March meeting to look at building sustainable communities

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Feb.1, 2007

Building a Living and Sustainable Community in Today's World is the theme of a conference set for 6:15 to 9 p.m. on March 6 at Sacred Heart Gym in Early.

According to Father Marvin Boes, executive director of the Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission, he wanted to provide a conference that would address some of the concerns of people in northwest Iowa, particularly those who reside in rural areas.

"The real concern that was expressed by the people at town hall meetings held in local communities about two years ago, was their concern about the loss of the family farm as well as the sustainability of the local communities," he said.

The upcoming conference is designed to inform and guide local people in the development and maintenance of the local community and its human enterprises, including family farms and the family farming system, to make them sustainable over time.

"We are bringing in people that are experts in their areas," noted Father Boes.

Four experts will speak at the conference:

Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, will give a presentation about building sustainable family farms and family farming systems.

Carol Smith is an economist with the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. Smith and Michael Holton of the Center for Rural Affairs have both been involved in working with local people and helping them recognize ways to develop their local communities.

Brother David Andrews, director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, will offer the Catholic perspective relating to the "human moral and spiritual values and principles to guide the local people in building sustainable communities." Dr. Kirschenmann will offer a Protestant, faith-based perspective.

Each of the speakers will give a half-hour presentation.

The overall goal is to make Iowa healthy, safe and sustainable.

Sustainability is defined in the broadest context as ecological integrity, economic viability, quality of life and social and political stability.

"You continue to be productive not only for human beings today but also for their needs in the future," explained Father Boes.

All people are welcome to attend the conference. There is no registration or fee to attend. Development groups from the 24 counties in northwest Iowa are encouraged to attend and he would like to see local people and community leaders attend the conference.

A video copy of the conference presentation can be ordered from Reynolds Video Production, 300 W. Power Drive, Dakota Dunes, SD 57048. (DVDs are $10 and VHS is $13 including shipping and handling.)

Should there be inclement weather, listen to the radio to see if conference has been changed to the snow date of March 8.