German Profile
Tom and Kristi German: Profile of a PFI grazing family
Tom and Kristi German with their children, Morgan, Grace, and Daniel.
Tom German farms land near Holstein, IA, along with his wife, Kristi, and their children, Morgan, Daniel, and Grace, and Tom's parents, Bill and Beverly Meyer. Tom is the third generation in his family to farm on the land. He started implementing managed grazing on the farm in 1993, began converting the family farm to organic in 1999, and had the entire 400 acres certified organic in 2004.
What prompted the change in farming practices? Factors include: a subscription to The Stockman Grass Farmer in 1992; a doctor who wanted access to grass-fed beef along with information on the health benefits for his patients; Holistic Management training Tom began taking in 1997-he has been utilizing this practice since. Also, this farming system works for the Germans: "The organic and grass based management system we employ fits our farm resources and our skills," said Tom.
Tom and Kristi are quite active in the grazing community. In addition to steering the Practical Farmers of Iowa grazing clusters, they have hosted field days for Practical Farmers of Iowa (see the field day schedule for details of his 2008 field day). Tom has also spoken at the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, Stockman Grass Farmer meetings, Green Lands Blue Waters, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Midwestern BioAg, as well as natural food stores around Iowa. Tom also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Grassfed Association.
Tom and Kristi share their expertise with other grazers. They operate Integrated Sustainable Ag Services, LLC, which is a consulting service for others who want implement grazing, organic, or holistic management practices. Expertise Tom and Kristi offer include the implementation of grazing plans, holistic management efforts, genetics issues, organic planning and applications, and fertility and nutritional issues. Tom has also served as a consultant for Midwestern BioAg.
Tom and Kristi are true gems in developing a strong grazing community in Iowa. "We do our best to tell others about what we are doing and to share our experiences. We do this in order to try to create community and help others get started in our type of agriculture. That is also a reason why we chose to be involved in the PFI grazing clusters, to help create that grazing community in Iowa."