2m 21s: Lenght
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While much of life among the rolling countryside of southwest Iowa has seen little change over the past decades, Kerns Farms is an exception. In fact, owners Steve and Becky Kerns have continued to create a ripple of change by paving the way for niche pork markets on one hand and improving manure management on another. Founded in 1966, Kerns Farms started as a 4-H project and has grown into a full-scale seedstock operation. The Kerns manage their farm with the help of their sons, Karl and Matt, as well as three employees. They market 10,000 pigs annually, with the 320-acre farm’s facilities including hoop barns, open lots and curtain-sided and mechanically ventilated barns. “I am happy to be a finalist,” said Kerns. “If selected, I would hope to explain to consumers that today’s production practices are the best not only for the pigs, but for consumers as well.”