The MOSES Board of Directors are pleased to announce the farmers of the Grain Place,
the Dave and Don Vetter families, as the 2011 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year.
Driving on highway 14 east of Grand Island, Nebraska, you might think that field
corn and soybeans were the only crops that could grow in the large fields unbroken
to the horizon. That is, until you approach the Vetter family farm, known as The
Grain Place. A windbreak of mixed conifer trees surround the farm, offering
protection from wind and pesticides as well as providing an oasis of habitat for a
wide variety of wildlife. This 280 acre farm, with its small fields and diverse
rotations, is ever evolving and changing as the Vetter family is continually
improving their systems.
The Grain Place History
Don Vetter, the patriarch of The Grain Place, took agriculture courses at the University of Nebraska after returning from World War II. Starting farming in 1948, he was one of the first in the area to try out the new technologies of pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. While the yields did improve, Don's keen
sense of observation told him that things
were not quite right in his fields. He saw
negative effects on the soil and wildlife. He
also noticed that the crops themselves were
more susceptible to insect damage and to
damage from the ever present prairie winds.
He started to read materials published by
Rodale Press, and some Biodynamic publications. Don's son Dave remembers growing up
with Sir Albert Howard's literature around
the house when he was in Junior High School.
A holistic view of the farm as an independent
organism that was developed in these early
years is one that still guides the family.
The Second Generation
Don's son Dave attended the University of
Nebraska and received a degree in soil science
and agronomy. He attended United Theological Seminary in Ohio where he enrolled
in a dual career training program directed by
Fred Kirschenmann. His work with Fred led
him back to the family farm. This mentorship has lead to a lifelong friendship between
these two visionary men. The understanding
that without ecological justice, there cannot
be human justice, underscores their belief in
respecting the interdependency of all life.
A Diverse Farming System
Dave returned home to farm and started the
organic conversion in 1975. Building a strong
economic base for the farm has been a priority, and has led to continual experimentation
with new crops and rotations. Mike Herman,
Dave's brother-in-law, currently does most of
the farming, while Dave and Don are still involved in much of the decision making.
Over the years the Vetters have grown a
wide range of crops not typically seen in the
region, such as edible soybeans, edible dry
beans, blue and white corn, popcorn, heirloom
barley, flax, amaranth, lupines, sunflowers,
and pasture. Though the acreage has not
changed the Vetters have expanded from 6
fields to 18 fields on the farm, all separated
by buffer areas. Fruit and nut trees are being
planted in the buffer zones to increase biodiversity and add additional income. Pastures
are rotated around the farm to support a cow/
calf herd of direct marketed grass finished
beef. The pasture breaks annual weed cycles
for the subsequent row crops. Returning the
land to row crop after a few years of pasture
as part of a nine-year rotation breaks the
pasture's perennial weed cycle. Crop pests
and diseases are managed effectively by the
ecological services that the biodiversity and
smaller fields provide.
Soil Stewards
Walking the land and seeing the soil tilth
improve enforces the Vetters' belief that they
are doing right by the land and their family.
As a model of sustainability the Vetter farm
has hosted numerous farm tours for local,
regional, national, and international groups.
Nebraska agriculture and economic development agencies recognize the gem they have
in their midst and they consider a tour of The
Grain Place a must when they have international visitors.
These visitors can see how the soil soaks
up water and is resilient through all kinds
of climatic extremes. While neighbors have
heavy clods and significant runoff after rain,
the Vetters' soil is resilient and absorptive.
To work the soil they use a buffalo cultivator, spring tine harrow, and rotary hoe, and
also do some ridge tillage, depending on the
situation. They strive to manage their weed
seed bank, but also see the benefits of having
some weeds for nutrient recycling and biomass production. They have found that the
benefits gained from having some weeds, and
the accompanying biodiversity they bring,
does more good than harm to their yields and
overall profitability.
The Vetters continue to experiment with different irrigation methods. While center pivots are now the norm in their area, the Vetters have been able to use less water with
surge irrigation. However, as soil texture
and structure has improved they have questioned the effectiveness of the surge system to
reduce water use and provide uniform water
application. This has led them to experiment
with about 60 acres of subsurface drip irrigation. The underground distribution system
for irrigation is also used to deliver fresh water for the rotational grazing program. They
are dedicated to doing more research to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their
irrigation methods.
Value Added Products
A very important part of the farm is the grain
processing plant, Grain Place Foods, located
on the homestead. Over 3 million pounds of
organic popcorn was cleaned and bagged onsite in 2010, some of it also grown there. This
small but very diverse facility also processes
other whole grains and manufactures a full
line of rolled organic grains. Grain Place
Foods also produces a variety of specialty pet
foods including a full line of organic companion bird diets. Dave and Grain Place Foods
work closely with customers on new product
and process development. Long time employees say that if others say that it can't be done,
Grain Place will try to do it. The business employs many members of the local community
as well as members of the Vetter family, and
patriarch Don still goes into the office every
day.
Organic Integrity
Dave has been a leader in the development of
organic standards and the certification process, as an early president of OCIA International (Organic Crop Improvement Association). Many of the current NOP regulations
started with standards that OCIA developed.
Dave points out that the "95% Organic" and "70% or more organic, Made with Organic" labels were originally put in place by OCIA.
In addition, this writer remembers Dave
teaching a class of novice organic inspectors
all about a new idea, the Transaction Certificate (TC) system. This was put in place to
not just track the farm's organic certification,
but also the specific lot numbers and organic
certification of each shipment. This system
goes a long way to preventing fraud and providing transparent tracking of organic commodities. Dave says folks can either thank him or swear at him, depending on what they
think of TCs. This type of system has been
recognized by both the European Union and
Japan as bringing integrity to the international trade of organic products.
Dave encourages farmers just transitioning
to organic to put a strong focus on building
their soils, since the farm's success depends
on that major resource. As the farm begins
to mature into a functioning organic system,
increasing biodiversity both within the crops
and around the farm will continueto enhance
the resources needed to provide healthy
crops and profitable yields. Dave reminds
us that if a farmer feels they have the perfect management system in place, they will
probably fail. He recommends that we never
stop observing, never stop experimenting,
and never stop building upon the good work
of enhancing your ecosystem, both below and
above ground. There is nothing static about
organic!
Congratulations to the Vetter family of The
Grain Place for their commitment to the true
spirit of organic farming, and for being selected as the 2011 MOSES Organic Farmer
of the Year.
Family Values on the Farm Vetter family members talk about the family values on display in their organic farming operations.
