Learning Journey in the Corn Belt

Special guest facilitator: David Hutchins is a world-class trainer for effective communications of stories about strategies, brands, and leadership. David will help everyone clarify farmer, company and researcher perspectives and blend those perspectives into stories that work for influencing key stakeholders.

Participant takeaways

• Influential change stories
• Clarity about which farm practices combine for soil health, water quality, reduced GHG emissions, and farmer bottom-line
• Sharing of ways to measure and roll-up those benefits to meet corporate commitments
• Lessons about farmer engagement and motivation

The two days will include on-farm visits and university trials, and exposure to science behind soil health. Visits will be in small groups with reflection and dialogue so that everyone will learn from different perspectives. After field visits, we will all harvest and synthesize the learning and develop our next steps—both near-term and long-term as it relates to our individual and collective strategies.

Unilever has supported over 700 farmers to use the Fieldprint Calculator and nearly 100 to trial cover crops. Grain Millers, AlbertLea Seedhouse, General Mills, Practical Farmers of Iowa and others have supported pilot supply chains for oats to incentivize diverse crop rotations. Iowa State University has conducted long-term crop rotation comparison.

To bring these experiences together, we will follow a “learning journey” method that the Sustainable Food Lab has used since 2004, with positive feedback year after year.

Key players in the region will be joined by sustainability managers in food and beverage companies who are fellows in a Sustainability Impacts Leadership Lab.

Cost of the event

The Impact Lab Session $750 (For members of the Impact Lab only)

Includes all activities, hotel for the three nights and meals from dinner on Monday, June 26th through breakfast Thursday, June 29th.

Learning Journey Participation $650

Includes all activities, hotel for two nights, and meals from dinner on Monday, June 26th through lunch on Wednesday, June 28th.

Learning Journey Local Participation $450

Includes all activities and meals from dinner on Monday, June 26th through lunch on Wednesday, June 28th. NO HOTEL.

Airfare and ground transportation from Des Moines International Airport to Ames is not included. 

For further information, please contact:

LeAnne Grillo: [email protected]