About Iowa Learning Farms

Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging the adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, landowners, researchers and our team are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Based on campus at Iowa State University, Iowa Learning Farms has a statewide network of farmer partners to serve as local contacts and resources to farmers and landowners in their area. Through field days and workshops held across the state, as well as virtual offerings of field days and weekly webinars Iowa Learning Farms strives to offer access to current conservation, water quality and soil health information.

Iowa Learning Farms Team

Administration

Jacqueline Comito, PhD

Program Director
515.296.0081
1201 Sukup Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
jcomito@iastate.edu

Matt Helmers, PhD

Faculty Advisor
515.294.6717
4354 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
mhelmers@iastate.edu

Team

Ann Staudt

Manager and Content Specialist
515.294.4878
4327 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
astaudt@iastate.edu

Elizabeth Ripley

Conservation and Cover Crop Outreach Specialist
515.294.5429
4329 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
ejuchems@iastate.edu

Nathan Stevenson

Visual Outreach Specialist and Educator
515.294.2753
4325 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
nathanjs@iastate.edu

Alena Whitaker

Water and Conservation Educator
515.294.2473
4329 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
alenaw@iastate.edu

Mitch Harting

Water Outreach Specialist
515.294.8912
4325 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
harting@iastate.edu

Jon Dahlem

Postdoctoral Research Associate
515.294.8846
4328 Elings Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
jdahlem@iastate.edu

Extension Collaborators

Adam Janke, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
515.294.7429
203 Science 2
Ames, Iowa 50011
ajanke@iastate.edu

Mark Licht, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, Extension Cropping Systems Specialist
515.294.0877
2104M Agronomy
Ames, Iowa 50011
lichtma@iastate.edu