Farmers learn about grazing, network at Jóia Food Farm

To The Press

Twenty-five farmers traveled from across Northeast Iowa to network and learn about livestock grazing systems at a Charles City farm earlier this month.

Wendy Johnson and Johnny Rafkin, who own and operate Jóia Food Farm, hosted the event with Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Northeast Iowa Grazing Group and the Northeast Iowa Food and Farm Network.

Attendees represented a variety of farms, including row crops, livestock and produce.

Johnson led the group on a farm tour that showcased tillable acres transitioned to pasture, rotational grazing systems, and sheep care and marketing.

She said they had transitioned the field from row crops to pasture by seeding an organic pasture mix, and the diversity of the grasses and legumes was on display as the group walked across the field and out to the sheep.

Johnson said she and Rafkin use temporary electric fencing to subdivide the pasture into paddocks and rotate the flock of 45 ewes and 70 lambs through the paddocks each day. The fence is powered by solar electricity, she said.

A shade structure to keep the wool sheep cool on hot days is also moved to each paddock, along with salt and mineral for the sheep.
Johnson said they use a portable water tank with an above-ground waterline system for sheep to access water in each paddock, so they don’t have to haul water to them and the sheep never have to walk back to the barn.

Their production methods have have helped Jóia Food Farm become Animal Welfare Approved.

Consumer Reports calls the Animal Welfare Approved label “highly meaningful and verified,” and said it means that animals raised for meat, dairy or eggs were raised humanely on a family farm from birth to slaughter, on well-managed pasture or range.

Standards also address other areas of sustainability, such as prohibiting the use of antibiotics (except to treat sick animals), drugs for growth promotion and animal by-products in feed, Consumer Reports says.

Johnson said the certification has opened up new marketing opportunities for them.

While they had been selling their lamb and other farm-raised meat and eggs directly to customers, this year they were approached by a wholesale buyer who found Jóia through the Animal Welfare Approved network.

Selling into this wholesale market will help Jóia increase their flock and diversify their market channels, Johnson said.
The farm tour ended with a meal featuring Jóia’s own pork burgers and bratwurst.

In addition to raising sheep, Jóia Food Farm grows certified organic grains and raises heritage pigs, turkeys, ducks and chickens on pastures using regenerative methods.

For more information about Jóia Food Farm and its products, go to www.joiafoodfarm.com or find it on Facebook and Instagram.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Farm Network is a casual gathering of local food, beginning and transitioning farmers making connections and learning together. The next gathering will take place near Decorah at Luna Valley Farm on Sunday, July 14 at 4:30 pm. Contact Kayla Koether at koether@iastate.edu or 563-568-6345 for more information or to RSVP.

Practical Farmers of Iowa connects farmers in peer-to-peer learning opportunities across the state, with a mission of equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities. Learn more about PFI and see upcoming field days at www.practicalfarmers.org.