Announcing their intention to place their farm under a SILT easement, Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice of Red Fern Farm in Wapello hosted nearly 30 people at the final SILT Showcase of the year. Tom and Kathy grow chestnuts, paw paws, persimmons and ever-bearing mulberries among other perennial crops. A SILT easement is a land protection agreement that attaches to the deed and requires all future owners of the land to use it for sustainable food production. "Our kids haven't shown any interest in taking over this farm," explained Kathy to the crowd, "but even if they did, I'd [...]

Developers, planners, policy makers - learn how to build farms into your communities in a truly sustainable way, at the 10th annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference, Dubuque Oct. 3-4. Developers and planners across the country are working together to build sustainable farms into housing developments. With a nonprofit land trust in the mix, developers can reap quick sales and high profits while also securing affordable, regional food production for generations to come with farms that can improve quality of water, air and life. Hear from a planner, a developer and a nonprofit farm manager about how they create and manage [...]