Reuniting animals with the land

Before settlement Iowa’s soil was clothed in an amazing array of prairie grasses and wildflowers that sustained wildlife ranging from soil microbes to massive bison. Dozens of bird species hunted seeds and insects amid dense vegetation within the prairie’s grandeur. Wildlife poop recycled nutrients that, in turn, nurtured vegetation.

Until relatively recently most Iowa farms mimicked the natural system by producing both crops and animals. Cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens dined on the land’s abundance while enriching the soil with their droppings. This plant/animal relationship was symbiotic in both the native prairie and early agriculture.

Two recent seemingly unrelated Gazette articles illustrate how that’s changed.

One described the rising cost of synthetic fertilizer, mostly made from increasingly scarce natural gas. The other detailed the siting of a controversial cattle feedlot on northeast Iowa’s karst topography.

Once small dispersed herds and flocks have been replaced by massive production facilities concentrating animals and their manure. The system produces food cheaply and efficiently … at least for now, but it fractures the soil/animal relationship essential for sustainability. Manure has transitioned from resource to pollutant while making crops dependent upon purchased fertilizer and pesticides.

The halcyon days of Old MacDonald’s Farm are unlikely to return, but the Rodale Institute Midwest Organic Center is conducting research on Etzel’s Sugar Grove Farm near Cedar Rapids to develop modern ways to reunite livestock with crops.“ Topsoil needs animals, and we are working to develop ways to make that feasible for modern farmers,” said Drew Erickson, Farm Manager.

Erickson’s research is studying the economic and ecological impact of introducing chickens into fields of growing corn. Hungry birds feast on weed seeds and insects, while depositing manure to stimulate crop growth.

“Modern broiler hybrids raised in massive buildings are unable to forage, so we use roosters of traditional breeds like Plymouth Rocks. They know how to find wild food. We’re starting chicks in April. By the end of the summer they will be shipped to a processing plant, eliminating the need for winter animal care,” said Erickson.

The project provides inexpensive fertilizer and pest control while building soil health. It does one more thing. Modern confined broiler hybrids eat a specialized diet that produces fast growth of bland tasting meat. In contrast, older slower growing breeds foraging on weeds and bugs produce richly flavored meat favored by gourmet chefs. The Indian Creek Nature Center, which owns Etzel’s Sugar Grove Farm, will sell the Farm’s dressed chickens this fall.

In Erikson's words, “The goal is not to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it is to reintroduce old ways of farming paired with new technologies. Our research aims to find the best ways to do this. We want to give farmers an opportunity to diversify their production in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Rich Patterson is a member of the National Circle of Conservation Chiefs.