This fall, the Climate Land Leaders Initiative decided to have a Silent Auction, and Gail Hickenbottom promptly stepped up with a donation of a meat bundle from Joia Food Farm.

That was Gail: Generous and reliable. Reliability is an under-rated trait, but really there is no greater gift. Gail showed up. You could count on him. And that made him a terrific board member, first when he served with me on the Practical Farmers of Iowa Board of Directors and then on the Board (currently Treasurer) of the Climate Land Leaders Initiative. 

He was so reliable that when he didn’t answer a few emails and didn’t join our Board meeting this week, I was worried. I did an Internet search and found the sad news. Gail passed away in late September.

Gail’s brought his professional experience to his Board work, including his stints as a high school ag teacher and as a Senior Market Analyst at Pioneer Hi-Bred (now DuPont). His interests and experience, however, went far beyond commodity agriculture. We often talked about his big vegetable garden, and his appreciation of nature was deep, including awe for the bluebells blooming in Walnut Woods near his home in West Des Moines. (He sent a photo of the blooms to Climate Land Leaders staff this spring.)

He was so curious, one of the many, many lifelong learners I am pleased to know. He was reading Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie by Kelly Kindscher this fall. He attended many Practical Farmers field days, and I would see him at plays and at events held at Seed Savers Exchange. This year alone, he attended meetings at Climate Land Leaders on nature’s top climate solutions, establishing trees and shrubs, prairie restoration, conservation legacies, book discussions, phenology, African soils and farmers, and many more. He followed up after these meetings with thank you notes that often contained insightful observations.

I am so sorry he is gone, and grateful for his gifts to this world.

–Teresa Opheim