Governor Vilsack honors family, presents 2003 Spencer AwardBy Laura Miller, Newsletter Editor |
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Sustainable agriculture got top billing when Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack presented the 2003 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture to Iowa beef producer Dave Petty at the Iowa State Fair. The Pioneer Livestock Pavilion was full of fairgoers who came to watch the Governor’s Charity Steer Show, a fundraiser organized by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council. Vilsack made the presentation to Dave, Diane and Dresden Petty before taking the reins of a champion steer that he was showing. “I can’t think of a better family to receive this award,” Vilsack said. “They have a true compassion and passion for the land. They understand the challenges of farm families today; they have been creative and innovative in looking for ways to continue to be profitable and at the same time protecting the environment and being great stewards of the land.” Leopold Center advisory board chair Jim Penney said it also was important for them to succeed economically as well as in their conservation efforts. “The Leopold Center’s success depends on people who are willing to take our research one step further – and adopt sustainable agricultural practices on their own farms and in their own communities,” Penney said. “Dave and his family have invested in conservation for the long term.” Also on hand were Elaine Spencer of Seattle, Wash., and her brother Robert, of La Crosse, Wisc. The award is named for their parents, Norman and Margaretha Spencer, who farmed near Sioux City for 40 years. “Our parents believed that as one of the oldest land grant universities in the nation, ISU’s mission was not only to educate young people, but also through its research, education and extension to make a major difference in the lives of Iowans,” Elaine Spencer said. “The Leopold Center, by focusing its efforts on the preservation of sustainable agriculture and the family farm, carries out the fullest realization of that mission.” She said her parents also believed “that it was each farmer’s obligation to leave his land more productive than he found it,” adding that Dave, Diane and Dresden Petty follow similar ideals. “They stand as an example that family farms can remain financially successful, while at the same time exercising enlightened stewardship.” Nomination materials for the 2004 award will be available in January.
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Back to Fall 2003 Leopold Letter
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