Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Current Competitive Grant

Farm metered energy analyses: Getting baseline data, ground-truthing changes

Project ID: XP2012-06

This 2-year grant for $50,000 was awarded in 2012.

Location: Statewide

Practical Farmers of Iowa will prepare metered energy analyses for 25 farms. The investigators will gather and analyze five years of the farms’ metered energy use (both before and after the farmers have taken steps to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy), and develop reports on the farmers’ energy use, costs, and carbon dioxide emissions. Results will be shared via workshops, field days and media outlets.

Teresa Opheim

Teresa Opheim Teresa Opheim is the executive director of Practical Farmers of Iowa. She is a fourth-generation Iowan who has journalism and law degrees from the University of Iowa. She has served as the Executive Director of the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, the Communications Director of the Iowa Environmental Council, and the Editor of the National Wetlands Newsletter. She co-authored the book Our National Wetland Heritage and has published more than 100 articles in national and local publications. [Contact lead investigator]

This competitive grant project is part of the Leopold Center's Cross-Cutting Initiative.

Topics: Bioeconomy and energy, Economic and environmental impacts