Community Capitals, Small Farms, and the Potential for Grass-Based Livestock

1. Community Capitals, Small Farms, and the Potential for Grass-Based Livestock Andy Larson 515-294-5875 or allarso1@iastate.edu

2. Capital Resources invested to create new resources over a long time horizon Jan Flora, Iowa State University Extension Sociologist

3. Seven Community Capitals

4. Air quality, wind and sun Water -- quantity and quality Soil and minerals Biodiversity- wildlife and plants Landscape Natural capital provides possibilities and limits to human action. It influences and is influenced by human actions. Natural Capital

5. Cosmovisión – spirituality Passion Symbols-sense of place Ways of knowing Language-history Ways of acting Definition of what is problematic Cultural capital determines how we see the world, what we take for granted, what we value, and what things we think possible to change. Hegemony allows one social group to impose its symbols and reward system on other groups. Cultural Capital

6. education skills Health Experience self-esteem, self-efficacy The characteristics and potentials of individuals that are determined by the intersection of nature (genetics) and nurture (determined by social interactions and environment) Human Capital

7. mutual trust reciprocity groups collective identity sense of shared future working together Interactions among individuals that occur with a degree of frequency and comfort. Bonding social capital consists of interactions within a specific group and bridging social capital consists of interactions among social groups. Social Capital

8. Organization Connections Voice Power Political capital is the ability of a group to influence standards, regulations and enforcement of those regulations that determine the distribution of resources and the ways they are used. PoliticAL Capital

9. Saving Income generation Earning for businesses Payment for environmental services Loans and credit Investments Taxes Tax exemptions User fees Gifts/philanthropy Financial Capital Forms of currency used to increase capacity. Financial capital is often privileged because it is easy to measure, and there is a tendency to put other capitals into financial capital terms.

10. Terraces Sewers & water systems Plants Machinery Transportation Electronic communication Trails and sidewalks Housing Human-constructed infrastructure used as tools for production of other capitals Built capital

11. What is a small farm? • Small family farms have agricultural sales less than $250,000 • There are five sub-types: • Limited-resource farms • Retirement farms • Residential/lifestyle farms • Farming occupation/low-sales • Farming occupation/high-sales http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmStructure/glossary.htm

12. Multiple Choice • Approximately what percentage of Iowa’s farms are “small family farms”? • 40% • 60% • 80% • 100%

13. Iowa small family farmers’ enterprises

14. Which is true? True • The number of farms is on the rise. • Farm consolidation is on the rise. • Small family farms represent 78.7% of Iowa farms, but only 17.4% of Iowa farm sales True

15. Number of small family farms in Iowa by agricultural sales 42% of small family farms had less than $10,000 in agricultural sales in 2007

16. Iowa small family farms - sales and numbers

17. http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Ag_Atlas_Maps/Farms/Size/07-M004.asphttp://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Ag_Atlas_Maps/Farms/Size/07-M004.asp

18. Value Chain Partnerships Foster value chains that increase the viability of Iowa food and agriculture businesses that produce and market products which result in positive social, environmental, and economic benefits Regional Foods Pork Niche Community of Small Meat Procesors Working Groups Fruits and Vegetables Grass – Based Livestock

19. Why grass-based livestock? • Potential benefits of grass farming: • Year-round ground cover for soil and water retention • Increased species diversity and habitat niches • Lower feed costs for meat and milk production • Fulfilling growing consumer demand for grass-based products • Potentially lower-cost way to enter farming

20. Why grass-based livestock? • Nearly 4 million cattle and calves in Iowa • 216,000 are milk cows • Also 200,000 sheep • 1.2 million acres in forage in Iowa • Represents nearly 27,000 farms • More than 10,000 farms practice rotational or management-intensive grazing http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_IA.pdf

24. Who is included? • Producers who use pasture/forage to provide a substantial portion of their feed ration • Includes all grazing species • Includes meat and milk production • Do NOT have to be grass-fed or grass-finished • Other practitioners in the grass-based livestock supply chain • Outreach professionals who support grass-based livestock practitioners

25. GBLWG Statement of Purpose The Grass-Based Livestock Working Group exists to: • Create a diverse and inclusive support network for grass-based farm and food businesspersons • Promote innovation, conservation, and information-sharing in the grass-based livestock sector • Help grass-based livestock agriculture realize potential ecological, economic, and social benefits

26. Focus Areas • PRODUCTION - Profitable grazing management • MARKETING - Grass-based branding and supply chains • ECOLOGY - Grazing, wildlife, and the environment • POLICY – Grass-based policy and education

27. What are graziers’ priority issues? • Learning from the experiences of other graziers • Navigating the maze of available grazing-related information • Optimizing productivity/profitability of pastures and animals • Valuation of non-market goods like ecosystem services • Dynamic marketing environment

28. Pressing Issues for the Working Group • Maintaining /increasing membership diversity • Keeping both conventional and alternative producers engaged • Engaging non-producer practitioners, like brokers, processors, etc. • Coordination with other grazing organizations so our work is additive, not duplicative