ISA's Environmental Programs and Services recognized with Governor's Environmental Excellence Award
The Environmental Programs and Services (EPS) of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) was recognized with a Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award at a formal ceremony on August 1, 2011, at the Wallace State Office Building in Des Moines. The awards, which were presented personally by Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, are the premier environmental honors in Iowa, recognizing businesses, organizations and citizens who have excelled in environmental sustainability, demonstrating leadership, innovation and comprehensive environmental ethic in managing natural resources.
“Iowa is blessed to have some of the best resources in the world and we want to see them maintained for future generations,” said Gov. Branstad. “The goal is to protect and enhance our environment and pass it on to future generations better than we found it. Today we recognize leadership and innovation in protecting our natural resources. These awards serve as a small token of appreciation for their commitment to preserve Iowa’s precious natural resources for future generations of Iowans to enjoy.”
EPS uses a science-based, data-driven approach to help farmers improve environmental performance while maintaining yields and profitability. Since 2000, ISA has invested well over $3 million in Iowa soybean farmers’ checkoff contributions in this mission, leveraging more than three times that amount in public and private grants and contracts. Fostering partnerships among ag and environmental, public and private groups alike, ISA has pioneered the following innovations: a holistic approach, a watershed approach (providing leadership, technical assistance and coordination in 26 Iowa watersheds), performance-based adaptive management, demonstration of innovative practices and cooperative conservation. With an environmental team that now includes nine professionals, ISA is unique as a commodity/agricultural association in conducting an operation at this scale solely committed to action-oriented programs and services for improving agriculture's environmental performance.
EPS Advisory Committee Chair Jim Andrew and EPS Director Roger Wolf accepted the award of the EPS staff and the ISA board of directors.
Wolf sees the award as recognition of vision demonstrated by ISA’s farmer leaders. “Hopefully, this recognition raises awareness of farmers’ efforts on behalf of the environment. It shows how ISA’s ability to work with many partners and leverage the investment of checkoff dollars has led to success. We still have a lot of work to do.”
On behalf of the ISA board of directors, Andrew noted, “This award also recognizes the contributions Roger Wolf and his professional staff have made over the years in addressing soybean farmer’s environmental concerns. It is particularly meaningful in that the award is competitively judged by experts and validates that the Iowa Soybean Association has assumed a critical leadership role in seeking practical, science-based solutions to Iowa’s environmental problems. ISA will continue this quest by expanding its programs and services expand throughout Iowa in the future.”
For more information, go to www.iasoybeans.com/environment
