|
Life in Iowa: Fostering a sense of place in a community The Leopold Center enjoyed a unique opportunity to support an innovative new Iowa State University Extension program that not only helps students understand one of the concepts of sustainability but also helps Iowa communities put it into practice. During the past two summers and again in 2004, the Leopold Center is sponsoring internships for several students enrolled in the Life in Iowa program. Students complete a 10-week paid internship and 100 hours of volunteer work in the community where they work. Community partners include nonprofit organizations, social service agencies, extension offices, community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and other small, locally owned businesses. The goals are to develop student leadership and help participating communities create a sustainable quality of life. A Leopold Center competitive grant supported five of the 64 Life in Iowa students enrolled in the 2003 program; these internships focused on sustainable agriculture, food systems and environmental projects. Although students earn three credits during the summer, program director Nancy Bevin hopes students take away much more. “Life in Iowa combines classroom theory and practice in a community,” she said. “It has as its thematic center what it means for an individual to live a meaningful life and what it means to build a healthy and sustainable community.” Aldo Leopold called it being a “good citizen of the land,” and others call it “living well in place.” Understanding a local community also figures prominently in the definition of sustainable agriculture, which includes the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability. Here’s what the most recent Leopold Center-funded interns said about their Life in Iowa experiences. Life in Iowa -- Susannah Eddy Susannah Eddy, a senior in agricultural education from Osceola, worked at the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center near Greenfield in Adair County. When she wasn’t leading youth camp sessions about soil quality, she worked in the Prairie Harvest CSA garden. She also wrote a weekly newspaper column about different vegetables grown at the center, produced newsletters that went into the weekly produce boxes and helped at the Greenfield Farmers Market. I had not heard of many of the vegetables in the garden when I started my internship. Now I can rattle off the names of many different vegetables, describe what they will look like when ripe, and share about how each tastes and how to prepare them. Everyone working at the center encouraged me to try all of the vegetables at least once and I grew fond of many of them. I’m hoping they will send me a care package of vegetables! Knowledge about organic products and sustainable agriculture has definitely broadened my ideas about the future of agriculture and my interest in this different market for products. I learned a lot about organic farming and I am definitely more cautious about my actions when it comes to my environment. Gaining knowledge about Henry A. Wallace’s beliefs as they applied to the environment, soil and prairie have helped me understand many of the activities the County Life Center takes part in. As an agriculture education major, I have been thinking about the lessons I want to teach – about Henry A. Wallace’s role in agriculture and organic agriculture production. This internship also opened my eyes to more possibilities for occupations within agriculture and has been very rewarding. Life in Iowa -- David Rosmann David Rosmann, a senior in public service and administration in agriculture grew up on a farm near Harlan and worked with Practical Farmers of Iowa in Ames. Coming into this program I already had strong convictions about sustainable ag and community stewardship, but my summer experiences only made them stronger. Between working with PFI’s youth camp, looking over the farmers’ market, and helping out with field days, I’ve gained a better understanding of the importance of sustainable ag and community stewardship. It also gave me a chance to work for an organization with like-minded people who believe in keeping the family farm. Practical Farmers of Iowa was a perfect fit and I have a great deal of respect for the organization. Life in Iowa -- Ryan Holthaus Ryan Holthaus, a senior in agricultural education from Decorah, worked with the University of Northern Iowa Local Food Project’s “Buy Fresh Buy Local” campaign that connects farmers with institutional markets in the Cedar Falls area. I learned a lot from my experience in Cedar Falls, but what opened my eyes were the many different types of farmers who participated in the campaign. As I traveled to farms I was really struck by the many kinds of agriculture, not the typical corn-and-soybean operations. It made me realize that there is more to agriculture than just commercial and industrial agriculture. People still love and care for the land that they farm, doing things by hand rather than large-scale plowing or spraying. As a future agricultural education teacher, I hope to work a unit into my curriculum about sustainable agriculture and smaller farm operations to explain how we can benefit in other ways than large-scale commercial agriculture. Life in Iowa -- Ann Holste Ann Holste, a senior in agricultural business who grew up on a traditional crop farm near Massena, Iowa, worked at One Step at a Time CSA Gardens near Belmond in Wright County. I learned so much this summer, from gardening techniques to how baby chicks should be handled. Every day was a new experience because even if it was the same task, it would be a different type of vegetable or at a different stage in its life that would need a different type of care. I have gained a greater appreciation for the food I eat and the work that goes into raising crops and livestock. Working on a CSA farm, I am more aware of the hard work and the importance of knowing where my food comes from. This internship strengthened my goals and the fact that I want a career that supports sustainable agriculture and the people involved in it. Life in Iowa -- Shawn Corey Shawn Corey, a junior in construction engineering from Sioux City, worked with the Sioux River Recreation Corridor, a coalition of conservation and recreation organizations in the Big Sioux River recreational district in Plymouth County. During his internship, Corey created a guide map for a Big Sioux River canoe trail from Sioux Falls, S.D., to Sioux City, and created a web site outlining stops and points of interest along the trail. He also was responsible for promotion of the river and its recreational opportunities, signage along the river routes, and canoe trips in the Hawarden and Akron areas. I pretty much know every county road in northwest Iowa along the river. I hit every back road and small town. It has been interesting to get to know each town by its own personality. Back to Fall 2003 Leopold Letter
|