News Release Archive
December 7, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- The owners of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprise in northern Iowa have been chosen as the 2012 recipients of the Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture.
Jan Libbey and Tim Landgraf, who operate One Step at a Time Gardens near Kanawha in Hancock County, will...
December 5, 2012
AMES, Iowa – Organizations and individuals who are developing local food systems in their community or region are invited to join others throughout Iowa who are doing the same thing, at the winter meeting of the Regional Food Systems Working Group of Iowa on Friday, December 14.
The group...
December 3, 2012
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – A new online resource helps farmers on small to mid-sized operations identify potential energy reduction for their farms, learn how other farmers have achieved energy savings, and find resources for farm audits, utility rebates and funding opportunities....
November 27, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- As optimism grows about the benefits of applying biochar to farmland, researchers have turned their attention to a neglected topic: how biochar affects natural ecosystems.
The project, started in 2011 with a competitive grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, is led...
November 21, 2012
AMES, Iowa — The drought that parched fields, scorched crops and withered farm ponds in Iowa was indiscriminate, hitting farmers of all types, sizes and enterprises equally hard. In its wake, it revealed not just the unpredictability of weather – but the need for farmers to plan ahead...
November 2, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- The Local Food and Farm Program is looking for a few good ideas that will help put more Iowa-grown products on dinner plates and more money in the pockets of Iowa farmers.
The purpose of the program, established by the Iowa Legislature in 2011, is to increase the production,...
October 30, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- A new series of videos gives voice to Iowa women who face daunting challenges as landowners with strong ties to the land, but perhaps little experience as decision-makers on the farm.
The videos were developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Land Tenure (SALT) Initiative in partnership...
October 23, 2012
IOWA CITY, Iowa –The popular documentary Symphony of the Soil, with acclaimed filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia on hand to answer questions, is just one of the many reasons to attend the Iowa Organic Conference on November 18-19, 2012.
The Twelfth Annual Iowa Organic Conference will feature the...
October 16, 2012
AMES, Iowa — Agriculture’s place in Earth’s ecology will be the focus of the 2012 Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture Oct. 29 at Iowa State University.
Erle Ellis, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland...
October 15, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- Summaries of three recently completed competitive grant projects are now available on the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s website.
October 12, 2012
AMES, Iowa – A readers’ theatre production about the plight of Iowa farmers, written by students in an Iowa State University creative writing course, is part of a new book by ISU Distinguished Professor and Iowa Poet Laureate Mary Swander.
Farmscape: The Changing Rural Environment is...
October 11, 2012
AMES, Iowa – What would you think if a farmer could grow corn and soybeans with lower costs, fewer chemicals, less environmental impact, all while increasing yields and making a profit?
A new study shows that it’s possible, and it’s not a scene from the future.
October 2, 2012
IOWA COUNTY, Iowa – New research that models how carbon moves through Midwestern landscapes will help farmers manage their land for healthy soil, clean water, and carbon sequestration.
September 24, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- More than 200 Iowa high school and community college ag instructors have copies of four new videos that explain the science behind conservation practices that improve water quality.
September 21, 2012
BOONE COUNTY, Iowa -- The Landscape Biomass Project, now in its fourth year of a planned ten-year study, continues to evolve as researchers search out ideal biofuel feedstock cropping systems for Iowa.
September 19, 2012
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Registration is now open for the Twelfth Annual Iowa Organic Conference, to be held on the University of Iowa campus on November 18 and 19, 2012. Farmers, Extension staff, industry representatives and students are invited to learn about science-based research in organic...
September 10, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- A growing interest in local foods and how to get locally raised fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, honey, eggs and dairy products into the hands of more consumers has prompted development of a new guide from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Iowa Local Food and...
September 7, 2012
BOONE COUNTY, Iowa -- Acres of cornfields often come to mind when Iowans consider the nation’s growing demand for biofuel. Native prairies also have a role to play in future biofuel feedstock production that will provide multiple benefits for soil, water and biodiversity, including resilience...
August 22, 2012
AMES, IOWA—Attendees at the North Grand Farmers Market in Ames on Saturday, Aug. 25 will get to see the debut of the newest trailer in the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Conservation Station fleet. In addition, visitors to the farmers market will get a preview of the exciting,...
July 31, 2012
AMES, Iowa – A statewide program designed to boost production and sales of Iowa-grown food will focus on food hubs, business training opportunities for farmers and getting more school districts involved in farm-to-school programs during its second year of operation.
The Local Food and Farm...
July 20, 2012
ISU Extension has drought information related to: crops, livestock, dealing with stress, home and yard, financial concerns and tips for businesses.
Go to ISU Extension drought website
July 9, 2012
BOONE COUNTY, Iowa – Adding diversity to corn-soybean rotations can provide higher yields and reduce the need for fertilizer, herbicide and fossil fuel inputs, according to a long-running research project supported by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
June 29, 2012
AMES, Iowa – A new fact sheet from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture highlights 11 conservation practices that landowners can adopt to protect and improve Iowa’s water quality.
Various land uses can diminish the quality of streams and rivers, from pollutants running off...
June 25, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- Summaries of eight recently completed projects are now available on the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture website, covering topics that range from local food networks to invasive species to cattle grazing.
All five projects in the Marketing and Food Systems Initiative dealt...
June 21, 2012
AMES, Iowa - The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is looking for innovative ideas that will help fulfill its mission to identify and reduce negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of agricultural practices and contribute to the development of profitable farming systems that...
June 18, 2012
AMES, Iowa – Twice a week in woodlands across central Iowa, Jan Thompson’s research team catalogs plant species, collects water samples and identifies aquatic insects.
The tasks seem unrelated at first, but Thompson intends to change that perception. A professor in natural resource...
June 13, 2012
AMES, Iowa — A field day highlighting Iowa State University fruit and vegetable research is planned for July 23 at the ISU Horticulture Research Station near Gilbert. Organizers say the field day will be of interest to commercial producers, small-scale growers, master gardeners and home...
May 25, 2012
AMES, Iowa — Practical Farmers of Iowa has finalized its Cooperators Program research and demonstration projects for 2012. This year, which marks the program’s 25th anniversary, nearly 80 farmers and cooperators across Iowa are participating in 53 on-farm research and demonstration...
May 24, 2012
AMES, Iowa – Iowa landowners can supply emerging markets with sustainable biofuel while restoring forests to health, according to new research from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
John Tyndall, assistant professor in natural resource ecology and management at Iowa State...
May 15, 2012
AMES, Iowa – If you think local food stops at the Saturday morning farmers market, think again. Iowa State University offers a host of organizations, programs and classes related to local food systems.
April 18, 2012
BOONE COUNTY, Iowa -- Farmers have just begun planting corn and soybean in Iowa’s bare fields, but on experimental plots in Boone County, a lush green crop already covers the ground.
Canola, the source of a healthful vegetable oil, may provide a marketable third crop for Iowa that helps...
April 16, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- A potential problem for Iowa fruit and vegetable growers can be turned into a liquid asset, thanks to a one-year research project conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
High tunnels are inexpensive,...
April 12, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture website is featuring results from four recently completed projects. The Center provides support for research, education, and demonstration projects to help Iowa farmers at all levels with production and marketing issues. Among the...
April 2, 2012
AMES, Iowa – The Leopold Center invites nominations for the 2012 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture, which honors people who have made a significant contribution to the ecological and economic stability of Iowa’s family farms.
You may nominate yourself or others for the award....
March 30, 2012
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – To further help Iowa farmers on small to mid-sized operations learn ways to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel use, the Iowa Farm Energy Working Group produced three videos of farmers telling how they use energy efficiency, conservation, or renewable energy successfully...
March 22, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- Join a diverse group of Iowans at the Iowa Local Food Summit on Tuesday, April 3 to make your voice heard about creating a more vibrant food system for our state.
March 13, 2012
Celebrate the complexity and mystery of soil at the Iowa premieres of a new documentary film, Symphony of the Soil. Screenings and a panel discussion with the filmmaker will take place on Tuesday, March 27 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and on Wednesday, March 28 at Iowa State...
March 7, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa Farm Energy Working Group has awarded three demonstration grants for 2012 to Iowa farmers with small to mid-sized operations to demonstrate how they can reduce fossil fuel use and meet their energy needs through energy efficiency or the use of renewable resources from on...
March 5, 2012
AMES, Iowa – Creating a vibrant food system in Iowa requires diverse voices and strong partnerships. The Local Food and Farm Program team invites you to contribute to a lively discussion at the Iowa Local Food Summit on Tuesday, April 3. The event will take place at the Scheman Building...
February 22, 2012
PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa -- With small strips of native prairies, Iowa farmers can provide vital habitat for grassland birds that have diminished in numbers across the United States, according to research funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
Anna MacDonald, graduate student in...
February 20, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- New research funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture explores a valuable public policy option for creating a more resilient power grid in Iowa, one designed to strengthen rural economies and contribute to cleaner water and air.
February 16, 2012
AMES, Iowa – An afternoon of readings, music and conversation will honor Iowa native Aldo Leopold, whose celebrated book A Sand County Almanac has inspired generations to strive for a more ethical relationship with the land.
February 13, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- Sandra Steingraber, acclaimed ecologist, author and cancer survivor, will speak at Iowa State University on Sunday, March 4 about her compelling call to abolish the fossil fuel dependency that forces parents to raise their children in a toxic, ecologically unstable world.
Steingraber...
February 1, 2012
AMES, Iowa – The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has awarded grants to 21 new projects that will bring Iowa’s ecology, economy and sociopolitical systems closer to sustainability and resilience.
The projects fall under all four of the Leopold Center’s initiatives...
January 30, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- Bernie Havlovic and Michael Natvig work at opposite corners of Iowa. They’ve each spent more than thirty years in separate arenas—Havlovic managing research projects at Iowa State University farms, and Natvig transitioning his family farm to organic crops and livestock....
January 26, 2012
AMES, Iowa -- The new FY2011 annual report from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University echoes the year’s theme of “Perseverance.” An illustrated timeline commemorates important events in the Center’s 25-year history.
The report focuses on the...
January 23, 2012
DES MOINES, Iowa – A six-member advisory council met for the first time to review progress on Iowa’s new Local Food and Farm Program that seeks to increase farmer profitability and the number of jobs in local foods.
Craig Chase, interim coordinator of the Marketing and Food Systems...
January 11, 2012
AMES, Iowa – A statewide program designed to build a “Culture of Conservation” in Iowa will be working closely with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture over the next three years.
January 5, 2012
AMES, Iowa — A microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been named the next director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
Mark Rasmussen, supervisory microbiologist and director of the Division of Animal and Food Microbiology at the...
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture |
Ames, Iowa 50011 |
(515) 294-3711 |
leocenter@iastate.edu