Ecology Initiative
Working for "new generation" food and agriculture systems
with roots in the ground and people and animals on the land
Click on topic titles in interactive matrix to view resources.
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About the Initiative
The Ecology Initiative Vision is of a "new generation" food and agricultural system that meets the challenges of the 21st century with more productive and profitable farms, ecologically resilient landscapes and healthy rural communities.
We support a wide range of research, demonstration and outreach anchored in the development and adoption of ‘ecologically friendly’ production systems, that is, systems that
- are more resilient and less costly to farmers, communities and the environment,
- put living roots in the soil
- integrate people and animals into the landscape,
- enhance biodiversity and
- use natural processes as models for design, practice and management
Our work generally falls in one of two categories: doing it better or doing it differently. We prefer to be where the two merge, where we do agriculture differently AND better. This is where we think sustainability begins to happen and this is the reason of the "new generation."
Initiative overview [PDF, printable version]
Leopold Advisory Board Presentation, June 09 [PDF; note large file size]
Initiative leader: Jeri Neal, (515) 294-5610; wink@iastate.edu