DENVER (July 20, 1999) — John McGrath, Beef Manager for Amana Farms, Inc, owned by the Amana Society in Amana, Iowa, has received the 9th Annual National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Environmental Stewardship Award in their region. Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the award recognizes cattle producers across the United States for using innovative practices to enhance the environment.
Located in east-central Iowa, Amana Farms, Inc. was honored during the NCBA summer conference in Denver for Region III, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. McGrath and four full-time employees manage the entire beef operation for Amana Farms.
Amana Farms, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Amana Society, Inc. and one of 27 divisions of a corporation owned by that group of approximately 800 stockholders. Amana Farms includes approximately 26,000 acres, divided into row crops, hardwood timber and pasture land. The beef division includes a 3,000 head one-time capacity feedlot and a 2,200 head cow/calf operation. All of the calves produced from the cow herd are fed in the Amana Feedlots.
In addition to the cattle enterprise, Amana Farms produces corn, soybeans and several specialty crops on its 8,000 row crop acres. The crop division also includes 550 acres of hay ground used for cattle feed.
Throughout all the farming operations, the stockholders of Amana Farms, Inc have made it clear that they place environmental integrity on equal footing with profitability. As owners of the largest cow herd in the state, Amana Farms' adoption of a wide variety of environmental practices and programs provides a positive role model for cattle producers across the state.
"Amana Farms, Inc. is an exceptional example of the unique partnership U.S. Cattlemen have with the environment," said NCBA President, George Swan of Rogerson, Idaho. "This is a prime example of U.S. cattlemen working with the rhythms of nature, to increase their bottom line, while improving the earth for future generations."
One goal, illustrating the combined goals of profitability with stewardship is to minimize the use of harvested feed whenever possible. Since 1991, the number of harvested hay acres has decreased from 1500 to 550. The current procedure of stockpiling forage and crop residues cuts 63 days of feeding 2200 cows per day at an estimated savings of $2,200 per day.
"The overriding goal of Amana Farms has always been to maintain the 'look of the land' that drew the original settlers of the Amana Society to east-central Iowa in the 1800s," said McGrath. "We've found that this environmental goal works hand-in-hand with our production goals of reducing cost and energy requirements and producing cattle, crops and timber at optimum levels."
Moving the cattle through thousands of acres of grazing has been simplified by developing an adjacent paddock system. Developing water systems for the paddocks has been a challenge. Working with the Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Staff, systems have been developed for the paddocks using a windmill to pump water into holding ponds for distribution into watering tanks made from half-buried tractor tires.
The ESAP award annually recognizes up to seven cattlemen nationally. Members of the selection committee include representatives from the following organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Agriculture Research Service, American Farmland Trust, US Fish & Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Texas A&M University, Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Society for Range Management, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wildlife Management Institute, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Florida State Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Several criteria were used in the selection process, including the range of conservation practices that the candidates employ, such as water quality programs, manure management and wildlife habitat development. Candidates’ leadership activities were also important elements in the selection process.
A national winner will be selected from among the seven regional winners and announced during the NCBA Annual Convention in Phoenix, AZ, January 26-29, 2000.