Last week was a momentous one for U.S.-China agricultural relations. In addition to the productive meetings that took place in Washington and Des Moines, I was honored to witness the signing of an agreement between the U.S. soybean industry and Chinese buyers who agreed to purchase more than 8.6 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the coming year. That’s about $4.3 billion worth of soybeans, or 317 million bushels.

The signing of that purchase agreement represents another very important milestone in the U.S.-China trade relationship, a relationship that continues to grow and flourish – in large part thanks to agricultural trade.  Last fiscal year, for the first time ever, China was the number one market for U.S. food and agricultural exports. And it was also the top market, by far, for U.S. soybeans. In fact, China purchased nearly 60 percent of the U.S. soybeans sold internationally last year. Read more »

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to facilitate a meeting with many rural energy stakeholders that USDA Rural Development works closely with here in Iowa.

Joining me in the discussion were representatives from the Environmental Law and Policy Center, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, MidAmerican Energy, USDA Farm Service Agency, Community Vitality Center at Iowa State University, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and many more.

Also in attendance were representatives from Senator Tom Harkin’s and Congressman Leonard Boswell’s offices.  Senator Harkin helped draft the original Energy Title in the 2002 Farm Bill. Read more »

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack moderated a roundtable discussion on “Sharing Agricultural Knowledge to Drive Sustainable Growth” at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 13. Seated from left to right are Secretary Tom Vilsack, Ghanaian Agriculture Minister Kwesi Ahwoi, Tanzanian Agriculture Minister Jumanne Maghembe, Mozambican Agriculture Minister José Pacheco, and Director General-elect of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations José Graziano da Silva. Credit: World Food Prize/Jim Heemstra

Last week, 40 Borlaug Fellows from 21 countries as far away as Azerbaijan and Zambia were in Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the Borlaug International Symposium and World Food Prize ceremony. Accompanying them were 16 mentors—professors, scientists, and researchers—from U.S. land-grant universities and international research centers, as well as public, private, and non-profit organizations. These Fellows and their mentors are part of the Norman E. Borlaug Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program established by USDA in 2004 to honor Nobel Laureate Norman E. Borlaug. Read more »

More than 1,300 community developers from 47 states converged on Des Moines, Iowa, this week to attend the 2011 National Main Streets Conference organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A key theme repeated during the conference illustrated how communities with healthy Main Street districts are two steps ahead in the race to create and retain jobs.

In small towns all across the country, downtown is typically two or three blocks of businesses run by familiar faces, a place where one knows who is at the local diner by the cars and trucks sitting outside.  Ensuring these districts remain vibrant many times requires a significant investment in buildings, capital and infrastructure, often financed through USDA Rural Development. Read more »

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with representatives from eight German companies who are in Iowa to learn more the approach to biofuels in the US, and specifically in Iowa. Read more »

Written by Jill Clothier, Iowa Earth Team Coordinator, USDA-NRCS

In November of 2009, after reading an article on the USDA website about the People’s Garden Initiative, I approached our Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, Rich Sims, with the idea of planting a People’s Garden here at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa.  He was immediately receptive to the idea and we contacted General Services Administration (GSA) to start the ball rolling.

 As the Iowa NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Coordinator, I am especially enthused about People’s Gardens.  Not only is it a valuable learning experience about sustainable agriculture on a large or small scale, it is an exceptional volunteer opportunity.  The People’s Garden Initiative brings people together – it truly is a community garden.  The USDA-NRCS, Farm Services Agency, Rural Development, and GSA are working together to make our garden a reality.

 Our bi-level garden will contain a variety of native Iowa plants and grasses.  We are planning on designing signs that will give educational information about each native plant. 

 We are fortunate to have excellent input in our planning process from a variety of people including an Earth Team volunteer and Master Gardener, who drew up sketches of the garden, an NRCS Biologist, and our Federal Building Manager, as well as a host of others who are generously sharing their knowledge and experience and who are donating their time and talents.   

 Our People’s Garden will be an educational tool to inform our community of Iowa’s rich history of native plants.  We are located downtown and are surrounded by concrete office buildings but also by schools, daycare centers, retirement centers, and apartments – all within walking distance of our garden. 

 I have learned so much already just by reading about other People’s Gardens.  I am thankful to have the opportunity to be involved in our community garden!  It is my hope that after getting our native grasses People’s Garden up and running, we will be able to develop a produce garden on the roof of the Neal Smith Federal Building. 

 The enthusiasm for the People’s Garden Initiative is contagious!  I hope in addition to establishing People’s Gardens at USDA offices, that people will take this initiative into their own neighborhoods.  I’ve spoken with several people in my own community about establishing People’s Gardens in other areas such as homeless shelters, nursing homes, schools, to name just a few.  The possibilities are endless and the rewards are great! 

 The community aspect of the People’s Garden Initiative is inspiring.  Each person with whom I’ve visited is immediately enthused and ready to participate.  People who have heard about our project are already volunteering to help, bringing me seeds, suggesting ideas about rainwater collection, container gardening, compost sock gardening, to name just a few.  It is rewarding to see people from all walks of life getting excited about a project, which benefits us all.  The NRCS mission of “Helping People Help the Land” is a perfect match for the People’s Garden Initiative.

  
 Rich Sims, Iowa NRCS State Conservationist, speaks before a crowd of 100 for the groundbreaking ceremony of the People’s Garden at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa.

 
Future site of the Neal Smith Federal Building People’s Garden.