6 minute read
Home is Where the Flock is
Home is Where the Flock is
Meet Colleen “Coke” Anderson: Educator, Iowa farmer and poultry pioneer
By Haley Banwart
Photos submitted by Coke Anderson and the Iowa Egg Council.
When Marvin and Coke Anderson bought their first farm – a picturesque tract of land tucked among the rolling terrain of southern Clay County – they envisioned a lifestyle that would allow them to raise their two daughters in the countryside while juggling their jobs as schoolteachers.
They never dreamed their operation, M&C Anderson Pullets, would grow from a small venture to a thriving enterprise acclaimed for its farming practices or that they would be recognized as innovators in one of Iowa’s most important industries – poultry and egg production.
Of course, the Anderson’s success didn’t arrive overnight. Their legacy was built on five decades of hard work, good help and a dedication to delivering a wholesome, healthy product.
From Classroom to Farm
Both natives of northwest Iowa, Marvin and Coke Anderson met in college. Marvin was studying at Iowa State University to become a vocational agriculture instructor, while Coke was pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Iowa.
As the pair made plans to share their future, Marvin convinced Coke to change her major to English. She finished her schooling after transferring to Buena Vista University. The couple married in 1961 and moved to the Spencer area.
Together, they supported one another’s teaching careers – Coke would often step in to help Marvin’s FFA students prepare for public speaking events – but Marvin also had aspirations of farming.
In 1968, the Anderson’s purchased 270 acres along Willow Creek just north of Sioux Rapids. They planted their first crop and began raising livestock, first sheep before switching to cattle.
“I planned to continue teaching while raising our two young girls who were 3 and 4 years old at the time,” says Coke. “I imagined it would be similar to how Marvin and I grew up, putting in extra work with chores or in the fields before and after school.”
Hatched a Bigger Plan
The long hours paid off. Before long, Marvin and Coke were presented with an opportunity to add extra income to their operation by constructing a 30,000- head house for young female chickens, also known as pullets.
At first, Coke was skeptical. She had a bad run-in with a wily rooster as a child but agreed to the plan as long as she would be spared from ever having to touch a chicken.
The pullet house was built in 1970, and soon after, Coke’s role evolved from record keeping and lending a helping hand, to all-hands-on-deck.
“I proved that one can overcome phobias,” Coke jokes. “Ultimately, I learned to enjoy working with the chicks. Little did I know, we would end up shipping millions of birds to all corners of the U.S.”
An expansion of M&C Anderson Pullets came in the form of a 50,000-bird egg layer building, at which time Marvin and Coke both quit teaching to pursue farming full time. Eventually, the Andersons more than doubled their capacity and shifted their focus back to only managing pullets. Today, M&C Anderson Pullets is home to 10 specialized bio-security facilities designed with scrape boards, or manure belts, ventilation and other animal health controls that protect the nearly 5 million pullets housed annually.
The couple acted as equal partners in the business, sharing decision-making. Industry peers began to take notice of their animal husbandry practices and environmental stewardship, such as daily removal and composting of manure, planting hundreds of trees to prevent soil erosion, and installing grass waterways and ponds to control runoff from heavy rains.
Coke has always believed that caring for the land would reap results. In addition to following sound manure management practices and land conservation recommendations on their farm, she has served on local, state and national environmental committees.
In 2019, she was recognized with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association awarded her a Family Farm Environmental Stewardship award in conjunction with the 2020 International Poultry Expo.
Education and Advocacy
Just as the Anderson’s operation grew, so did their leadership roles and advocacy efforts.
Eggs serve an important purpose as a nutritious and affordable protein. Farmers work hard to produce them safely and sustainably.
For several years, Marvin and Coke served as members of the United Egg Producers and were active in attending annual legislative meetings in Washington, D.C.
In 1985, Coke was the first woman to be awarded the Iowa Poultry Association Hall of Fame Award. And, in 1999, she was elected as the first woman to chair the American Egg Board.
“I never thought I’d get elected; I just wanted to break through so the next woman who came along would have a better chance,” she shares. “It was a wonderful experience; the people I met were marvelous and always welcoming.”
On a local level, the Andersons bridged their passions for education and agriculture by establishing scholarships, supporting area schools, and funding trophies and exhibits at the Clay County Fair.
Coke is a current board member of the Iowa Poultry Association. While much has changed in poultry and egg production during her career, she is proud of the progress made to meet industry challenges.
“Over the past 50 years, our industry has reduced its environmental footprint by approximately 50% thanks to efficiencies in natural resource use, disease control and housing advancements,” she says. “Eggs serve an important purpose as a nutritious and affordable protein, and as farmers, it has always been our mission to produce them safely and sustainably.”
An Egg-cellent Superfood
Eggs are a natural, nutrient rich source of high-quality protein. Each egg is a good or excellent source of eight essential nutrients, such as the superstar nutrient choline, as well as lutein. Beyond promoting eye health, lutein has joined choline as a powerhouse for cognition.
High-quality proteins have all essential amino acids, which are not produced by the body and are needed for children to grow and for a body of any age to function properly. When protein is eaten, it’s broken down into amino acids, which are then used to help the body with various processes, such as building muscle and regulating immune function.
Lifecycle of a Laying Hen
Life for most hens begins at a hatchery. Fertilized eggs are kept warm in enclosed incubators until the chicks hatch in 21 days. After the chicks hatch, they are sorted by sex. Young female birds (pullets) are transferred to a rearing facility until around 16 weeks of age. Once the pullets have matured, the hens are moved to a laying facility where they will begin producing eggs.
