***CSIF Exclusive News -- First in a Series***
(Editor's note -- Livestock farming is poised for tremendous growth in Iowa thanks to good market prices, a growing renewable fuels industry and increasing value of using animal nutrients as fertilizer. The importance of agriculture, particularly livestock farming, has generated a great deal of discussion across the state, including northwest Iowa. The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers recently visited with a variety of northwest Iowa residents about livestock and agricultural issues. Those interviewed represented many different businesses and industries. All agreed that Iowans need farmers and farmers need Iowa. During November, the Coalition will unveil a series of articles focusing on the interconnection between strong and growing farms and vibrant and prosperous main streets.)
Bruce Keenan, Sr. Vice President of the family-owned The State Bank of Spirit Lake and Terril, is bullish about agriculture. He, just like many in the community, traces his roots to the farm and appreciates the important role farmers play in sustaining local businesses and putting food on the table.
“Livestock and farming are good for Dickinson County,” says Keenan who also serves as president of the county’s cattlemen’s association and treasurer of the county pork producers association. “We need agriculture to keep families here at home.”
The Iowa State University graduate has a great affinity for what it takes to make a living on the farm. Opportunity to operate a central Iowa farm disappeared because tough economic times dictated that he, just like many others his age, pursue an off-farm career. His interest in finances guided him into a banking career, beginning in Webster City. In 1990, he moved to Spirit Lake, a place he’s called home ever since.
And while tourism is important to his community, Keenan recognizes the critical role agriculture plays in the success of The State Bank. Ag loans, he says, make up nearly 50 percent of the bank’s loan portfolio.
With a glance outside his office door, Keenan can see customers come and go. Many of the bank’s patrons, he says, benefit from agriculture just as much as The State Bank. That’s why he visits with them and others in the community about the realities of farm life.
“Our farmers take care of the land just as they have for hundreds of years,” he says. “I think it’s important that we tell those who live in town about the farmer’s use of such things as the new buildings that safely store manure and about the buffer strips they plant that protect water quality.”
Recent calls for more regulations on livestock farmers are misguided, says Keenan.
“From the logical person standpoint, livestock doesn’t smell any different today than it did 20-30 years ago when hogs and cattle stood in open lots and waded in the streams,” he says. “However, many urbanites have moved into the country and express concern when no one has told them that they could smell livestock a few days out the year.”
The disconnect between farmers and rural acreage owners doesn’t surprise Keenan. Farming is a private endeavor, he says. The economics of agriculture have required that farms get larger. Larger farms mean there are fewer farmers to go in and out of local businesses. Therefore, there are fewer opportunities for town residents to interact with farmers and to learn about what they do.
“Farmers are a quiet crowd,” he says. “They’re not out there every day saying ‘Hey, we’re a major industry.’ They’re not asking for tax increment financing districts or tax abatements. Local farmers don’t appear before city councils asking for money to update their facilities or build new ones. As a result, they and the economic activity they generate often go unnoticed and unappreciated.”
And while some criticize farmers for having a negative impact on tourism, Keenan says farmers take a different approach. Many, he said, are complimentary of the role both ag and tourism play in making the community a better place to live.
“Farmers take great pride in caring for our lakes and streams because they like to use them and benefit from the tourists who visit Spirit Lake,” he says. “We also benefit from area farmers and the amenities they produce every day of the year,” such as places to hunt every fall and involvement in community pride.
Farmers, he recalls, were among the first to help lake-front property owners in 1993 when floods forced them out of their homes.
“We’re all neighbors,” he says. “Let’s not wait until farmers are gone to notice what they mean to our communities.”