August 25 field day celebrates Leopold Center work in northwest Iowa

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August 7, 2007

SUTHERLAND, Iowa -- What's been the impact of sustainable agriculture practices in northwest Iowa over the past 20 years and what lies ahead?

That's the question O'Brien County organic farmer Paul Mugge hopes to answer when he and his wife Karen host an August 25 Practical Farmers of Iowa field day to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

The field day will feature a wagon tour of flax and triticale field trials on the Mugge farm and a round-robin discussion with participants of Leopold Center-funded projects at Dordt College and with Iowa State University Extension specialists in the region. At noon, activities move to the nearby Prairie Heritage Center for lunch, followed by a prairie walk. University of Iowa professor David Osterberg, one of the authors of the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act that established the Leopold Center in 1987, will open the discussion about a sustainable future for northwest Iowa.

Mugge raises corn, soybeans and small grains in an organic rotation on 320 acres and feeds 2,500 pigs every year. He represents PFI on the board that advises the Leopold Center and said that from his perspective, projects focusing on long-term sustainability of agriculture have made a difference in his area.

"The Leopold Center's partnership with PFI and Iowa State University is really unique, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved," he said. "I know that I would not have taken the same approach to problems on my own farm had it not been for the support from these organizations."

Here's the schedule:

• 9 a.m. - Wagon tours of flax and triticale trials with Margaret Smith, ISU Value Added Agriculture Extension; and Mary Wiedenhoeft and Lance Gibson, ISU Agronomy;
   
• 10 a.m. - Round-robin discussion with Ron Vos, Dordt College; Joel DeJong, ISU Extension field agronomist, LeMars; and Kathleen Delate who leads organic research at Iowa State;
   
• Noon - Lunch at Prairie Heritage Center
   
• 1 p.m. - Prairie Walk, O’Brien County Naturalist Charlene Elyea
   
• 2 p.m. - Visioning for the next 20 years with David Osterberg, University of Iowa; Matt Liebman, Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at ISU; Teresa Opheim, Practical Farmers of Iowa; Mary Holz Clause, ISU Extension; Rob Marquesee, Woodbury County Economic Development; and Neil Hamilton, Drake Agricultural Law Center and a member of the original Leopold Center advisory board.

Directions to the Mugge farm: From Sutherland, take Highway 10 3 miles west and look for the PFI sign on the north.

Directions to the Prairie Heritage Center: From Sutherland, drive 4.5 miles southeast on Highway 10, then one mile north on Yellow Avenue.

This field day is sponsored by the Henry A. Wallace Center at Winrock International, the ISU Department of Agronomy, and Hain Celestial (Spectrum Organics). All PFI field days are sponsored by the Leopold Center, the Animal Welfare Institute, Frontier Natural Products, ISU Extension and Organic Valley. 

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The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/08-07-2007/august-25-field-day-celebrates-leopold-center-work-northwest-iowa on 01/21/2013