CHICKENS

The media driving a regenerative poultry system

Noah Fish — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:00:00 GMT

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Wil Crombie, co-founder of Tree-Range farms, was a filmmaker before he was a farmer. Now that he's both, he feels like he's in the right position to help take the brand to the next level.

Crombie, also the owner of Man Alone Media, is a farmer at the first commercial-scale site for the Tree Range company, and documentarian for both the brand and nonprofit organization, Regenerative Ag Alliance.

At the third annual Regenerative Poultry Convergence in Northfield on March 21-22, Crombie conducted interviews with several of the attendees. It's something he's done at each of the convergences held by the organization.

The Tree-Range Farms label is now on chicken sold mostly in Minnesota, but Crombie said the goal is to expand in the Midwest and beyond.

"As we build that stronger brand with Tree-Range Farms, definitely comes the need for more media production," he said. "We need storytellers. We need farmers, and we need leaders in this community to help guide, focus this work that we're doing."

Last year at the convergence, Crombie interiewed some of the "key players" in the ecosystem and put together a film shown at this year's event.

"I think it was a really unique opportunity to start this year's convergence with last year's thoughts, to kind of ground the attendees here on where we were at a year ago, and where we're going in the future, and setting the intentions for this year," Crombie said. "For some people who attended this year's convergence, this is their first time they've ever been here, so they get to see the momentum."

Organic Compound

Crombie met Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, CEO of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, around 2015. When Haslett-Marroquin told Crombie he wanted to start a food business, Crombie offered up his family's farm in Northfield, which operated as a dairy for many years. He said despite coming from a line of farmers, he wasn't always interested in the line of work.

"When I started to gain an interest in agriculture, and local food and farming, I started looking for different elders and mentors in the area, and started learning about tree crops and learning about different production systems," Crombie said. "My neighbor introduced me to the work that Regi was doing, and so I said 'oh, this is great, that makes sense to me — how do I get a hold of this guy so that we can do this on my family's land?'"

Crombie's farm — Organic Compound — grew from being a communal garden to in 2016, becoming the first commercial-scale site for the Tree-Range brand. Over 20,000 trees and shrubs were planted on 40 acres along with perennial and annual alley crops.

"This is what gave me confidence to take over 40 acres of land, and to work with a team to build thousands of tree crops that we have now, and the thousands of chickens that we're raising every year on our farm," he said. "I always had a passion for soil and growing things, but now I get to call myself a farmer."

The path that he took is one he hopes to inspire in future farmers.

"The hardest part was building that confidence to be like 'yeah, I can do that,' but we can do that with our lives — we can be farmers," Crombie said. "I just want to be able to tell that story."

He said that story is possible for beginning farmers in the system that they've created.

"When you have this community of people holding your hand and guiding you into a system of farming, it's really helpful," he said.

Outside media

The Northfield-based regenerative poultry system has garnered attention from media projects including Common Ground — a documentary film on the regenerative farming movement. Crombie said their footage didn't make the final cut of that film, but they welcome all outside media coverage.

"We need a diversity of voices. We need a diversity of perspectives, and when other people come in with their tools for telling stories, it can only amplify the work that we're doing," Crombie said.

One of those voices will be Matt Wechsler, a Chicago-based documentary filmmaker and founder of Hourglass Films, who was shooting video at the convergence in Northfield. His last three films addressed the conventional food and farming systems, and he said he's spent the last decade diving into the food system and making films about it.

"This is an example of an alternative food system that works within ecosystems, that works within the environment, as opposed to working against it," Wechsler said of the regenerative poultry system. "The majority of agriculture that is taking place across the United States just works against the environment."

His film "Sustainable" was about the dichotomy between small-scale farming and industrial operations. "Right to Harm" was a film on environmental injustice, he said, for rural residents living in communities near factory farms.

"We did close to 200 screenings, and we did a number of screenings right along the border Mississippi between here in Wisconsin, and there was a lot of interest in that film," he said of "Right to Harm," which focused on areas in southeast Minnesota.

Wechsler said he's trying to create "lasting change" through his films.

"I'm trying to use film as the art medium for showing what's going on," he said. "Creating ways to be empathetic with those who are victims of the commodity aspect of agriculture."

The conventional and industrial farming industry would classify Wechsler's films as being anti-agriculture.

"100%, that's what the industry thinks of my films," he said. "I've never been sued, thankfully, but I've received death threats and letters, and when I was on social media I received a lot of not nice messages."

His next film will feature the regenerative poultry ecosystem that began Northfield, and examine the parallel between the current U.S. meat industry and the one in early 1900s, when five meat companies referred to as the “Meat Trust” dominated the market.

"This film has taken almost four years to make, and it involves a lot of passion and sweat equity," said Wechsler, operating as a one-man crew at the convergence. "That's kind of the role of the independent filmmaker, and what has to happen, but thankfully I've known a lot of the people in this room for a number of years, to know that they support me and I support them in what we're doing."

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Hemp seed in chicken feed? A new market for Minnesota growers may be opening

By Brooks Johnson / Star Tribune — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:33:00 GMT

Egg cartons could soon boast a new green claim: hemp-fed hens.

Regulators recently gave hemp seed meal initial approval for feeding egg-laying chickens, granting hemp farmers access to part of the $85 billion U.S. livestock feed market for the first time.

More markets could engender greater confidence among Minnesota hemp farmers to plant additional acres, which the industry here needs for bigger scale and favorable prices.

Several major players in animal nutrition, including Cargill and Land O' Lakes, are based in Minnesota.

"I've been having meaningful conversations with feed companies because we think we'll get final approval for this," said John Strohfus, founder and CEO of Field Theory and Minnesota Hemp Farms in Hastings. "What livestock feed does is it gives you a floor. With scale and over time there's more certainty, so it will make hemp more common for a farmer to consider growing it."

The Association of American Feed Control Officials is expected to weigh final approval for hemp seed meal later this year. Other livestock categories could follow, Strohfus said. Years of research paved the way for one use in one species, setting up others for a potentially faster review.

"The horse feed market is I think a great opportunity, because they're not a production animal," he said.

Hemp remains a specialty crop grown on just a sliver of Minnesota farmland since 2016. While better known these days for being a source of CBD and THC, the plant has been used for food and fiber for millennia.

Hemp seed is high in protein, fat and fiber and contains a complete amino acid profile. Studies show the meat and eggs can be enriched when coming from chickens fed hemp seed meal and that no hemp cannabinoids end up in human food. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine vetted the ingredient and recommended the feed association approve its use in egg-laying chickens..

"One application like this has a lot of positive impacts," Hemp Acres founder Charlie Levine said. "We're really stoked about it."

Waconia-based Hemp Acres, the nation's largest wholesaler of hemp grain and fiber, expanded in 2022 anticipating higher demand for hemp products. The livestock feed market may be the key to unlocking that potential.

"The whole goal is getting more acres planted and yields up, and that can drive down the price of consumable good," Levine said.

With the chance to sell to livestock feed producers, and increasing consumer demand for regenerative agriculture, hemp advocates hope farmers will be more willing to regularly incorporate hemp in a crop rotation or grow some on spec. As it grows, hemp takes more carbon out of the atmosphere than trees.

"It's an opportunity for farmers to diversify with lower risk for supply chains to become more sustainable, and for the entire agricultural community to reap the benefits of this versatile crop," said Andrew Bish, head of the Montana-based Hemp Feed Coalition.

Last year Minnesota licensed a combined 223 hemp growers and processors, according to the state Department of Agriculture, and applications are still open to grow it this year.

Applicants, licenses and acreage have all been declining in recent years even as hemp-derived THC products became legal in the state in 2022. An initial boom-and-bust cycle of growers looking to cash in on the CBD market several years ago cratered prices and made hemp unprofitable, especially given added regulations.

"I think farmers in general would like to use it as a rotational crop, but they're being cautious because they have a business to run," said David Ladd, head of the Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association. "There has to be an end use market for it, and chicken feed is a step in the right direction."

The American Farm Bureau Federation added a new policy goal for 2024 that would lift a huge regulatory burden for many hemp growers: "removing background checks and mandatory THC testing for industrial hemp grown for grain, fiber or industrial seed production."

Hemp and marijuana are the same plant, except for laws that dictate hemp contain no more than 0.3% THC, the main intoxicating compound in cannabis.

Regulators and lawmakers have long been worried about higher-THC cannabis slipping through hemp supply chains unchecked. But due to how differently hemp for food/fiber and marijuana are grown, "No one is growing marijuana in a field like that," Strohfus said.

Fewer regulations should help bring down the cost of hemp seed, giving it more viability for farmers and customers.

Some incentives wouldn't hurt either, said Strohfus, who also grows sunflowers, buckwheat, sorghum and kernza.

"There are no funds, accelerators, checkoff dollars or 'Got Milk?'" he said. "Where's the 'Eat Hemp' billboards?"

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With four additional sites, Minnesota passes 3 million birds affected by H5N1 avian influenza

Kit Grode — Tue, 24 May 2022 20:14:54 GMT

WILLMAR, Minnesota — Four new sites have been added to the Board of Animal Health's list of confirmed cases of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, bringing the state's total to 79 sites in 28 counties.

Two new confirmations — a backyard flock of 24 birds in Clay County and a commercial flock of 4,744 turkey breeder toms in Kandiyohi County — were announced Thursday, May 19, in an update from the state Board of Animal Health. The site in Clay County is the first from that county; the Kandiyohi County site marks the first time a flock of breeder turkey toms has been affected.

Two additional sites — a backyard flock of 46 birds in Polk County and a 57,000-bird commercial turkey meat operation in Dakota County — were announced Monday, marking the first sites in both affected counties.

The Board of Animal Health tally as of Tuesday shows 3,008,799 affected birds. Infected flocks are depopulated.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines depopulation as "when large numbers of animals must be destroyed in response to an animal health emergency."

The two main methods are water-based foam for floor-raised birds and carbon dioxide gas for caged birds. USDA says they are the most humane and effective options available in an emergency situation involving mass numbers of birds.

The vast majority of infections in Minnesota have been in commercial meat turkey operations. Other production types with confirmed diagnoses, according to the Board of Animal Health, have been four commercial turkey breeder hen flocks, three located in Kandiyohi County and one in Stearns County; two commercial chicken operations in Morrison County — one broiler flock and one egg layer flock; and 18 backyard producers.

The board's web page devoted to avian flu response in the state — bah.state.mn.us/hpai — is updated at noon each weekday with the information that is known about infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

The first Minnesota cases of the disease — which is fatal to domestic poultry — were confirmed March 25.

A total of 28 counties in the state have been impacted so far. The other affected counties are Anoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Carver, Chisago, Crow Wing, Dodge, Grant, Lac qui Parle, LeSueur, Lyon, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Otter Tail, Renville, Rice, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Waseca and Yellow Medicine.

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More backyard producers infected with avian flu as Minnesota reaches 70 sites, approaches 2.9M birds

Susan Lunneborg — Tue, 10 May 2022 22:22:53 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Minnesota is approaching 2.9 million birds impacted by avian flu, with four additional sites of confirmed infection identified since last week.

Three of the four new sites announced by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health since last week were small backyard poultry producers and the fourth was a Lyon County flock of 118,900 commercial meat turkeys, the first site in that county with a confirmed diagnosis, on May 3.

The backyard producers reported since last week were in Chisago County, 30 birds, confirmed May 3; Carver County, also 30 birds, confirmed May 4; and 10 birds in Anoka County, confirmed May 6.

There are now 70 total sites confirmed in the state, and the Board of Animal Health's tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza as of Tuesday afternoon stands at 2,894,652.

The first Minnesota cases of the disease — which is fatal to domestic poultry — were confirmed March 25. Flocks that are infected are destroyed.

The Board of Animal Health's web page devoted to avian flu response in the state — which can be found at bah.state.mn.us/hpai — is updated by noon each weekday with the information that is known about poultry infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

Recently, several more backyard producers have been confirmed, and that production category now stands at 13 sites, according to that web page. Commercial meat turkey operations remain the vast majority of the 70 sites statewide. There have now been four sites of commercial turkey breeder hens, and two chicken flocks in Morrison County, one broiler and one egg layer operation.

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Minnesota has 66 sites of confirmed avian flu infection

Susan Lunneborg — Tue, 03 May 2022 22:02:57 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Minnesota continues to add to its list of avian flu infection sites — with 66 confirmed sites — while the number of birds affected has not changed drastically since last week.

Three of the four new sites announced by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health since last week were small backyard producers, including two in Chisago County. Flocks of 55 and 30 unspecified poultry were confirmed April 30, the first sites in that county.

Morrison County has its 12th infection site, this one a backyard producer of 40 birds confirmed April 30.

Stearns County now has a ninth site of infection, a commercial turkey flock of 10,000 breeder hens confirmed infected April 29.

The Board of Animal Health's tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza as of Tuesday afternoon stands at 2,728,297.

According to that page, commercial meat turkey operations remain the vast majority of the 66 sites. Recently, several more backyard producers have been confirmed, and that production category now stands at 10 sites. There have now been four sites of commercial turkey breeder hens, and two chicken flocks in Morrison County, one broiler and one egg layer operation.

The first Minnesota cases of the disease — which is fatal to domestic poultry — were confirmed March 25.

A total of 21 counties in the state have been impacted so far. The other affected counties are Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Carver, Dodge, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, LeSueur, Meeker, Mower, Otter Tail, Renville, Rice, Swift, Todd, Waseca and Yellow Medicine.

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Two additional avian flu reports bring Minnesota to 60 infection sites

Susan Lunneborg — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:40:49 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — One more backyard poultry producer is among the latest sites infected with avian flu, according to the Tuesday report from the state Board of Animal Health.

A confirmed diagnosis was received Saturday, April 23, in a Rice County producer of 60 unspecified birds.

Stearns County now has its eighth site with a confirmed diagnosis on Monday, April 25, at a commercial meat turkey operation of 14,590 birds.

The Board of Animal Health's tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza now stands at 2,717,892 over 60 sites.

According to that page, commercial meat turkey operations remain the vast majority of the sites. There are now five sites in the backyard producer category; three sites of commercial turkey breeder hens, all located in Kandiyohi County; and two chicken flocks in Morrison County, one broiler and one egg layer operation.

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Poultry flock inventory impacted by avian flu rises to 2.7 million in Minnesota

Susan Lunneborg — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 21:41:17 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Additional avian flu infection sites confirmed in Minnesota between Friday and Monday's state report added nearly a quarter-million to the total of birds impacted.

The state Board of Animal Health's tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza now stands at 2,703,242 over 58 sites.

Four new sites are on the list as of the April 25 update, all commercial meat turkey operations with confirmed diagnoses on Thursday and Friday. Otter Tail and Todd counties have their fourth sites listed, flocks of 27,340 and 37,038 respectively. The third flock in Swift County reported Monday numbers 127,385, and the second Yellow Medicine County site is 46,000 birds.

According to that page, all but nine of the infected sites in the state so far have been reported as commercial meat turkey operations. Four are backyard producers; three are commercial turkey breeder hens, all located in Kandiyohi County; and there have been two chicken flocks in Morrison County, one broiler and one egg layer operation.

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Minnesota now up to 54 sites infected with avian flu and approaching 2.5M birds affected

Susan Lunneborg — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 21:00:20 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Morrison County is now home to 11 sites of avian flu infection after two new sites were listed Friday. No other county has more individual infection sites.

The total infected sites in Minnesota is now at 54 after four new sites, all commercial meat turkey operations, were added Friday to the state Board of Animal Health tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The two new sites in Morrison County were the 10th and 11th poultry flocks there. A flock of 48,000 was confirmed April 19 and a flock of 40,885 was confirmed April 21.

Also added to the list Friday were the seventh site in Stearns County, a flock of 71,958, and the third site in Todd County, a flock of 19,650.

The numerical site labels for the Todd County sites on the Board of Animal Health web page devoted to avian flu response do not match the number of confirmed sites. A fourth site that would have carried the label "Todd 01" never received a confirmed diagnosis.

Michael Crusan, communications director for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, previously told the West Central Tribune that birds at that site were depopulated as it was linked to another infected premises, but that site will not be part of the board's list as there was never a positive confirmation.

The board's web page devoted to avian flu response in the state — which can be found at bah.state.mn.us/hpai — is updated by noon each weekday with the information that is known about infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

According to that page, the total flock inventory affected by avian flu in Minnesota now stands at 2,465,383, the vast majority in commercial meat turkey operations.

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Minnesota now up to 50 sites infected with avian flu and nearly 2.3M birds affected

Susan Lunneborg — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 21:24:45 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — The daily update on the status of avian flu in Minnesota now shows 50 sites of infection and nearly 2.3 million birds impacted.

According to the state Board of Animal Health web page, H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed Wednesday, April 20, at two commercial meat turkey sites in Todd County — the first confirmed sites in that county, each holding 30,000 birds.

A third new site listed Thursday was in Stearns County, a flock of 63,746 commercial meat turkeys, bringing that county to six total sites.

Based on West Central Tribune archives, the fourth new flock listed Thursday appears to be the seventh site identified in Kandiyohi County, a commercial meat turkey flock of more than 38,000. The eighth site had been listed one day earlier on the web page devoted to avian flu response in the state at bah.state.mn.us/hpai.

Michael Crusan, communications director for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, did not have information immediately available to confirm that, but told the West Central Tribune that the board is receiving updated information many times a day, while the web page is updated just once a day. He said it is entirely possible that results for the seventh site arrived later in the day than results for the site designated as eighth, and thus ended up being reported on different days.

The Todd County sites listed Thursday on the board's web page are designated as "Todd 02" and "Todd 03," but the county has just those two confirmed sites.

Crusan said that the site that would have been "Todd 01" never received a confirmed diagnosis. Birds at that site were depopulated as it was a high-risk site linked to another infected premises, but that location will not be part of the board's public list as there was never a positive confirmation.

The flock inventory affected by avian flu in Minnesota now stands at 2,282,594, the vast majority in commercial meat turkey operations.

The board's web page is updated by noon each weekday with the information that is known about infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

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