INSIDE THIS ISSUE and Drug Administration Will Be Contaminants in Athe Newest Director of the Leopold Animal Feeds
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A NEWSLETTER OF THE LEOPOLD CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE VOL. 23 NO. 4 WINTER 2011 New director named for Leopold Center microbiologist with the U.S. Food feed additives and INSIDE THIS ISSUE and Drug Administration will be contaminants in A the newest director of the Leopold animal feeds. He Center in its 25-year history. Mark also worked 18 years Rasmussen, supervisory microbiologist as a scientist and and director of the Division of Animal and research leader at the Food Microbiology at the FDA’s Center for U.S. Department of Veterinary Medicine in Laurel, Maryland, Agriculture’s National will begin work no later than June 1. Animal Disease “Dr. Rasmussen brings to us a broad- Center in Ames, based background and exceptional including service as a collaborating faculty 6 scientifi c, agricultural and administrative member in Iowa State’s animal science strengths that will provide strong and biomedical sciences departments. leadership for the Leopold Center and for He has held research positions in private Iowa agriculture,” said Gregory Geoffroy, companies and has farmed full-time in president of Iowa State University. Nebraska. Geoffroy announced the appointment Rasmussen was raised on a farm in January 3 in a letter to the Leopold Center northeastern Nebraska west of Sioux City, Advisory Board, staff and a 10-member Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in committee that conducted the national search. agriculture (1976) and a master’s degree in 8 At the FDA, Rasmussen has provided animal science (1979) from the University technical guidance and research support for regulatory decisions on drugs, DIRECTOR (cont. on page 2) Interim director: A Wallace Leopold Center strengthens ILF partnership outlook on agriculture 3 statewide program designed to successful in capturing the attention of Food and Farm Program 4 build a “Culture of Conservation” farmers and generating public awareness in Iowa will be working closely about practical ways that we all can A The 50-year farm bill 5 with the Leopold Center over the next improve our water and soil quality,” three years. said Mark Honeyman, Leopold Center The Leopold Center has strengthened interim director. “This new aspect of Cattle grazing for a better its partnership with the Iowa Learning our partnership will get Leopold Center environment 6-7 Farms (ILF), beginning in January and research fi ndings into the hands of farmers running through December 31, 2014. and increase the outreach and impact of Spencer Award winners 8-9 The Leopold Center is supporting the Leopold Center.” development of educational materials for The Iowa Learning Farms is an Revkin, Lappé visit campus 10 new audiences, including young people, outreach and education program and resources that can be used at ILF that brings together farmer and non- Meet the new RFSWG 11 fi eld days, workshops, classsrooms and farmer conservationists, educators, and the Conservation Station, the ILF’s mobile organization and agency personnel. Here’s Symphony of the Soil 12 learning center. a snapshot of their activities from the past “The Iowa Learning Farms has been PARTNERSHIP (cont. on page 10) The newsletter is on the web at: www.leopold.iastate.edu To subscribe, send an e-mail to [email protected] LEOPOLD LETTER MISSION On the Web: www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/results The mission of the Leopold Letter is to inform diverse audiences about Leopold Center programs and activities; to encourage increased interest in and use of sustainable farming Summaries practices and market opportunities for sustainable Easy-to-read summaries are available for these recently completed projects funded by products; and to stimulate public discussion about Leopold Center competitive grants. Find them on our current Research Results newsletter sustainable agriculture in Iowa and the nation. web page. Leopold Letter ISSN 1065-2116 • Agronomic, ecological and economic comparisons of conventional and low- LEOPOLD CENTER STAFF external-input cropping systems Interim Director Communication Mark Honeyman Specialist • Custom grazing contracts: Successful models to grow profi t, avoid pitfalls Laura Miller Distinguished Fellow • Building the Iowa wine culture through improved quality Fred Kirschenmann Outreach and Policy • Improving veterinary care for organic livestock systems Coordinator Ecological Systems Mary Adams • Routing foods into southeast Iowa Research Program Jeri L. Neal Administrative • Transitioning the Pork Niche Market Working Group to self-suffi ciency Specialist Secretary Karen Jacobson Blue Maas Scientifi c Journals Cross-cutting Marketing and Leopold Center-supported projects have produced these papers published in peer- Research Program Food Systems Malcolm Robertson reviewed journals. Check at a research library or the journal’s website for an abstract or Research Program Craig Chase (Interim) full report. Layout by • Hu, Guiping, Lizhi Wang, Susan Arendt and Randy Boeckenstedt (2011). An Melissa Lamberton optimization approach to assessing the self-sustainability potential of food demand Communications Graduate Research Assistant in the Midwestern United States. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development 2(1):1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2011.021.004 LEOPOLD CENTER ADVISORY BOARD This project included the redevelopment of the online tool, the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable John Olthoff, chair, Dordt College, Sioux Center Market Planner (see http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/cool_tools). Bill Ehm, vice-chair, Iowa Department of Natural Re- sources, Des Moines • Wilson, Henry, Rick Cruse and Lee Burras (2011). A method to adapt watershed- scale sediment fi ngerprinting techniques to small-plot runoff experiments, Journal of Keith Summerville, member-at-large, Drake University, Des Moines Soil and Water Conservation 66(5):323-328. Joe Colletti, Iowa State University, Ames This was a special project of the Leopold Center that studied in-fi eld conservation Dan Frieberg, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, West practices (see report in our Spring 2008 newsletter). Des Moines • Giovannucci, Daniele, Barham, Elizabeth and Pirog, Rich, Defi ning and Marketing Doug Gronau, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Vail Local Foods: Geographical Indications for U.S. Products (2010). Journal of World Maynard Hogberg, Iowa State University, Ames Intellectual Property. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1814566 Erin Irish, University of Iowa, Iowa City (4-2011 posted) Laura Jackson, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls NEW DIRECTOR CHOSEN FOR LEOPOLD CENTER Susan Jutz, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Solon DIRECTOR (continued from page 1) Paul Lasley, Iowa State University, Ames of Nebraska, a Ph.D. in dairy science Rasmussen was one of three candidates Aaron Heley Lehman, Iowa Farmers Union, Polk City (1986) from the University of Illinois and invited to the Iowa State campus for George Malanson, University of Iowa, Iowa City a master of business administration degree interviews. Other candidates were (1996) from Iowa State University. Abdullah Jaradat, a research leader Patrick Pease, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls His scientifi c expertise includes areas of at the USDA’s Agricultural Research John Sellers Jr., State Soil Conservation Committee, Corydon microbiology, food safety, animal health, Service in Morris, Minnesota; and Jennifer Steffen, Soil Conservation Committee, Birming- ruminant nutrition, veterinary medicine Thanos Papanicolaou, professor of civil ham and antibiotic resistance. He holds two and environmental engineering at the Maury Wills, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land patents related to his research, including University of Iowa. Stewardship, Des Moines food safety technology used on an Sharron Quisenberry, ISU Vice President estimated 20 percent of the beef carcasses for Research and Economic Development, The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture seeks to identify and reduce adverse socioeconomic and environmental impacts marketed in the United States. chaired the search committee that included four of farming practices, develop profi table farming systems that conserve natural resources, and create educational programs He has presented lectures in an animal members of the Leopold Center Advisory Board. with the ISU Extension Service. It was founded by the 1987 health management course at the University They were Bill Ehm, Dan Frieberg, Jennifer Iowa Groundwater Protection Act. The Leopold Letter is available free from the Leopold Center at 209 Curtiss Hall, Iowa State of Maryland. While in Ames he taught Steffen, and Keith Summerville. University, Ames, Iowa 50011-1050; (515) 294-3711. graduate courses in rumen microbiology and Mark Honeyman, who coordinates ISU lectured on agricultural technology. Research and Demonstration Farms, will Before joining the FDA in 2009, continue as interim director at the Leopold Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, he worked for a biofuels company in Center until June 1. The Leopold Center’s religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, Minnesota. He also worked briefl y as a fi rst director was Dennis Keeney, followed marital status, disability, or status as a U.S.veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, research scientist for Eastman Kodak after by Fred Kirschenmann and Jerry DeWitt. 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612. fi nishing graduate school. 2 LEOPOLD LETTER • VOL. 23 NO. 4 • WINTER 2011 WITH INTERIM DIRECTOR MARK HONEYMAN Voices from the past: