Interns interested in family farms

Two Iowa State University students who didn't grow up on a farm would like to make sure that others do have that opportunity.

Sarah Low and Annette Mathieu, both seniors in public service and administration in agriculture, are summer interns at the Leopold Center this summer. Mathieu, a graduate of Dowling High School in Des Moines, is working with education coordinator Rich Pirog to summarize conference and workshop evaluations and help with several local food system projects. Low, who grew up in Maysville, is assisting with the Center's visioning activities and helping with Center outreach.

Low is not new to agriculture. Many of her classmates at North Scott High School in east central Iowa lived on farms. She learned about the Leopold Center's efforts to help family farmers last year while working in ISU's rural sociology department. This summer she splits her time between the Center and the Iowa Agricultural Development Authority.

"I hope to learn more about sustainable agriculture and the sustain-ability of rural life in Iowa as we now know it," Low said. "When I graduate from Iowa State next May, I hope to attend graduate school in public administration or public policy, so this internship will provide me with valuable experience."

Mathieu's focus is on marketing. She hopes to find work in cooperative extension after graduation. She returned to ISU in 1998, having moved back to Iowa in 1994 after living several years in California.

"I had no experience in agriculture but was looking for a career that would be promising in a state like Iowa," Mathieu said. "Our agricultural system is changing and I want to work for the preservation of the family farm, rural communities and our precious natural resources. Agricultural issues, such as chemical use, pollution, food safety and farm size, will become more significant in the near future."

This is the ninth year for the Leopold Center's summer internship program. Interns meet producers at field days and work with educators from the Center's partner organizations on various projects.