Niman Ranch has recognized the Hundling family of Breda, Iowa, as the 2024 Sustainable Farm of the Year.
This accolade honors the Hundlings for their land stewardship and ongoing commitment to the principles of regenerative agriculture.
For Brice and Melanie Hundling, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. Their multi-species, biodiverse farm is a model of sustainable practices, from cover crops and rotational grazing to no-till crop farming and edible windbreaks that build soil health and provide sustenance for humans and wildlife alike. The Hundlings regularly experiment with new regenerative practices and share what they’ve learned with other farmers in the Niman Ranch farmer network and the broader agricultural community through field days and case studies.
The Hundlings have been producing hogs for Niman Ranch since 2005 and began selling Angus cattle to Niman Ranch in 2019. The family appreciates the economic sustainability of knowing who will be buying their livestock and at what price. That security allows them to continue improving their land and soil by raising other livestock and poultry species, including goats, sheep, laying hens and broilers, turkeys, ducks, geese, peacocks and guinea fowl.
They also farm alfalfa, corn, soybeans and oats, which provide feed and bedding for the animals. They seed rye for cover crops each year, of which they harvest some for seed and straw; the rest is grazed by their ruminants. It’s all one system of grazing livestock in rotation with the crops that keeps the soil fertile, the animals healthy, the water clean, the ecosystem thriving and the farm successful.
[RELATED: 2022 Sustainable Farm Of The Year Recognized By Niman Ranch]
The farm is currently part of a pilot program with Nofence, the first virtual fencing system for multispecies livestock operations. The technology allows for the rotational grazing of goats, sheep and cattle on cover crops with reduced costs for labor and fencing.
The Hundlings also live as sustainably as possible, feeding their family of five kids from the farm with their garden, dairy cows, eggs, fruit trees and meats. They are raising their children to appreciate the importance of stewardship of the land and humane treatment of the animals they raise, and they hope that one or more of them will someday want to continue their work on the farm.
“We congratulate the Hundling family for this well-deserved award,” said Chris Oliviero, Niman Ranch’s general manager. “Their commitment to diversity on the farm, integrating livestock on the land and combining traditional and innovative practices to build resilience are notable. We’re proud to have the Hundlings a part of the Niman Ranch farmer network.”
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