Special projects address critical agricultural issuesMeasuring air quality in alternative and conventional swine production systems, helping farmers deal with financial stress, and building networks for local food systems in northwest Iowa are the focus of special projects funded by the Leopold Center. The Leopold Center staff has been working with partners to develop the following projects that will run from two months to more than a year. Air quality The Center is supporting a 15-month research project that will look at air quality and exposure to contaminants around and downwind of both swine hoop buildings and conventional confinement systems. The joint project is being conducted by the ISU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the Center's sister organization, the University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination. For more information, contact Peter S. Thorne at the U of I, (319) 335-4216. Farm stress Funds are being used to sponsor follow-up work to the "Together in Tough Times" initiative of the Ecumenical Ministries of Iowa (EMI). This project is designed to encourage community conversations that address stressful issues facing rural Iowans. Other partners are the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, Iowa Association of School Boards, and ISU Extension. For more information, contact Sarai Beck, EMI, (515) 255-5905. Rural crisis Funds will provide scholarships for parish nurses to attend a Rural Ministry Conference March 12-14 in Dubuque. Parish nurses combine ministry with health care, meeting patients in their homes to provide information about various services. The conference is sponsored by the Sharing Help Awareness United Network (SHAUN), which is affiliated with the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health in Iowa City. For more information, contact Michael Rosmann, SHAUN, (712) 755-1516. Local food systems Sioux Rivers Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) will connect producers in northwest Iowa to hospitals, hotels, colleges and convention centers that want to buy locally-grown food. For information, contact Darrell Geib, (712) 943-7882. Return to Spring 2000 Leopold Letter index |