So, half my lifetime ago, back in my Grinnell days, I ran. Often. One of my regular runs took me past this barn:
I loved this barn. It was more run down then (it now sports swanky new siding), and I loved the look of it, those classic lines. I loved the mysterious metal rollers that fed into that second-story window. I loved the wide sky that rose behind it. I never thought to wonder about it though, in the same way that I never thought too deeply about any of the farms I passed regularly, or bothered to wonder why my entire college was eating mashed potatoes created from boxes of flakes, when we were right there amid the richest farmland in the nation.
Fifteen years wiser, I actually walked through the doors of this barn, and into the fields beyond. I’m glad I did. It was here that I got to know the guy I will call The Hardest-Working 28-Year Old in Iowa (wait. Maybe that’s not fair. Maybe there are plenty of really, really, really hard working 28-year olds in Iowa. Perhaps he’s just the hardest-working 28 year old I have known. Surely, though, he’s one of the hardest working AND most idealistic guys in Iowa, or anywhere).
“He” is Andy Dunham – Iowa native, former Peace Corps volunteer (yeah, Peace Corps!), Iowa State grad, idealist, pragmatist, libertarian, humanist. Andy’s farm, Grinnell Heritage Farm, is a family farm – he’s now the 5th generation to farm on this plot of land. With family farms disappearing at alarming rates, this is something to celebrate. Here he is:
(he’s cute, right? He’s a bachelor, too, so in addition to being dubbed the Hardest Working 28-Year Old, I’m also going to dub him the Most Eligible Organic Bachelor in Iowa. I’d combine the two, and call him the Hardest Workin’ Hottie in Iowa, but as a married mom, nearly 10 years his senior, that would be…well…creepy).
Andy gave me a tour of the farm, and as we walked, rain soaking our T-shirts and mud slapping onto the back of our calves, he talked rapidly and enthusiastically about the work that he’s done since taking over the farm — 40,000 plants of this variety here…10,000 plants transplanted there…fields plowed here…cold storage facility erected here…wood hewn and stacked there… Truly, the array of things he’s accomplished is dizzying. Especially when you consider the guy has only been on this farm since November. Seriously: since November, the farm has seen buildings erected, fields plowed, literally hundreds of thousands of plants started from seed, daily weedings with hoes, shrubs planted (to create a home for birds, who will eat the bugs that otherwise would be controlled with external inputs) bat-houses planned (same reason), fences planned for rotational cattle grazing, new markets developed…
Did I mention he was hard-working?
Here’s the thing that’s so interesting about Andy: he is right there in the middle of the corn belt. Let’s chat ever-so-briefly about the corn belt, and why it is what it is. It makes “sense” for farmers to grow corn. The government pays farmers for the corn they grow, no matter what. There is a guaranteed market for it. There are nearby cooperatives where they can bring it easily for sale.
This thing that Andy’s doing? All that figuring out, and the “Hi, I’ve got 10,000 heads of lettuce, can I interest you in 1,000?” phone calls, and the shrubs and bat houses…It’s a lot more complicated. There’s no guaranteed market. Much of the labor (backbreaking labor, mind you) has to be done by hand, the old fashioned way. It can’t be dried and trucked across country as a commodity, like corn. If the vegetables that Andy plants (and transplants, and nurtures, and weeds, and picks, and cleans, and brings to market) don’t sell, they don’t sell. That’s it. He’s out of luck.
It is hard work, it is complex work, and there’s no guarantee. That, no doubt, goes a long way to explain why Andy says that for every person he meets that supports what he’s doing, there are five who think he’s out of his mind.
So, I’m going to give Andy a third title here. In addition to Hardest Working, and Most Eligible Organic Bachelor, Andy also earns the title: Most Courageous and Optimistic.
(Come on! Hard-Workin. Hottie. Courageous. Optimistic. I know some of you gals are food-oriented, organic-livin’, and single. I’m telling you to make a bee-line for Penrose Avenue in Grinnell. Chop chop! Do not pass Go!).
I’m glad he’s there. Although I understand why farmers choose to grow corn, I’m troubled by the effects of their efforts: feedlot meat with risks of e. Coli, high fructose corn syrup, a plethora of low-nutrition processed foods, hunger in developing nations. I, for one, prefer real food. And I’m betting that others do, too.
Some Andy insights that came up while we walked:
Andy on the Farm Bill: I have no faith in the federal government to do anything right. My best hope is that they just stay out of my business and leave me alone.
Andy’s advice to eaters: I know that organic, local foods are expensive. My recommendation, if you can only eat some of these things locally, would be to focus on greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.) and eggs. Local greens and eggs are just so much better: more nutritious, but also just better.
(Note: this weekend, the Cleaner Plate Club will be doing the Great Fried Egg Taste Test. I invite you all to do the same).
Andy on Organic: the government has so totally watered down organic standards, so they don’t mean what you want them to. I’m trying to go beyond organic, more toward biodynamic.
Andy’s favorite recipe: Sungold Pizza. Take a very simple pizza crust. Drizzle and spread some olive oil. Take a mess o’ sungold cherry tomatoes, cut them in half, and spread them all over (you can use pizza sauce, too, but you don’t have to). Cut up fresh basil, and spread pieces on top. Place large hunks of mozarella cheese. Bake until crust is hard and cheese is melted and golden. You can bet we’ll be making this once sungold tomatoes are in season in VT.
Andy on global poverty: U.S. agricultural policies are the biggest things holding back the developing world. Our subsidies depress the prices of crops around the world, making it so that farmers in developing world can’t grow or sell those crops.
If you’re in Grinnell: buy Andy’s food. You can buy it through his CSA (community-supported agriculture, wherein community members “buy” a share of the harvest, and then farm-fresh produce all growing season long. Is there a CSA near you? Check Local Harvest: they’ll probably know), which he currently does in collaboration with his Aunt Brenda’s farm. You can also buy it at a couple of these farmer’s markets. And if you’re lucky enough to be a Grinnell student, you can enjoy some of his food, as well as that of other local farmers, in the dining hall. Note to you Grinnellians: encourage the college to buy even more locally. It’s harder, it’s true. They don’t get to order your food by making just one phone call to SYSCO. But I was just in your dining hall, and I’m sure they could do more. It’s worth it. I promise.
You can also visit Andy. Here are some of the beautiful things you’ll see while there:
Wow…I should have ventured off campus this past weekend.
I’d be interested in looking into his CSA, but how do I go about doing it? The Local Harvest site doesn’t seem to list it. Should I call him? I don’t see an Andy Dunham in the phone book (there’s a Janet, Lisle, and Marian). Or perhaps if they have a stall at the Farmer’s Market I can try talking to that person (though the last 3 times I’ve gone no one has shown up at the Farmer’s Market).
Waves hand. I’m single! I’m 28! I’m originally from the Midwest! And I am SO digging his pizza recipe! Looks like I’m gonna have to take a trip to Iowa
I love your photos!
Misty – right now, he’s pairing with his Aunt Brenda, of Compass Point Farm, further north on Penrose, for the CSA. I believe Lisle is the # you want – 236-7400. I think that his plans include expanding CSA membership considerably in the not-too-distant future. He’s definitely (at least sometimes) at the Grinnell farmer’s market, because I saw him there Saturday. Or rather, I saw his greens there, being sold by his little brother, Aaron. Keep trying!
Vikki – you in the market for an eligible organic bachelor? (kidding. Hello, Luisa!).
Now, Kai, on the other hand might just have farming in her future…
I love the posts that allow people to meet the farmers. I go to the market partly just to talk with them all. Mostly for the food, but the company can’t be beat. Thanks for this post.
Love it! Texas is a terrible place to live for local eating — everything’s so spread out that even the most local local stuff’s an hour away. You’d think with the long growing season it’d be better. One more reason to consider Iowa, I guess.
Great post. Getting to visit the farm through your eyes was a wonderful experience!
Thank you for highlighting this. It’s heartening to me to see someone young and bright who is full of ideas trying to make something more of a farm like his where big business and government don’t step in and pollute it. I hope there are more like him out there, and my heart is warmed by the thought.
Not only that but those pictures are incredible enough to make me want to take a road trip to Iowa.
Great piece. Unfortunately, family farmers have been having serious problems for a long long time. My aunt and uncle owned a small dairy farm in Charlotte, VT. In the 1980’s, they just couldn’t compete with the enormous “corporate” farms and the federal government bought out their herd. My husband and I try to buy locally as much as possible and are at the point where we exclusively purchase organic foods. My dream is to some day have a small organic farm. I know it is incredibly tough and grueling work but at the same time, it sounds wonderful.
Again, great post and I have a feeling Andy will be having some single women suddenly interested in farming.
this was awesome- and the extra bonus of the organic eye candy! (no offense, andy, i completely respect you and your values WRT food).
we have been so pleased with our CSA, and it’s only been two weeks! it is truly changing the way we eat and the way we plan meals and prepare our food. we were able to meet one of our farmers and his wife is thoughtful enough to include a weekly newsletter online every week to give us tips on how to store and cook the food with recipes.
when we picked up our food on tuesday we picked up a little flyer for vermontgrassfedbeef.com – was wondering had you heard of them? the prices seem reasonable and you can order it online which would solve our problem of finding organic meat. but we aren’t crazy that it’s farther than we’d like for keeping it local (although is MUCH closer than the midwest) anyway, just wondering what you thought?
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match
Find me a find
Catch me an organic catch
Ali, you devil you! “Love in the Cornfields” will be the next romance novel to look for … after some of these crunchy-granola single gals start descending on Andy’s farm.
So glad that you had such a productive weekend and managed to combine reunion with your interest in wholesome food. Only you could turn this into a working weekend.
Grinnell trivia questions: Is Rube’s grilling organic beef? Are there still killer swans in the pond?
Andy was there at the farmer’s market today
He is really nice, and was willing to patiently explain things to me. I bought some lettuce (yum!) and got a brochure for the CSA. Andy was telling me the CSA he belongs to this year is actually below market price for CSAs, but it’s still too much for us to do on the spur of a moment. We’ll have to plan for it next year (when he’ll have his own CSA and be certified organic) though the price will rise by about $100. I’m checking to see if I can buy eggs at the CSA even if I don’t join the membership part (brochure listed eggs separately at 1.50 a dozen).
Thanks for the info. He’s too far for me to use, but I’ll put him in my local food info section of my blog in case a reader can use him. And a link to your story of course! Gotta find him a granola loving, organic woman!
Can’t find a link to email you! But thought you might be interested in this: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
Thanks for a great blog.
I’m so diggin’ the recipe. I discovered sungold cherry tomamtoes about 4 years ago and they are my fav. (Usually not avaliable in Canada) Anyway it sounds good. I would have to make a few kinds as my meat lovin’ husband would say “where the beef?”. I will give it try this summer promise
Andy is not only the most eligible hardworking bachelor in Iowa, he’s got an awesome looking farm. I love his philosophy on farming and his willingness to take a risk to do what feels right. Thanks for sharing your visit with us!
Bethany
I love this entry – thanks so much for telling all of us about this neat guy!
I’m glad you guys liked Andy. He’s worth liking. Just wanted to respond to a few folks — Misty, CSAs are a big upfront commitment, it’s true. If it does fit into your budget for next year, I recommend you give it a try, because you will eat more vegetables than you’ve ever eaten in your life, and this is a good thing. You’ll also feel really connected to something – the farm, but also something bigger. A community, I guess. I don’t know why that makes everything taste better, but does for me. Some health insurance companies in the Madison WI area reimburse for CSA membership, which I think is a really good idea – I wonder if Jon Andelson, a Grinnell prof who helped found the CSA there, could flex some academic muscle (put students on some project or something) to try for the same thing there? Anyhow, in the meantime, I hope you can get the eggs without joining.
Pnuts – I visited the grass-fed beef web site, and it sure looks like the real thing. I’m always slightly skeptical of larger-scale operations that make small-farm claims, but they do seem to be the real deal. I’m even tempted to make a visit up there at some point this summer. As for the meat traveling a distance…yes, I see the point, and I know that Joel Salatin (the farmer who’s featured in Michael Pollan’s book) won’t ship his meat anywhere, because it’s not sustainable. But still, there are plenty of places in this country where there are local alternatives, and we’re some distance still from the right incentives being in place for those gaps to be filled. So, with that in mind, I’d say if it’s a choice between shipped, sustainable grass-fed and feedlot meat? And you can swing it? I’m all for the MORE sustainable and more healthful option. And hopefully their success will serve as a model, and the idea will spread. (where are you, anyway? I forget. You have friends near me, but I think you’re far away…)
Mater – Rube’s is gone. GONE. I’m pretty sure. Unless, of course, I’m confused about where it was…
Hello!
I found your site by way of Up Popped A Fox and I love it! I am also a former Penrose loop jogger and loved seeing this story about the hunky farmer and his beautiful barn. Thanks so much for reaching back into your past (and mine) and telling the world about what you found. I’ll look forward to reading more of your blog.
Rube’s is definitely still in business as far as I know. It’s in Montour. Thanks for the great article.
I’m always into discussions on anything organic, so this read made me feel at home.
I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!
I googled Grinnell CSA’s because I just moved here, and we visited this farm two weeks ago! We’re a little late in the game for the fall CSA, but I think we’ll be hitting up the farmers market for the rest of the season to make up for it. Now if only we could get COOL veggies in the grocery store to round everything out!
this needs up dated bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!