Bio-farming plants seeds of high-value harvests

Farmer Marc Arnusch looks to the future and foresees a day when he might trim his 1,100-acre operation down to a much smaller operation of high-value pharmaceutical-producing crops.

Arnusch, 30, takes care of his farm, represents a large seed company and is also a contracting agent for ConAgra Cattle Feeders. For Arnusch, bio-farming holds the possibility of a better living with less risk and effort.

“As a young producer, it’s not unthinkable that I could concentrate on, say, 160 acres of production instead of the 1,100 that I’m currently farming and make a very comfortable living doing it,” Arnusch said.

Bio-farming is the process of growing crops genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical or industrial agents.

Among potential plant-made pharmaceuticals are antibodies, antigens, enzymes, hormones, structural proteins and anti-disease agents. These pharmaceuticals might be used to fight cancer and AIDS, create vaccines, treat or prevent disease and chronic ailments.

And they can be produced more cheaply through plants than the biotech industry can currently produce them.

Corn, tobacco, canola, tomatoes, rice and alfalfa are plants being used to produce or test production of plant-made pharmaceuticals.

Still in infancy

Still very much in its infancy, bio-farming has captured the interest of ag producers nationwide. “It gives farmers an opportunity to really add further value to their crops,´ said Bernie Lange, marketing director of Colorado Corn.

It won’t be for everyone, ag experts note. Bio-farming demands rigid management practices. Requirements such as isolation of bio-farm crops, separate machinery and tight bureaucratic scrutiny will drive up input costs.

In the case of genetically altered corn, for example, producers are required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to maintain a one-mile separation between the crop and commodity corn crops. Planting dates must be separated as well. The altered corn must be planted a minimum of 28 days after commodity corn is planted to further ensure against the possibility of cross-pollination.

Because bio-farming is still likely several years away from regular practice, older producers may not see it become a part of their operations, Arnusch said.

“With an average producer age of 54, I do have a concern that this may not be a fit for many aging producers,” he said. “Certainly, the limited youth we have in agriculture must look at this as an option as their farming careers advance.”

The potential rewards, meanwhile, will be higher as well. A bushel of “pharmacorn” might bring $30 to $50 per bushel compared to the couple of bucks a bushel that conventional corn crops yield, Lange said.

“If you take the point of view that there is a potential for farmers in Colorado to be more profitable and for money to flow to the state of Colorado through this process, I think it’s something that needs to be seriously considered,´ said Tom Holtzer, head of Colorado State University’s bioagricultural sciences and pest management department.

“There is the potential for that to be the case. But it will require people with special knowledge and special training and commitment to doing it.”

Ideal growing conditions

Ag experts say Colorado offers ideal conditions for bio-farming because the state has a relatively temperate climate and comparatively few climatic extremes.

“Colorado is a natural fit in my mind because we can control a lot of environmental influencers,” Arnusch said. Colorado doesn’t receive a lot of rain, which reduces hail and damaging wind possibilities.

“We have very good soil types, especially on the extreme eastern plains,” Arnusch said. And the state’s wide-open spaces accommodate the required isolation of genetically altered crops.

In the long run, farmers such as Arnusch see the possibility that bio-farming could help them reduce production risks and labor and other input costs. And, Arnusch added, it offers the chance to shift from forever pushing for high yields to concentrating on raising a quality crop with high standards.

Colorado agriculture made its first foray into the world of commercial bio-farming this past year when French biotech firm Meristem Therapeutics applied for and received permission from the USDA and Colorado Department of Agriculture to plant a test plot of approximately 17 acres of lipase-producing corn in Phillips County.

Lipase is a naturally occurring enzyme found in all living creatures except humans with cystic fibrosis. The enzyme breaks down fats. Cystic fibrosis sufferers must obtain lipase through pharmaceuticals. Currently produced conventionally by processing pig or cattle glands, lipase can be produced more cheaply through corn.

The Meristem application drew criticism in Colorado from some farm and environmental groups. At the time, the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, the American Corn Growers Association, the Colorado Organic Producers Association, the Farmers Legal Action Group and the Sierra Club voiced opposition to approval of the permit application.

In general, concerns about bio-farming include fears that: