Greetings, CALS colleagues,
Last week we were dealt a true blow with the loss of Bill Northey – a great friend, partner, alum and so much more. His service to our university and college, the state of Iowa and the nation in regards to agricultural activity and prosperity, conservation and community, all the while offering an upbeat forward-leaning optimistic innovative outlook, was truly nothing short of extraordinary. He will be dearly missed, and we must all catch our breath with his sudden passing. If you don’t know Bill and his work and impact, take a moment to do a quick search of his name him on the CALS website (click on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner), or search "Bill Northey" on Bing.com or another preferred search engine. His positive impact will continue.
It is certain that the semester is in full-swing. Before we know it, there will be mid-term exams, and there is lots of planning for the upcoming spring planting season on our college farms. The graphs below represent some of the context that farmers and others state- and nation-wide are thinking about just now. These data are about prices received, but the other side of the story are the costs of inputs. And there are all kinds of other things to remind us of where we are in our academic timeline -- from spring break and summer Study Abroad and Study USA planning, to talk of summer internships and more.
These past couple weeks I have made some rounds to meet with lots of you, and still more to do. Recently, I met with the Departments of Economics, Agricultural Education and Studies, Sociology and Criminal Justice, and Agronomy, as well as with CALS Council and the dean's graduate student advisory group. All great discussions – thank you!
This week, I’ll go to Arizona to meet with alumni and supporters of the college, along with the ISU Foundation, on an annual visit there at this time of year, akin to January's meetings in Florida that I reported on a few weeks ago. It is a meaningful use of time to touch base with our friends who live or winter there, expand our fundraising opportunities, and learn the interests and outlooks of our alumni with regard to the work of the college. There will be a "main event" on Thursday evening for all Iowa State people out that way (probably about 200 attending), and beforehand a CALS gathering, too (probably about 50 attending).
Have a great week! - Dan
Scenes from CALS
Data on nationwide farm product average prices (from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service) that tell part of the story of what farmers and the agricultural industry in Iowa are talking about these days.
