $200,000 for local foods initiatives over the next three fiscal years to support a more resilient and equitable community-based food system by increasing capacity and reducing barriers for local food and farm businesses. Of the $200,000 investment, $50,000 will be utilized in Fiscal Year 2022, which ends June 30, 2022, to support access to local fruits, vegetables and proteins for food-insecure residents. The project will also work to foster economic growth in the community food system by purchasing and distributing vegetable and protein shares grown by local farmers.
The $150,000 allocated for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 will support the long-term growth of Johnson County’s community-based food system. Projects will support food supply chain infrastructure; access to food; bridging the wholesale gap; equitable access for food and farm businesses; and farmland access and sustainable land management.
Additionally, the pandemic caused a disruption to and shortages in the national food supply chain, creating a surge in demand for locally grown and produced food. Ongoing disruptions highlight the need for a stronger and more resilient community-based foods system to meet food needs daily and in times of crisis. Though area farmers and food producers showed their ability to pivot and provide for the community, additional support is needed to grow our capacity and sustain these efforts long-term.
More information about ARPA and how it impacts Johnson County is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpa.
*Farm Roots
Anyone who has known me long knows that I grew up on the family farm. It is not just any family farm; both my maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather came from families that settled in Iowa prior to statehood. We have two family farms that have been in the family seven and eight generations, respectively. My family has been on the same land since 20 years before the start of the Civil War! So yes, I am proud of my family farm roots.
After growing up out on the farm, on a gravel road, miles from the nearest town, I moved to Iowa City. And while I love the things city life offers, I often miss the farm. One small connection that I maintain is my screensaver.
Both home and at work, my screensaver is a photo of my Grandpa, Ed Jack, winning the 1961 State Corn Picking Championship. I love the photo for a lot of reasons, but primarily the way in which he holds his hat in his hands. Though he had become quite wealthy through farming, he was a very humble man. The photo really captures that. And despite the fact that he had been using a mechanical combine for several years, he obviously had not lost his touch when it came to picking corn.
We used to pick a lot of sweet corn when I was a kid. If you have ever seen anyone pick corn by hand, you know that it is not easy. And my Grandpa was a perfectionist – you had to do it right! I knew intuitively why he won that contest – he had the cleanest row and fewest deductions. Sure enough, that was true.
My Grandpa loved to enter contests. He liked to experiment, and he had a competitive spirit. So his house was full of trophies and plaques. Only one, however, was first place. That was the State Corn Picking Championship.
Also on a shelf were about a dozen trophies earned in various statewide competitions. There were 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place trophies – in some cases, multiples. Most of the awards were in yield competitions.
He got second in a highest yield contest in the late ‘50s, and once averaged 200 bushels per acre, which was the farming equivalent of breaking the 4-minute mile. The statewide average now is 189 bushels per acre, so technology has certainly caught up.
I remember the importance he placed on watching the markets. The guys who were working on the farm came into the house every day at EXACTLY 11:55. They washed their hands with Lava soap, filled their plates, and started to eat dinner. There was no “lunch” – dinner at noon, supper for the evening meal!
Then they put on the WMT noon news, with the volume cranked, because years on the tractor (no cab) had ruined my Grandpa’s hearing. (KCRG showed a soap opera at noon and had no noon news. That was an unforgiveable heresy in the eyes of my Grandfather!)
They would intently watch the markets, then decide what to do that afternoon. Maybe you got things ready to go to town and sell. Maybe not. The whole plan for the next 24 hours depended upon the market and the weather.
Nowadays, the commodities are presold on contract. There is no need to closely monitor prices and react. It is probably a lot less stressful. But at the time, it certainly seemed exciting to a kid watching it all unfold!
My Granny played a different role, and we kids were her helpers. Each family had HUGE gardens – between the 5 families, the garden space (not counting sweet corn and fruit trees) was probably over 2 acres. We spent all summer picking strawberries, asparagus, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, pears, lettuce, cabbage, radishes… then Granny showed us how to clean them, cut them, and store them.
Farming has changed a lot since I was a kid. I was recently asking my Mom who was renting the family’s various plots of land. She reported that there are only 3-4 people farming in the whole area, and that these operations have become so large that what used to be considered a sizeable farm (say, 250 acres) is barely worth their time to rent!
I never wanted to go into farming – I realized right away that I was a people person, and agriculture could get lonely. But I miss those days, and remember them fondly.
*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa has 49,065 women active in farm operations, 34% of the total number of farmers.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 11:38 AM
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