Filbert, Morrow join SSE board

Meghan Filbert and Jim Morrow were elected to the Seed Savers Exchange Board of Directors at the group’s January 2021 meeting. Filbert serves as Livestock Program Manager with Practical Farmers of Iowa, while Morrow is Chief Credit Officer with Decorah Bank and Trust. 

Meghan Filbert

Meghan Filbert
A longtime livestock enthusiast, Iowa native Meghan Filbert joined the staff of Practical Farmers of Iowa in 2014. There her work focuses on integrating pasture-based livestock, including heritage breeds, into the Midwestern landscape. 

Filbert earned a bachelor of science degree in Animal Science and International Agriculture from Iowa State University in 2007. After graduation, she worked in the animal nutrition lab at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha before earning a master’s degree from Cornell University, where she studied livestock nutrition in developing countries. Prior to moving back to Iowa, Filbert served as an extension educator in the Catskill Mountains, specializing in dairy-calf health, manure management, and water quality in the New York City watershed.

“I have dedicated my career to developing an expertise in holistic livestock management and sharing this knowledge with farming communities,” says Filbert. “It is an honor to share my enthusiasm and passion for grazing and outdoor livestock with Seed Savers Exchange — together we will develop a thoughtful stewardship plan for how livestock can best support heirloom seed preservation and the animal’s role in building soil health on Seed Savers Exchange’s 890 acres.”

(Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm is home to two herds of Ancient White Park Cattle.)

Jim Morrow

Jim Morrow 
Born and raised on a New Jersey dairy farm — later relocated to St. Ansgar, Iowa — Jim Morrow is a lifelong gardener. He holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics and finance from Cornell University and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Graduate School of Banking.

Morrow has 43 years of experience in banking and finance — including 12 as Chief Credit Officer and Executive Vice President at Decorah Bank and Trust, where his position involves risk management and oversight of all bank lending functions. His community involvement has included service as a board member and president of local chapters of Rotary, United Way, and the North Central Iowa Economic Development Corporation.

“I have long appreciated the work of Seed Savers Exchange,” says Morrow. “I have their catalogs and their books, and I’m out at Heritage Farm regularly, walking and hiking the trails and checking out the orchards. I have also long maintained several Seed Savers Exchange plants, including ‘Grandpa Ott’s’ morning glory’ and ‘Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate.’”