An Iowa Couple Grows Food, Family and a Community on an Organic Farm

From the USDA:

Posted by Ron Nichols, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on January 20, 2015 at 10:30 AM

Andy and Melissa Dunham, seen here with daughter Leonora, own and operate Grinnell Heritage Farm in Grinnell, Iowa. NRCS photo by Ron Nichols.

Some people are born to farm. Others grow to love it. In Melissa Dunham’s case, she fell in love with a farmer — and now she loves both the farmer and the farm.

“I was happily employed in the Twin Cities, but then I fell in love with this wonderful man who told me he was an organic vegetable farmer,” Melissa said. “I thought, ‘Sure, why not?’ We got married within seven months.”

It was an unexpected career and life change. “Everybody thought I was nuts moving down here to central Iowa to be a farmer,” she said. But now she’s growing food she believes in — and in a way that will leave the land in better condition for the generations to follow.

She and her husband, Andy Dunham, own and operate Grinnell Heritage Farm in Grinnell, Iowa. The certified organic farm has grown from three acres in 2007 to 22 acres today and produces more than 60 varieties of plants and vegetables.

Grinnell Heritage Farm is a certified organic farm that has grown from three acres in 2007, to 22 acres today. NRCS photo by Ron Nichols.

“We grow everything from asparagus to zucchini,” Melissa said.

The Dunhams understand that the health of their soil translates into healthier crops and a more resilient farm. A fifth-generation farmer on the Grinnell farmland, Andy has made improving the health of the farm’s soil a major priority.

“Our philosophy is feed the soil, it will feed your plants, and then it will feed us,” he said.

Judging from the farm’s improvement in yields over time, this approach is working. “We read the ‘Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers,’ which is kind of the vegetable grower’s official handbook, and our yields are almost always well above what their best yields are projected,” said Andy.

Working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Dunhams have been able to accelerate the adoption of a number of resource-protecting practices through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

“There were several practices, like adding hedge rows for wildlife habitat, that we probably wouldn’t have been able to do without the EQIP contract,” Andy said.

The Dunhams were also able to take advantage of EQIP’s Organic Initiative back when they were converting from a conventional farming operation. “We did an awful lot of stuff with cover cropping and we did a lot of things for managing water quality,” he said. “The program was very helpful.”

Cropping diversity plays a central role in improving soil health because plant diversity above ground promotes biological diversity below ground, but it also plays a part in keeping the farming operation resilient.

“We have had some really, really severe weather swings over the last seven years and on numerous occasions. It’s either been too wet or too dry or both,” said Melissa. “Last year we had both flooding and a drought, but by being diverse we have been able to stay in the black. It’s helped us stay afloat when the weather extremes aren’t in our favor.”

While all farmers have to deal with weather-related issues, organic farming has additional challenges — like not being able to use synthetic nutrients or pesticides to control weeds and harmful insects. However, Andy believes it’s worth the extra effort.

“People who are wary of an organic system think it takes a lot of management — and it does,” he said. “But if you stay committed, if you follow the principles — even if you make a few mistakes — and stick with it, things will get better.  The yields will go up and you can rejuvenate tired soils. It can be done.”

Inherent farming challenges notwithstanding, a lot of good things are being raised on the Grinnell Heritage Farm including healthy food, healthy soil, a healthy family and a chance to teach other people about farming. “And I love being able to spend this much time with my family,” Melissa said.

Certified organic cabbage growing on the farm will be sold to local retailers and at farmers’ markets. NRCS photo by Ron Nichols.

News Release from EPA

Sauer Dump Added to EPA Superfund List

PHILADELPHIA (March 13, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it added the Sauer Dump in Dundalk, Md. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The NPL is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment.

The approximately 2.5-acre site, located adjacent to and behind Lynhurst Road, is being added to the NPL because the soil and sediment at the site contain high concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds, metals, PCBs and pesticides. PCBs and lead are the primary contaminants of concern due to their extreme concentrations.

The partially wooded property is an inactive, privately-owned, unpermitted, former dump. The property was originally a marshland that was filled and stabilized by a past owner. During dump operations from the 1960s through the 1980s, hazardous substances were improperly stored and disposed of on the property.

            The Sauer Dump site is one of nine sites nationwide that EPA is adding to the NPL today. EPA is also proposing 10 other sites to the list today.

      For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for this and other sites, visit: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

For information about how a site is listed on the NPL, visit: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm                          

EPA Seeks Comments

News release from EPA Region 2:

EPA Seeks Public Input on Plan for Cleanup at

American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater Township, N.J.

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. - Feb. 16, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a cleanup plan for contaminated soil, ground water and six waste disposal areas at the American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, located on the Raritan River. The soil, ground water and waste disposal areas, called impoundments, are contaminated with volatile organic compounds and other hazardous materials. The ground water underlying the site is highly contaminated with benzene. Area residents are serviced by a public water supply that provides a safe source of drinking water.

The EPA is encouraging the public to comment on the plan through March 31, 2012 and will hold a public meeting on March 8, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, 14 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

"The cleanup plan for the American Cyanamid site is an important milestone in the EPA efforts to protect the health of people who live or work near the facility and water quality in the Raritan River," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “EPA encourages the public to comment on the proposed plan and to learn more about it at the March 8 public meeting.”

Many volatile organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals and benzene can cause cancer in people. Some volatile organic compounds have no known health effects. The extent and nature of potential health effects depend on many factors, including the level and length of exposure.

The American Cyanamid Superfund site has a history of industrial pollution dating back to 1915. For nearly 100 years, prior owners used the location for manufacturing chemicals. The site was placed on the federal Superfund list in 1983 after hazardous chemicals were found in the soil and ground water. The 435-acre Superfund site contained various areas used for the disposal of chemical sludge and other waste. In 1998, the EPA deleted 140 acres of the site from the Superfund list after they were evaluated and determined to be acceptable for redevelopment. The TD Bank Ballpark Stadium was subsequently built on a portion of the area. In 2009, Pfizer Inc. assumed responsibility for the American Cyanamid site as part of its purchase of the Wyeth Holding Corporation, a prior owner.

Because of the nature and complexity of the contamination at the site, the EPA divided the investigation and cleanup into phases. The plan announced today is the first phase of the cleanup. The proposed plan announced today details approaches to address contaminated soil, ground water and six waste disposal areas (Impoundments 3, 4, 5, 13, 17 and 24). Two additional impoundments (Impoundments 1 and 2) are the focus of a separate study to consider the feasibility of options to address them.

The highly toxic material in Impoundments 3, 4, and 5 will be treated at their current locations by introducing a mixing agent into the waste to make it more solid. This treatment method is a proven technology that immobilizes contaminants to prevent their migration. After this step, the waste disposal areas will be covered with a barrier system that traps vapors and prevents contaminated air from escaping into the atmosphere.

The soil at the site will be addressed using three different methods depending on the extent of the pollution in the soil. Soil that consists of tarry material or is highly toxic, similar to the waste within Impoundment 3, 4, and 5, will be excavated and combined with the material in the three impoundments. It will be treated with the existing waste in Impoundments 3, 4 and 5. Soil that contains volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds will be covered with a vapor control barrier and mitigation system to prevent the release of vapors into the air. Soil that has a lower level of pollution will be covered by a 24-inch thick engineered cap that will serve as a barrier that prevents direct contact. Additionally, the EPA will conduct an ecological study of the waste in Impoundments 13, 17 and 24, which are located in the flood plain of the site, to determine the appropriate treatment for these materials.

A currently operating ground water collection system, which has already treated millions of gallons of contaminated ground water at the site, will be improved by relocating the primary extraction wells to a more central location. Several new extraction wells will be added to enhance the efficiency of the ground water collection system. In addition, a recovery system for collecting and treating shallow contaminated ground water from portions of the site will be constructed at several locations. This system will prevent contaminated ground water from seeping into the Raritan River, Cuckhold’s Brook and Middle Brook. The details of these improvements will be developed during the remedial design phase of the cleanup project.

The proposed plan also calls for the placement of controls such as legal restrictions on land use to minimize the potential of future exposure and to ensure that the cleanup measures are not disturbed. Throughout the cleanup, monitoring will be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy. The EPA will conduct periodic reviews to ensure that the cleanup remains protective of public health and the environment.

The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed plan until March 31, 2012. Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:

Joseph Battipaglia, Remedial Project Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

290 Broadway, 19th Floor

New York, New York 10007-1866

Email: Battipaglia.joseph@epa.gov

The EPA has a website to inform the community about the site at: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/american_cyanamid.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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