NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LEOPOLDCENTER

Fall 2002

A blue-ribbon day for sustainable agriculture

[See photos from presentation]

The presentation of the first Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture during a livestock show at the Iowa State Fair in August celebrated the work of two Iowa families.

David and Amy Petersen of Blue Grass became the first recipients of the Spencer Award. They were honored for their work in building a diversified crop and dairy operation that supports their family on a 160-acre farm.

"We hope the award will encourage other farmers, researchers and educators to test and document their ideas for sustainable agriculture," said Bob Spencer, whose family donated funds to establish the award named after his parents who farmed in northwest Iowa for 40 years.

Spencer said he was pleased that the Petersens planned to use the $1,000 award to refurbish an existing windbreak on their farm and to establish a new grove of trees. He recalled that in the 1870s his great grandfather, who homesteaded in Woodbury County, brought seedlings with him for a nursery and used them on his own farm, the nearby town of Moville and on his neighbors' new farms.

"There are more and more people who are concerned about the road that production agriculture and our food delivery system seems to be on and it's easy to talk about sustainable agriculture," said David Petersen. "But I give credit to the LeopoldCenter and the Spencer family for stepping up to the plate and doing something about it."

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A LeopoldCenter report was spotlighted in a national magazine. Audubon used data from the Center's "Food, Fuel and Freeways" report in an illustration showing how far produce travels for a story on trends toward locally grown food. The story, "The [New] Harvesters," appears in the September 2002 issue.

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LeopoldCenter director Fred Kirschenmann was quoted in a Sept. 23 Newsweek report about the USDA's new organic standards that take effect Oct. 21. Kirschenmann served five years as a farmer-member of the National Organic Standards Board.

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The LeopoldCenter's message about family farms had a national audience in September. Director Fred Kirschenmann participated in Farm Aid 2002 activities in Pittsburgh on a panel discussion about threats facing family farmers. The program preceded the Sept. 21 benefit concert, organized in 1985 by Willie Nelson.

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As a guest of Iowa for three years, I have a soft spot for the people and its agriculture and natural resources. Two almost simultaneous announcements caused me to question the direction Iowa is headed. First was the editorial ...  announcing that another record has been set for nitrate levels on the Raccoon River in Des Moines. The second was the Iowa Legislature's decision on May 28 to "transfer" $1 million from the groundwater protection funds that pay for the Leopold Center's work in research, demonstration and education related to nutrient pollution and sustainable agriculture ... The genius of the 1987 legislation to place a tiny tax on fertilizer to fund research on less-polluting agriculture is the envy of the sustainable agriculture world. And yet, the state seems prepared to throw it all away  ... When you wonder about the record levels of nitrate in your rivers and the expensive struggle of your water utilities to keep your drinking water within legal limits, look to yourselves and your elected representatives. These decisions are not worthy of the Iowa I knew and loved. -- Bill Vorley, International Institute for Environment and Development, London, and visiting LeopoldCenter researcher, 1994-97, Published July 19, 2002, Des Moines Register

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New project highlights rural success stories

Stories about Iowa farmers, small business owners and others are being collected for a new project that highlights innovative ways rural Iowans are making a living while contributing to their local communities and protecting the natural environment.

Their stories will be posted on the project's web site, and 40 will be published in a companion book to be released in the coming year.

The project, Renewing the Countryside, is a collaboration of the Iowa Rural Development Council, the LeopoldCenter for Sustainable Agriculture, Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

The Iowa version of Renewing the Countryside is part of a larger, regional project that spotlights examples of innovation and positive change in the rural Great Plains. Developed in Minnesota in 2001, Renewing the Countryside editions are being created in several Midwestern states. The idea is patterned after a similar effort in the Netherlands.

The project includes a diverse mix of Iowa stories in several areas:

• Sustainable Farming: raising food and goods while caring for the land

• Direct Marketing: closing the distance between producers and consumers

• Product Innovation: developing new products or increasing local profits by adding value through processing or product development

• Harvesting Nature: sustainably harvesting forests, prairies and waterways

• Conservation: wisely using and protecting our natural resources

• Tourism and Culture: valuing and marketing connections to rural landscapes

• Community: fostering community relationships in innovative ways

• Learning: approaching learning and personal growth creatively

• Renewable Energy: establishing new energy sources to protect natural resources

To suggest ideas for stories, contact Beth Danowsky at the Iowa Department of Economic Development, (515) 242-4875, Beth.Danowsky@ided.state.ia.us, or Shellie Orngard, (515) 294-6998, sorngard@iastate.edu.

The Minnesota project is on the web at <www.renewingthecountryside.org>.