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Friday,
October 2, 2009 1:14 AM -
The Johnstown Independent
Johnstown's
Jim Heimerl, owner of Heimerl
Farms, recently delivered an
initial donation of 2,000
pounds, or 10,000 servings, of
pork to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank to
support a statewide effort to
combat hunger in Ohio.
The
effort, called "Pork Power:
Partnering to Fight Hunger in
Ohio," is a partnership between
the Ohio Pork Producers Council,
the Ohio Association of Second
Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF), the
Ohio Association of Meat
Processors and the Ohio Corn
Marketing Program. These groups
hope to provide 100,000 pounds,
or 500,000 servings, of pork
through April 30, 2010, which
will be distributed through the
12 Ohio foodbanks that are part
of the OASHF network.
"Producing safe, high-quality
pork products for our consumers
is what we do each and every
day," Heimerl said. "We're happy
to share this initial donation
of 2,000 pounds of pork to the
Mid-Ohio Foodbank and to support
those in our community who need
it most."
Jim and
Kathy Heimerl, along with their
sons Matt, Brad and Jeff, and
daughter-in-law, Rachel, are
proud hog farmers and assist in
day-to-day operations on the
family farm.
Issue 2 would decide who regulates animal care
in Ohio's biggest business
Jim Heimerl sees State
Issue 2, which would create the Ohio
Livestock Care Standards Board, as a way to
keep his 2,500-acre family farm in business.
He said animal-confinement rules should be
made by people who know the industry.
JOHNSTOWN, Ohio -- Jim
Heimerl is among relatively few people in Ohio
who know what State Issue 2 is about. That's
because Heimerl, 52, has a 2,500-acre,
family-owned hog and cattle farm outside of
Johnstown. He says his farm would be severely
affected if a livestock-standards constitutional
amendment is not approved in the Nov. 3
election.Heimerl said he fears more-restrictive
animal-care standards advocated by the Humane
Society of the United States could be enacted,
crippling agriculture, Ohio's No. 1 industry.
"I've become very involved in this," he said
during an interview last week at his farm in
rural Licking County, 23 miles from Downtown
Columbus. "I've been in this business for 30
years. This is about our livelihood, my family's
livelihood." Issue 2 would set up the Ohio
Livestock Care Standards Board. The governor and
legislature would appoint members, including
family farmers, veterinarians, a food-safety
expert, a representative of a local humane
society, members of statewide farm
organizations, the dean of an Ohio agriculture
college and two consumers. The state agriculture
director would lead the panel. While Issue 2
might sound banal, even boring to Ohioans not
involved in agriculture, it's far from that.
Behind the scenes, it's a high-stakes, big-bucks
financial battle that showed a flash of
political intrigue this year when the Ohio
General Assembly acted at lightning speed to put
the issue on the ballot. Opponents, such as
state Rep. Michael J. Skindell, D-Lakewood, say
it's really about agribusiness interests working
with the legislature to block regulations
requiring more-humane treatment of animals --
allowing a chicken to spread its wings in a
cage, for example, or a dairy cow to lie down in
the barn. "We should not be amending our
constitution to put in a board or a commission,"
Skindell continued. "There are only two boards
in the Ohio Constitution -- the State Board of
Education and the Bureau of Workers
Compensation." The board would have far-reaching
powers to set standards for livestock and
poultry care, food safety, supply and
availability, disease prevention, farm
management, and animal well-being. It would have
minimal legislative oversight. Fearing that the
Humane Society would propose a ballot issue
similar to those approved by voters in
California, Arizona and Florida, the Ohio Farm
Bureau and other agribusiness leaders approached
state lawmakers earlier this year. The response
was swift: Both the House and the Senate
approved legislation to put an issue on the fall
ballot. Keith Stimpert, senior vice president
for public policy for the Farm Bureau, said
Issue 2 "offers a much more comprehensive and
thorough approach" to livestock standards than
the piecemeal method advocated by "out-of-state
activists." "Consumers today want to know more
and more about how their food is produced,"
Stimpert said. "They want to know that what's
happening on farms today meets the standards."
The farm groups are expected to spend $2 million
to $7 million, mostly on advertising, and have
hired the Cochran Group, a seasoned Columbus
public-relations firm, to handle the campaign.
On the other side, Wayne Pacelle, chief
executive director of the national Humane
Society, charged that the legislature acted
hastily and pre-emptively after his staff met
with Ohio agribusiness leaders in February.
Flush with their success after engineering the
California ballot issue last fall, Pacelle said
he came to Ohio "hoping to find a pathway out of
these more inhumane confinement systems."
Specifically, they want to see bans on systems
where chickens are confined for up to a year in
cages about the size of a sheet of paper, pigs
are penned for long periods in small "gestation
cages," and calves raised for veal are kept in
stalls so narrow they cannot turn around. The
next thing Pacelle heard, the issue was headed
to the ballot. "It does not preclude us doing
our own ballot initiative, but it muddies the
water," he said. "It's an attempt to forestall
meaningful animal-welfare reforms in
agriculture. It is designed to lock in cruel and
inhumane treatment of animals. ...
"We're certainly going to oppose it," Pacelle
said. He declined to say how much money the
Humane Society plans to spend. Whether Issue 2
passes or not, the society likely will return to
Ohio next year with a ballot issue of its own,
he said. Back on the farm in Licking County,
Heimerl, his wife and three sons manage an
operation that handles more than 100,000 pigs
each year, along with cattle and some crops. The
struggling economy and fears about the H1N1
virus have cut 30 percent from his business.
Heimerl said he doesn't tolerate inhumane
treatment of animals on his farm. He and other
members of the Ohio Pork Producers Council are
more than willing to blow the whistle on such
practices if they are uncovered, he said. At the
same time, Heimerl, who took over the farm that
his father started in 1947, is miffed at
"out-of-state people who come in and want to
tell us how to do a job that they have no
background in." "We're doing the right
thing here," he said.
Voting day is
November 3rd, 2009 - Vote YES! for Issue 2
Overview
Ohio families need the
safe, nutritious,
affordable, locally
grown food that Ohio
farmers provide each and
every day.
But
consumers also want to
know more about how
their food is produced
on Ohio’s farms. That
means knowing that
animals are healthy and
well cared for, that the
food they buy is safe
and of the highest
quality, and that
farmers are running
their farms responsibly
and following all
regulations. Consumers
also want choice at the
grocery store, both in
the foods they buy and
in how those foods are
produced.
Meeting changing
consumer expectations
and providing that
reassurance is why
Ohio’s farmers support
Issue 2, a measure to
create the Ohio
Livestock Care Standards
Board (the Board). The
Board will bring
together the full range
of Ohio animal care
expertise to set animal
care policy, which is
something we all can
support.
What the Board Will Do
The Board will set
standards for livestock
and poultry care that
take into account issues
of food safety, local
availability and
affordability of food,
and best farm management
practices for animal
well-being. Board
members will consider
those issues in the
context of how they
impact overall animal
health, biosecurity on
livestock farms, animal
disease prevention, food
safety and affordable
food supplies.
Who will Serve on the
Board
The Board will be made
up of Ohioans,
including:
Three family
farmers,
Two veterinarians
(one being the state
veterinarian),
A food safety
expert,
A representative of
a local humane
society,
Two members from
statewide farm
organizations,
The dean of an Ohio
agriculture college
and
Two members
representing Ohio
consumers.
These individuals will
use their best knowledge
in making decisions
affecting animal
agriculture.
The
12 members will be
appointed to the Board,
including 10 by the
Governor and one each by
the House and Senate.
The director of the Ohio
Department of
Agriculture will serve
as the 13th member and
as chair of the Board.
Where Ohio’s Farmers
Stand
Ohio’s livestock and
poultry farmers are
firmly committed to
responsible care for
their animals and to
providing safe, locally
grown and affordable
food for consumers.
Farmers recognize they
must do more than what
is expected of them to
maintain a high level of
consumer confidence in
the food they produce,
and that’s why Ohio
farmers have come
together to support
Issue 2 and put in place
this regulatory
framework.
Ohio farmers have been
concerned about efforts
by Washington-based
activist groups and
others to ban modern
food production and
housing methods, because
these extreme proposals
disregard available
scientific and practical
evidence about animal
well-being.
Ohio farmers are giving
their full support to
Issue 2 and the creation
of the Board, because it
will ensure animal care
is top of mind for all
farmers and keep
regulatory control of
Ohio’s farms where it
belongs—in the state.
Creation of the Ohio
Livestock Care Standards
Board will:
Assure Ohio families
have a safe, locally
grown food supply
Bring together the
best Ohio expertise
in animal care to
ensure excellent
care of the state’s
flocks and herds
Reinforce consumer
confidence in
Ohio-raised food
Maintain the
viability of Ohio
agriculture — the
state’s number one
economic contributor
Sustain Ohio’s
family farms for
generations to come
Why the Board is
Necessary
Out-of-state activist
groups have signaled
they would like to bring
an initiative to Ohio
that would set rigid,
inflexible and
impractical rules for
how livestock and
poultry are housed. This
would lead to higher
costs for consumers, put
food safety at risk,
increase the amount of
food imported to Ohio,
cause thousands of
farmers to go out of
business, and endanger
the overall health and
well-being of Ohio’s
flocks and herds.
Ohio’s agriculture
community believes the
best regulations for
animal care will be
achieved when all
interested parties join
together to develop a
framework that is both
effective and practical
for consumers and for
farmers. The Board is
the right approach to
reach that goal.
A Board of Ohioans for
Ohioans
The Board was placed on
the ballot through a
bipartisan resolution
that passed by an
overwhelming majority in
July 2009 in the Ohio
General Assembly. Issue
2 is strongly supported
by legislative leaders
from both parties,
Governor Ted Strickland
and Ohio agriculture
organizations.
Ohio Pork Tour
Website tells the truth about Ohio Pork!
What is the truth about Ohio Pork? As a family
farming operation, and proud pork producer in Ohio,
we invite you to visit a well designed website
geared toward educating those interested in our
operations producing high quality pork. The website,
www.ohioporktour.com is sponsored by the Ohio
Pork Producers Council and Soy Ohio. Visit the
latest addition to the site, Connie Surber
explaining pork production and how it truly is a
proud family run operation.
Amber waves
of efficiently farmed grain Farmers using GPS
Technology to save time, money, resources...
By L.B. WHYDE
Advocate Reporter Original Publish Date:
10/14/2007
When the combine goes out to harvest the fields of
the Heimerl Farms in Johnstown, it is doing more
than just cutting soybeans. With the latest and
greatest in farm technology, farming is becoming
more efficient, less risky and less labor-intensive.
That is exactly what it does for Matt Heimerl as he
works on his family farm. "It definitely makes you
more efficient," Heimerl said. "We can get yield
maps and plot different soil types, which can let
you up or lower the rate of fertilizer on a field."
With the advent of global positioning systems,
tractors can be equipped with a receiver that uses
precise microwave signals from satellites orbiting
Earth. The system enables a GPS receiver to
determine its location, speed, direction and time.
The tractor/combine equipped with a GPS and yield
monitors comes back with information such as yield
count, moisture percentage of the crop and soil
types. The memory card is removed from the computer
on the combine and placed in the home computer.
Farmers can generate a map of the productivity of
their field, and laying this over accurate
GPS-produced maps, irrigation maps, fertilizing maps
and elevation maps helps farmers become accurate in
knowing where to apply water, fertilizers, soil and
herbicides. "The next step, to get your money back
is to do variable rates in fertilizer, chemical and
seeds," Heimerl said. New technology also is
available that helps the tractors practically drive
themselves. This automated steering helps growers
achieve the driving accuracy necessary to improve
yields and reduce compaction from large equipment.
Hooked up with a GPS unit, the tractor can drive a
straighter line than an operator can. All the
operator has to do is turn at the end of the row. So
what do operators do with all this time on their
hands? "It makes you more aware of everything else
instead of just driving a straight line," Heimerl
said. The first technology that farmers were able to
purchase was about 30 years ago -- controllers on
the sprayers. These controllers would adjust for any
change in speed to allow a constant application of
spray material, preventing any overages or
shortages. About 10 years ago, both GPS and
auto-steer became available to farmers. Dave Shipley
is the owner of Agri-Trac Equipment, located at 3934
Johnstown-Utica Road in Utica. He has a variety of
the latest gadgets for farmers. "It has been in only
the last five years that they (GPS and autosteer)
are more affordable," Shipley said. Auto-boom is
another of the latest gadgets. It automatically will
shut off if it goes over an area that already has
been sprayed. This is extremely helpful with booms
that are 90 feet wide. When making a turn, a section
of the boom will stop spraying if that particular
area has already been sprayed. "Before that area
would either be over- or under-sprayed," Shipley
said. "With this, a whole section can be shut off."
With the auto-steer, farmers will be able to see a
return on their investment. In the past farmers with
equipment 40 feet wide might overlap 3 feet on each
pass, as it is hard to judge the edge line 20 feet
away. But with auto-steer, there is no overlap. This
can save 10 percent or more for the farmer in time,
fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides and seeds. And
as the saying goes, time is money. "At the end of
your day, you could actually get 10 percent more
done in the same amount of time," Shipley said. "You
spend less time because you are more efficient."
Technology comes with a price, however. GPS and
simple steering systems can cost from $1,500 to
$20,000. "I would guess that of the commercial
farmers in Licking County with large amount of
acreage, half to three-quarters of them have GPS,"
Shipley said.
Family Farms
Up FFA Degrees...
Family
farms up FFA degrees Heimerls cultivate their
achievements Newark Advocate By L.B. WHYDE 1/2/2007
Advocate Reporter
JERSEY TOWNSHIP -- Farming 2,800 acres while
overseeing beef cattle, hogs, Holstein steers,
seed and fertilizer sales and running a feed
mill is a chore for Jim and Kathy Heimerl and
their family. The Johnstown couple have their
hands full, but they have three sons -- Matt,
24, and twins Brad and Jeff, 20 -- to help them
on the farm. Even with all their chores and
building projects, the boys still were able to
obtain their American FFA Degrees. Brad and
Jeff's degrees last fall brought the number in
the family to four. "I think it's neat having
this many in our family with degrees," Brad
Heimerl said. "It is rewarding to show our
accomplishments and what we do here on the
family farm. I always knew we would get it." The
National FFA Organization, which was called
Future Farmers of America until 1988, is
dedicated to preparing its members for
leadership and careers in the science, business
and technology of agriculture, according to the
Ohio FFA Web site. While obtaining multiple
national degrees in one family is not uncommon,
Steve Gratz, executive secretary of Ohio FFA,
said obtaining four is unusual. One of the
requirements for the national degree is the
person must be out of high school for at least
one year. During that time, many people do not
continue to work toward the degree. But that's
not the case in the Heimerl family. "It is a
wonderful accomplishment, and it speaks highly
of the Heimerls," Gratz said. "They have done
well, and the sons have qualified for the Star
Awards in Ohio, which means that they not only
qualify for their degrees, they are usually one
of the best ones we have." There are about
500,000 FFA members in the country, and less
than 1 percent of that number receive their
national degree each year, Gratz said. He gave
credit to Kathy Heimerl for her persistence with
the paperwork required for the national degree.
Kathy was one of the first two girls in her
chapter at Liberty Union High School in
Baltimore, Ohio, to obtain her state FFA degree
in the 1970s. "FFA has so many leadership roles,
so much more than the regular person would know
about," Kathy Heimerl said. "They offer so many
ways for a child to excel beside sports. These
activities develop the person. I am very proud
of all the hard work they have done." Jim
Heimerl, 49, was the first one in his family to
receive the national award. "It is an honor to
have the boys involved in FFA and the farm," Jim
said. "It kinda shows that if you work hard, you
do get rewarded." The inspiration for the FFA
began in 1917 with the Smith-Hughes National
Vocational Education Act, which established
vocational agriculture courses, according to the
Ohio FFA Web site. But the national organization
did not start until 1928, with just a few
national degrees being awarded. In 2006, more
than 3,000 were given out at the national
convention in Indianapolis. For Jeff, obtaining
the national degree was a goal he set for
himself while he was just a little boy. "I
always wanted to be the same rank (as my older
brother and father)," Jeff said. "It is kind of
a big goal, but I set little goals to get to
that big one. It shows farming is in our blood."
While Matt was the first of the brothers to
obtain his degree, it was his father who set the
standard. Matt graduated from Ohio State
University in 2005 in agribusiness and works on
the farm full-time overseeing the trucks, cattle
and the feed mill. "My dad had the degree, and I
thought it would be neat and an honor to have
the same thing he had," Matt said.
Heimerls
earn American FFA Degrees...
Sons
continue tradition with achievement
Thursday, November
16, 2006
By MARLA K.
KUHLMAN Johnstown Independent
Staff Writer
Johnstown's Brad
and Jeff Heimerl have both earned the
American FFA Degree, the top award given
by Future Farmers of America. In
addition to earning the crowning
achievement in the FFA program, the
Heimerl twins continue a family
tradition. Their brother Matt received
the American FFA Degree in 2002 and
their father Jim earned his in 1978. The
Heimerls received their FFA degrees in
late October during the National FFA
Convention in Indianapolis. They are the
sons of Jim and Kathy Heimerl. "It's the
icing on the cake," said Brad Heimerl, a
sophomore at Wilmington College, where
he's majoring in criminal justice. "It's
the highest degree you can be awarded."
Jeff Heimerl, who's majoring in
agricultural production at Wilmington,
said most people don't realize what's
required to earn the American FFA
Degree. Candidates must meet eight
qualifications, including a State FFA
Degree; three years in an agricultural
education program; an outstanding
supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)
program; earned and productively
invested at least $7,500 or have earned
and productively invested at least
$1,500 and worked 2,250 hours in excess
of scheduled class time; a record of
outstanding leadership abilities and
community involvement. Since he was a
young boy, Jeff Heimerl said he didn't
have thoughts of doing anything else but
farm- ing. "Receiving the degree is an
honor," he said. "Being able to do the
different competitions throughout the
years has been the most fun." At
Johnstown-Monroe, his projects included
feeder cattle, pool steers, market hogs,
corn, wheat, soybeans, fair projects and
improvement projects. As a freshman, he
was a Star Greenhand. He was also
District 7 Star Farmer in production for
two years and a finalist for Star State
Farmer. He also served two years as
chapter vice president. Brad Heimerl
said he wants to farm full-time and
somehow be involved in law enforcement
on the side. "The family aspect of our
farming operation means a lot to me as
well as carrying on the tradition," he
said. "I've always liked being in the
country and having a rural life --
growing and living off the land and
making it profitable." Although farming
can be challenging, Heimerl said hard
work does pay off in the long run. "It's
rewarding to look back and see what you
did," he said. "My dad started out with
a few head of cattle and 300 acres and
it has grown." At J-M, Brad served as
chapter president for two years and he
was Star Chapter Farmer as a sophomore,
District 7 Star in Agribusiness for two
years and the 2005 Star State Farmer in
Agribusiness. His past projects included
feeder cattle, corn, soybeans, pool
steers, market hogs, plant sales,
produce sales, egg sales and fair and
improvement projects. "Being a president
two years was a highlight," Heimerl
said. "I like leading. I was class
president and FFA president. I like to
talk to people and it was rewarding to
get people involved." Both Heimerls
return to Johnstown from college each
weekend to work on the family farm. The
American FFA Degree is symbolic of the
highest achieve-ment of the National FFA
Organization. Each degree recipient
receives a gold key and a framed
certificate.
Heimerl
Farms Pictures featured on National Pork Website...
Heimerl Farms is honored to
have 2 pictures of their farm present itself to viewers
of the National Pork Website. The pictures can be viewed
by going to their website at:
www.pork.org and
looking toward the top banner.
Click above for the Ohio Pork
Producers Council Website
Thank You for Visiting!
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