News Release Archive
December 17, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture will honor Carroll County grazier Steve Reinart with its annual Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture.
December 10, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- No one wants to see a repeat of last summer's devastating floods. But Iowans can take hope in the fact that there are resources and tools to help deal with future occurrences and renewed conversations about land uses and practices that could transform the countryside.
December 1, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- With a growing demand for local foods, two groups in Iowa hope to help farmers and businesses meet that demand, as well as create economic opportunities to their communities.
The Regional Food Systems Working Group (RFSWG) coordinated by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture...
November 20, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- In the aftermath of Iowa’s devastating summer floods, there were a multitude of questions about why this catastrophe occurred and what could be done to help prevent a recurrence. “Learning from the Floods of 2008: Practical Strategies for Resilience,” a workshop on...
November 17, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- A new video series “A Culture of Conservation” is now available from the Iowa Learning Farm. The series of five short videos explores the relationship humans have with soil and water and offers ways for everyone to have an active role in protecting and preserving the Earth...
November 17, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- While large food companies turn to focus groups, regional product testing and consumer surveys to explore future markets, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has developed a simple on-line tool to help farmers, agricultural organizations, public agencies and local food and...
November 11, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The chief executive for one of the nation's longest running organic research trials will discuss ways that cover crops, composting and other organic practices could reduce our carbon footprint and global warming.
November 10, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Local foods were among the fastest growing segments of the U.S. food industry in 2008, with some market researchers estimating sales will grow from $5 billion to more than $7 billion by 2011. Working across the supply chain, a new Iowa State University-based group is helping farmers,...
November 10, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Preliminary data from a Leopold Center-funded project shows that perennial prairie strips planted at critical points in fields of corn and soybean have minimized soil erosion, even during periods of heavy rainfall.
October 30, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Mary Swander admits that agriculture and the arts don't seem to have much in common. Yet the Iowa State University Distinguished Professor of English has found some similarities between the two — so many that she's leading an effort to join them together in a new play...
October 29, 2008
AMES, Iowa–The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Iowa Learning Farm are coordinating a three-year project that focuses on cellulosic biomass management. Iowa State University was a recipient of a federally-funded Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) through Natural Resources...
October 24, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- California obstetrician Dr. Preston Maring insisted that his patients eat healthy food, to the point of organizing a farmers' market out in front of the hospital where he worked. Five years later, Maring's idea has spread to 30 other Kaiser Permanente health care facilities...
October 23, 2008
AMES, Iowa — Ideas and proposals are sought for a unique program that pairs farmers with Iowa State University researchers to work on topics related to conservation and sustainability.
Proposals are due Dec. 17 for the 2009 ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program. This is the...
October 17, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The goal of reducing the size of the low-oxygen "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico to 2,000 square miles by 2015 probably will not be reached, but conditions need to start improving, says the official who coordinates hypoxia reduction efforts for the U.S. Environmental...
September 29, 2008
Survey shows how high prices, local food, environmental and food safety concerns sway consumer views
AMES, Iowa -- Rising fuel and food prices, coupled with increased concern about environmental impacts and safety of the food supply, are changing the perceptions of American consumers, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
August 18, 2008
AMES, Iowa — The eighth John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture, which honors a retired Iowa State University agronomy professor, will be Sept. 11.
Robert Costanza, the Gund Professor of Ecological Economics and director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the...
August 7, 2008
GREENFIELD, Iowa -- In spite of a rough year of wet weather, organic production is expected to continue to bring economic gains for Iowa farmers.
Premium prices for certified organic grain as well as hay, grown as part of the required rotation, will continue to add to the bottom line in spite of...
July 29, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Summaries of 25 research projects that completed their work appear in the 2008 Center Progress Report, recently published by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The summaries also are available on the Leopold Center's web site.
These projects comprise a majority of the...
July 18, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- A new statewide group will promote Iowa's grass-based livestock industry as well as the social and environmental benefits that could result from a whole-system approach to this type of livestock production.
July 15, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Consumers who want to know where their apple or bunch of broccoli might have been grown can check out a new online resource that tracks the origins of 95 different fresh fruits and vegetables typically sold in U.S. supermarkets. Besides showing product origins, the tool allows the...
July 10, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Sales of organic foods have skyrocketed in recent years, accompanied by numerous claims about the nutritional and health benefits of eating fruit, vegetables and meat from organic production systems.
But what has the scientific community discovered about the quality and nutritional...
July 7, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Which has the least environmental impact: items grown organically in another country or the same item grown conventionally in the next county? How do grain versus grass-fed production systems for beef and dairy stack up?
A researcher from Canada who is developing scenarios that could...
July 3, 2008
AMES, Iowa – Producers interested in fruit and vegetable production and marketing are encouraged to attend upcoming field days on July 21 and July 24.
The July 21 field day is located in Mitchell and Howard Counties. Producers will see tomatoes, green beans, watermelon and pumpkins on...
June 19, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Iowans with ideas for projects that will lead to sustainability in agriculture will want to check out the 2008 Request for Pre-proposals (RFP) now available from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
June 8, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- As fuel prices continue to rise along with interest in local foods, consumers and farmers alike are looking for options that will decrease their fuel use. A new study from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture looked at which transportation option consumed less fuel and...
May 12, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University researchers are investigating the potential of diversified, low-input farming systems to benefit both farmers and the environment while reducing on-farm energy use.Low-external-input (LEI) cropping systems rely heavily on ecological processes for soil fertility...
April 23, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Nominations for the 2008 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture are due May 15, 2008. The prestigious award honors Iowans who help family farms prosper and contribute to a vibrant rural community.The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University administers...
April 18, 2008
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- In 2007 alone, nearly $2 million worth of locally produced food was purchased by 26 institutional food buyers in the eight-county region including and surrounding Black Hawk County, more than double the amount purchased in 2006.
April 15, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- It might not be the same as celebrating Earth Day with a plate of fresh, local produce, but a new resource from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture offers all sorts of local food for thought.
April 14, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University has a unique partnership with a sustainable agriculture center outside New York City: they are sharing the services of Distinguished Fellow Fred Kirschenmann.
March 7, 2008
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...
February 29, 2008
AMES, Iowa - A decade ago, local food barely registered on America's culinary radar. Today, U.S. sales of local food are estimated at $5 billion. "Locavore" (someone who seeks out locally raised food) claimed the 2007 "word of the year" label in the New Oxford American...
February 25, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” These words, written by Iowa native Aldo Leopold in 1948, still strike a note today. They open Leopold's beloved book of essays and conservation classic, A Sand County Almanac.
Leopold's words...
February 19, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The latest research on financing and managing niche enterprises, local food distribution networks and other emerging business opportunities for farmers will be presented Tuesday, March 11 at a no-cost workshop hosted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
February 14, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The FY2007 annual report from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University surveys the year’s activities, public events, outreach efforts and scientific achievements.
The report also takes note of the distance the Center has traveled since it was...
February 4, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- The key to addressing worldwide tensions over economic issues, global warming and energy does not lie in the corporate or political worlds, rather in the hands of family farmers in Iowa and throughout the Midwest.
Well-known and respected agricultural economist John Ikerd will discuss...
January 31, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Demand for locally grown foods is on the rise and thanks to research funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa food crop producers and restaurateurs have a better understanding of how to maximize their working relationship. An on-line calculator will even help...
January 15, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- There was a time when many rural communities supported a small meat processing plant, where farmers could get hogs or calves butchered for family and friends, or hunters could get wild game processed. These businesses also rented lockers where customers could store large quantities of...
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture |
Ames, Iowa 50011 |
(515) 294-3711 |
leocenter@iastate.edu