The popularity of trusts as a land management tactic has been increasing. Using survey results, an attorney and economics professor examined the kinds of trust arrangements that exist in Iowa and how they might be used to encourage conservation practices and sustainable agricultural management.

A gap in transitioning to ecologically beneficial farming practices is the lack of understanding of how soils store carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)long term. Farmers need management practices for improving soil quality, increasing both belowground (live roots) and aboveground (live cover) biomass, increasing soil organic matter, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This project quantified root productivity, root decomposition, soil microbial dynamics, soil aggregation, and belowground C allocation in annual and perennial biomass cropping systems across multiple landscape positions.

Work continued on a plan to increase the renewable, sustainable fuel sources available to power operations at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. A team of researchers from multiple institutions collaborated to create a tool that would allow the UI to evaluate its alternative energy options more effectively.

Leopold Center support over three years has helped Ajay Nair, assistant professor in Horticulture, set up the ISU Sustainable Vegetable Production Lab, a research and education program to help small producers in Iowa.

This project will determine the potential of pre- and post-consumer waste collected from ISU Dining for bioethanol production. The investigator will gather data about the quantity and composition of these wastes and how much energy could be produced.

Read abstracts of research, education and demonstration projects that received funds from the Leopold Center. The 32-page document includes more than 350 grant projects completed from 1996 through 2014, listed by topic and year of completion.

This publication looks at what's been learned from research on sustainable land tenure arrangements through a special initiative with the Drake Agricultural Law Center, and other opportunities created by the Leopold Center's major investment in this work.

The project participants researched, developed, tested and implemented technologies for year-round growing seasons designed to be viable under the growing conditions in southwest Iowa. High tunnels, alternative crops, vermiculture and collaborative producer groups were among the options tested.

This trifold brochure explains the Sustainable Agricultural Land Tenure (SALT) Initiative, a collaboration of the Drake Agricultural Law Center and the Leopold Center. A number of resources have been created as part of this initiative including The Landowner's Guide to Sustainable Farm Leasing, The Landowner's Decision Tool, videos, podcasts, sample leases and other organizations.