|
There’s
definitely an art to the science of agriculture, as the
Leopold Center learned when trying to deal with significant
budget reductions in recent years. Thus, the theme, “The Art
of Agriculture,” showcases the work of the Leopold Center in
its latest annual report covering fiscal year 2003.
The “artful” approach reflects the Center’s efforts to
establish three research initiatives, maintain its
competitive grants program, and continue to collaborate with
new partners while coping with a significant budget
shortfall and the need to raise additional funds. A timeline
within the annual report shows the progress made during the
last three years to refocus and more finely hone the
Center’s research programs.
Updates from each of the initiatives—policy, ecology, and
marketing and food systems—explain the new and continuing
programs in these areas. Readers can check out summaries of
projects in each initiative as well as the ongoing
competitive grants work.
The report chronicles how the Center managed the $1 million
budget cut and how its many supporters responded to the
challenge of fundraising to help sustain the Center’s
activities. The Center shows how it worked to maintain its
important commitments to Practical Farmers of Iowa, the
Long-Term Agroecological Research program at ISU, the
Sustainable Agriculture Graduate Program at ISU, and the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation food systems project.
The Leopold Center’s annual report was compiled and edited
by Mary Adams, with graphic design provided by the
award-winning firm, Juls Design of Ankeny.
A free copy of the 36-page report is available upon request.
The report also can be viewed on-line at
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/annual/annual.htm.
|