Leopold Center 2008 work focuses on emerging markets, environment and energy

3-7-08

GRANTS LEOPOLD CENTER 2008 WORK FOCUSES ON EMERGING MARKETS, ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

AMES, Iowa -- The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University has awarded grants for 20 new projects covering a wide range of activities that support emerging markets for local foods and renewable energy, and encourage a transition to alternative systems that protect the environment while using fewer outside inputs.

These projects will receive $380,805 for their first year of work, and were selected in a competitive process that began in July 2007. Grants for eight of the new projects are for one year, nine projects will run two years, and three grants are for three years. The Center also has renewed or is in the process of renewing 15 grants totaling more than $330,000 for multi-year projects already in progress.

“These projects show a bold and balanced response by the Leopold Center to many of the challenges faced in Iowa agriculture, and represent a rich diversity of ideas and projects throughout the state," said Director Jerry DeWitt.

He said all projects were evaluated on their potential to provide economic sustainability for farmers, conserve Iowa's soil and water resources, contribute to the social fabric of Iowa's rural communities, work with partners, and build on the Center's work in its three research initiatives of ecological systems, marketing and food systems, and policy.

The 2008 grants include 13 new projects in the Center's Marketing and Food Systems Initiative, led by Rich Pirog. The projects will create tools and resources to help farmers enter emerging markets for local foods and renewable fuels, as well as document the impacts of those activities on regional economies to encourage rural development.

"These projects build on the foundation developed since the inception of the Marketing and Food Systems Initiative to provide farmers more information on access to capital, technical assistance and network development to create food, fiber and energy businesses," Pirog said.

He said a web-based sales template will make it easier for food buyers to place orders for produce, meats and other items directly with farmers or farmer networks. A prototype developed for northeast Iowa will be expanded to all parts of the state.

Another set of projects targets new farmers in immigrant and ethnic communities as well as farm families who want to bring children and others into their operations. Pirog said grants will support development of bilingual training for Latino farmers at Marshalltown Community College, the start of a "new generation" farm program by Practical Farmers of Iowa, and a "jump start" new farmer program in Cass County.

Other Marketing and Food Systems Initiative projects include support for a statewide agritourism group, workshops on sharing farm equipment and labor, opportunities for farmers to learn new business and marketing skills, a program to replace petroleum used in the Grinnell area with local renewable energy sources, mapping the bioenergy potential for local markets, and a food system mentoring program in Pottawattamie County.

Six new grants are part of the Center's Ecological Systems Initiative that focuses on innovative ways to use diversified farming systems in Iowa. One new project explores whether grazing cattle on restored prairie and browsing goats in degraded oak savannah can provide multiple benefits to land, biodiversity and livestock management for both the farmer and the conservationist. Other projects include developing and testing alternative biomass cropping systems, measuring soil moisture and plant water use under different annual-perennial plant communities, and using agroforestry techniques to combine shade pasture and forage while producing woody biomass.

Jeri Neal, who leads the Center's Ecology program, said, “By investigating ways to take advantage of natural soil-crop-animal interactions, we can reduce our external input costs and ultimately improve both environmental and economic performance in agriculture and conservation.”

Neal pointed out that accounting for the forms of energy used on the farm also is an important part of innovation and diversity. One new project specifically addresses agricultural production energy costs and will attempt to assess the total energy footprint of pigs raised in both conventional and alternative production systems. Another project considers several ways to reduce pesticide and herbicide use in Iowa vineyards.

The Leopold Center's Policy Initiative will sponsor one new project. It will launch a two-year study to develop state policy alternatives that will encourage sustainable production of biofuels feedstocks.

The Leopold Center has conducted a competitive grants program since 1988 in accordance with legislation that established the center. The process has included an annual invitation to Iowa researchers and educators, asking them to submit project proposals that are evaluated by staff, a 17-member advisory board and outside reviewers. The 20 new projects were selected from 60 pre-proposals submitted last summer.

For more information about the new grant awards, go to the Leopold Center web site at: www.leopold.iastate.edu, and click on "Marketing," "Ecology" or "Policy" to reach the specific initiative web page.
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2008 NEW LEOPOLD CENTER GRANT PROJECTS

Marketing and Food Systems Initiative