Each year, Earth day is celebrated around the world on April 22nd. In order to ensure a healthy way of life and to sustain the environment for future generations, every day is Earth Day for Ohio’s pig farmers.
Ohio’s farmers understand that providing a safe, wholesome food supply for consumers is a great responsibility – and one that must take into account many factors, including the impact on the environment.
Earlier this year, the National Pork Board honored four farm families as recipients of the 2011 Pork Industry Environmental Stewards Award at the annual National Pork Industry Forum held in Denver, CO. The award, now in its 18th year, recognizes producers who demonstrate a firm commitment to safeguarding the environment and their local communities.
One of the 2011 Award recipients was Wuebker Farms of Versailles, Ohio. Jeff and Alan Wuebker specialize in raising pigs, through weaning, on their diversified farming operation in Darke County. The brothers, together with their families and employees, tend not only to the pigs, but to dairy beef cattle and more than 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa.
The farm has taken several proactive measures to protect the environment, such as switching to no-till practices and has utilizing reduced tillage on all corn acres for best management of manure and nutrients. Additionally, the Wuebkers use local manure resources from other farmers on their rented ground further away, reducing tractor time on the roads and lowering their carbon footprint. Wuebker Farms also is very involved in their local community and continually works to educate the general public about agriculture.
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