OTHER NEWS FROM THE LEOPOLD CENTER |
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Year of the Barn and the Family Farm Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has declared 2005 as "The Year of the Barn and Family Farm." The Leopold Center and other organizations have joined the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance (IHPA) to explore the role of barns and family farms in Iowa's history and economy. It is estimated that Iowa once had more than 200,000 barns, often called "prairie cathedrals," and that only 60,000 remain. As part of the year-long celebration, the IHPA is conducting a barn survey. For more information, contact Rod Scott, (641) 648-4570, rodscott@iowaconnect.com, or go to the IHPA web site at http://www.iowapreservation.org. Publications offer on-farm food safety tips Three new publications outline on-farm food
safety practices and how to document them, information about
cleaners and sanitizers, and tips for seasonal and part-time
employees who handle the produce. The fact sheets were
developed by Iowa State University Extension with a grant
from the Leopold Center's Marketing and Food Systems
Initiative. FamilyFarmed.org honors Kirschenmann Leopold Center director Fred Kirschenmann was named "Farmer of the Year" in March during a FamilyFarmed.org EXPO in Chicago. FamilyFarmed.org is a project of Sustain, a non-profit organization that has been working on a regional food system in the Midwest by establishing markets for organic and sustainable family farms in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in Chicago, the organization hosts a web site, food label and annual EXPO, and has been working with Whole Foods Market, the nation's largest retailer of organic foods. A business world that is moving toward environmental and financial sustainability needs people with different skills and insights. Leopold Center director Fred Kirschenmann has written a chapter on career opportunities in agriculture and food security for a new book, The Eco Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work for a Sustainable World (2005 Island Press). Other chapters focus on current issues and careers in architecture and construction, biodiversity loss, climate change, environmental justice, alternative energy, water quality, ecotourism and business. The book was created by the Environmental Careers Organization, a national, nonprofit organization with offices in Boston, San Francisco and Seattle. Paperback and hard cover copies of Renewing the Countryside: Iowa are now available for $20 and $30, respectively. The book is a collection of 38 stories and eight essays highlighting Iowans who have found a way to make a living in the countryside while supporting their communities and protecting the environment. Sponsored by the Leopold Center, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Iowa Rural Development Council and Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the book is the second of a series on rural revitalization. Order on-line at http://store.rtcmarket.org/, or call (866) 477-1521 during business hours. Grapes and wine video available Growing grapes and making wine are among the oldest and most romantic agricultural industries but success requires persistence, passion and money. To help producers interested in Iowa's growing wine industry, the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) and the Iowa State University Value-added Agriculture Program (VAAP) developed a three-part video series, "The Total Wine Package." The videos explore the opportunities within the wine industry, the science of viticulture and how to develop a marketing strategy. Partially funded by a grant from the Leopold Center Marketing and Food Systems Initiative, the videos are on-line at http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/fruits/wine/winevideo.htm. They also can be ordered on DVD from Craig Tordsen, (515) 294-1938, or ctordsen@iastate.edu. Understanding regional food systems The health and safety aspects of locally grown and processed foods are more important to Iowans than the economic benefits for the community. Iowa State University marketing professor Kay Palan conducted a statewide telephone survey and focus groups for the Regional Food Systems Working Group, directed by Rich Pirog at the Leopold Center. They found that 93.6 percent of the 297 people in the telephone survey were unfamiliar with regional food systems. Focus group participants in Sioux City, Ottumwa, Ames and Cedar Rapids would support such a system if the food was of high quality and conveniently available at reasonable prices. The report is on-line at www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/regionalfood_rfswg.pdf. The two-year-old National Organic Program (NOP) has helped Iowa organic producers by standardizing organic regulations, possibly making it easier to find organic grains for livestock and for new farmers to enter organic production. A grant from the Leopold Center Policy Initiative funded a 2003 survey of Iowa's 400 certified organic farmers to see what effect, if any, the program had on their operations. When asked about their biggest challenges, 37 percent indicated "finding a market which will pay value-added costs of organic products" and 31.5 percent indicated "growing enough product to meet demand for organic products." Grants fund development of sustainable products Thirteen grants totaling more than $80,000 have been awarded to support research and development for innovative Iowa businesses that focus on sustainably raised flax, switchgrass, produce, pork and dairy products. The grants are from the Value Chain Partnerships for a Sustainable Agriculture (VCPSA) project that is directed by the Leopold Center, ISU and Practical Farmers of Iowa, and partially funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. More information is on the VCPSA web site, www.valuechains.org. |
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Back to Spring 2005 Leopold Letter
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