The Adventure Begins...

Sitting on my connecting flight from Detroit to Des Moines, I silently pondered on exactly what activities the curriculum of FARM May X would entail. To be sure, I was excitedly anticipating the opportunity to learn a great deal about agricultural policy and commodity agriculture, but many of the concrete details of the term remained a mystery. Needless to say, Furman University can take pride in the fact that our tiny expedition to the great state of Iowa perfectly reflects its mantra of Engaged Learning. We have settled in quite nicely and are enjoying both the hospitality of the Neubauer family and the exquisite isolation of the Neubauer farm. As an introductory post, I will briefly outline our excursions from the first few days of the term, to be explained in detail in upcoming posts:

• Viewing and discussion of two popular and controversial documentaries: Food Inc.and Forks Over Knives.
• A brief tour of the Neubauer farmstead and workshop, including a demonstration of sweet corn planting by Dr. HN's brother, Denny Neubauer.
• A visit to the Henry A. Wallace House in Des Moines, IA, including a lecture and discussion of the famed former Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President and his family's influence on the history of Iowa.
• A visit to Living History Farms of Urbandale, IA, where we explored 300 years of Iowa farming history. Here we witnessed a "live" Native American settlement from the 1700's, an 1850 frontier farm, and a 1900 "traditional" farming settlement.
• A series of enlightening lectures and activities (including a farm safety course) courtesy of Kelvin Leibold of Iowa State University Extension in Iowa Falls, IA. We are scheduled to attend one additional lecture on Monday, but have already studied and discussed topics ranging from the efficacy of manure biodigesters to the average profit margin of a wheat operation in Ukraine.
• A tour of the Hardin County Farm Services Agency office, where we met with local employees who oversee the regulation and implementation of direct-farm payment subsidies, farm loan programs, and rural economic development.
• A visit to Stockdale Farms, Inc., a 3,000 acre farming operation in Franklin County, IA. Here we learned about different issues regarding soil quality and fertilizer use. Of note is the fact that Stockdale Farms sells nearly all of its corn to a nearby ethanol plant owned by Koch Industries; very little if any corn produced by Stockdale is intended for human or animal consumption.
• A public lecture in Cedar Rapids, IA by Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Righteous Porkchop. She is an advocate for the elimination of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and a shift to free-range, grass-fed animal production as an alternative to corn-based feedlot production.

Today our group split up in the afternoon. Dr. HN, Katie Jo, and myself met with Iowa State Rep. Annette Sweeney (R-Alden, chair of the Iowa House Agriculture Committee) and assisted her in campaigning in Ackley, IA - going door to door urging Iowans to vote in the state Republican primary on June 5th. Rep. Sweeney is currently locked in a fierce reelection battle with another incumbent, Rep. Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford), as a result of the latest redrawing of Iowa's state house districts.

Phillip and Morgan accompanied Ms. Nancy Roberts, HN's sister, to Wheatsfield Cooperative natural foods grocery in Ames, IA, where they shopped for and purchased organic vegetables. The trio cooked a delicious stir fry for us tonight composed of ingredients purchased at Wheatsfield.

We have been extremely busy over the past few days, clocking close to 500 miles driven on the road thus far. Now that the blog is finally up and running, we will be posting more regular updates (including photos hopefully) as we continue our pioneering May X in Iowa.