New Climate Land Leader Deborah Jacobi stewards amazingly diverse land in the Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa. We asked Deborah to tell us more about the landscape and her stewardship.

What are some distinctive features about the land you steward?

Distinctive features at Middle Bear Bluffs Farm include the range of terrain from former cropland, now in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) prairie, to rock outcrops and steep bluffs, typical of the unglaciated Driftless region on the western edge of which it is located. Two springs flow into the Middle Bear in the valley at the center of the property.

What do you love most about your land?

The natural beauty and wildlife provide a sense of enduring peace and connectedness. That is a powerful counter-balance to the conflict and confusion that surrounds much of the world today and reminder of what can be when we humans reduce our impact.

What are some of your biggest barriers in caring for the land?

Time and energy to carry out stewardship activities. I am still working despite being half past 60/well on my way to 70 and am just now coming to terms with aging and its implications for being able to do projects once I retire and have the available time.

How did you end up settling on this land?

My parents, both born in the 1920’s, deeply appreciated the value of land and the beauty of this particular land. They purchased it as an investment that could provide security such that “if the world goes to hell, at least the family will be able to feed itself.” While I do not hunt or fish as my father avidly did, it is my great good fortune to live here.

What do you dream for your land’s future?

My dream is to see a combination of activities on this land that protect the natural beauty and provide habitat, potentially with regenerative agriculture. Ideally, the next ownership will take shape in coming years. Land prices seem to be prohibitive for small scale farming and leave conservation to those of sufficient means, so I would like to see a transition that benefits one or more beginning farmers through a collective or trust. I look forward to learning more from Climate Land Leaders about the possibilities.