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Monday, March 18, 2024 at 05:30 PM
Bessey Hall at Iowa State University in Ames, IA2024 Shivvers Memorial Lecture at ISU Campus
Award-winning researcher, educator and author John Reganold, Regents Professor of Soil Science and Agroecology at the Washington State University, will present the 2024 Shivvers Lecture on March 18, at 7:30 p.m., in Room 2226 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Drive, on the Iowa State University campus.
The Shivvers Memorial Lecture—focused on issues of sustainability, agriculture and the food system—has been presented by the LCSA at Iowa State University since 1969 in honor of John Shivvers, who farmed near Knoxville, Iowa, with support from the Shivvers Family.
The event will be hosted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (LCSA) and the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (GPSA) at Iowa State. This lecture is presented in coordination with GPSA’s annual research symposium and will include short presentations by GPSA students on their research, starting at 5:30. The event is free and open to the public.
Reganold has conducted research on more than 100 farms on five continents – measuring the effects of alternative and conventional farming on sustainability indicators of soil health, crop quality, financial performance, environmental quality and social responsibility. His research teams have developed extensive data sets showing that organic, biodynamic and integrated farming systems often offer environmental and social benefits when compared to conventional controls and can also be profitable.
He developed WSU’s long-time Organic and Sustainable Agriculture major and its Organic Farming Certificate Program. He directs the 30-acre Eggert Family Organic Farm that provides food for the campus and community.
His work, leadership and teaching have been widely recognized by groups including the Organic Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council. He is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Science and, in 2022, received Rodale’s prestigious Organic Pioneer Award.
Reganold earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate from the University of California at Davis. He worked as a soil scientist with the USDA Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resource Conservation Service) and as an environmental engineer for a mining company before joining the faculty of Washington State University in 1983. He is co-author of the textbook Natural Resource Conservation: Toward a Sustainable Future and co-editor of the book Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective. His work has appeared in publications as diverse as Science, Nature, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Scientific American, The Economist and Harpers Wine and Spirit Weekly, and he has been an advisor for Gourmet Magazine and Scientific American.
“We are excited and honored to be able to bring Dr. Reganold to Iowa to inspire our students and community with insights from his long career studying and championing sustainable and organic agriculture,” said Stephen J. Dinsmore, LCSA interim director.
Event is free and open to the public.
March 18, 2024
5:30 pm -- Short presentations by GPSA students on their research
7:30 pm -- John Reganold's 2024 Shivvers Lecture -
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 09:00 AM
Ridgeway Community Center in Ridgeway, IALand Stewardship Project: Soil Health Economics Workshop
Come to this LSP farmer-to-farmer workshop to learn more about how to apply economics in a way that improves the financial and soil health of your farm.
Putting a dollar value on soil health practices and gains is an ongoing challenge for farms in transition. One of the challenges is that the improvement of soil health is a long-term process. According to Iowa State University Extension, soil health economics can be viewed in two ways: 1) the impact of a low-input farm system that drives operating costs down (labor, fuel, machinery, chemicals, etc.); and 2) its effect on improving soil structure, water-holding capacity, biology, and nutrient cycling.
The good news is farmers in the region are finding innovative and practical ways of determining the value of soil-building practices such as reduced tillage, no-till, cover cropping, and managed grazing of livestock by focusing on return on investment (ROI). Join us on March 19 for a great farmer-to-farmer discussion.
The Soil Health Economics: Learn the Value of Low-Input, Soil-Building Farm Systems workshop is co-sponsored by the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Preregistration is required.
REGISTER: https://secure.everyaction.com/90GVTLwRY0eT87nd7hcxlw2
The snow date is Thursday, March 21.
For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Romano at [email protected]. -
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 12:00 PM · 47 rsvps
ZoomIOA Webinar: Options for Enhancing On-Farm Native Habitat in Organic Production Systems
Join IOA and Sarah Nizzi with the Xerces Society on March 20th at noon CST to learn how you can support pollinators and beneficial insects on organic farms. Sarah will discuss the importance and process of installing and taking care of habitat, organic site preparation options, case study examples, and provide resources for technical and financial assistance. Register below!
ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international donor-supported nonprofit working to preserve wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. This work is accomplished in a number of different ways, from on the ground technical assistance to policy and advocacy, education and outreach, and research.
ABOUT SARAH NIZZI
Sarah Nizzi is originally from central Iowa and graduated from Drake University with a BS in environmental science. Her career began with natural resource management in the private and public sector and native seed propagation. Over the last six years Sarah has worked within the private lands field across the state. Currently, Sarah covers all of Iowa, providing assistance to farmers and landowners interested in pollinator conservation, as well as training NRCS staff and partner staff as a Pollinator Conservation Planner and NRCS Partner Biologist with the Xerces Society.
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Monday, March 25, 2024 at 12:00 PM · 10 rsvps
ZoomIOA Webinar: Learn About Regenerative Organic Agriculture with Steve McLaskey from MIU
Join IOA with Steve McLaskey on March 25 at noon for a presentation about Maharishi International University’s Regenerative Organic Agriculture program! Register below to learn more about the history of MIU, their degree programs, and current research on their commercial farm in Fairfield, IA.
ABOUT MIU’S REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PROGRAM:
MIU is a 501(c)3 nonprofit university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. They are located in Fairfield, IA, and offer a variety of degree programs, from computer science to cinema to enlightened leadership. Their Regenerative Organic Agriculture (ROA) program offers on-campus or online BA degrees and an online MS degree option. The goal of the ROA program is to create social entrepreneurs with the skills to take on the growing opportunities in regenerative organic agriculture. In-person students gain hands-on experience by working on MIU’s two-acre farm, which is currently managed by program alumni and sells produce to local farmers’ markets. Class subjects range from ecology and regenerative systems to holistic farm management, and the program culminates in an internship opportunity with a regenerative farm or organization.
ABOUT STEVE MCLASKEY
Steve became interested in organic farming and environmental issues long before they were popular. He grew up on his family farm in Illinois, which his great-great-grandfather bought in 1836. His father was the first farmer in the area to adopt conservation practices such as contour plowing, and Extension Agents would often bring other farmers over to show them how to adopt those practices on their own farms. Steve’s family sold their farm when he was fourteen, so he never got to farm that land. But farming is in his DNA and he has always had a sense of conservation and care for the land.
Steve learned Transcendental Meditation near the end of high school and spent many years teaching and working for TM organizations, eventually ending up at MIU. In 1989, he enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University in New York State where he studied vegetable crops and earned an MS and PhD. He returned to MIU in 1997 and has been farming and teaching agriculture there ever since.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12:00 PM · 11 rsvps
ZoomIOA Webinar: The Sustainable Iowa Land Trust with Breanna Horsey
On Wednesday, March 27 at noon CST, IOA will host Breanna Horsey from the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) to discuss land access resources for Iowa farmers. Breanna will share the history and purpose of SILT, and their model for addressing land access including conservation easements, land acquisitions, and long-term leases. Register below to learn more!
ABOUT SILT
The Sustainable Iowa Land Trust was founded in 2015 to help protect Iowa's ability to grow healthy food forever. SILT was founded by 25 leaders in sustainable agriculture who wanted to permanently protect the land available to grow food sustainably for generations to come. They focus on goals such as increasing land access for underrepresented farmers, supporting the future of family farms and healthy rural communities, and improving food security across Iowa. SILT also founded the Circle Our Cities Campaign, which aims to circle 10 Iowa cities with 10 permanent, sustainable farms within 10 years. The campaign is currently focused on Dubuque, Des Moines, Fairfield, and Iowa City. Over their first eight years, SILT has already protected over 1,200 acres of farmland for organic and other sustainable practices.
ABOUT BREANNA HORSEY
Breanna is the Executive Director at the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. She holds an Environmental Studies bachelor’s degree and a master’s in organizational development from Buena Vista University and has served Iowa as an Urban Conservationist in Western Iowa and now statewide through her work with the SILT. Raised in the gas fields of Texas and moving to the center of Iowa’s industrial agriculture economy, Breanna Horsey has developed a strong and abiding concern for our planet and our state that drives her desire to become part of the solution in addressing land access and protection.
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Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 05:00 PM
Statewide Horticulture Food Crops Survey
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages Iowa horticulture food crop producers to participate in a statewide industry survey aimed at capturing fresh data on the diversity, growth and economic impact of horticultural food crop production in our state. This is the first Iowa survey of its kind in nearly a decade.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is partnering with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) as well as other industry stakeholders on the effort. The goal is to capture feedback from producers of commercial horticultural food crops in Iowa that include fruits, nuts, vegetables, berries, herbs, honey, maple syrup and mushrooms.
This survey was the result of a cooperative effort by several entities. In addition to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and USDA NASS, assistance was provided by Practical Farmers of Iowa, the Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association and the Iowa Farmers Market Association.
COMPLETING THE SURVEY
The survey, 2024 Iowa Commercial Horticulture Survey for Food Crops, was mailed to approximately 3,500 known Iowa horticulture crop producers late January 2024.
If there are Iowans who did not receive a survey in the mail but whose horticulture and specialty crop production information should be captured, they can acquire a survey by calling 515-242-6239 or by requesting one online through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.
DEADLINE
The deadline for participating in the survey is April 30, 2024.
Participation is voluntary, but cooperation is critical toward developing an accurate assessment of specialty food crop production and marketing in Iowa. The information provided by producers will be considered confidential and will only be reported as aggregate totals or averages.