Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Current Competitive Grant

Developing permaculture techniques for increased production and profit in sustainable year-round agriculture for beginning farmers and ranchers in southwest Iowa

NOTE: Work on this grant project has been completed and is awaiting a final report.

Project ID: M2011-05

This 2-year grant for $39,245 was awarded in 2011.

Location: Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby counties

This project, coordinated by the Southwest Iowa Food and Farming Initiative, seeks to 1) design and implement a year-round pilot project to demonstrate year-round growing techniques in high-tunnels that includes composting and vermi-composting techniques; 2) establish a formal growers association in the southwest part of the state; and 3) recruit and mentor at least four new growers in Pottawattamie County to build the local food system.

Bahi Barry

Bahi Barry Bahia Barry was hired in March of 2009 as the Local Food Coordinator at Golden Hills RC&D. She serves as an advisory board member on two, Board of Supervisor appointed Local Food Policy Councils; in Pottawattamie and Cass Counties. She also facilitates the Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative (SWIFFI); which is part of the Regional Food System Working Group at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture; and a program of Golden Hills RC&D. with food marketing, aggregation, distribution, processing, and organic certification. As a local food coordinator she works to build a resilient local food system in southwest Iowa that encourages: local economic development, increased local food production, better nutrition for consumers, and better pay for farmers. She is an avid gardener with several acres in rural Pottawattamie County.

Co-Investigator(s):

Barry Deuel, Golden Hills RC&D


This competitive grant project is part of the Leopold Center's Marketing Initiative.

Topics: Human systems, demographics and beginning farmer programs