Partnership Protects
Agriculture and Nature

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Frank Olson, butterfly expert, conducts the first butterfly survey in Winneshiek County since 1902 on Seed Savers' Heritage Farm and new Twin Valleys addition. The site contains the rare Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly (insect). Photos by Tom Woods

A unique collaboration between two conservation groups and a federal farm program will promote diversity of both agricultural and wild species. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), Seed Savers Exchange and the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) are working together to place a federal Farmland Protection Program (FPP) easement on 715 acres near Decorah. Seed Savers is purchasing the site, known as Twin Valleys, to expand their current 170-acre Heritage Farm.

Preserving agricultural diversity
Seed Savers is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the genetic diversity of agricultural and garden crops. They focus on heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains that gardeners and farmers brought to North America when their families immigrated-as well as varieties grown by Native Americans, Mennonites and Amish. Since their founding in 1975, Seed Savers has collected more than 24,000 rare seed varieties and distributed an estimated 750,000 seeds to gardeners everywhere.

Among other species, Seed Savers' existing farm contains more than 750 19th-century apples, 200 hardy grapes and more than 75 breeding Ancient White Park cattle (one of the world's oldest cattle breeds, with only 600 remaining worldwide).

Purchasing the Twin Valleys addition will allow Seed Savers to expand and improve their agricultural operations. However, the site also contains notable natural features: two cold-water trout streams; a rare algific slope; 350 species of plants (14 of which are rare in Iowa); and at least one endangered species of butterfly.

"The genetic diversity of our garden heritage will not be saved and perpetuated without a clear understanding of its relationship to the larger concept of biodiversity," says Kent Whealy, Seed Savers' Executive Director. "The immense Twin Valleys property which is currently being added to Seed Savers' Heritage Farm will be used to teach these insightful lessons."

Many partners, benefits

An Ancient White Park cow grazes at Heritage Farm near Decorah, Iowa. With only 600 of this breed remaining in the world, Seed Savers Exchange has a herd of 75. Photo by Tom Woods

The NRCS administers FPP through partners, like INHF, who find willing landowners and then negotiate how the program can meet their needs. An FPP easement removes all development rights from the land-then pays the landowner 50 percent of the value of those rights. In this case, the FPP payment supplements Seed Savers' newly-launched capital campaign to raise funds to purchase this site. The other 50 percent-plus related costs-must be donated by the landowner or raised privately. (see box below)

Among other natural features, the Twin Valleys addition contains three algific talus slopes, a rare ecosystem containing several rare and endangered species. Species found on this site include the Vertigo hubrichti, a federally endangered land snail and others. Photo by Matthew Barthel

In addition to extinguishing development rights, FPP rules require recipients to develop a long-term conservation plan for the property with the local NRCS office. Seed Savers' conservation plan incorporates both sensitive agricultural practices and protection of the site's natural features. Plan elements include creating isolation gardens for heritage agricultural seeds; developing eco-friendly, rotational grazing for their rare cattle; reconstructing native plant communities, including prairie and savanna; restoring streams; planting riparian buffers along the two cold-water streams; preserving the algific slopes; and restoring existing buildings to use for agricultural purposes, education and visitor services .

"In many ways what Seed Savers is doing is the epitome of farmland protection. They are making sure we have the genetic diversity in our food system," says Lisa Hein, Program and Planning Director at INHF. "By protecting the entire Twin Valleys with a conservation easement, those diversity goals include the natural systems on the land."

INHF brings FPP to northeast Iowa
Iowa's first FPP grant was awarded to INHF and the Iowa Chapter of the Nature Conservancy in 2001 to protect five properties in the Loess Hills. (Note: All funds from these grants go to landowners, not INHF.)

Having completed its portion of that project, INHF applied for a 2002 FPP grant to protect five sites near the Decorah and Effigy Mounds areas. The Seed Savers easement described above is the first of those FPP easements; the other four are still being negotiated. INHF's role includes finding willing landowners, helping negotiate their terms and becoming the permanent easement holder/monitor.

"Because of its beautiful scenery, northeast Iowa is experiencing a tremendous loss of farmland and habitat to rural subdivisions," says Mark Ackelson, INHF President. "With the FPP program, we can partially compensate landowners who want to protect the area's agricultural and natural heritage."

Want to help?
Between Farmland Protection Program payments and Seed Savers' cash and in-kind donations, most expenses for this FPP easement have been covered. However, INHF is raising $20,000 for expenses not covered by FPP payments: appraisals, legal costs and the easement monitoring fund. Without these funds, INHF can't complete the project. If you'd like to contribute to this fund, send contributions labeled "FPP fund" to INHF. If you have questions, contact Anita O'Gara, INHF's Director of Development, at 800-475-1846 or aogara@inhf.org.


For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, director of communications, or call (515) 288-1846.