GLBW is a coalition — a network — of many partners working to get Continuous Living Cover on the land. The GLBW network is conducting essential research, improving the genetics of old and new crops, translating knowledge into CLC farming systems, developing new extension and outreach capacity, working in farm fields, shaping policy, building profitable markets for new crops, and changing the narrative around what’s possible through agriculture. With farmers, businesses, agencies, nonprofits, and policymakers, our network is demonstrating the economic, environmental, and social benefits of CLC farming and creating an environment where these new crops are competitive and profitable from the farmstead to global markets.
Green Lands Blue Waters (GLBW) was formed in 2004 by representatives of land grant universities and key agricultural and environmental organizations – listed below. Many of the founding organizations are active partners and others have joined our network through the years.
A staffed GLBW Regional Office was established within the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Minnesota with consensus of the founding partners. A Steering Committee provides leadership and guides the work. The Regional Office provides staffing and financial support for collective activities and so the accomplishments of GLBW are credited to the many farmers, businesses, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations that bring knowledge, tools, skills, and resources to Continuous Living Cover farming in the Upper Midwest.
Over the years, a strong track record of regional collaborations has been established, including working groups organized around types of CLC crops and local watershed-based partnerships.
Founding Partners
- Agricultural Watershed Institute
- Audubon Society
- Illinois Stewardship Alliance
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
- Iowa Farmers Union
- Iowa Soybean Association
- Izaak Walton League of America
- Land Stewardship Project
- Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University
- Louisiana State University
- Minnesota Farmers Union
- Practical Farmers of Iowa
- Rural Advantage
- Southwest Badger Resource Conservation & Development Council
- The Land Institute
- The Nature Conservancy
- Trout Unlimited
- University of Illinois
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wisconsin Farmers Union