K. Lair - our food system (detail of digital archival print, part of series)
Director of ReACT Gallery Nancy Gebhart (right) introduces Sarah Nusser Vice Provost for Research
Fred Kirschenmann (former director of the Leopold Center) at the reception at the ReACT Gallery, Iowa State University
Mark Rasmussen, Director Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
re-Imagining Leopold
ReACT Gallery, Morrill Hall Iowa State University on August 20th, 2018.
Exhibition Team
Rebecca Beachy - Chicago, IL
Lydia English - Agronomy, ISU
Kevin Lair - Architecture, Interdisciplinary Design, Sustainable Environments ISU
Kathranne Knight - Art and Visual Culture and Interdisciplinary Design, ISU
Carly McAndrews - Agricultural Education and Studies
Maritza Pierre - Community and Regional Planning
Lee Emma Running - Grinnell University, Grinnell, IA
Saina Shayanjoo - Architecture and Sustainable Environments
David Weisberger - Agronomy
Introduction
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture was defunded. The first question of why the center was defunded entails an understanding of the center. What is the vision and mission of the center, its people, its history and their work? In what context can we understand the defunding of the center and how that might illuminate more about the significance of the center’s mission?
Since the news broke, there has been a great amount of support for the contributions in research and it mission. Representatives from Iowa Farmers Union, the Women, Food, and Ag Network, and the Center for Rural ffairs backed the center. The Governor’s office received over 900 e-mails in support of the Leopold Center and only two that backed the defunding of the center. The driver for the creation of this exhibition was David Weisberger’s interest in finding different ways to present the important research and value of the center to the University and our agricultural system in general. Our discussions circled around ideas about research and value of the center to the University and our agricultural system in general. Our discussions circled around ideas about the research executed with backing of the center, the future of the center, and debates about our agricultural practices in the larger context. As we broadened our discussion, ideas about our relationship to the land and the land ethic of the center’s namesake emerged as important to explore.
Aldo Leopold (the center’r namesake) was a known advocate for the creation of a land ethic in which we were lacking. According to Leopold, “There is as yet no ethic dealing with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it. The land-relation is still strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations…”What obligations we owe the land seems to be a necessary component for being able to live on the land, as we are one of many parts of it. If we do not sustain it, then it will not sustain us. In exploring ideas for the exhibition, it seemed finding ways to highlight issues and practices around our land ethics as believed and or practiced would be worthwhile. The act of defunding the center speaks directly to the view of the land as strictly economic. The issue really is not viewing the economics of the land but a particular view of who and how the economics of the land should serve. These are controversial issues that readily position people to one side or the other. Or even among those on “a side” there may be a great deal of differences as to what approach will be productive or effective.
One of the ideas discussed was that of the shifting baseline in which we can’t observe changes over time due to our collective adaptation to them. It may not be good, but we don’t know or don’t sense otherwise. The Leopold Center is one of the places in which we try to stay in tune with the past, current, and future conditions that result from our inhabitation of the land.
Clearly many people want to see the funding and work of the center continue but some do not. Fundamentally, we have to address an element of these dfferent visions. It is unclear how such decision are made and put into action. There are no real origins but there are moments of clarity such as the technical aspects of congressional bills and appropriations that provide the basis for opening or closing a center such as the Leopold Center or opening an enterprise such as a new fertilizer company. For some of us on the team, these are “exotic” materials to work with and put into the context of an artistic endeavor.
In addition to the conceptual challenges of the exhibition, we saw opportunities for creative research and development. The work of other artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, Ding Darling, and Agnes Denes became useful for interdisciplinary discussion and a deeper understanding of the role of creative practices in shaping a land ethic. We found that continuing to explore the land and people’s relationship to it was important. The closeness and affinity we have for the land through our immersion in it seems to be as critical as ever. Global Greens is one of the research projects funded by the Leopold Center. “The program provides a spectrum of opportunities for individuals in the refugee community to increase food access within their communities and our larger community by growing food for themselves and others.” The Global Greens project integrates critical social, cultural, and basic needs for people who practice agriculture in a very direct relationship with the land. Global Greens illuminates the
complex and multi-valent character of agriculture and the work of the Leopold Center over its 30 year history.
Creating a sense of purpose and affording ourselves the time to see the land in essence is the start of any land ethic. There is a lot to unmoor us from the complexity and significance of the land and perhaps not enough to ground us. Our exhibition team is composed of an eclectic group of individuals. However, we believe it is critical to have the resources and opportunities to pursue a land ethic across many disciplines. The research, the work, and the existence of the Leopold Center is a kind of “safe
space” in which a diversity of ideas, people, and practices may thrive.
Exhibition Team
Rebecca Beachy - Chicago, IL
Lydia English - Agronomy, ISU
Kevin Lair - Architecture, Interdisciplinary Design, Sustainable Environments ISU
Kathranne Knight - Art and Visual Culture and Interdisciplinary Design, ISU
Carly McAndrews - Agricultural Education and Studies
Maritza Pierre - Community and Regional Planning
Lee Emma Running - Grinnell University, Grinnell, IA
Saina Shayanjoo - Architecture and Sustainable Environments
David Weisberger - Agronomy
Introduction
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture was defunded. The first question of why the center was defunded entails an understanding of the center. What is the vision and mission of the center, its people, its history and their work? In what context can we understand the defunding of the center and how that might illuminate more about the significance of the center’s mission?
Since the news broke, there has been a great amount of support for the contributions in research and it mission. Representatives from Iowa Farmers Union, the Women, Food, and Ag Network, and the Center for Rural ffairs backed the center. The Governor’s office received over 900 e-mails in support of the Leopold Center and only two that backed the defunding of the center. The driver for the creation of this exhibition was David Weisberger’s interest in finding different ways to present the important research and value of the center to the University and our agricultural system in general. Our discussions circled around ideas about research and value of the center to the University and our agricultural system in general. Our discussions circled around ideas about the research executed with backing of the center, the future of the center, and debates about our agricultural practices in the larger context. As we broadened our discussion, ideas about our relationship to the land and the land ethic of the center’s namesake emerged as important to explore.
Aldo Leopold (the center’r namesake) was a known advocate for the creation of a land ethic in which we were lacking. According to Leopold, “There is as yet no ethic dealing with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it. The land-relation is still strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations…”What obligations we owe the land seems to be a necessary component for being able to live on the land, as we are one of many parts of it. If we do not sustain it, then it will not sustain us. In exploring ideas for the exhibition, it seemed finding ways to highlight issues and practices around our land ethics as believed and or practiced would be worthwhile. The act of defunding the center speaks directly to the view of the land as strictly economic. The issue really is not viewing the economics of the land but a particular view of who and how the economics of the land should serve. These are controversial issues that readily position people to one side or the other. Or even among those on “a side” there may be a great deal of differences as to what approach will be productive or effective.
One of the ideas discussed was that of the shifting baseline in which we can’t observe changes over time due to our collective adaptation to them. It may not be good, but we don’t know or don’t sense otherwise. The Leopold Center is one of the places in which we try to stay in tune with the past, current, and future conditions that result from our inhabitation of the land.
Clearly many people want to see the funding and work of the center continue but some do not. Fundamentally, we have to address an element of these dfferent visions. It is unclear how such decision are made and put into action. There are no real origins but there are moments of clarity such as the technical aspects of congressional bills and appropriations that provide the basis for opening or closing a center such as the Leopold Center or opening an enterprise such as a new fertilizer company. For some of us on the team, these are “exotic” materials to work with and put into the context of an artistic endeavor.
In addition to the conceptual challenges of the exhibition, we saw opportunities for creative research and development. The work of other artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, Ding Darling, and Agnes Denes became useful for interdisciplinary discussion and a deeper understanding of the role of creative practices in shaping a land ethic. We found that continuing to explore the land and people’s relationship to it was important. The closeness and affinity we have for the land through our immersion in it seems to be as critical as ever. Global Greens is one of the research projects funded by the Leopold Center. “The program provides a spectrum of opportunities for individuals in the refugee community to increase food access within their communities and our larger community by growing food for themselves and others.” The Global Greens project integrates critical social, cultural, and basic needs for people who practice agriculture in a very direct relationship with the land. Global Greens illuminates the
complex and multi-valent character of agriculture and the work of the Leopold Center over its 30 year history.
Creating a sense of purpose and affording ourselves the time to see the land in essence is the start of any land ethic. There is a lot to unmoor us from the complexity and significance of the land and perhaps not enough to ground us. Our exhibition team is composed of an eclectic group of individuals. However, we believe it is critical to have the resources and opportunities to pursue a land ethic across many disciplines. The research, the work, and the existence of the Leopold Center is a kind of “safe
space” in which a diversity of ideas, people, and practices may thrive.
K. Lair, Re-Imagining Leopold II, biochar (vine-charcoal) tracing paper, digital photos)
Re-Imagining Leopold II is an assemblage of work. Landscape II is a series of images that reflects the potential diversity and liveliness of the land in Iowa. It is a counterpoint to the monocultures that dominate in production agriculture. The images are intended to be evocative of the diversity and character that has been lost but also speak to the potential of current efforts to rehabilitate the land and create sustainable and ethical practices. The images are part of the practice of experiencing the dynamic character of the land. The images from the series Malcolm III (BASF 2018) emerged from a study of rural places (mostly in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana). The series seeks to document the interesting aspects of these places. In the context of the re-Imagining Leopold, it was relatively easy to see the loss of community resilience, diversity and sustainability in many of these places. Agriculture grows larger and more distant from the land and the people. The promotion of agricultural production typically conveys the message of a breadbasket of bounty boosted by on-going technical innovations. Small towns might be described more accurately as outposts, extensions or appendages to agriculture. The third piece overlays the images, slightly obscuring them. Drawing on the Land (2018) is vine charcoal or bio char. It is a tool used by artists for drawing and soil amendment with a long list of ecological benegfits. Biochar is old technology that can be done at any scale. Re-Imagining is about recognizing choices and possibilities. The assemblage of these works represents the view that we need the resources that help us to question our assumptions and imagine alternatives. The vine charcoal reflects the capacity of creativity and imagination; it is an essential tool. At the same time it is literally the same material that fosters soil health. The material itself can be found in the images presented from Landscape III.
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Producing biochar (vine charcoal)
K. Lair (digital image from re-Imagining Leopold II,. 2018)
K. Lair (digital image from re-Imagining Leopold II,. 2018)
K. Lair. Global Greens – Iowa Stands with Refugees, 2018
There are many funded projects in the history of the Leopold Center that should face little or no criticism from anyone. The Global Green program is one of the projects Leopold provided a planning grant to help establish. Global Greens is a compelling story. The idea for LSI's Refugee Urban Agriculture Program arose on a 2010 road trip when LSI staff and ethnic community leaders went to Washington D.C. for a conference. As they drove through miles and miles of corn and soy beans, the former refugees remembered farming in their home countries and wondered, “How can we get some of this land?” Since then, LSI has found that many of the most recently arrived refugee groups in Iowa have spent the majority of their lives farming and have expressed a strong desire to farm in Iowa as well. Since 2011, LSI has worked with members of various ethnic groups to create the Global Greens Program. It provides a spectrum of opportunities for individuals in the refugee community to increase food access within their communities and our larger community by growing food for themselves and others. – LSI Toolkit (2017)
Our typical view of the farmer is often a stereotype that undermines who we are really talking about when we say “farmers.” Expanding our collective imagination to include farmers of all kinds could shift our decision making. For many people interested in entering farming now there are different goals and interests than in the past. We can utilized technology not simply to maintain the drive for increased scale and efficiency but for enabling the greater diversity and opportunity to farmers and would-be farmers of all kinds. The images of the farmers were taken this spring at the community garden in Des Moines. The text was written by Global Greens farmers and managers at their Farmer’s Market on August 4th 2018. Pictured farmers include Esta Minani, (with husband); Evance Ndayahundwa, Roza Niyonzima, and Beuline Bucumi, all from Burundi.
There are many funded projects in the history of the Leopold Center that should face little or no criticism from anyone. The Global Green program is one of the projects Leopold provided a planning grant to help establish. Global Greens is a compelling story. The idea for LSI's Refugee Urban Agriculture Program arose on a 2010 road trip when LSI staff and ethnic community leaders went to Washington D.C. for a conference. As they drove through miles and miles of corn and soy beans, the former refugees remembered farming in their home countries and wondered, “How can we get some of this land?” Since then, LSI has found that many of the most recently arrived refugee groups in Iowa have spent the majority of their lives farming and have expressed a strong desire to farm in Iowa as well. Since 2011, LSI has worked with members of various ethnic groups to create the Global Greens Program. It provides a spectrum of opportunities for individuals in the refugee community to increase food access within their communities and our larger community by growing food for themselves and others. – LSI Toolkit (2017)
Our typical view of the farmer is often a stereotype that undermines who we are really talking about when we say “farmers.” Expanding our collective imagination to include farmers of all kinds could shift our decision making. For many people interested in entering farming now there are different goals and interests than in the past. We can utilized technology not simply to maintain the drive for increased scale and efficiency but for enabling the greater diversity and opportunity to farmers and would-be farmers of all kinds. The images of the farmers were taken this spring at the community garden in Des Moines. The text was written by Global Greens farmers and managers at their Farmer’s Market on August 4th 2018. Pictured farmers include Esta Minani, (with husband); Evance Ndayahundwa, Roza Niyonzima, and Beuline Bucumi, all from Burundi.
K. Lair, Beuline Bucumi - Global Greens, 2018
K. Lair, Esta Minani, (with husband)- Global Greens, 2018
Investigations at WAS
In exploring ideas for the exhibition some sparks of inspiration that are likely not be part of the exhibition are included here. There also some process images.
A few pieces of the charcoal.
08/05/18 - Making vine charcoal (bio char process)
Some of these ideas have been developed while working on-site with Rebecca Beachy this summer. I may return to continue these ideas for the future.
The clay in the creek bed has long been an item of interest. Rebecca explored the clay for her work at a George Stout Fellow. There is a green clay in the creek is that actually is the same as used in expensive cosmetics.
Still from video of "The Body of a Log." Trees form unique and complex shapes that are alive.