Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Current Marketing & Food Systems Initiative Grants

The Marketing and Food Systems Initiative supports a wide range of competitive grants designed to strengthen marketing strategies and business structures for farmers and communities, support education and facilitate partnerships, and address challenges that keep farmer networks from being equal partners in energy, food or fiber-based value chains.

Here's a list of all projects new in 2012 [PDF]

Click on the title for a detailed description of the project, who is doing the work and where it is taking place.

Project Titlesort icon Project ID
An automated mechanical intra-row weed removal system for vegetable crops M2009-23
Convening the Regional Food Systems Working Group (RFSWG) M2012-08
Cultivating the agrarian dream: Aspiring agri-entrepreneurs helping one another choose their path M2009-24
Developing and implementing a strategic plan for farm-to-school programs in northeast Iowa M2009-04
Developing permaculture techniques for increased production and profit in sustainable year-round agriculture for beginning farmers and ranchers in southwest Iowa M2011-05
Enhancing value and marketing options for pawpaw (Asimina triloba) by developing pulp separation and preservation techniques M2009-20
Establishing shared-use processing facilities at three possible locations in central and south central Iowa M2012-06
Evaluating the impact of regional food system work on growers M2010-19
Field evaluation and system improvement of a semi-automated mechanical intra-row weeder for vegetable crops M2012-24
Growing up local: A value chain analysis of local produce in Iowa M2009-11
Improving profitability for small and very small meat processors in Iowa M2012-16
Increasing access to healthy, fresh and local food to students in three rural public schools in northeast Iowa M2010-18
Involving new immigrants and minorities in local food systems M2011-08
Local food in every pot: Growing farmers in northeastern Iowa through public and private partnerships M2011-16
Machinery management for small- and medium-sized horticultural farms M2012-11
Micro-farming: Reducing rural and urban food deserts through job training M2012-13
New Champions Expanded Scope: Developing an action plan for building an expanded regional food economy in Black Hawk and surrounding counties M2007-07
Procurement tools to develop sustainable local food purchasing models for farm to school chapters M2012-07
Research and development of an online local foods buying club cooperative M2011-03
Transitioning farmers to produce for wholesale markets M2012-12
Transplant production decision tool for vegetable producers M2010-10

See full list of current Leopold Center competitive grants in all initiative areas.