Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Look no further than the “River Stories: Views from an Iowa Watershed” community photo exhibit in Perry, Iowa. The event will take place on Sunday, June 12, 2016 from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at the Town/Craft Center at 1122 Willis Ave. in Perry.
What do water quality issues mean for our local communities? What’s it like to live within an area of Iowa that is affected by the lawsuit between the Des Moines Water Works and Calhoun, Buena Vista, and Sac Counties?
Six local landowners – Courtney Tournis, Chris Henning, Jan Kaiser, Danielle Wirth, Patti Edwardson, and Colleen Radebaugh – took part in a photo exhibit that documented their experience living within the Raccoon River watershed. These women landowners gathered photos of the land, wildlife, watershed concerns, and conservation in action within their watershed. Then, they added short narratives, or “photostories,” to the pictures. The landowners will share these photostories at the June 12 event.
The goal of the project was to diminish the polarization around water quality and instead begin a community-based dialogue rooted in experience.
“As a fifth-generation female farm owner, I was surprised to learn how many Iowa farms are owned by women, with the numbers predicted to grow even higher in the next twenty years. Working with these women has inspired me to spend time learning more about the importance of crop rotation, cover crops, and protecting our water sources,” shared participant Jan Kaiser.
If you want to learn more about water quality, conservation, and how other people are experiencing water quality issues in Iowa, attend this event! The event is free. Public and press are invited to attend, and may come and go between 5 pm and 6:30 pm. The landowners will provide a short presentation at 5:15 pm. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information visit the event’s Facebook page or call 515-337-3908.
This event is co-sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network & Raccoon River Watershed Association with funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
Iowa Learning Farms 
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