Environmental Stewardship

2001 Environmental Stewardship Award

Iowa Select Farms received the 2001 Environmental Stewardship Award for their exceptional commitment to the environment and efforts at the Arends Sow Farm in Hamilton County. Iowa Select Farms is the first pork producer in the United States to be recognized twice as a national award winner. The 2001 award, sponsored by the National Pork Board (NPB) and National Hog Farmer Magazine, is designed to select the top environmental stewards from four regions in the United States. A national selection committee, comprised of experts from various pork industry and natural resource organizations, makes selections based on general production, manure management, financial management, farm aesthetics, neighbor relations, wildlife habitat, innovative ideas and the producer's dedication to a strong environmental conservation ethic. According to Hugh Dorminy, president of the NPB, "These pork production operations demonstrate the high level of care and commitment pork producers have for the environment. The Environmental Stewards Program is just one part of the pork industry's commitment to the environment." The award was presented to Iowa Select Farms at a formal ceremony in Washington D.C.

"Iowa Select Farms is very proud of this recognition," explains Jeff Hansen, Iowa Select Farms President and CEO. "I believe Iowa Select Farm's efforts at the Arends Sow Farm are an example of how cooperative programs and employee involvement increase awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship. We take pride in trying to be the best at everything we do. That includes not only trying to maximize the production of safe, high quality pork, but also to balance production and the environment."

The Arends Sow Farm is a 3,850 farrow-to-wean operation with six barns and an office. The manure storage system includes shallow pits with a flush and scraper, and pull-plug system with manure pumped into a two-cell anaerobic lagoon. Both systems have redundant backup safeguards to protect our environment. Each cell of the lagoon is rip-rapped to prevent erosion of the compacted clay liner. Perry Stanley, farm manager, walks the entire farm each Monday to review the lagoon levels, water meter readings and wildlife sitings and faxes the environmental report to the main office. The Arends Sow Farm features a center pivot nutrient application system designed to apply effluent from the anaerobic lagoons through low-pressure nozzles to growing crops throughout the growing season. The uniform distribution of nutrients and light application protects water quality, eliminates ponding and run-off. These are only a few examples of Iowa Select Farms' voluntary environmental performance standards.

While the production system and nutrient management at the farm are high-tech, the natural environmental buffer captures the majority of the attention. Early in 1998, Iowa Select Farms selected the Arends Sow Farm as the centerpiece of a long-term partnership based on shared environmental interests with Trees Forever, the Iowa State University Department of Forestry, Agroecology Issue Team of the Leopold Center and USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory. This multi-discipline alliance began a research and demonstration project to determine the benefits of improved landscape aesthetics, reduced energy costs and odor, and improved wildlife habitat through the use of trees, shrubs and grasses at the Arends Sow Farm. Over the next two years, more than 1,100 trees and shrubs and native grass areas were planted by Iowa Select Farms employees, Northeast Hamilton High School FFA, the Blairsburg Lions Club and Trees Forever volunteers. While most of the trees and shrubs are in shelterbelts around the perimeter, some trees are planted near buildings and around the lagoon to see how they might affect airflow, odor drift and air filtration. "We believe that an important facet of environmental stewardship is to create long-term value for Iowa Select Farms, our neighbors, communities and the pork industry," notes Hansen. "Environmental stewardship is a balance between people and pork production, and pork production and our natural resources."

1997 Environmental Stewardship Award

Iowa Select Farms received national recognition as recipient of the 1997 Environmental Stewardship Award in Washington, DC, for exceptional commitment to the environment. Iowa Select's Kielsmeiser Sow Farm, located southwest of Iowa Falls, is the first Iowa-based recipient of this prestigious award, and was one of five pork operations recognized by the U.S. pork industry. The award is sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) in association with the National Pork Board and National Hog Farmer magazine.

"The Environmental Stewards Program showcases producers who go the extra mile for the environment and it demonstrates ideas other producers can use in their operations," said Charlie Lemmon, an Albion, Indiana pork producer and chairman of the 1997 NPPC's Environmental Committee. Recipients of the award were evaluated in five environmental areas: manure management system, financial management, farm aesthetics and neighbor relations, wildlife management and innovation. Winners are selected by a national committee comprised of experts from the pork industry and natural resource organizations.

"Environmental stewardship means not resting on your laurels. It's our responsibility - we live here, we work here, and we raise our families here," said Jeff Hansen, President and CEO of Iowa Select Farms.