Rose Danaher

Amana, Iowa

Why do you want to farm?

I have always had a strong connection with the land. Caring for my community is important to me and it was a natural response to tie those two together with farming – providing for society in a way that respects the land and our wild things is important to me.

What are you farming right now?

I have a small cow-calf herd and am feeding and marketing about half of the calves locally.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My hope is to develop a low-input, sustainable herd and reduce my dependence on stored forage. I see opportunities to use grazing to help manage Conservation Reserve Program [land] and other areas for wildlife instead of just using them as an emergency feed source. The use of native forages intrigues me and I would like to find a way to include them in my grazing rotation.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate because I can see the writing on the wall – this is not going to be a sustainable business unless I do a better job managing expenses and planning for the future.