Forward Looking with Ag 450

By: Megan Nemec

Studying agriculture solely by sitting in a classroom can be unfulfilling for those who aspire to become farmers. It can be hard to figure out how all of the concepts learned in the classroom can apply to the land or managing livestock. The Ag 450 farm at Iowa State University allows students to learn farm management skills while gaining hands-on experience by working outside in both fields and barns. The farm has been in operation for over 75 years and is the only entirely student-managed farm at a land-grant university in the United States. The semi sesquicentennial farm recently gained a new operating manager, Jacob Parr, who hopes to update and improve the farm for generations to come. Parr graduated from Iowa State University in 2018 with a degree in agricultural studies and agronomy. Parr took the Ag 450 farm class as his agricultural studies capstone course.

“I grew up on an acreage by Denison, Iowa and helped the man who farmed our land as well as neighbors who had many acres and cattle,” Parr said. “This gave me an extensive farming background that sparked my interest in agriculture.”

Parr was previously an agronomist for a cooperative. After the Ag 450 farm operating manager position was announced, he immediately applied for it. Parr was granted an interview and was soon offered the position. When it comes to his daily schedule and work routine, Parr is largely responsible for taking care of the livestock and attending meetings. The operation houses a large number of animals and adheres to a rigorous schedule that changes with the course of the seasons and semesters. “We have about 1,200 to 2,000 head of hogs on the farm and I chore them in the morning which takes about an hour or two,” Parr said. “Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we have class from the early afternoon until 5 p.m. In the winter, I have lots of meetings on Mondays and Fridays, but in the spring and fall, I spend the majority of my time in the field with planting and harvesting.” When thinking about the future of the farm, Parr hopes to update hog barns and increase overall acre size. Parr noted that both of these goals are moving in the right direction based on discussions in recent meetings. “It seems like the farm kind of fell behind the times and now we are trying to become more modernized,” Parr said.

The students of the Ag 450 farm have the ultimate say in determining the priorities of the farm. Their decisions on what to do on the farm changes from year-to-year. While they dictate the course of daily functions on the farm, they have also presented a vision for the future of the operation.

“This farm is student-managed, so when classes are in session the students make decisions based on the needs that the instructor shares with them,” Parr said. “The students are hoping to build a shop classroom and continue updating the facilities.” Parr anticipates continuing their equipment leasing agreement with John Deere and their hands-on teaching style with the students. Parr also plans to maintain the farm’s relationships that they have built with other research and animal science farms. Photos by Christopher Gannon, Iowa State University