Thanks to the Iowa Food Systems Council for hosting a forum on Water Quality in Agriculture and Food Systems - great discussion between the audience and Dr. Rick Kruse (Professor of Agronomy at Iowa State University), Roger Wolf (Director of Environmental Programs and Services, Iowa Soybean Association), and Mike McCurnin (Director of Water Production, Des Moines Water Works). Tony Thompson attended on behalf of IFU, and these are a few key take-aways he shared: 1) We have a long ways to go on this topic in Iowa, and we need to get there quickly. 2) This is not a rural vs. urban issue - this is an all-Iowa issue. 3) This is a very complex problem, and solutions are not simple. 4) There are strong steps that farmers can take now - like buffer strips and cover crops. 5) There are strong steps that consumers can take - like making sure they buy food from farmers who are farming in environmentally-responsible ways and supporting politicians that support and fund conservation programs. 6) Much research is needed - as is funding for that research - in a wide range of topics relating to water quality and agriculture. 7) We need to support universities in providing agricultural education that is appropriate for family-scale agriculture.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 23:29:43 +0000
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