Natural Resources
Natural Resources

Land Stewardship Leadership Academy

Land Stewardship Leadership Academy

Participants in the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy look inside a combine with an instructor

Program Overview

The Land Stewardship Leadership Academy is a professional development program for early- to mid-career natural resource professionals who work with private landowners to implement conservation practices in agricultural landscapes. The program seeks to expand competencies in the dimensions of agriculture, public trust responsibilities and resource stewardship, and the science of motivating behavior change. The goal of the program is to help participants build trusting and empathetic relationships with farmers that facilitate conservation adoption, addressing societally important environmental outcomes while balancing farm profitability and resiliency.

Curriculum

The months-long curriculum takes a small cohort of learners through a series of online lessons, group discussions, in-person learning and networking events that explore agriculture and land stewardship in Iowa. Detailed lessons by university educators, small group discussions, and interactions with farmers help participants better understand the complex landscape in which land stewardship plays out on privately owned farms.

The curriculum focuses on three interconnected themes:

  1. Effective public-sector leadership on environmental challenges in privately owned landscapes. 
  2. Agriculture, including its history, the demographics and motivations of farmers, and the intricacies of running functional farming operations. 
  3. The science and practice of behavior change, with a focus on application to conservation on agricultural land.  

In addition to gaining skills and knowledge in these three topic areas, participants also have the opportunity to build connections with other conservation professionals and conservation-minded farmers in the state throughout the course, ultimately expanding their professional network.

dairy barn
Johans Lecture Screenshot
Discussion activity

The LSLA combines online lessons, facilitated group discussions, and in-person learning and networking to explore agriculture and land stewardship in Iowa.

Eligibility and Enrollment

Who should enroll in the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy? Applicants should consider the questions below before applying to the program. The application can be accessed below.

Are you:

  1. A natural resource professional who helps people implement water quality and wildlife conservation practices on private agricultural land in Iowa?
  2. Just starting your career or recently becoming established with less than 10 years of experience?
  3. Interested in learning more about agriculture in Iowa and understanding the perspectives of agricultural producers?
  4. Eager to learn how to motivate behavior change and build trusting, engaged relationships with agricultural producers?
  5. Seeking connections with other professionals who do similar work in Iowa?
  6. Open-minded about learning new ways of thinking and doing the important work that helps protect Iowa's land, water, and wildlife while supporting agriculture in Iowa?
  7. Willing to dedicate at least 90 minutes per week during the course to online asynchronous learning and synchronous discussion sessions with instructors and farmers and attend three two-day networking and learning events in central Iowa?

If you answered yes to the questions above, we're excited to have you in our next cohort!

Apply to Enroll in the 2026-2027 Cohort Today

LSLA was a pivotal experience in my career. The exposure to farms…and time spent parsing through the nitty-gritty of how agriculture and conservation 'happen' helped refine my approach to work, interpersonal relationships, and environmentalism. It was [also] extremely helpful to interact with other conservation practitioners.
- Graduate, Cohort 3
LSLA helped me find a grounding space to understand why we do what we do and how best we can do it. It has given me more confidence to tackle problem-solving and… interacting with [farmers].
- Graduate, Cohort 3
LSLA helped me better understand the farming industry as a whole. It helped me understand farmers' thoughts and concerns and how to go about communicating with them successfully.
- Graduate, Cohort 2
LSLA was a great tool to help me better learn about agriculture history and conservation work in Iowa. Being an outsider and not from the state, that information… was a huge help to me. I also reach out to those I met at LSLA and have added to my network when I need help.
- Graduate, Cohort 2

Future Cohorts

Future cohorts of the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy are expected to be recruited and convened during Fall of even-numbered years. Contact us for more information on the application process or check back here.

The curriculum is also available to be adapted to other states. If you are an educator interested in offering the program, please contact us. 

Initial funding for the creation of the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy was provided by the C-CHANGE initiative at Iowa State University, the 11th Hour Project, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and other partners. Ongoing funding is provided by registration fees, The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University, and North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).

Questions about the program can be directed to Adam Janke, Catherine DeLong, or Julia Baker.