SUSTAINABILITY
SOLAR ENERGY
Reicks View Renewables was created in partnership between Brady Reicks and Kaylie Reicks in 2018. They believed that as young pork producers, it was their responsibility to ensure that their farm operations were being sustainable for future generations to come. That’s why they continue to invest in local opportunities to not only help out their environment, but also the community.
Solar energy continues to be one of the biggest opportunities for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Reicks View Farms took initiative in 2018 when they saw the opportunity to. They have three solar arrays with over 664 panels capturing solar energy. All sites combined have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 300 tons which is equivalent to planting over 16,000 trees or saving 350 megawatts of electricity. The electricity produced at the new solar farm is put directly on the local power grid for all users in the region to utilize.
NUTRIENT CYCLING
The nutrient cycle plays a critical role in Reicks View Farms sustainability operations. It starts with manure. Reicks View Farms takes the manure that is produced and injects it into the soil of their cornfields. By injecting the manure into the soil instead of applying it on top of the ground we reduce physical runoff and chemical denitrification or nutrient loss. This helps the corn utilize the nutrients from the manure efficiently for growth. Once the plants grow, they produce grain. Reicks View Farms brings the grain from the plants to their feedmill which they can grind and make into feed. The feed is then brought back to their hog barns where their pigs eat the feed. Any nutrients not utilized by the pig get recycled into manure and the cycle restarts all over again.
innovation
The world is constantly evolving around new technology and Reicks View Farms is dedicated to adapting and being innovative with their operations. From their pig barns to their truck washes, they have state-of-the-art facilities that are one of a kind.
Reicks View Farms pig barns are designed specifically from scratch to meet the needs of their animals and the environment. Each building is designed and built by Jerico Construction, owned by Reicks View Farms. One of their newest innovations that has never been done before included a nursery that has both positive and negative ventilation built throughout the barn to improve air quality and be able to control the air temperature more efficiently. In addition, they worked with Iowa State University researchers to test out odor reduction in their new finishing barns. “Tests revealed that odor was reduced by at least 80 percent up to 1,000 feet from the barn,” said Justin Haught, Designer.
Reicks View Farms also recently completed a brand new truck wash that will maximize biosecurity practices to protect the health of their pigs. The truck wash includes six individual bays that each has its own controller allowing for more automation during the process. The truck wash was designed with a unique scraper system that allows for pig bedding to be transported one direction with water being transported the other. The washing bays have a four foot slope from the front of the trailer to the back of the trailer allowing for bedding and waste to come out easier reducing the amount of water needed for a wash.