| Mr. Braun's farming roots extend as far back as traceable in his German ancestry. He and his family live on their hog farm in Latimer, Iowa, but exited the industry in 2000. His father and he were innovators in hog confinement technology, building a 104-sow confinement farrowing house in 1970. By 1974, all family hogs were off open feedlots and under aluminum roofs on slatted floors. They utilized all concrete deep pit manure storage. By the early 90's he had built the herd to 650 sows, marketing 11,000-12000 head of finishing hogs per year in total confinement. Jim has served on the boards of the Franklin County Pork Producers Association, Franklin County Farm Bureau, and Franklin County Republican Central Committee. He served on the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture's Emergency Livestock Pricing Task Force in 1998-1999. In 1999, Governor Tom Vilsack appointed him to a four-year term on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission. |
