Extension Communications
Extension 4-H Youth Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3630
(515) 294-9915
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Extension Communications |
12/24/03
Contacts:
Jill Euken, ISU Extension, (712) 769-2650, jeuken@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Four Iowa Biobased Research Projects Receive Grant Funding
The BioEconomy Working Group, part of the Value Chains Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture project, recently awarded funds for four new research projects. These research projects focus on supporting new and existing sustainable agriculture value chains. A value chain is a string of companies or collaborating players who work together to produce specific products or services.
"We are very excited about these research projects. The research that will come out of these projects will be very useful for future endeavors. It will pave the way for new and exciting projects," said Jill Euken, ISU Extension specialist.
Three grants will be used to research various aspects of kenaf, a potential new crop in Iowa. Kenaf is a plant in the hibiscus family, related to cotton and okra. It has a number of potential applications, including animal and pet bedding, and composite decking materials.
A research group from Poweshiek County will explore sustainability issues related to growing, harvesting and marketing kenaf in Iowa. To do this, the researchers will explore options to diversify Iowa's cropping system by organizing study tours to gain knowledge of existing production practices.
Another group will research business strategies for kenaf producers. The group will work to design value chains for biobased products that are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
The third project, submitted by the Creative Horizons producer organization, will research and develop a quality testing system for natural fibers. After a protocol has been developed, tests will be conducted to evaluate the fiber quality of natural fibers grown in various parts of the world where kenaf is grown, including Iowa.
The fourth project will study the logistics of harvesting, collecting and transporting corn stover from farms along the Missouri River. This study will add to the growing body of data related to the sustainability of harvesting corn stover as a material source for biobased processing.
The Value Chain Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture (VCPSA) is a project of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension, the Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture and the ISU College of Agriculture. The BioEconomy Working Group was launched in 2003 to address producer ownership and equity issues in biobased product supply chains.
VCPSA was established in July 2002 with a $100,000 planning grant as part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food and Society Initiative. In March 2003, VCPSA received a $560,000 Kellogg Foundation grant to continue work through 2005. It was one of 10 projects funded at colleges and universities nationwide as part of the Higher Education-Community Partnership in the foundation's larger Food and Society Initiative. To learn more about VCPSA visit: www.valuechains.ag.iastate.edu.
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