Behind the Scenes
Doing it right on Iowa’s turkey farms
Robert Achen is a farmer from Wayland, Iowa. He is on the Board of Directors for West Liberty Foods and is President of Agri-Way Partners, the local feed company in Wayland. He joined us on the Tim and Lisa Graber farm during the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers “Doing it Right” Farm Tour. When Oscar Meyer decided to close its West Liberty Iowa plant in 1997, a group of farmers got together and purchased the processing plant. West Liberty Foods was formed because the small turkey industry in Iowa had limited access to other processing plants. There have been tough times, but overall, Robert said it was a good decision to purchase the plant.
Robert believes Iowa turkey farmers do a good job of taking care of their birds, not only because it is the right thing to do, but from an economic standpoint, animals do better when they are treated well.
What he enjoys most about the turkey industry is that it is small and close-knit group which in many ways more resembles a family than a commodity group.
Having been in the business for many years, Robert remembers well what it was like before modern turkey barns were used to house and grow the birds. He told me that he grew a lot of turkeys on range, which looks nice on a pretty day, but the turkeys are open to predators like coyotes and owls. The turkeys were not as feed efficient as they are in modern barns, and the turkeys on the range were always fighting the elements.
There is much greater comfort for the turkeys in a modern barn, where they are kept out of rain and snow and weather extremes. In the heat of the summer, when people drive by and see curtains on the barns pulled up tight it is because the tunnel ventilation is cooling the turkeys.
Robert is optimistic about the future of the turkey industry in Iowa. The turkey industry consumes a lot of corn and soybean meal, and it makes sense to raise turkeys near the feed source. It also makes sense, he explains, because turkey litter (manure) is an excellent fertilizer for corn and soybean ground. Robert farms quite a few acres of row crops and has to supplement very little commercial fertilizer to grow his crops.
It is important to communicate to neighbors when you are spreading turkey manure fertilizer. A mutual respect and open communication has been important to Robert in building good relationships with his neighbors.
Robert is a fan of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. As a past president of the Iowa Turkey Federation, he explains that CSIF was very supportive to members even before the ITF became a member. The Coalition impressed Robert with its skill in communication, putting agriculture in a positive light, and helping young farmers get started.
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