AMES, Iowa - Award-winning scientist and pioneering farmer Jonathan Lundgren, will present the 2025 Shivvers Lecture on Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m., in the Sun Room of Iowa State University’s Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.
Lundgren, an agroecologist, farmer, rancher and beekeeper, is executive director of Ecdysis Foundation and CEO of Blue Dasher Farm, Estilline, South Dakota. His research and education programs aim to help applied science evolve in ways that foster the evolution of a regenerative food system.
The event is hosted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (LCSA) and the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (GPSA) at Iowa State. Light refreshments will be provided.
This lecture is presented in coordination with GPSA’s annual research symposium. Short presentations by GPSA students on their research will take place from 5-7 p.m. at 0013 Curtiss Hall on campus.
Lundgren, who received his doctorate in entomology from the University of Illinois, worked as a scientist for the USDA-Agricultural Research Service for more than a decade, during which he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering from the White House. He has served as an advisor for U.S. and international regulatory and granting agencies and has trained dozens of scientists from around the world. An author on 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles, Lundgren has received more than $13 million in grants. He also authored the book “Relationships of Natural Enemies and Non-prey Foods.”
Lundgren’s current research and education programs, including the 1,000 Farms Initiative, focus on assessing the ecological risk of agricultural practices and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems.
Blue Dasher Farm is an operating regenerative farm and scientific research hub designed to help foster a food system revolution. The farm produces honey, eggs, lamb and pork. His work and farm were highlighted in the 2024 documentary, Common Ground. One of Lundgren’s priorities is to make science applicable to end-users.
“We are excited and honored to be able to bring Dr. Lundgren to inspire our students and community with insights from his careers as a courageous scientist and working farmer studying and championing regenerative agriculture and biodiversity,” said Stephen J. Dinsmore, LCSA interim director.
The Shivvers Memorial Lecture —focused on issues of sustainability, agriculture and the food system—has been presented by the LCSA at Iowa State since 1969 in memory of John Shivvers, who farmed near Knoxville, Iowa, with support from the Shivvers Family.
Contacts:
Stephen Dinsmore, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 515-294-1348, cootjr@iastate.edu
Eyad Taamallah, Graduate Program for Sustainable Agriculture, eyadt@iastate.edu
Ann Robinson, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-3066, ayr@iastate.edu