In 1987 the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act was signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad, included in the legislation was the institution of ISU Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
“For 30 years, through research and education, the Leopold Center helps identify and develop new ways to farm profitably while conserving natural resources. The Center’s initiative areas include ecological systems research, marketing and food systems research, policy research and cross-cutting research that bridges all areas (water, energy, soil and alternative farming systems). The Leopold Center is located on the campus of Iowa State University.” —https://www.leopold.iastate.edu/
The ISU Leopold Research Center has been the epicenter of research used to develop the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Since 1998, the Leopold Center has awarded more than 500 competitive grants coming from every Iowa county.
ISU Leopold Center’s—Conservation and Land Stewardship Funding Impact
The ISU Leopold Center has impacted Iowa’s Food Systems from NEIA Food and Fitness to championing Community Supported Agriculture and organic agriculture research.
Bottomline: The Iowa legislative season is in it’s last hours, and the general assembly, along party lines, voted to eliminate the ISU Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
Action Alert: Call Gov. Branstad (515-281-5211) to line item veto the closing of ISU Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture