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Iowa Cattlemen salute Earth Day and recognize 2008 Environmental Stewardship Award winnerIowa In observation of Earth Day, the Iowa Cattlemen's Association announces the winner of the 2008 Iowa Environmental Stewardship Award--Guge Family Farms of Estherville, Iowa. Mark and Norma Guge operate a diversified commercial cow-calf and feedlot business on the family farm in the rolling hills of Emmet County. Mark, a fourth generation farmer and cattleman, located his cattle operation less than two miles from the original homestead. "Every day is Earth Day for Iowa's beef producers," said Mark Guge. "My father, Myron Guge, told us to treat the land like a piece of borrowed equipment, and return it in better shape than you received it. Living in an area with so much public land makes it difficult for us to expand our land base, so we have to expand from within our operation so someday our grandchildren can become sixth generation cattlemen and stewards of the land." The Guges, who partner with their son-in-law Mark More and daughter Sara, practice crop rotation, have installed terraces, contour systems and grass waterways, use crop residues for feed and bedding and have developed wildlife habitat. The 75 head cow herd grazes on 35 acres of native pasture and 125 acres of rotational grazing land that, until 1991, was in row crops. The 300 head feedlot uses a recently constructed catch basin to prevent feedlot runoff from reaching waters of the state. The Guges have been involved with numerous education projects related to soil conservation and cattle production. "Given our farm's location near a major highway headed to the Iowa Great Lakes, our farming operation gives the public an opportunity to present a positive image of how cattlemen truly are stewards of both the land and of the animals we care for," said Mark. "The Environmental Steward program showcases our industry's efforts to improve the environment while converting lower quality feedstuffs into a high quality edible protein," said ICA President Kevin Carstensen of Odebolt. "The Guges will be great representatives of the Iowa cattle industry in the national Environmental Stewardship Award program," he concluded.
Date: 5/8/08 Advertisement
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