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The Leopold Center's Ecology
Initiative includes a program area focused on identifying and
addressing the barriers to the development of grass-based
systems in Iowa agriculture. Grasses, forages, legumes and also
woody perennials can help us preserve the best qualities of
productive agricultural land. Although grazing is key to
grass-based systems in Iowa, there are roles for other crops.
Potential benefits of grass-based systems include improved
income opportunities, restoration of wildlife habitat, hunting,
erosion and flood control, renewable energy, groundwater
recharge and carbon sequestration.
In
November 2004, the Leopold Center and the
Grassland Advisory
Committee selected a south central Iowa farmer to coordinate
activities and research that will be part of a new grassland
agriculture program area at the Leopold Center.
John Sellers, Jr.
of Corydon is working with the Leopold Center Ecology
Initiative to frame a multi-state effort that will identify and
support development of new opportunities for Iowa grass
agriculture farmers.
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The Leopold Center Ecology
Initiative is funding the following projects that will help
increase the use of grass-based systems:
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Delivery systems for distillers
grains in forage beef systems (new)
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Breeding forage and biomass
crops (new)
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Grazing to retain southern Iowa
grasslands (new)
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Grazing/fire for grassland
reserves management (new)
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Nitrogen uptake in five native
grassland species (new)
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Birds in rotationally grazed
warm and cool season grasses (new) related to Integrating
hunting and grazing (completed)
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Quantifying the role of
riparian management to control nonpoint source pollution of
pasture and cropland streams (ongoing)
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Forage double-cropping
demonstration (ongoing)
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Winter grazing of stockpiled
grass-legume forages to reduce costs of developing beef
heifers (ongoing)
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Leafy spurge biocontrol and
monitoring program for Iowa (ongoing)
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‘Grazin Days’ 2005 education
workshops (completed)
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NICC Dairy Foundation Grazing
Center educational materials (submitted), and
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Scan and carcass data for
grazed beef (submitted).
The Center also cooperates with a number of partners in a U.S.
Department of Agriculture project that looks at what it means to
re-integrate crops and livestock on the land in Iowa. The
interactive model, I-FARM [http://i-farmtools.org/],
is one way for a farmer to build a virtual farm and experiment
with economic and environmental tradeoffs of changing
crop/livestock patterns. The project also is looking at the type
of infrastructures, both social and economic, that need to be in
place for integrated crop/livestock enterprises to work for
farmers.
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Completed projects |
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Prior to its Grassland Agriculture
work, the Center funded a number of projects that relate
directly to grass, grazing and keeping animals on the land. Most
of the work focused on feed and forage options for performance,
such as switchgrass and bluestem grazing; CRP grazing;
publication of a user-friendly pasture management guide;
instructional videos for beef grazing; rotational grazing for
beef and dairy; berseem clover feeding trials; increasing
first-year alfalfa yields; evaluation of forage collected from
permanent pastures; oat variety blend performance; and early
summer pasture management.
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Special projects |
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Support for producers Beginning in
August 2006, limited funds will be available from the Leopold
Center to support producers who want to attend an educational
conference or workshop about grazing and forage-related
enterprises. How to
apply One idea with wide support and interest is
re-issuing the 1948 Yearbook of Agriculture: Grass. The
1948 yearbook places grass-based systems into the ecology of
agriculture, addressing the role of grass as it relates to
production, practice, image and philosophy. In the editor’s
preface, Alfred Stefferud pointed out that the book was for
“city people as well as farmers” because it addressed the place
of grass in our food and agriculture system from a comprehensive
perspective. The Leopold Center and many others believe the
volume can and still should serve that purpose and that is
important to update and revise this important work.
Managing consultant and co-executive editor, Walt Wedin,
co-executive editor Steve Fales, and a nationwide project
steering committee are now
working with the Center’s Ecology Initiative leader Jeri Neal to
identify topics and design context for the new book. The book is
scheduled to be completed in 2008, which will be 60 years after
the first book was issued. Support for the initial work of the
project is supplied by a grant by the Wallace Genetic
Foundation, Inc., and the Center’s Ecology Initiative.
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Resources |
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Direct
marketing grass-based meat Results of a
Leopold Center marketing grant that helped producers refine
their communication and marketing strategies, June 2006.
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Grassland web site The University of Nebraska
Center for Grassland Studies maintains a web site with links
that have information about grassland agriculture. The site
lists other organizations, universities and sources at the
state and federal levels.
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Rotational Grazing Livestock Systems Guide This
12-page guide is published by the National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service and is available on-line.
There is no charge to access the information.
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Forage notebook The University of Missouri
Extension has published A Guide to the Common Forages and
Weeds of Pastures that compares key characteristics of
30 cool-season and warm-season grasses and legumes. The
52-page notebook includes numerous color photographs to
assist in forage and weed species identification. Cost is
$14.
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For more information about the
Leopold Center's grass-based efforts, contact:
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