Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

News & Notes

Back to Leopold Letter Summer 2011

New research assistant

Melissa Lamberton, an MFA candidate in ISU’s Creative Writing and Environment program, joined the Leopold Center as a research assistant in communications in May. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona and received a BS in environmental science from the University of Arizona. Lamberton worked as the Education and Public Outreach Coordinator on NASA’s Phoenix Mars Scout Mission, which landed on Mars in 2008. She also wrote a history of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, conducting interviews with over 50 scientists from the Apollo age to the present. She became interested in riparian ecosystems after an internship in Costa Rica, where she wrote about how farming practices impact the rivers on which local communities rely. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at the Water Resources Research Center in Tucson, before moving to Iowa to start graduate school. Her thesis work focuses on western water policy and river restoration.

Prince of Wales

Leopold Center Distinguished Fellow Fred Kirschenmann was among a small group of sustainable agriculture leaders who met privately with Great Britain’s Prince of Wales in Washington, D.C. on May 4. Prince Charles, an organic farmer and strong supporter of sustainable agriculture, was keynote speaker at a Future of Food conference hosted by the Washington Post at Georgetown University.

Videos and other information from the event on the Washington Post Live website

Sustainable ag tours

The Leopold Center has prepared a guide for visitors to central Iowa who are interested in sustainable agriculture. The guide lists partners and programs at Iowa State University involved in promoting alternative practices and sustainability.

View the publication, Central Iowa Sustainable Agriculture Tour

Hands-on education

Malcolm Robertson, coordinator of the Leopold Center’s Cross-Cutting Initiative, is teaching a new summer class on Horticulture Enterprise Management (HORT 432MR). The class brings students to the ISU Horticulture Research Station near Ames to give them on-the-ground training in the management and operation of an Iowa fruit and vegetable enterprise.

New assistant professor

The Iowa State University Horticulture Department has hired a new assistant professor, Ajay Nair, to help large- and small-scale growers of horticultural food crops (primarily vegetables). He recently received his Ph.D. in horticulture from Michigan State University, and holds degrees from the University of Maine and Kerala Agricultural University in Thrissur, India. His appointment is 60 percent extension, 30 percent research and 10 percent teaching. This is one of two new positions for local food systems research and education and food crop production supported by the Leopold Center in ISU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Local food directory updated

A new update is available for Leopold Center’s popular directory “Learning about Local.” The publication includes 85 organizations, programs, funders and consultants that offer various forms of assistance for people interested in local food systems. You can download “Learning about Local” from the Leopold Center website or request a print copy from the Center at (515) 294-3711.

Spencer Award nominations

The Leopold Center is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture, which honors Iowans committed to sustainable practices on family farms. The distinguished award includes a $1,000 cash prize. Anyone who has made advancements toward ecologically and economically sound farm practices can apply or be nominated. Nominations must be received by July 15. Download nomination forms on the Leopold Center website or contact the Center at (515) 294-3711.

Information about the Spencer Award

National highlight for Iowa group

Small-scale meat and poultry producers are benefitting from the work of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, an Internet-based collaborative learning service that consolidates the resources of land grant universities. The group recently was featured by Food Safety News, a worldwide web-based daily newspaper. Co-leader of the group is Arion Thiboumery, vice president of Lorentz Meats in Minnesota and extension associate at Iowa State University. Thiboumery led the Small Meat Processors Working Group at ISU that was part of the Value Chain Partnerships project and is now incorporated into the national effort. More information is available at www.nichemeatprocessing.org.

Teacher of the Year

Keith Summerville, a member of the Leopold Center’s advisory board, has received the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year award, Drake University’s highest honor for inspirational teachers. Summerville is the associate dean of Drake University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Prairie handbook

A handbook for establishing and managing prairies on farmland, Incorporating Prairies into Multifunctional Landscapes, has been reprinted, and the updated version is available at no charge from ISU Extension’s Online Store. Meghann Jarchow and Matt Liebman, supported by the Leopold Center’s Ecological Initiative, developed the publication.

View the publication, Incorporating Prairies into Multifunctional Landscapes

Opportunities for small meat lockers

ISU economist Dave Swenson has completed new research about local foods systems, supported by the Leopold Center’s Marketing Initiative. His research focuses on how niche meat processors and local fruits and vegetables can positively impact rural economics.