Dirt Warriors: Improving Production Ag in the Middle East

The farmers of the Iowa National Guard’s 734th Agri-Business Development team are in Afghanistan helping the agricultural officials and producers of Kunar province until at least June of next year. That means they will miss this year’s harvest and next spring’s planting in Iowa, and their families will have to compensate for their absence.

U.S. Army Maj. Dwayne Eden, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Rottinghaus, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Bennett Groth and U.S. Army Spc. Martin Rustvoldt all insist their families are prepared to cover for them while they’re in Afghanistan. Yet each of them also knows they will be missed this harvest season.

Eden, who also works full-time in his civilian capacity as a Kossuth County Deputy Sheriff, helps run the 3,800-acre family corn and soybean farm in Kossuth County. His father Clinton is the farm’s primary operator, while his brother Greg and sister Kristi are also heavily involved in the operation. Eden would normally play a pivotal role at harvest, running the combine for soybeans, though he pointed out his family has had to get by without his help before.

“I’m gone here and there even when I’m in Iowa with my other job and with the National Guard, and so they can always kind of fill-in,” Eden says. “But it just always helps to have the extra body there doing things, and I can pretty much help to do it all – moving augers, moving equipment down the road and operating equipment.”

The Rottinghaus family farms 3,000-acres of corn and soybeans and produces hogs near Waterloo.  Rottinghaus is the junior member of an operation run by his father Keith and his uncles Rick and Lee, who decided to hire another family member on a full-time basis to fill the void created by their younger
partner’s deployment.

“They enjoy having me around,” Rottinghaus says. “With farming nowadays, with all the machinery, it takes a lot of people to keep stuff going – driving all the tractors and combines around. So it’s important to have people there to run that equipment.”

Rottinghaus admits his father was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of losing his son from the farm for a year, and not just because the younger Rottinghaus wouldn’t be around for harvest or planting. An even bigger issue for his father was losing his son’s help with the hog operation.

“With hogs it’s year round taking care of them, checking them every day,” Rottinghaus says. “And the extra five miles from his place to my place to check the hogs adds up.”

Groth and his father, Marlin, are the sole operators of their 1,800-acre corn and soybean farm near Moville. They also run a thousand-head cattle feedlot. Groth’s father will likely get some assistance from other family members while Groth is deployed, but Groth remains concerned about his father’s workload this year, especially at harvest and planting time.

“It puts a lot of extra burden on him, having to do everything on his own,” Groth says. “The amount of labor that’s involved with doing spring and fall fieldwork – that needs a couple of extra guys, and he obviously can’t do all that on his own.”

In contrast, Rustvold, who helps his stepfather, Chris Bosma, run a 2,000-acre corn and soybean farm, along with a 1,500 head farrow-to-finish hog operation near Audubon, is not worried about his absence this year. The reason, Rustvoldt explains, is the amount of support he and his stepfather enjoy from the other farmers in the surrounding area.

“It’s local farmers from right around our vicinity,” Rustvoldt says. “They would help us whether or not I’m there, so even if I am there all the farmers get together and help each other out.”

As for his feelings about missing harvest and next year’s spring planting, Rustovld is philosophical. Indeed, he takes a long-term view of the situation.

“This is what I signed-up for, and I know they’ll get it done whether I’m there or not, so it doesn’t really bother me too much,” Rustvoldt says. “I’ll have plenty more years left to do it.”

Rottinghaus has a more mixed view about the impact of his deployment on his family farm’s operation.  While he wishes he could be home for harvest, he remains focused on the task at hand.

“Harvest is probably my favorite time of year,” Rottinghaus says. “”I love being in the tractors and harvesting the crop, but I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Thoughts of the family farm are never far from Groth’s mind. Still, he remains focused on the task at hand in Afghanistan.

“You’re always thinking about back home and problems that could happen,” Groth says. “But while you’re here, you kind of just have to pay attention to what’s going on with your mission and let home be.”

Asked about his feelings about missing harvest, Eden initially jokes he “wouldn’t miss it one bit.” After reflecting on the question a moment, though, Eden responded thoughtfully.

“You know, I am going to miss it, overall,” Eden says. “Sitting in the combine is probably about one of the most relaxing portions of the harvest. It’s when you’re running around catching up with hauling the loads, running the grain cart, that’s where the stress comes in. But I do like operating the combine.”

All of the warrior-farmers on the Iowa ADT appreciate the sacrifices their families and communities are making while they are away from home. Still, each one is enthusiastic about the mission of helping the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan deliver better agricultural services to the farmers of this war-torn nation.

“This is a necessity,” Eden says. “Afghanistan will never be able to stand on its own two feet unless it can produce enough food to sustain its own population.”

Rottinghaus agreed with Eden’s assessment. He also pointed out the mission fits perfectly with his skill-set.

“I love the Army and I love farming,” Rottinghaus says. “This mission allows me to do two of the things I really enjoy at the same time.”

Kunar province, where the Iowa ADT works and lives, is beautiful country, featuring a major river, green mountains and lush vegetation in the valleys. That is one reason Rustvoldt is enjoying the assignment here so much.

“My family probably wouldn’t like it much, but I’d probably stay here longer if I could,” Rustvoldt says. “You can’t beat the location and the people are friendly, too.”

On the other hand, Groth will be happy to get back home as soon as he can. Yet like Rottinghaus, he appreciates the opportunity to put his agricultural skills to work while serving his country.

“I never in a million years thought I’d be over in Afghanistan teaching agriculture to people here while being part of the Air Force,” Groth says. “It sure beats the heck out of kicking in doors.”