The Leopold Center is seeking ideas for newprojects that can address issues and questions inthe Center’s ecology, marketing and food sys-tems, and policy initiatives.

The Center has distributed a Request for Pre-proposals (RFP) that explains in detail what typeof research and educational efforts the variousinitiatives hope to focus on in the next severalyears. This was the Center’s first joint RFP innearly two years. The Center’s Policy Initiativeand Marketing and Food Systems Initiative is-sued RFPs in April 2003, followed by an Ecol-ogy Initiative RFP in November 2003.

The current RFP covers all three of theCenter’s research and education initiatives. It isopen to people who represent any Iowa non-profit organization, agency or educational insti-tution, such as soil and water conservation dis-tricts, schools and colleges, and regional devel-opment groups. There are no restrictions onproject partners or collaborators.

Leopold Center seeks ideas for 2006 projectsby LAURA MILLER Newsletter editor

The deadline for submitting pre-proposalsis August 1, and most projects will begin inearly 2006. The two-page concept paperswill be reviewed by Center staff and AdvisoryBoard members who will assess technicalmerit and relevance to the Center’s mission.

“We are interested in research that willequip farmers to meet the challenges ahead,”said director Fred Kirschenmann. “We wantto help establish farming systems that areless dependent on fossil fuels, that can per-form well under unstable climates, and thatretain more of the value of the production onthe farm.”

The long-term goal of the Center’s EcologyInitiative is to create ecologically friendlysystems that are more resilient, less costly,and more profitable for farmers, communi-ties, and the environment. Initiative leader

“This was a very difficult decision for me,”Duffy said. “I believe strongly in the mission ofthe Center and I have a great deal of vestedinterest in its success.”

Duffy added that his primary interests areresearch, outreach and teaching, and that theamount of administrative work at the Centerhas left him with little time for those things.He concluded: “I fully intend to keep workingwith the Center, only in a different way. Theupcoming debate on the new farm bill willmake policy work more important than ever,and I would like to be a part of the Center’sefforts to address these issues.”

Duffy’s work at the Center began in 1992,when he joined agronomy professor Jim Swanas a part-time associate director. In 2000, he

Duffy leaves Center for full-time research, teachingAssociate director Michael Duffy left the

Leopold Center July 1 to pursue teaching andresearch opportunities in the ISU Departmentof Economics on a full-time basis.

For most of the past 13 years, Duffy hadbeen balancing his time between the Centerand the department, where he has been a pro-fessor of agricultural economics the past 20years and professor-in-charge of the BeginningFarmer Center.

Duffy said he hopes to develop an econom-ics course for the university’s Graduate Pro-gram in Sustainable Agriculture and work onundergraduate instruction in land appraisal.He will continue to conduct the annual IowaLand Values Survey and keep his extensionappointment, which includes working witharea farm management specialists and ISUExtension’s Farm Financial Planning Program.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the Director:Letting go of old ideas allowsnew ideas to be born 3

Q&A: A look at like-kindproperty exchanges 5

What are the “external”costs of agriculture? 8

Create your own farm 9

New report summarizeslatest research results 10

Farmers joins advisory board,accountant joins staff 11

About our new look forthe newsletter 12

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A N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E L E O P O L D C E N T E R F O R S U S T A I N A B L E A G R I C U LT U R E VOL .17 NO.2 SUMME R 2005

REQUEST REQUEST REQUEST REQUEST REQUEST (continued on page 2)

DUFFY DUFFY DUFFY DUFFY DUFFY (continued on page 2)

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LEOPOLD LETTER MISSIONThe mission of the Leopold Letter is to inform diverseaudiences about Leopold Center programs andactivities; to encourage increased interest in and useof sustainable farming practices and marketopportunities for sustainable products; and tostimulate public discussion about sustainableagriculture in Iowa and the nation.

Leopold Letter ISSN 1065-2116

LEOPOLD CENTER STAFF

DirectorFred Kirschenmann

Marketing and FoodSystems ResearchProgram LeaderRichard Pirog

Ecological SystemsResearch ProgramLeaderJeri L.Neal

Administrative SpecialistKaren Jacobson

LEOPOLD CENTER ADVISORY BOARD

Marvin Shirley, chair, Iowa Farmers Union,Minburn

Tom Fogarty, vice-chair, University of NorthernIowa, Cedar Falls

Neil Hamilton, member-at-large, Drake University,Des Moines

Lyle Asell, Iowa Department of Natural Resources,Des Moines

Doug Beckman, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation,Glenwood

Russell Brandes, Soil Conservation Committee,Hancock

Kelley Donham, University of Iowa, Iowa City

Stephen Howell, Iowa State University, Ames

Jennifer Hoy, Soil and Water ConservationDistricts of Iowa, Birmingham

Erin Irish, University of Iowa, Iowa City

Laura Jackson, University of Northern Iowa,Cedar Falls

Wes Jamison, Dordt College, Sioux Center

Paul Mugge, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Sutherland

Mary Jane Olney, Iowa Department of Agricultureand Land Stewardship, Des Moines

Jim Penney, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Ames

Allen Trenkle, Iowa State University, Ames

Wendy Wintersteen, Iowa State University, Ames

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture seeksto identify and reduce adverse socioeconomic andenvironmental impacts of farming practices, developprofitable farming systems that conserve naturalresources, and create educational programs with theISU Extension Service. It was founded by the 1987Iowa Groundwater Protection Act. The Leopold Letter isavailable free from the Leopold Center at 209 CurtissHall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-1050;(515) 294-3711.

Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age,religion, national origin, sexual orientation,gender identity, sex,marital status, disability, or status as a U.S.veteran. Inquiries can bedirected to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3680Bearshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

The Leopold Letter is alsoavailable on the web at:

www.leopold.iastate.edu

SecretarySherry Johnson

CommunicationsSpecialistLaura Miller

EditorMary Adams

Program AssistantAndrew Hug

ECOLOGY, MARKETING AND POLICY INITIATIVES ISSUEREQUEST FOR PRE-PROPOSALS, DUE AUGUST 1REQUEST (continued from page 1)

2 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005

became half-time associate director, handling awide range of administrative and financialresponsibilities and serving as liaison betweenthe Center and extension administrators andstaff on funding for extension projects. He alsoled the Center’s Policy Initiative, managing anumber of grants and special projects.

Most recently he convened a group ofeconomists and policy leaders to examine pos-sible directions for the next Farm Bill, and hashelped plan the College’s national agriculturalpolicy summit in July. His research has fo-cused on midsize family farmers, land valueand land ownership trends, decreasing profitmargins and alternatives for Iowa farmers, andthe best ways to handle transfer of a farm fromone owner to another.

Under the directorship of Dennis Keeney,Duffy worked on a number of competitivegrants and helped establish the Center’s long-term organic research plots. He received theCollege of Agriculture’s Award for OutstandingAchievement in Extension in 2004.

Leopold Center director Fred Kirschenmannrecognizes Duffy’s many contributions to boththe center and sustainable agriculture.

“Naturally we will miss the great leadershipand professional insights that Mike hasbrought to the Center all these years,”Kirschenmann said. “He has been a mentor tome in so many ways but we celebrate Mike’sdecision to be more fully involved in the re-search and teaching that he loves so deeply.”

Kirschenmann said he is pleased that Duffyhas agreed to be available to the Center foradvice and consultation. “We look forward toworking with him in this new role and wishhim well in his new endeavors,” he said.

The Center is assessing staff needs and willannounce plans to handle the responsibilitiesthat had been managed by Duffy. In the in-terim, Kirschenmann will lead the PolicyInitiative.

Jeri Neal said she is most interested in projectsthat identify, develop and test strategies tohelp producers transition to practices andproducts that will move agriculture towardthat long-term goal.

Marketing and Food Systems Initiativeleader Rich Pirog offers a tightly focused set ofinterest areas for prospective grantees, includ-ing topics such as market feasibility studies,food system infrastructure analysis, research onecolabels and place-based products, programsthat develop farmer business skills, and eco-nomic and environmental impacts of local andregional food enterprises.

“We need to explore new market strategiesand business structures for farmers so they canretain more of the value for their sustainably-raised products,” Pirog said.

Kirschenmann, interim leader of the PolicyInitiative, would like to see research on the

2007 Farm Bill, land values, land ownershippatterns, and Iowa and U.S. laws and policiesthat impact processing and marketing optionsfor farmers.

In addition to pre-proposals targeted by thethree initiatives, the Center also will considerpre-proposals on other relevant sustainableagriculture topics. However, those pre-propos-als should be discussed with a program leaderbefore a concept paper is submitted.

DUFFY’S TENURE WITH CENTER GOES BACK TO 1992DUFFY (continued from page 1)

The RFP is available on the Center’sweb site, www.leopold.iastate.edu/

research/rfp/2005.htm, or by contactingthe Leopold Center at (515) 294-3711.

I believe strongly in themission of the Center andI have a great deal ofvested interest in itssuccess. – Mike Duffy

CorrectionIn our story about renewable energy in the

Spring 2005 newsletter, we incorrectly re-ported information about the ethanol industry.

Energy analyst L. Hunter Lovins said thatcompared to Germany, Iowa still had a lot of

room for growth in the use of alternative fuels,but she was speaking about biodiesel and notethanol. Biodiesel, most commonly producedfrom soybean oil, is a clean-burning alternativeto petroleum diesel. Iowa is a leader in soybiodiesel production with three facilities; afourth plant is under construction.

In September 2004, two young environmentalists published an article thatshook the environmental world. In “The

Death of Environmentalism,” MichaelShellenberger and Ted Nordhous argued thatthe environmental movement with all of itsunexamined assumptions, exhausted strategiesand outdated concepts needed to die so that amore vibrant, visionary environmental move-ment could be born.

Many in the national environmental com-munity responded defensively. Numerous en-vironmental leaders attacked what they saw asinaccuracies or omissions in their essay andvigorously defended the movement’s strate-gies, despite what Shellenberger andNordhous saw as recent demonstrable lack ofsuccesses.

The same knee-jerk response to criticism orquestioning is evident in many other sectors ofour society. For example, whenever anyonepresents evidence that a new technology mayhave some unintended, harmful consequences,the reaction on the part of the intellectualcommunity that developed the technology, aswell as the industry that manufactured it, islikely to be defensive.

In May 2005, the journal EnvironmentalHealth Perspectives published a study thatsuggested a strong correlation existed betweenmothers exposed to phthalates (chemicalsused in many consumer products from cos-metics to weather stripping) and the develop-ment of the genitals of their male children.The prompt rejoinder from the trade associa-tion that promotes products containing phtha-lates stated that “an extensive body of scien-tific research” had already confirmed the safetyof phthalates.

Using science as a defenseIt is especially interesting to note that sci-

ence often is used to buttress such defenses. InFood Politics, nutritionist Marion Nestle dem-onstrates how science is used with respect todiet and health issues. She concludes that sci-ence often is employed to defend an existing

position rather than to uncover new or moreaccurate information. Science serves tocounter objections rather than to explore orenlighten.

Using science primarily to defend positionsthat have already been adopted, rather thancritically reviewing existing positions and ex-ploring alternatives, contributes to the weaken-ing of public trust in the scientific enterprise.That by itself is a perverse outcome. But per-haps even more troubling is the fact that ourrush to defend accepted positions distorts ourperception of the world. We end up believingthat the way we happen to see the world at agiven point in time is a literal, everlasting de-scription of our world.

Lessons from the EarthBut the history of science has taught us that

our understanding of the world constantlychanges as new knowledge evolves about howthe world works. It also shows that the worldis very dynamic, continually evolving such thatwe constantly need to correct our perceptions.Our rush to defend accepted positions, ac-cordingly, amounts to a kind of denial of deathand the important contribution that deathmakes, not only to the rebirth of our percep-tions and institutions, but as it turns out, tothe vitality of our entire planet.

In her wonderful new book, Reading theRocks, Lawrence University geologist MarciaBjornerud helps us to understand the scienceof death. She reminds us that “recycling isubiquitous and obligatory on Earth,” that ev-erything gets “returned to the factory,” andthat “nothing is unusable waste, and nothingwill last forever . . . matter resides temporarilyin various lodging places, then moves on innew guises.” Furthermore “residence timesvary hugely even within a given biogeochemi-cal system . . . eventually, though, everythingpasses through the system . . . nothing is per-manent, and yet because of this, everything iseternal.”

The important point here is that death is theessential element by which everything is revi-

The Death and Rebirth of EverythingTo not think of dying is to not think of living – Canadian musician Jann ArdenThe single most important thing to know about Americans is that Americans believe that death isoptional. – Jane Walmsley, in a New York Times profile of actor and playwright Woody Allen

talized and therefore is a necessary ingredientto the resilience of the living planet. Everyfarmer knows this. You can’t reap the bountyof a new crop without planting a seed to die inthe soil.

Bjornerud reminds us that “the lessons wecan draw” from this story of the Earth are “notmerely metaphorical; rather they are designarchetypes that we should emulate in our eco-nomic and social systems if we wish to avoidirreparable instability.” She goes on to suggestthat “our mistake is forgetting that we are sim-ply the youngest children in a generations-olddynasty. Narcissistic fascination with our ownshort biographies blinds us to the far richerand deeper family saga … It is folly to thinkthat we can sit out the dance or make our ownrules . . . unchecked consumption and unchal-lenged political power are violations of ancientearth-law.” In other words, we live in theshadow of Earth’s operating principles, whichapplies to our social and economic systems aswell as biophysical systems.

Allowing the new to evolveSo, Earth’s ancient laws may offer some

valuable lessons. Everything has a useful lifespan, then it is time to let go and allow newlife forms to replace the old. Insisting on de-fending positions or institutions because theyseem to serve our own short-term interests aswell as our immediate objectives may leave usincapable of meeting the challenges of thefuture.

The United Nations’ recently released “Mil-lennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis”report reveals that two-thirds of the earth’secological services on which life depends havenow been so polluted or overexploited that thelikelihood of unprecedented or abrupt ecologi-cal collapses is dramatically increased.

And, as Bjornerud reminds us, much of thatsituation is due to “the magnitude of humanactions on the Earth” which “now matchesthose of natural agents. We are changing the

DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR (continued on next page)

LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 200 5 3

products purchased.The average customer was 51 to 65 years

old, and visited the market 13 times duringthe standard 21-week season. Customersspent $11-$20 per visit, and more than 80percent bought fruits and vegetables and 40percent purchased baked goods.

RFSWG is part of the Value Chain Partner-ships for a Sustainable Agriculture (VCPSA)project funded in part by a grant from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation.

Farmers’ markets not only are a great place to get fresh produce, flowers and baked goods, they also may generate anestimated $20.8 million in sales and morethan 325 jobs for the Iowa economy.

These figures are from an economic analysisprepared for the Regional Food Systems Work-ing Group (RFSWG) led by the Leopold Cen-ter. To do the analysis, Iowa State Universityeconomist Daniel Otto and graduate studentTheresa Varner used information collected dur-ing the 2004 market season for the Iowa De-partment of Agriculture and Land Stewardship(IDALS) and the Iowa Farmers’ Market Asso-ciation (IFMA).

“There’s more hidden economic value inIowa’s farmers’ markets than meets the eye,”said Rich Pirog, who directs the Center’s Mar-keting and Food Systems Initiative and theregional foods group. “Farmers’ markets andother efforts that support locally grown andprocessed foods have a positive impact on theregional economy.”

In 2004, Iowa had around 160 farmers’markets, the highest per capita in the nation.At least 55,000 people went to a farmers mar-ket at least once, with total seasonal atten-dance set at 135,000. An additional 12 mar-kets were expected to open in 2005.

Based on interviews with more than 4,500customers, these markets generated $20.8million in total sales in 2004. Those sales, inturn, resulted in an additional $12.2 million ofeconomic activity, of which $4.3 million repre-sents the supplies and services purchased byvendors and growers, and $7.2 million in in-duced (payroll) effects. The analysis showedthat farmers’ markets represent an estimated325 jobs in Iowa, plus an additional 146 full-time jobs created by the secondary impacts ofthe farmers’ markets.

The economic impacts of the year’s bustlingfarmers’ market season in Iowa were estimatedusing an economic input-output model. Themodel uses purchases and sales of commodi-

ties among industries, businesses and consum-ers to estimate additional secondary impacts ina regional economy.

“This study really shows the multiplier effectof farmers’ markets in a community,” said Vir-ginia Gieseke of Des Moines, who manages theDrake Neighborhood Farmers Market and is amember of the RFSWG and IFMA. “But farm-ers’ markets have many other impacts thatcannot be measured, such as the ability togather people in a community and provide funand educational activities.”

To collect the consumer information, trainedenumerators interviewed approximately 10percent of the customers at 161 farmers’ mar-kets in Iowa. Customers were interviewed atthe beginning, middle and end of the summerto account for differences in the markets dur-ing the growing season. Questions includedthe number of times they visited the market,average cost of their purchase, and type of

Study shows farmers’ markets boost Iowa economyby LAURA MILLER Newsletter editor

4 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005

The report, “Consumers, Vendorsand the Economic Importance ofIowa Farmers’ Markets,” is avail-

able on the RFSWG web site,www.valuechains.org, or by

contacting Rich Pirog,(515) 294-1854.

underlying beat of the global dance.” And wehave no ecological blueprint to predict howthe planet will respond to these dramatic im-pacts. There is plenty of evidence to suggestthat we may not like (or even survive) the newtrajectory.

Much of our defensive behavior seems to berooted in our unwillingness to accept death aspart of the drama of life and allow social, eco-nomic and political systems that no longer

serve the health of the planet to be replaced byalternatives that enhance the capacity of theland community to renew itself.

What does all of this have to do with sus-tainable agriculture? While we can all celebratethe short-term successes of our brief, past in-dustrial agriculture, it may now be time to al-low some aspects of that agriculture to die sothat a new agriculture – more consistent withnature’s ancient laws – can be born. Rather

than using science to reflexively defend everyaspect of what made industrial agriculture suc-cessful, it may be time to use at least some ofour science to explore different alternatives fora new era that appears to be emerging.

Sincerely,

USE SOME OF OUR SCIENCE TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES FOR A NEW ERADIRECTOR (continued from page 3)

In 2004, at least 55,000 people visited a farmers’ market at least once, withtotal seasonal attendance in Iowa estimated at 135,000. There were nearly160 farmers’ markets in the state.

Neil HarlCharles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor inAgriculture and Emeritus Professor of EconomicsIowa State University

For many years, property owners have been al-lowed to exchange certain types of assets for replace-ment property that is “like-kind” and avoid paying income tax on part– usually all – of the gain. That feature has made such exchangespopular. The property must be held for use in a trade or business, orheld for investment. Principal residences are not eligible and neitherare vacation homes – unless held as an investment.

Real estate exchanges are handled differently than personal property,such as machinery or equipment, breeding stock or business vehicles.In a like-kind exchange, any real estate can be exchanged for any otherreal estate. Thus, farmland can be exchanged for urban real estate;even water rights can be exchanged for farmland, or developmentrights in farmland can be exchanged for more land – if requirementsare met.

The replacement property must be identified within 45 days of thedisposition of the property given up, and the close of the transactionmust occur no later than 180 days or the time to file an income taxreturn (whichever date is earlier).

If either party disposes of their property within two years after theexchange, it triggers gain for both parties to the like-kind exchange.Also, one party in a related party exchange is not allowed to “cashout” of their investment in conjunction with a like-kind exchange.

For example, a son sells 160 acres to a neighbor and, within thedesignated time periods, acquires a replacement quarter section fromhis mother. It’s a related party exchange and, because the mothercashes out of her investment, it isn’t eligible for like-kind exchangetreatment. The gain would be taxable.

A major question is whether like-kind exchanges of property involv-ing farmland boost farmland values.

There’s little objective research on the effect of like-kind exchangeson land values but there’s a perception, held by many, that such ex-changes add to the buoyancy of land values. It is arguable that oncethe 45-day and 180-day “clocks” begin ticking, it puts pressure onthose with funds to reinvest to find an acceptable property. Indeed, asthe deadline approaches, the party seeking replacement property maybe willing to give up part of the tax savings from a like-kind exchangeto nail down a replacement tract.

It seems likely that the availability of like-kind exchanges may en-courage disposition of property. If the property owner would other-wise have to pay capital gains tax on property relinquished, the ex-pected gain from the exchange would need to be greater to make it agood move. So it may increase the demand for replacement property.

All of this may be exaggerated in times, such as now, when farmlandvalues have enjoyed several years of increases and the stock market (asa major alternative investment, although stock is not like-kind to farm-land) has turned in an unimpressive performance.

Loyd BrownAccredited farm manager, rural appraiser, landconsultant, real estate broker and presidentHertz Farm Management, Inc., Nevada

When farmers and landowners sell land at aprofit, the increase in value above their tax basis issubject to federal and state capital gains tax and minimum alternativetax. An alternative is to complete a tax-free 1031 exchange by acquir-ing like-kind property. The like-kind property definition is quitebroad and can include a farm for a farm, improved land for unim-proved land, a farm for commercial property, a farm for apartments, afarm for a strip mall, a farm for a car wash, etc. or vice versa. If thereplacement property is retained until the taxpayer’s death, the re-placement property receives a step up in tax basis. If the heirs thensell the farm at the same value as in the estate, there is no capitalgains tax.

Some of the common reasons to exchange include the opportunityto sell land at a high price for development, consolidating multipleproperties into one larger investment, diversifying one large invest-ment into multiple properties, or relocating property when a taxpayermoves or retires. We also have seen families sell the home farm toone of the on-farm children or long-term farm operator giving themthe opportunity to own their home farming base. Sometimes sellersexchange into property closer to where they may have moved or re-tired. Many people completing tax-free 1031 exchanges are notlocked into a specific geographic location and are looking over abroader area to find replacement property that meets their invest-ment criteria.

The Internal Revenue Code has allowed for 1031 tax-free ex-changes since 1921 with the regulations updated several times.There has been an increase in use of this provision over the years dueto the additional awareness of the tax-free exchange benefits, thehigher prices being paid for development land and less attractivealternative investments. A farmer or landowner is less inclined to sellhighly appreciated land, pay the capital gains tax, and invest the netproceeds into low interest-bearing accounts or into the stock marketdue to the uncertainty and risk.

Tax-free exchanges benefit sellers and provide opportunities forbuyers of real estate. These tax-free 1031 exchanges are definitely afactor in the farm real estate market, but they are not the key factordriving up the land market.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Iowa State University’s annual land value survey shows that the average price for Iowa farmlandreached an all-time high of more than $2,600 an acre in 2004. One reason cited for the increase is expanded use of like-kind land exchanges. We’ve asked two experts to discuss these exchanges and to provide some insight on their impact.

Q. What are like-kind exchanges and how are they used? What are their impacts on sustainable agriculture?

Topics in the News: Like-kind property exchanges and tax breaks

Mike Duffy comments in the June 2005Ag Decision Maker newsletter, availableon the web at:www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/duffy/DuffyJun05.htm

LEARN MORE

LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 200 5 5

It’s hard to keep up with Harold Linderwhen he is walking his orchard. It’s notthat he moves fast – although even at

age 91, he’s plenty spry. It’s more that he’s sofull – full of stories, full of information, full ofideas, and full of plans. Linder has spent alifetime working with trees and plants, andthere’s plenty still to do.

On his farm east of Sperry in southeastIowa, Linder keeps an orchard of more than100 trees. He knows every tree, where it camefrom, when it was planted, what kind ofapples it produces, and which ones make thebest sauce. Among his trees is one he calls theBurlington Leopold.

Linder was a friend of Frederick Leopold,older brother of the famed conservationistAldo (and Leopold Center namesake). TheLeopold family orchard was at the home whereAldo and Frederick grew up in Burlington,Iowa on a bluff overlooking the MississippiRiver in an area known as Vinegar Hill. On avisit to the Leopold orchard in 1974, Lindernoticed a particular tree with an unusual shapethat made it a favorite for neighborhood chil-dren to play in. “It was an old snag of a tree,”he remembers, and Frederick thought it wasmore than 100 years old at the time.

Tree has distinctive shapeThe tree was part of the orchard when the

Leopolds bought it, and Frederick did notknow its origin. Linder was intrigued by thetree’s age and shape, and went back later for agraft, which he planted in his own orchard. Ithas outlived the original tree (the Leopoldfamily orchard is long gone) and still producesover two bushels of red apples each fall. Theyare mild flavored, similar to MacIntosh, andgood for both cooking and eating. Linder be-lieves the Leopold tree matches the descrip-tion he’s heard of an old Burlington apple, andhe thinks this may be the original. TheLeopold tree is easy to spot in Harold’s or-chard, too; it has an unusual shape, a bentlimb low to the ground as if to invite childrento climb.

Linder’s orchard, stretching in orderly rowsalong a sunny hillside north of his house, hastrees in every stage of growth, from new startsplanted last year to gnarly trees that he’stended for years. Among them is a graft fromthe original Hawkeye Delicious, the Iowa par-ent tree of the now-ubiquitous Red Delicious.Freedom, Duchess, Isaac Newton, Wolf River,Chenango Strawberry – each tree has a story.Two young trees he calls “Schoolkid” applesbecause they were planted by local schoolchil-

dren. There are familiar standards, too –Macoun, Jonathan, Liberty.

Linder loves apple trees, and he’s not stuffyabout their pedigree. He’s more interested instudying their properties – are they disease andinsect resistant, do they thrive in Iowa’sweather, do they produce early or late, are theapples tasty? Any tree is worth investigatingand nurturing if it promises to add to the bodyof knowledge he’s acquired over sevendecades.

Linder also writes about applesMuch of what Linder knows about apples

has been compiled in a just-completed bookmanuscript to be published this year. Hewrites when he’s not tending trees, his largegarden, his fish pond, and the plants in hisgreenhouse. He’s authored several books onlocal history, and his living room is stackedwith books and papers from his research.

A computer in one corner helps Linder tokeep in touch with a network of friends andorchardists, and exchange tips on propagatingwalnut trees as well as other trees. The onlyspot in the room quiet of activity is the emptychair where his wife Mildred always sat – shepassed away in February after a long illness,and keeping busy is one way to cope with howmuch he misses her.

The careful art of grafting and propagatingtrees is second nature to Linder after so manyyears, and his cutting knife is always handy.His hands are still steady and sure as he dem-onstrates several ways to trim and graft freshlycut twigs onto root stock. He takes cuttingseach year, and several years ago donated aLeopold apple tree to the Seed Savers Ex-change in Decorah, Iowa. The tree now flour-ishes in the Heritage Orchard there, among thelarge collection of heirloom fruit trees.

Orchard preserves more than treesLinder’s orchard is a rich repository, not

only of apples but of knowledge about treesand history. A friend from Burlington helpswith the trees and is learning as much as hecan from Linder, but no one in his family islikely to take over and it’s not clear what willhappen to the orchard.

Dozens of orchards just like Linder’s aretucked away around the state. He can namehalf a dozen orchards within 30 miles thathave gone out of business in recent years; only

one is still operated by the sons of the originalowner. These nearly-forgotten orchards and theheirloom varieties they maintain may holdclues to restoring the diversity of Iowa’s once-thriving apple industry.

Apples keep Linder busy, and they keep himhealthy. He makes himself an apple salad fordinner, and eats at least one apple before bed-time. A cool storeroom keeps a ready supplyfor most of the year. In mid-March, when theground outside was frosty and the trees not yetbudded, Linder sent visitors home with a sackof apples, still crisp after a winter in storage.

Then he headed back out to the orchard,where there is always plenty to do.

Aldo’s apple tree lives on, thanks to Iowa orchardistby SUSAN FUTRELL,SUSAN FUTRELL,SUSAN FUTRELL,SUSAN FUTRELL,SUSAN FUTRELL, Special to the Leopold Letter

Susan Futrell is a writer and consultant from Iowa City who specializes in marketing of local andorganic foods. In addition to researching the Burlington apple for the Leopold Center, Futrell hasstudied the potential for Iowa’s Muscatine melons as a place-based food. She also is coordinatingthree new categories for judging heirloom fruit and vegetables at the Iowa State Fair in August.

In addition to Linder’s orchard, theLeopold Burlington also grows nearDecorah at the Heritage Farm historicorchard (see below). The orchard hasmore than 700 pre-1900 trees in itscollection. For more information, goto the Seed Savers Exchange website, www.seedsavers.org.

6 LEOPOLD LETTER • VO L. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005

Growing new trees from oldHarold Linder demonstrates graft techniques at hishome near Sperry, Iowa.. Below, Johnson Countyextension specialist Patrick O’Malley (left) helpsLinder prune the tree in late spring. Above, a youngapple grows on the Burlington Leopold tree atHeritage Farm Orchard near Decorah, Iowa.

Photos by Susan Futrell

Thanks to gifts from supportersaround the country, the LeopoldCenter was able to formally desig-

nate $50,000 in contributed funds to launchthe “Friends of the Leopold Center Endow-ment” account in March 2005. The endow-ment account grew out of fundraising effortsthe Center embarked upon in 2002 follow-ing a $1 million transfer of funds from theCenter’s Agricultural Management Accountto the state of Iowa’s general fund due to thestate’s budgetary problems.

Donors were assured that if the Legislaturerestored funding to the Center (which it didin subsequent years), a portion of the giftswould be invested to provide a permanentsource of support for the Center.

“This is a seed that has been plantedwhich will eventually grow to secure theCenter’s future,” said Center director FredKirschenmann. “Each year we will put atleast 50 percent of the gifts we receive fromfriends into the endowment.”

The endowment agreement between the

Center and the ISU Foundation is intended toprovide general support for the Center as itstrives to meet its legislative mandate regardingsustainable agriculture in Iowa. The ISU Foun-dation will administer the account, and theCenter director will be responsible for deter-mining and applying funds to be distributedby the endowment. The Center plans to usethe funds for support of specific projectswithin the research initiatives and for specialprojects that fall outside the general bound-aries of the current research focus.

Richard Bundy, the ISU Foundation execu-tive officer for the College of Agriculture, com-ments on the endowment, “Private support forthe Friends of the Leopold Center Endowmentwill enhance the Center’s ability to contributeto the development of profitable farming sys-tems that conserve Iowa’s natural resources.”

The Center received private gifts to beginthe endowment from a number of individualsand groups. Donors of $1,000 or more weredesignated as “Friends of the Leopold Center.”

Among those who made gifts at this level

Center establishes endowment fundby MARMARMARMARMARY ADAMSY ADAMSY ADAMSY ADAMSY ADAMS, Editor

were James and Millicent Cozzie, SusanFutrell, David and Barbara Hurd, John andMary Miller, Ann Lennartz, the Lumpkin Fam-ily Foundation, Joe Lynch and LonnaNachtigal, National Catholic Rural Life Confer-ence, Jan and Cornelia Flora, Gary and SueOsweiler, Margaret Pennings, Richard andElizabeth Schnieders, the Sioux City CatholicDiocesan Peace and Justice Action NetworkDirector, Robert Ware, Stephen and June Weis,and David and Corrine Williams.

Several other contributors in this donorgroup opted to remain confidential.

If you want to contribute,the ISU Foundation accepts and

manages all gifts made to supportprograms in the College of

Agriculture, including the LeopoldCenter. For more information,contact Rich Bundy, (515) 294-

9088, rbundy@iastate.edu, or goto the ISU Foundation web site:

www.foundation.iastate.edu/.

LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 200 5 7

Much attention this summer hasfocused on the amount of subsi-dies paid to U.S. farmers in the

form of commodity and conservation pay-ments as part of the 2002 Farm Bill. But noneof the figures include another cost seldomtabulated as part of the total agricultural pricetag: the cost of externalities.

Externalities are costs that are external to asystem or market. In agriculture, an externalcost would be the cost to clean up a streamcontaminated by a leak in a livestock manurelagoon or treatment to remove nitrate fromdrinking water. Agricultural practices also cancreate erosion and soil loss, which lead toproblems with flood control and navigation,lost capacity in reservoirs and irrigation chan-nels, and problems related to loss of waterquality.

In 2002 and 2003, Leopold Center scholarErin Tegtmeier and (then) associate directorMike Duffy conducted a study to calculate theexternal costs of agriculture. They used an ap-proach similar to one used by British ecologistJules Pretty in 2000 to arrive at an aggregate,national figure for specific costs of agriculture.Pretty used existing databases and studies andestimated the negative impacts of agriculturein the United Kingdom at about 208 poundsper hectare (approximately $349 per acre atthe January 2000 exchange rate).

Study looked at crops, livestockThe Tegtmeier-Duffy study recently was pub-

lished in the International Journal of Agricul-tural Sustainability. In the peer-reviewed ar-ticle, they estimate the negative impacts ofcrop and livestock agriculture in the UnitedStates may cost society anywhere from $5.7 to$16.9 billion each year. They estimate thatU.S. crop production alone has external costsranging from $11.92 to $38.74 per acre. Thestudy calls for a restructuring of agriculturalpolicy that shifts production toward methodsthat lessen external impacts.

Tegtmeier and Duffy looked at six generalcategories: damage to water sources ($419.4million), damage to soil resources ($2.2 to$13.4 billion), damage caused by greenhousegas emissions from cropland and livestock

($450.5 million), damage to wildlife and eco-system biodiversity ($1.1 billion), and damageto human health from pathogens and pesti-cides ($416 million, and $1 billion,respectively).

They classified cost estimates according toproduction type (crop or livestock) and area-based external cost figures for crop productionalso were calculated. They reviewed more than50 studies that assigned values to specific im-pacts of agriculture in the United States, thenrevised and updated the values to reflectchanges in conditions. They also deflatedsome of the estimates to address changes intechnology and a subsequent decrease in soilerosion.

The study is based on 417 million croplandacres in the United States reported by the U.S.Department of Agriculture in 2000. The fig-ures did not include approximately 37.8 mil-lion acres that were idled that year.

Soil resources hit hardestThe highest estimates were in the category

of damage to soil resources, primarily from soilerosion, of which agriculture is the single larg-est contributor. Their figures included cost tothe water industry for additional treatment,lost capacity of reservoirs, cost to water con-veyance systems, flood damage, cost to recre-ational activities, navigation, commercial fish-eries, and municipal and industrial users. Theyreasoned that a great deal of research exists onsoil erosion from agriculture and that the di-rect effects may be simpler to track and analyzethan in other categories.

Impacts on water resources were gauged bythe costs of treatment necessary to controlmajor pollutants associated with agriculturalproduction including microbial pathogens,nitrate and pesticides.

Among the damages to wildlife and ecosys-tem biodiversity they included the cost of hon-eybees and pollination losses ($409.8 mil-lion), loss of beneficial predators from pesti-cide use ($666.8 million), fish kills from pesti-cides and manure spills (an average of $48.4million), and bird kills due to pesticides($34.5 million).

Economic losses could be higherAccording to the authors, the study illus-

trates that current agricultural practice resultsin very real economic, social and environmen-tal impacts, which would significantly affectthe perceived economic efficiency of agricul-ture if they were paid by the industry itself.They report that while U.S. farmers spent $8.2billion on pesticides in 2002, this is less than80 percent of the actual cost of pesticide useconsidering the $2.2 billion in damages towater resources, wildlife and ecosystembiodiversity and human health that theycalculated.

The study concludes by stating that the fig-ures identified may be on the conservativeside, partially due to a need for more data andpartially because the full consequences of agri-culture may not yet be known. It also calls forvaluation studies into the potential positiveexternalities of sustainable agricultural prac-tices, such as providing carbon sequestrationor wildlife habitats. Such acknowledgment ofthe true costs and benefits of various methods,technologies and practices available to farmersmay help to influence a shift in agriculturalpractices and the policies that promote them.

They also acknowledge that placing exactmonetary figures on factors such as the valueof a bird’s or a human being’s life is extremelydifficult and that further work is called for, butinsist that such studies can aid in influencingthe future of agricultural practice: “A monetarymetric provides a base for comparisons to aidin policy decisions.”

In the article, Tegtmeier and Duffy concludethat “the partial estimate of damage costs pro-motes responsible, creative policy actions toacknowledge and internalize the externalitiesof production practices that are generallyaccepted and widespread.”

Study tabulates “external” costs of U.S. agriculture

For a copy of the article,contact the Leopold Center, orgo to the Center’s web site at:

www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/files/

externalcosts_IJAS2004.pdf.

RATIONALE FOR STUDYRATIONALE FOR STUDYRATIONALE FOR STUDYRATIONALE FOR STUDYRATIONALE FOR STUDY”The partial estimate of damage costs promotes responsible,creative policy actions to acknowledge and internalize theexternalities of production practices that are generally acceptedand widespread.“ – Tegtmeier and Duffy

8 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005

A group of local investors wants tobuild a biorefinery in your countyand you’re interested in providing

biomass. How much corn stover can you har-vest without affecting soil quality? What situa-tion might make switchgrass a better option?

Here’s another scenario: You’re thinkingabout changing from a conventional dairy to agrass-based dairy. How much would it cost touse marginal cropland for pasture in a rota-tional grazing system?

A new web-based program, I-FARM, bringsthe answer right to your computer, allowingyou to run “what if” scenarios on virtual oractual farms.

The Leopold Center has been a cooperatorwith Iowa State University and other partnersin a three-state USDA-funded project designedto explore farming systems choices that mixcrops and animals. This is in contrast totoday’s more common farming model, inwhich crops and animals are in separate, spe-cialized operations. One outcome has beenI-FARM, which lets farmers, managers andpolicymakers see what happens at the farmscale in terms of economic returns and envi-ronmental impact.

“This is a planning tool for exploring alter-natives in a rigorous and realistic way,” saidagricultural engineer Tom Richard, who helpedinitiate the project at ISU and has sincebrought it to Pennsylvania State Universitywhere he is a faculty member. “What couldtake years and a lot of money to try in the realworld, you can do in about an hour.”

Model looks at crop, livestockI-FARM is unique because it has both crop

and livestock enterprises in the same model.The model has weather and soils data for 16states and variables for just about everything— from how often and when you cultivate afield to the local price for alfalfa.

Information can be entered for a range ofcrops and crop rotations, plus tillage, fertiliza-tion, planting, weed control, harvesting andresidue removal. Swine, cattle and dairy pro-duction are modeled based on feed intake,growth rate, grazing or confinement opera-tions, and manure management systems. Userscan select options that fit their farm or inter-ests, and enter other information such as pay-ments to lending institutions for land, build-ings and machinery investments.

The model calculates a long list of results.Soil losses, the farm’s energy and labor require-ments, what’s produced in terms of crops,livestock and manure to be used as fertilizer,and residue that could be harvested for biom-

ass are shown, plus annual earnings or losses.Nutrients are listed by field, and subsidy andconservation payments are calculated based oncurrent programs. Users can change any of thevariables, and run the model again to see theimpact on their bottom line as well as theenvironment.

An example using biomassRichard and others have been using I-FARM

to study effective ways to harvest biomass forproduction of renewable energy. They set up atypical 1,000-acre grain farm in five differentareas of Iowa, ran the simulation and foundsome regional differences.

“In the north central region, where produc-tion is much higher, you can take a lot of cornstover biomass off the land with minimal envi-ronmental impact,” he explained. “So in thatregion it makes sense to harvest biomass ascorn stover, and you can still receive commod-ity payments,” he explained.

“In other regions, it makes more sense toput in switchgrass for biomass, because har-vesting corn stover leads to too much erosionand a decrease in soil organic matter,” Richardsaid. “As we know, current farm policies rarelyencourage this kind of land use, but the modelhelps document these impacts and find whatwill work in specific situations.”

Richard said I-FARM also can help produc-ers evaluate conservation incentives, such asthe Conservation Security Program, with thepotential to improve both economic and envi-ronmental outcomes on the farm.

I-FARM developer Ed van Ouwerkerk isworking with a graduate student AmritpalKang to make the system easier to use. Ratherthan selecting from a list of soil types for eachfield, users enter a location on a map, whichtakes them to an aerial photograph of the farm.The program then automatically enters soiltype, hill slopes and other field-specific detailsalready available on public spatial databases.The new feature should be ready for use inIowa by the end of August 2005.

Up to 20 people can use I-FARM at onetime, and you can save your “farm” and revisitit as many times as you want to experimentwith different choices. The web site also in-cludes a tutorial and sample farms.

The development group includes the ISUDepartments of Agronomy, Agricultural andBiosystems Engineering, Economics and Ani-mal Science; the North Central Regional Cen-ter for Rural Development; National Soil TilthLaboratory and Practical Farmers of Iowa. Inaddition to the USDA funds, other grants havebeen obtained from the U.S. Department ofEnergy and the National Science Foundation.

Take a spin on I-FARM: Create your own virtual farmby LAURA MILLER, Newsletter editor

An Iowa exampleHere’s a sample 1,000-acre grain and

pork farm. It is based on soils inMontgomery County in southwestIowa, of which 158 acres are continu-ous corn for feed in the livestockoperation, 541 acres are in a corn-soybean rotation, and 301 acres areenrolled in the Conservation ReserveProgram. The farm includes a conven-tional hog confinement building toraise feeder pigs.

Here are selected results from themodel, based on one year of operation:

• 2,058 hogs marketed• 16,678 bushels corn, fed to hogs• 42,883 bushels corn, marketed• 12,172 bushels soybeans, marketed• 4,276 gallons of diesel fuel for crop

production• 2,527 hours labor (1,506 for crops;

1,021 for livestock)• $53,029 government payments

(including direct payments,counter cyclical income and CRP)

• 1.9 tons/acre/year average soil loss• $408,230 total farm revenues• $289,895 total farm expenses• $65,637 loan payments for

equipment and buildings• $105,726 income, before taxes at a

rate of $17.62 per labor hour

Go to http://i-farmtools.org and click on the web application link.

You’ll be asked to sign in (simply away to save information for later).

Set aside a block of time to enter datato set up your own farm, or you can

retrieve any one of more than 30sample farms that have data

already entered.

Team member Matt Liebman (right)demonstrates I-FARM for Russ Brandes.

LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005 9

The new 2005 Center Progress Report features summaries of 19projects that were funded by the

Center and completed in 2004. For the firsttime, there are a significant number of com-pleted projects sponsored by one of the threeinitiatives, Marketing and Food Systems,along with research from the previous com-petitive grants program.

Research and education projects that theCenter funded run the gamut from woollycupgrass control and grape production toforage evaluation and a local food capacityanalysis. Investigators explored problems offarm food handling practices, supply chainoptions for biobased businesses, small mar-ket farm business planning, and soil nutrientenhancement. The Center specifically en-

Center issues compilation of latest research results

The 2005 Center Progress Reportalso is on-line. Find it at

www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/grants/completed_grants.htm#2005

couraged the investigators to consider howtheir work could benefit Iowa farmers.

Summaries of the 19 research and educationprojects appear in an illustrated, 74-page pa-perback, are grouped in these categories:

· Agriculture and communities· Crop systems· Ecology initiative· Pest management· Marketing and food systems initiativeThe Center’s research and demonstration

efforts described in detail in the Progress Re-port were carried out on Iowa farms, at ISU’soutlying research farms, and in urban and sub-urban areas of the state.

The summaries are condensed from longer,more detailed final reports submitted by theprincipal investigators. Copies of the complete

reports are available from the Center. Readersalso may contact the investigators directly formore information. Center editor Mary Adamsis in charge of producing the Progress Report.

Copies have been sent to Iowa agriculturalproducers, researchers, media, and educators.If you would like a paper copy of the 2005Center Progress Report, please contact theCenter at (515) 294-3711.

10 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005

Rich Pirog, who leads the Center’s Market-ing and Food Systems Initiative, was part of apanel that explored “Remaining Profitable inToday’s Changing Agriculture,” during the2004-05 Leadership Iowa program. The Maysession focused on the “New Face of Agricul-ture,” and included a discussion of criticalstate, national and international issues facingand impacting agriculture. Leadership Iowabrings together 40 leaders from Iowa’s healthcare, communications, business and educa-tion sectors.

••

The Wallace Genetic Foundation hasawarded a $35,000 grant to the LeopoldCenter to coordinate a revision of the 1948USDA Yearbook of Agriculture, Grass. TheLeopold Center will coordinate an editorialcommittee that will be reviewing current top-ics, research and issues surrounding the useof grass.

••

Leopold Center director FredKirschenmann addressed the June 16-18Farm Foundation Round Table in Portland,Oregon on “The National Status of Sustain-able Agriculture.” The Round Table bringstogether a wide variety of agricultural andagribusiness leaders twice a year for discus-sion of public policies.

••

The first two modules of a new web-basedsustainable agriculture curriculum designed

for high school students have been completed.“Toward a Sustainable Agriculture” has beendeveloped by Diane Mayerfeld of the Centerfor Integrated Agricultural Systems at the Uni-versity of Wisconsin-Madison. The curriculumincludes on-line handouts, lecture notes andbackground information. The project has beenfunded by a grant from the North Central Re-gional Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation (SARE) program. Leopold Centerdirector Fred Kirschenmann is a member ofthe curriculum review committee. The curricu-lum web site is: www.cias.wisc.edu/curricu-lum/index.htm

••

If you’re attending the 2005 Iowa State Fairin Des Moines, you’ll want to check out thenew competitions for heirloom fruit and veg-etables. The Leopold Center is sponsoringthree new divisions in the horticulture andfoods competitions. They include HeirloomFruits (judging on August 11), Cooking withHeirloom Fruits and Vegetables (judging onAugust 14) and Heirloom Vegetables (judgingon August 16). An existing competition forheirloom tomatoes is sponsored by PolkCounty Master Gardeners. The purpose of thecompetitions is to create an awareness of thevariety and uniqueness of Iowa’s produceheritage.

••

Proceedings from a conference the LeopoldCenter helped sponsor in November 2004 arenow available. “New Perspectives on Food

Security” featured sessions on the legal andeconomic issues, environmental and publichealth concerns, and public policy. The pro-ceedings are available on the Leopold Centerweb site at: www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/other/files/food_security.pdf, or can be pur-chased at a cost of $15.50 fromwww.cafepress.com/conferencebook.

••

The Leopold Center will provide $20,000per year for three years to sponsor graduatestudent assistance for Iowa State University’snew animal behaviorist, Anna Johnson. A na-tive of England, Johnson joined the ISU Ani-mal Science Department in April. For the pastthree years she had been director of animalwelfare for the National Pork Board in Clive,responsible for the development of the SwineWelfare Assurance Program. Her doctorate inanimal science at Texas Tech University in-cluded a focus on sow and piglet behavior andwelfare in both indoor and outdoor systems.The Center has been very supportive of theanimal science department’s decision to fill theanimal behaviorist position because any alter-native animal production systems must takeinto account the animal’s health and well-be-ing. Johnson is interested in talking with farm-ers to learn about the kinds of challenges theyface related to animal behavior issues and theiroverall welfare in different housing situations.She can be contacted at (515) 294-2098, orby e-mail, johnsona@iastate.edu.

Russell Brandes of Hancock is the new-est member of the Leopold CenterAdvisory Board but he’s not a new-

comer to the work of the Leopold Center.Brandes served as a farmer member of the

Leopold Center’s successful Animal Manage-ment Issue Team headed by ISU animal sci-ence professor Jim Russell. He was appointedin February to replace John Sellers, Jr. as theState Soil Conservation Committee representa-tive on the advisory board.

”I think the Animal Management Issue Teamhas done some great work, especially in thearea of phosphorus runoff in pastures, ex-tended grazing systems and stockpiling for-age,” Brandes said. “It is a good model as faras research goes.”

The Center assembled the innovative teamin 1990 with scientists from several disci-plines, along with farmers, educators andagency personnel who helped design theprojects with the goal of making cow-calf op-erations more sustainable and profitable forfarmers. The Center funded most of the team’sresearch through 2002 that included key stud-ies on rotational grazing, winter grazing andoptimal use of forage. Brandes has been in-volved with the team since 2001.

”Many of the team’s findings reinforce what

we only thought was going on, like with thephosphorus runoff in pastures,” he said. “But Ido see the recommendations being imple-mented. I hope to use stockpiling in my ownoperation.”

Brandes farms 800 acres in PottawattamieCounty, some of which is a Century Farm thathis great-grandfather settled when he emi-grated from Prussia in 1874. Of that, about500 acres are devoted to row crops, plus smallfields of oats and hay, and pasture for a 60-head cow-calf herd. In addition, he is a con-tract feeder, finishing hogs in three 1,100-headbuildings. He began the hog enterprise in1999, which he says is the main reason he’sbeen able to meet expenses without getting anoff-farm job.

He said he’s always been interested in soilconservation, serving as a district commis-sioner the past 20 years. He also served 8 yearson the State Soil Conservation Committee,including a stint as chair in 2002. Since hestarted farming in 1972, he has added terraces,grassed waterways, contour cropping, filterstrips along streams and he uses no-till meth-ods. He said he’s trying organic corn this year,and may consider planting organic soybeans.

Brandes said he had wanted to be on theCenter’s advisory board for some time. “I

Southwest Iowa farmer joins advisory board

A full-time accountant has joined theLeopold Center staff to manage theCenter’s finances and work with

more than 80 grant accounts administered bythe Center.

Karen Jacobson, a certified public accoun-tant for many years, began work July 1 as anadministrative specialist. She brings a diversebackground in public and private accountingthat includes seven years as controller forBethany Life Communities, a continuing careretirement community in Story City. She alsohas worked as an independent consultant,auditor and corporate treasurer for an Amesbank.

She has a degree in accounting fromAugustana College in Illinois and an MBA inaccounting from the University of Wisconsinin Madison. She recently served as president(and was chartering president) of the Ameschapter of the American Society of WomenAccountants and a mentor in the Iowa Societyof CPAs.

One of Jacobson’s tasks will be to coordi-nate and write a new grants manual for theCenter’s many partners and researchers. She

said she hopes to streamline the process forgrantees to prepare budgets and report howCenter funds have been used in variousprojects.

“I enjoy people very much and it’s impor-tant to me to contribute to the successful op-eration of the Center,” Jacobson said.

She also will prepare quarterly budget re-ports for the Leopold Center Advisory Boardand provide backup office support for payrolland purchasing.

Jacobson was born in Chicago but has spentmost of her life in rural Wisconsin and Iowacommunities. “I know how important agricul-ture is to our economy,” she said. “I am ex-cited to work at the Leopold Center because Ireally believe in its vision — to explore andcultivate alternatives that secure healthierpeople and landscapes.”

Jacobson lives in Story City with her hus-band Paul. They have a 21-year-old son who isa senior in management information systemsat Iowa State University.

Since 2002, the Center’s finances weremanaged by Amy Rogers under an agreementbetween the Center and the College of Agricul-

Full-time accountant joins Center staff

knew the Leopold Center was somethingpretty special and unique when it wasformed,” he said. “My interest is in how we’retreating the land.”

Brandes studied agronomy and agriculturaleducation at Iowa State University for threeyears before going back to his family’s farm.He’s been part of the Tri-County Steer CarcassFuturity Cooperative, an ISU Extension-ledprogram that tracks carcass data. The programis designed to compile information that willhelp recruit producers and cattle to be fed insouthwestern Iowa.

Brandes lives on the southwest Iowa farmwith his wife, Phyllis.

Russell Brandes

Karen Jacobson

ture budget and finance office. When Rogersleft in February for another position on cam-pus, the Center decided to hire its own full-time account specialist. From 1989 to 2002,Ken Anderson was the Center’s full-time ac-count specialist.

LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 200 5 11

About our new lookAbout our new lookAbout our new lookAbout our new lookAbout our new lookWe hope you like our new look! This

is the first major design change in thenewsletter since 1990. The new mast-head gracing the front page incorporatesan aerial view of Winneshiek County innorthern Iowa. It was chosen to reflectthe Leopold Center’s vision statement: toexplore and cultivate alternatives thatsecure healthier people and landscapesin Iowa and the nation.

We hope the new headings and spot

Highlight EventsSeeds and BreedsThe Leopold Center is among several spon-

sors of the 2005 Seeds and Breeds conferenceto be held September 11-14 in Ames. The pur-pose of the conference, which stemmed from a2003 summit in Washington, D.C., is to helpreinvigorate the public breeding of crops andanimals in agriculture.

Co-sponsors are the Raymond F. Baker Cen-ter for Plant Breeding at Iowa State Universityand the Rural Advancement Foundation Inter-national (RAFI) based in Pittsboro, NorthCarolina.

color make our newsletter easier to read.We also are providing additionalinformation on our web site for thosewho want details beyond what appearsin each newsletter.

And finally, we hope you enjoy thestories, written to keep you up-to-dateon what’s happening at the LeopoldCenter and in sustainable agriculture.The biggest compliment you can pay usis to use the information and pass alongyour newsletter to someone else.

The newsletter is still printed onrecycled paper and with soy-based ink.The switch to a less expensive papernearly compensates for the cost ofadding spot color.

Many thanks to our readers forfeedback this past year. Thanks also toJuls Design of Ankeny who worked withstaff on the redesign, and the USDANatural Resources Conservation Servicefor the aerial photo. — Newsletter editorLaura Miller

The conference will include a review of ex-isting breeding programs and a discussion ofstrategies for making and implementing poli-cies that will shift the current paradigm fromengineering of only a few varieties that benefiteven fewer sponsors, to programs that involvea larger group of farmers, universities and non-governmental organizations.

The planning committee is committed tohaving farmers and NGOs participate in thedialogue, and is offering 10 scholarships forfarmers and funding for staff from NGOs toattend the conference. For more information,contact conference coordinator Laura Lauffer.(919) 542-6067, or go towww.agron.iastate.edu/seedsandbreeds.

12 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 17 NO.2 • SUMMER 2005