Maggie McQuown's path back to her family farm wasn't a straight line. After growing up on the “Taylor Farm” in Red Oak Iowa, which her paternal grandmother’s parents - JE and Retta Taylor - purchased in 1899, she built a career in marketing and advertising that took her to New York City, Downtown Chicago, and Dallas. Maggie never expected to manage or own the farm. In fact, Maggie totally dismissed a conversation she and her father had one day when she was living in New York. "Why don't you come back and run the farm?" he asked. "What? I [...]

When we think of the term buffer, by definition, we would think of some sort of protection, a defense against something. When we add the word stream to a buffer and we are protecting the stream from some sort of outside forces. Now we add a third term, a working stream buffer, now what does that look like and how does that work? Let’s first look at what is the purpose of a stream buffer. One would think the stream buffer is protecting the stream from some outside detrimental effect. In some ways this is true, a buffer protects [...]

In our ongoing series highlighting SILT board members, we're excited to share the story of Sheila Knople-Odole, whose path from northeast Iowa farm roots to SILT's founding table exemplifies the expertise that shaped our organization. Sheila's connection to sustainable farming runs deep. Growing up in northeast Iowa in the 1970s, she spent time on her grandparents' diverse dairy farm with rotational corn, bean, and oats crops, plus chickens, pigs, and cows. While attending the University of Iowa, Sheila worked at New Pioneer Co-op. This position ignited her passion for sustainable agriculture. "It was during this job that I discovered [...]

Celebrating our 10th anniversary, we're highlighting the dedicated board members who have shaped SILT's mission. Today, we feature Mary Ellen Miller, whose deep roots in Iowa agriculture and decades of nonprofit leadership continue to guide our organization. Mary Ellen Miller's connection to Iowa soil runs deeper than most—her familial history in the state runs back seven generations.  Modeled by her father’s farming philosophies that were practiced outside Kalona in the 1940s and 50s, early on she learned a principle that still guides her today: we can never own the land; we are temporary stewards. This philosophy took root early. [...]

Les Beck, Past President of the Board of Directors for the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT), has devoted his life to building strong communities. In 2021, he retired from a 38-year career which included roles such as Planning and Zoning Director for Story County, IA and the Planning and Development Director for Linn County, IA. He’s been involved with SILT since 2014, and views responsible land management as key to not only environmental wellbeing, but individual wellbeing too. His early introduction to sustainability came through the Landscape Architecture program at Iowa State, and Ian McHarg’s Design with Nature, a [...]