***CSIF Exclusive Farm Family Feature***
If a wise man creates more opportunities than he finds, then Rod Parker’s willingness to invest in five turkey barns is creating new options in agriculture not only for this young Cherokee County farmer, but for his younger brothers, as well.
“Not everyone is the given the chance to farm, so I feel very fortunate,” said Parker, 27, who noted that four generations of his family have farmed the land in Iowa. “However, the fastest way to take down the business is to draw too many incomes off of one farm, so I was looking for ways to diversify our farm.”
Turkeys seemed like a possibility, based on Parker’s conversations with friends and neighbors who raise the birds for Sara Lee Foods, which recently grew its processing facilities in Storm Lake.
Construction on Parker’s five barns, which hold up to 12,000 birds each, began in the summer of 2008. Last month, he hosted an open house at the farm just days before the first group of four-week-old tom turkeys arrived. The special event was attended by many friends, neighbors and local officials who gathered to tour the new barns and congratulate Parker.
“Livestock is an essential part of Iowa’s economy,” said Mark Buschkamp, executive director for Cherokee Area Economic Development. “In Cherokee County, agriculture is economic development. I know a turkey farm is big investment and a long-term commitment, so it’s great to see this.”
Farming has long been a way of life for the Parker family, who has lived south of Cherokee since 1948.
Rod’s parents, Robert and Peggy, raised their three sons and one daughter on the farm where they still live and work, just half a mile east of the new turkey barns. The Parkers’ farm includes a farrow-to-finish swine farm with 60 sows, along with 400 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. Rod joined the family business full-time after completing his farm management degree at Iowa Lakes Community College in May of 2002.
“I always knew I wanted to farm since I was a little kid,” said Parker, who now farms 160 acres of his own land.
The idea to diversify into the turkey business took root two years ago when Parker started researching the possibilities.
He considered not only his own future, but ways to help his brothers get involved in agriculture, including Curtis, who will graduate in December from Northwest Missouri State University with an agronomy degree, and Ryan, a student at Northwest Iowa Community College. Parker also made personal visits to his neighbors to keep them informed about his plans.
“It’s tough for young farmers to get started,” acknowledged Robert Parker. “The turkeys offer a way for Rod to stay on the farm and can help the other boys get involved in the farm at some point.”
Parker followed the proper protocols to establish his turkey farm, from applying for the required construction and design permits to acquiring a stormwater discharge permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Parker’s barns also feature the latest technologies to ensure the comfort of the birds, from the feeding and watering systems to misters and fans that help cool the birds in during hot weather.
The floors are covered with a bedding of wood shavings and oat hulls that provide a soft, dry environment for the birds. A skimmer removes the solids from the bedding, and in Parker’s all-in, all-out production system, the litter will be cleaned out after the birds are taken to market. He plans to use as much of the litter on his family’s cropland as possible to save on fertilizer costs.
“I’m glad we hosted an open house at the barns,” added Parker, who is a Golden Harvest seed dealer and a board member of the Cherokee County Pork Producers. “This gave the community a first-hand look at the technology we use today to provide humane care for the birds year-round and produce the food that will end up in the meat case. It also helped us educate the public about the ways farmers protect the environment.”
Neighbor Mickey Conley, who lives a mile north of the Parkers, said she admires what Rod Parker is doing. “We’re all really tickled about his new turkey operation. This is economic development for Cherokee County, and we need it.”