Thursday, June 26, 2025
Vol. 160, Issue 26 www.decorahleader.com
Decorah, Iowa 52101 email: editor@decorahleader.com
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‘Everything starts with the seed’
Iowa Secretary of Ag tours Seed Savers with state conservation officials BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR
Seed Savers Executive Director Mike Bollinger (left) and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discussed some of the local nonprofit’s practices storing, growing and sharing heirloom seeds. Bollinger said maintaining diversity among crops is important in maintaining healthy growth in backyard gardens and beyond. (Photo by Seth Boyes)
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig joined members of State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee during a stop in Decorah last week. The group toured Seed Savers Exchange the afternoon of Tuesday, June 17 to learn about the non-profit’s efforts to preserve and provide access to heirloom seeds. Seeds Savers can trace its roots back to 1975, when it was founded by Diane Ott and Kent Whealy in Missouri. Ott had been given morning glory and
tomato seeds her ancestors had carried as they immigrated from Bavaria, Germany, to St. Lucas — a city less than 30 miles south of Seed Savers’ present location north of Decorah. The budding organization put out a call for other stewards of heirloom seeds who might be interested in preserving and sharing their treasured stock. About 29 responses were received at that time, and a six-page listing of available seeds was typed up. Today, the nonprofit offers approximately 18,000 seed listings for growers, and it has become home to the largest non-governmental seed bank in
the country. “Everything starts with the seed in some sense,” Naig said. “Any crop that you’re talking about — from corn and soybeans certainly to small grains to cover crops to diversified fruit and vegetable production in the state of Iowa — it’s all about that. I think this is a testament to that heritage — that legacy — but also forward thinking. They’re preserving seed for future use, so I think it’s just a nice tie-in to recognizing
Naig
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County’s Emergency Preparedness Coalition Governor signs Iowa conducting tabletop anhydrous leak scenario athletic conference bill Decorah to remain unaffiliated for now as state officials prepare for new model
BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Local and county officials, first responders, business owners, organizations and private citizens are now meeting quarterly to run through a mock emergency in hopes they’ll be more prepared to respond in the event of nearby disasters. The second meeting of the Winneshiek County Emergency Preparedness Coalition was held remotely over the lunch hour on June 18 — during which 20 volunteers took part in a tabletop simulation of a hypothetical anhydrous ammonia leak at the Farmers Win Co-op northeast of Jackson Junction. “The chances of that actually happening are minuscule,” said Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder. “But, we still need to be prepared for that very slim
Emergency
BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR A state bill aimed at preventing Iowa high school sports teams from being forced to compete independent of an athletic conference was signed into law earlier this month, but officials at Decorah Community Schools don’t expect to become affiliated with a new conference before the 2026-2027 school year. House File 783, which lawmakers said was largely adapted from a model the state of Wisconsin uses to oversee conference alignment, was approved by the Iowa Legislature in March. The bill was sent to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for her approval on May 19, but it didn’t receive the governor’s signature until June 11 — a bill is considered to be vetoed if it is not signed within 30 days of reaching the governor’s desk, and HF 783 was among 20 bills a statement from Reynold’s office said were the final pieces of legislation to be signed this session. “It certainly gives us some positive energy in terms of a direction that we want to go,” Decorah Activities Director Adam Riley said of the bill’s passage. “The key question that everybody wants to ask — and that we can’t answer — is ‘where do you think you’re going to go?’ Now, we’re closer to having that, which is good.”
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The Winneshiek County Emergency Preparedness Coalition — comprised of local officials, first responders, business owners, organizations and private citizens — is meeting quarterly to discuss the next steps in a disaster simulation involving a hypothetical leak of an anhydrous ammonia leak from a tank, like this one, at a Farmers Win Cooperative. (Photo by Zach Jensen)
Proposed separation ordinance focuses on immigration rights BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER
Joshua Ratel-Khan, a member of Decorah Community for Immigrants Rights, urged willing members of last week’s audience to contact council members or prepare brief comments to share with the city council when the proposed ordinance comes before them for consideration. (Photo by Denise Lana)
Dozens of locals gathered Wednesday, June 18 at the United Church of Christ in Decorah to discuss the potential drafting of a “separation ordinance” for city officials to consider next month. The potential ordinance, spearheaded by the organization Decorah Community for Immigrants Rights, would call for the city to renegotiate its jail services contract with Winneshiek County. “This ordinance brings oversight and transparency to what happens in our jails,” said Joshua Ratel-Khan, a member of Decorah Community for Immigrants Rights. “That’s what this separation ordinance does. It won’t stop deportations, but it does draw the line. It says, in this town, we take care of each other.”
The current draft of the proposed ordinance details five areas of concern, starting with the rights detainees retain upon being apprehended. Under the proposed ordinance, individuals would be informed they are not required to answer questions about their immigration status or citizenship, and an inventory of “Know Your Rights” cards — written in multiple languages — would be stocked in squad cars and booking areas, where arresting officers would be required to provide the information to each detainee. Gabriel Eide, a local taxi driver, expressed concern for international students at Luther College whom he has befriended during taxi rides.
Separation ordinance continued on page 12
Decorah conference woes exemplify growing pattern The Northeast Iowa Athletic Conference, in which Decorah’s athletic programs currently participate, is expected to dissolve before the 2025-2026 school year begins. The NEIC is the oldest conference in the state, dating back to 1920. Decorah Schools had previously requested entry into the Up-
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill earlier this month which will change Iowa’s process for realignment among high school athletic conferences. A number of Iowa school districts, including Decorah Schools, sought solutions from lawmakers as they found themselves competing as independents due to population shifts and changes to athletic programs. State officials must draft new administrative rules before the expected changes can be implemented, and Decorah Schools expects to remain unaffiliated until the 2026-2027 school year. (File photo) per Iowa Conference, but that request was denied. Decorah unsuccessfully appealed the matter to Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow last year, after mediations between the district and the Upper Iowa Conference failed to result in a new conference assignment. Other schools which have been part of the Northeast Iowa Conference, like New Hampton, Waukon and Cresco are expected to be part of the UIC when the new school year begins, while Decorah is slated to compete without a conference affiliation — the change is not expected to impact Decorah’s football program, as the Iowa High School Athletic Association already uses a district format for football conference alignments. Decorah Schools could have potentially joined the WaMaC
Athletic conference continued on page 12