The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture explores and cultivates alternatives that secure healthier people and landscapes in Iowa and the nation.
Frontpage Features Archive
Saturated buffers
USDA soil scientist Dan Jaynes explains how a saturated buffer works at the Bear Creek research site in Story County. Using a Leopold Center grant, he installed a shallow line along the field edge to intercept tile drainage lines before they release water into a stream. The trees behind him are part of the Bear Creek buffer. Water diverted through the buffer is naturally filtered to remove nutrients such as nitrate and phosphorus. This photo was taken a year ago, after interceptor line was installed (note freshly turned soil showing location of line). Watch video about how they work. Read news release about surprising first-year results.
Three little piggies
These pigs are among the first residents of a new hoop barn, donated by Hawkeye Steel of Houghton, Iowa, at the ISU Swine Nutrition Farm south of Ames. The pigs will spend about four months in the barn before reaching market weight of about 270 pounds. The building uses deep bedding – in this case, cornstalk residue – to generate heat and absorb animal waste. The hoop barn will be used to house pigs for swine-related classes offered by the ISU Animal Science Department. The Leopold Center pioneered much of the research on management of these systems in Iowa. More
‘When Frost is on the Punkin’
With a nod to Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, here’s a reminder that fall is here to stay and winter may be just around the corner. These pumpkins were grown at One Step at a Time Gardens near Kanawha, where you’ll also find the vegetable wash station design featured as one of our Cool Tools. Check out another grower, who happens to be a Leopold Center Advisory Board member [Iowa State Daily website]
Farmers learning from farmers
Leopold Center Advisory Board member Jennifer Steffen poses with a man and his daughter who are sorting mushrooms harvested from a giant ant hill (and which they later enjoyed for dinner). Steffan farms in Van Buren County and was among the first group of women farmers from Iowa who traveled to the Kamuli District of Uganda for an exchange led by ISU's Global Extension Program. Read what Steffan learned from her Ugandan colleagues in our latest newsletter More about this program [ISU Global Extension website]
Lifetime of leadership
Leopold Center Distinguished Fellow Fred Kirschenmann (right) poses at press briefing following a gala for the James F. Beard Foundation in New York City on October 12. He and nine “food pioneers” received the foundation’s Inaugural Leadership Award for their dedication to sustainable food and farming systems. With him is New York chef and James Beard Foundation Advisory Board member Dan Barber, who works with Kirschenmann at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. The awards capped a two-day JBF conference about how media influence the way we eat. News release Video about the award Video from other presenters [James Beard Foundation website]
Habitat: Small changes make big difference
This buckeye, common to open, sunny landscapes, was found on a prairie conservation strip at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City. Research at the refuge has found that even 10 percent of a crop field devoted to prairie conservation strips provide year-round habitat and food for beneficial insects, songbirds and other wildlife. This photo was taken by Anna McDonald, Iowa State graduate student in wildlife ecology, who is part of the research team. A new Leopold Center publication answers common questions about this new conservation practice. About the research team
Diversity key to farm's sustainability
Three generations of the Bensink family – Jack (left), Henry and Ryan – grow grain crops, raise pheasants, quail and partridge and operate a hunting preserve near Pleasantville in Marion County. In addition to using conservation practices on the land, they recently installed a wind turbine and solar panels for renewable energy. This photo was taken September 27 when the Farm Energy Working Group visited the farm. More about the Bensink operation [PDF] Learn more about a related field day this month.
Prairie + cropland = conservation benefits
Sometimes it takes a one-on-one discussion to see if a conservation practice fits your operations. The research team with the Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairies (STRIPs project) has been offering just that – a comprehensive demonstration and several field days to share the results. This discussion took place at a September field day at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City in Jasper County. The two men are sitting on a collection flume that measures runoff from the small watershed. The prairie strip is in the background. About the field day More about the STRIPs research team
Benefits of extended rotations
Practical Farmers of Iowa members Steve Barry form Shelby County and Ron Brunk from Grundy County inspect soybeans damaged by Sudden Death Syndromes (SDS) at a recent field day at the ISU Marsden Farm. The damaged beans were in a corn-soy bean rotation, while soybeans grown in an extended rotation (shown in background) remained relatively healthy. Leopold Center-supported research is looking at production, profitability and other aspects of conventional systems and extended rotations. Researchers are uncertain why the disease is not as severe in the extended rotation. More about this grant project
Protecting wells from nitrate
Dordt professor Robb De Haan (blue shirt, left) talks at a recent field day. View new video about this research project. Read news release
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