Deep roots grow tall We want to thank you for helping turn our small-town idea into a big-time success. We couldn’t do this without the consumers and producers who have joined us on our journey. We’re excited to share what’s coming next. Picutred, the Moore faMily: brandon, heather, tucker, cassidy, cooPer, and sutton Maquoketa Exciting things are happening in Maquoketa for Moore Family Farms and Creamery! You can now find our retail store on Birch Street. While you’re here, you can learn about how we process our own cheese - right here in Maquoketa! Bellevue We’re looking forward to opening the doors to our new coffee shop where we’re focused on two things: fast and delicious! Follow us on Facebook for updates. “We had an idea and our community made it a success.” — Heather Moore AND CREAMERY facebook.com/pg/moorefamilymoos heatherannmoore@gmail.com
Ag Bytes Purina, Truterra partner with local IAS office to support farmer-led sustainability A project to improve farm ground quality in the Maquoketa Watershed by working with local producers is the aim of a partnership between Purina, Truterra and the Andrew office of Innovative Ag Services. “Purina has always been committed to sustainability and how we procure a lot of our dog and cat food. You have to work with the ones who make the changes you wish to see. That’s the farming and ranching community,” said Jack Scott, vice president of sustainability and responsible sourcing for Nestlé Purina Under the program, which launched in the fall of 2019, Nestlé Purina is supporting conservation practices on farms near the company’s Clinton and Davenport production facilities. Working with Skott Gent, an agronomy advisor with IAS, farmers can use the Truterra Insights Engine, a computer program that benchmarks current practices and environmental impact on a field-by-field and acre-by-acre basis. Jack Scott, Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing, Nestlé Purina Skott Gent, Agronomy Advisor, Innovative Ag Service This information helps farmers better model both the potential environmental and economic impacts of conservation practices, said Matt Kruger, a precision conservation specialist with Truterra, which is operated by Land O’Lakes, Inc. The three entities are identifying farmers to enroll into the free program, with more than 100 already participating. The way it works is a crop advisor visits the farm and develops a baseline of information, Kruger said. They work with farmers to get a handle on their soil health, topography, etc. Then they work with farmers to find ways to improve the land. The move to engage at the local level, with the people who are growing the raw materials, was motivated by Purina deciding to start at the beginning of the supply chain when looking at how to meet consumer demand for sustainably produced products. It didn’t like the idea of pushing edicts onto their suppliers. “What we did was flip it. We said let’s not try to push things down to our supply chain, but let’s begin with the ones who make the changes we wish to see. That’s where it begins,” Scott said. Scott and Kruger both noted that the use of technology is continuing to grow. Technology, sustainability and community are connected. “We’re trying to find ways to help support farmers with technology. Of all the tools I’ve seen, Truterra’s is one of the best. It’s great for farmers and ranchers. It gives them additional insights,” Scott said, adding that those insights can help farmers make decisions about how to improve their soil. Kruger said right now they are targeting 50,000 acres in a 100-mile radius of Davenport and Clinton to use the program. “We will be backing up how growers are operating with data to tell their story, make them more profitable and track those changes over time,” he said. Gent is the local “boots-on-the-ground” person for the program, which is open to all farmers. They do not have to be a customer of IAS. For more information, contact Gent at the office at (800) 397-3228 or on his cell phone at (563) 590-9232. Mark Schroeder retires from Clinton County Extension after 10 years wearing many hats After10 years with the <strong>Iowa</strong> State Extension and Outreach in Clinton County, Mark Schroeder retired in January. During his time with the Clinton County Extension Office, he wore many different hats, though mainly served in a role related to community and economic development outreach. “Mark was an extremely valuable asset to me when I started in my position back in 2019,” said Sam Genson, director of Clinton Mark Schroeder, Clinton County Extension Office County’s ISU Extension. “He did a lot for the office in times of transition, including serving as interim county director in the spring of 2019. Mark has years of connections that greatly benefited the mission of our office and has certainly left some big shoes to fill.” The extension office will forward cards from people who would like to extend their best wishes to Schroeder. They can be mailed to <strong>Iowa</strong> State University Extension and Outreach/Clinton County, 400 E. 11 th St., DeWitt, IA 52742. AgArts offering classes, podcasts to foster connections with creativity and rural areas AgArts, a nonprofit that fosters connections between art and agriculture, is now offering online classes. Topics include such things as botanical drawing, designing a food forest, writing poetry, making natural dyes, and producing a short video. For more information, visit agarts.org/events/ The group is also doing podcasts – “AgArts from Horse and Buggy Land” – hosted by Mary Swander, a former <strong>Iowa</strong> poet laureate who lives in Kalona. In the program, Swander, a founder of AgArts, explores life among the Amish and the arts and agriculture in the wider rural community. People can listen in at agarts.org/podcast/ The organization continues to do Farm-to-Artist residencies, Swander AgArts Founder Mary Swander, said. AgArts is looking for farmers who would be willing to open their homes to an artist for a week or two during the year. It’s an immersion experience that allows writers, painters, sculptors, musicians etc. the chance to dig deep into agriculture and learn about a rural way of life. “The artist gets to know the farmer and the issues, and then creates art based on their experience,” Swander said. Often performances and workshops at other <strong>Iowa</strong> locations are part of the program. Any local farmers who would be interested in hosting an artist can contact Swander. For more information visit her website at maryswander.com and click on “Contact Mary.” For more information on AgArts visit agarts. org. eifarmer.com spring <strong>2021</strong> | <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> 105
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