I n July of 1958, our center was founded as the Center for Agricultural Adjustment, under director Earl O. Heady, and began operation. This fall, the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development will kick off an academic year that not only celebrates our 50-year history but also, in keeping with our founding mission to help improve the condition of the Iowa agricultural economy, sets a course for CARD’s commitment to addressing the wide range of challenges in agriculture—in trade, food, renewable fuels, and resource policy—today and for decades to come.