Garst family preserves land, heritage
by Nic Young

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Note: This article was first published in the Spring 2005 edition of INHF's quarterly magazine. For more information, see related news release.

Principal donors to Whiterock Conservancy are Mary Garst and her five daughters. From left they are Rachel of Coon Rapids; Sarah of West Des Moines; Mary of Coon Rapids; Liz of Coon Rapids; Jennifer of Ames; and Kate of Seatttle, WA. Liz will initially serve as the new organization's director and Rachel will serve as outreach coordinator. Not pictured: Stephen Garst's sister Antonia (Garst) Lee of London, England, is also a donor.

Iowa’s Garst family is donating one of the state’s largest land conservation areas, with a vision to match.

The Conservancy independently continues the conservation interests of the Garst family donors. Its three-part mission includes land and wildlife habitat preservation; low-impact public recreation and environmental education; and sustainable agriculture practices like ecotourism, alternative pasturing, paid hunting, conservation-friendly farming and harvesting of forest products.

The family believes that turning control of the land over to Whiterock Conservancy is the best way to protect the valley from any potential actions of their heirs, as well as to ensure a coherent and professional restoration process.

The Conservancy was initiated by the Garst family and formed in coordination with INHF and others. Initial board members are Fred Kirschenmann of ISU’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (serving as board chair), Mark Ackelson of INHF, Mike Brandrup of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Robert G. Riley, Jr., at-large member from Des Moines. Liz, Rachel, and Jennifer Garst represent the family.

Although three Garst daughters sit on Whiterock’s board today, the family is prevented from holding a majority position and is not guaranteed any board seats. “As directors of the nonprofit, we’re protecting goals of the nonprofit, not the family,” says Rachel Garst.

An evolving land ethic

Whiterock’s goals reflect an evolution of views on land and agriculture through four generations of the Garst family, beginning with Edward Garst who purchased the first piece of the farmstead in the 1880s.

In 1929, Edward’s son Roswell—a firm believer in the green revolution—founded the Garst and Thomas Seed Corn Company. The colorful Roswell promoted his theories not just on his farm, but also throughout the world. In 1959, Roswell hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to display his innovative farm practices. That visit, during the height of the Cold War, put the family and the farm “on the map.”

Roswell’s son Stephen continued promoting high-input, high-yield agriculture, but was also an active outdoorsman. He was an early supporter of erosion control measures such as waterways and no-till farming, and was a leading force behind a local conservation board and bike trail. He added numerous tracts of timber and pasture to the farm for hunting, then built and stocked dozens of fishing ponds, which he opened to public fishing.

Stephen’s daughters, who grew up hunting and picnicking on the land, today focus on promoting biodiversity and sustainability. Liz has been running an ecotourism business called Garst Farm Resorts from her home on the wooded property and soon plans to donate the business to Whiterock. Meanwhile, she and other family members have begun restoring the land’s native prairies and wetlands.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to work with researchers—from ISU and elsewhere—on how to make land pay for itself in ways that are environmentally friendly,” says Jennifer Garst.

What’s ahead

The Whiterock Conservancy will continue the family’s conservation efforts, focusing on protecting and restoring the land’s diverse habitats, as well as its special geologic features and dark night skies. A botanist mapping plant communities on the property has already found several remnant native prairie and savanna communities, as well as unusual side-hill seeps.

“Our hope is that Whiterock Conservancy’s long-term impact goes far beyond its boundaries,” notes Whiterock’s board president Kirschenmann. “We envision extensive research in ecological and environmental sustainability.”

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

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