150 Points of Pride

The Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has a proud and distinguished history. As part of Iowa State's sesquicentennial celebration, 150 points of pride related to the College - accomplishments, discoveries, contributions, highlights, famous and interesting people - will be posted here. These postings will coincide with 150 days of the 2007-2008 academic year, beginning Aug. 20, 2007 and ending May 2, 2008, with time off for the Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks. Check back each Monday for five new items.

Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm

The ISU Northeast Research Farm near Nashua, Iowa was established in 1976 and became a model for a modern productive regional agricultural research and demonstration farm. Work at the research farm replaced the work at two smaller sites in Buchanan and Howard County. The farm is owned by the Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experimental Association, an organization of farmers and agribusinesses from 20 counties in northeast Iowa. ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences cooperates with the association in conducting research on crops and soils of northeast Iowa. The association provides input on research priorities. Topics include water quality, soil fertility, tillage, pests, corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa, gardening and grape production. A new learning center is being built on the farm that will house meeting facilities and area extension specialists.

Fast Facts: The Northeast Research Farm has almost 10,000 research plots. The learning center will be named for Dr. Norman Borlaug, a native of northeast Iowa.

Northern Research and Demonstration Farm

The ISU Northern Research and Demonstration Farm near Kanawha, Iowa was the first outlying research farm in Iowa. In the later 1920s, crop production in northern Iowa included barley, flax, sugar beets and potatoes. W.H. Darrah and Earl Moore of American Crystal Sugar Co. saw the need for research to help manage crop diseases in northern Iowa. They approached Charles F. Curtiss, director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station and the dean of the College of Agriculture, with an offer to find a farm near Kanawha for research. Darrah took the lead to raise funds and the Kanwaha Chamber of Commerce, farmers and business owners in the area raised $12,000. They purchased 85 acres and built a laboratory and machine shed. On May 4, 1931, the Northern Iowa Experimental Association was organized with the support of 350 shareholders. The association leased the farm to Iowa State University. Experimental work dealt with problems related to corn, wheat, oats, barley, sugar beets, flax and potatoes. The association also produced corn, flax, oats and soybean seed. As seed became readily available from commercial firms the association seed business declined and the seed-processing equipment was sold to the Committee for Agricultural Development in Ames. In 1946, the Clarion-Webster Experimental Association was organized and in 1952 it purchased an 80-acre tract 1.5 miles south of the first farm for research on drainage, soil fertility and crop management. In 1995, the two associations consolidated into the North Central Iowa Research Association. In 2006, the ISU Northern Research Farm and the North Central Iowa Research Association celebrated 75 years of cooperation.

Fast Fact: The ISU Northern Research Farm currently has its sixth superintendent since 1931, David Rueber.

Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm and Wallace Learning Center

During the Farm Crisis of the 1980s several different local groups formed across southwest Iowa around a common theme of agricultural research, technology and rural development. The groups formed the Wallace Foundation of Rural Research and Development in 1989 with membership from 19 counties in southwest Iowa. The group was named in honor of Henry A.Wallace, a native of southwest Iowa, Iowa State alumnus and agricultural leader, who served as secretary of agriculture and vice-president with Franklin D. Roosevelt. One of their first projects was to select, acquire and open a research farm in partnership with Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture. In 1993, the Wallace Foundation acquired 400 acres in eastern Pottawattamie County near Lewis, Iowa. The farm acquisition was a gift/purchase from Gail and Glendale Armstrong, long-time residents of the farm. The ISU Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm quickly became active in crops and soils studies, beef cattle feeding trials, soil conservation efforts and major horticultural activities including demonstration vegetable and flower gardens, high tunnel vegetable production and a research grape vineyard. In 1994 the Wallace Foundation was given a 160-acre farm near Greenfield in Adair County, now known as the ISU Neely-Kinyon Research Farm. Work at the Neely-Kinyon Farm has centered on organic production of agronomic crops and grazing cool-season grass pastures. In 1997 the Wallace Foundation built the Wallace Learning Center at the Armstrong Farm, a modern office and meeting complex that houses area extension specialists and research farm staff.

Fast Fact: The ISU Armstrong Research Farm and the Wallace Learning Center host more than 80 educational events and field days with more than 2,500 visitors annually.

McNay Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm

ISU’s largest outlying research farm is the McNay Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm near Chariton, Iowa. The 1,972-acre research farm was started in 1956 when Harry and Winnie McNay deeded their farm for research purposes. Over the years other tracts have been added to the McNay Farm. The centerpiece of its research has been the beef cattle breeding project began in 1956. Complementing the beef cattle breeding research has been work related to beef cattle management and diseases. Sheep production, hay storage, forage utilization, tillage practices, timber management and crops studies are also underway. The farm has a 450 head purebred Angus herd and a 200 head ewe flock. Significant contributions of the McNay Farm to southern Iowa have been establishment and use of improved forages for pasture; excellence in beef cattle breeding; advanced beef cow reproductive management; early weaning of beef calves; and fall calving of beef cows. Research also includes double cropping (hay followed by corn); no-till production of corn; herbicide uses and recommendations; superior ewe flock management and lamb feeding; and intensive grazing systems.

Fast Fact: The McNay Farm produced Angus cattle from the 1950s for its 50th anniversary celebration by using historic frozen semen and artificial insemination.

Allee Mansion and ISU Allee Memorial Demonstration Farm

In 1958 George M. Allee of Newell, Iowa bequeathed his 160 acre home farm to ISU for a demonstration farm. Allee, a graduate of Harvard University, was an early agricultural leader and breeder of hybrid corn. On the farm was the Allee home, a 16-room Queen Anne mansion built in 1891 by Allee’s parents. The Queen Anne style is evident in the asymmetrical design of the three-story house featuring a projecting turret with conical roof and curved glass windows. The interior features several stained and etched glass windows, decorative tile fireplaces and grand staircase with ornate woodwork. The Newell Historical Society has leased the house since 1988 and has made many restorations including replacement of the original kitchen wing. The Allee mansion is the site of seasonal public events as well as private engagements. The Allee demonstration farm has been active with ISU agricultural research and demonstrations featuring corn breeding, beef cattle feeding and niche pork production.

Fast Fact: The Allee mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 by the Newell Historical Society.

*Some historic photographs courtesy of the University Archives.

150 Points of Pride Archives