Useful Links

Major Partners  -  Iowa Resources  -  Sustainable Ag Resources

Major partners

Iowa State University Extension - The Leopold Center works with ISU Extension to disseminate our findings.

ISU Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture - Interdisciplinary M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in sustainable agriculture.

Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture - Established in 1997 to promote the philosophical and practical ideas of Iowa farmer and educator Henry A. Wallace. This office also hosts the Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture which is held annually with support from the Leopold Center.

Iowa Learning Farms - This education and outreach project began in 2005 to improve Iowa's water quality by promoting active learning and increased use of conservation practices among Iowans who operate midsized to large farms.

Practical Farmers of Iowa - This organization supports healthy foods, diverse farms and vibrant communities. Since 1999 the Leopold Center has supported their on-farm research demonstrations and field days.

Whiterock Conservancy - The Leopold Center is a supporting organization with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The nonprofit organization manages a a conservation area near Coon Rapids for research, education, and economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture. 

Women, Land and Legacy - This outreach project, launched in 2004, helps empower Iowa women working in agriculture to act on their landscape and within their communities.

Agriculture of the Middle - This national initiative seeks to renew America's disappearing mid-sized farms. Leopold Center Distinguished Fellow Fred Kirschenmann was among the organizers in 2003.

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Iowa resources

IowaVegetables - A blog from Iowa State University with updates on various aspects of vegetable production in Iowa, intended to serve as a platform for communication between researchers, students, growers, extension staff, and folks interested in vegetable production.

IowaProduce.org - Website from ISU Extension with information for commercial fruit and vegetable growers

ISU Student Organic Farm - A campus club that operates a four-acre organic farm at ISU Horticulture Station.

The National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment - A federal laboratory on the ISU campus that researches soil, water, air and agroecosystems.

Iowa Water Center - Part of a nationwide network of water research institutes.

ISU Value Added Agriculture - A program that provides science-based information to help establish or expand agricultural-related businesses in Iowa.

Visit Iowa Farms - A guide to educational agricultural experiences in Iowa.

Iowa Place-Based Foods - Learn the stories behind Iowa foods. Information was gathered and the site created as part of a Leopold Center project.

Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods - CSRL in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University envisions a developing world in which rural people have access to sufficient food, sustainable incomes, good health and wellbeing.

Center for Prairie Studies - Located at Grinnell College, this interdisciplinary program seeks to increase awareness, appreciation and understanding of the North American Prairie.

Iowa Conservation Education Coalition - Formed in 1958, this statewide organization aims to empower Iowa's formal and nonformal educators to promote environmental literacy in Iowa.

Iowa Food Systems Council - Formed in 2010, this member-based non-profit monitors Iowa’s food and health landscape, encourages connections between food system leaders and decision-makers, and identifies policies, programs and research that cultivate a resilient and sustainable food system.

Iowa Organic Association - An Iowa-based non-profit dedicated to advancing organic opportunities through education, research, promotion and market development and policy.

Iowa Network for Community Agriculture - Promotes relationships among people who are developing sustainable local food sources.

Center for Energy & Environmental Education - Based at the University of Northern Iowa, CEEE hosts the Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership and other local foods programs.

Women, Food and Agriculture Network - A community of women that links and empowers women on issues of food systems, sustainable communities, and environmental integrity. 

Conservation Districts of Iowa - A nonprofit organization that serves Iowa's soil and water conservation districts and their elected boards.

USGS Iowa Water Science Center - Information and real-time data about streamflow, groundwater, floods, precipitation, water quality and more. 

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Sustainable agriculture resources

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) North Central Region - A USDA initiative formed in 1988 that sponsors competitive grants for sustainable agriculture research and education. North Central Region SARE serves 12 states in America's heartland.

USDA Agricultural Research Service - The in-house research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Works with landowners on private lands for conservation.

USDA National Agricultural Library - This website advances access to global information on agriculture, and includes information centers about alternative farming systems, food, invasive species, rural communities and water quality.

USDA National Organic Program - A USDA program that develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards.

NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project - The National Center for Appropriate Technology hosts this information service for sustainable agriculture resources (formerly known as ATTRA).

Center for Rural Affairs - A national organization that advocates for policies that support rural communities, including sustainable agriculture practices. 

MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program - A program of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service that pairs experienced and transitioning organic farmers.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - Promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research, education and advocacy.

Land Stewardship Project - The mission of this Minnesota organization is to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promote sustainable agriculture and develop sustainable communities.

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute - A nonprofit Wisconsin institute that seeks to cultivate the ecological, social, economic and spirtual vitality of farming systems.

Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) - MOSES serves farmers striving to produce high-quality, healthful food with organic and sustainable techniques.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition - A coalition of individuals and farm, food, rural, religious and conservation groups organized in 1988.

New Farmer Apprentice Program - A seven-month training program for aspiring farmers at the University of Vermont.

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society - A grassroots organization based in North Dakota committed to the development of a sustainable society.

Organic Farming Research Foundation - Sponsors research in North America that will lead to the improvement and adoption of organic farming practices through a competitive grant program.

The Land Institute - A nonprofit organization researching ways to develop an agricultural system that has the stability of prairie with the yield of annual crops.

The Land Connection - A nonprofit organization that preserves farmland from development, offers farming training and connects consumers with locally grown produce through its Farm Direct program.

Winrock International - A nonprofit organization that works with people around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources.