A look at Iowa's new food policy council

Governor Tom Vilsack's recently formed Iowa Food Policy Council has strong Leopold Center connections. Chairing the new council is Neil Hamilton, who directs the Drake Agricultural Law Center and is a long-time member of the Leopold Center Advisory Board.

The new group will advise the governor and lieutenant governor on initiatives and ideas that "create a safe, nutritious and adequate food supply that balances economic, social, and environmental impacts." In his April 3 announcement, Vilsack said he wants to build a food production system that links producers, processors, distributors and retailers.

Policy council members include Kamyar Enshayan, an assistant professor at the University of Northern Iowa who has a Leopold Center grant to establish institutional buying of local produce in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area; and Robert Karp, who oversees the Field to Family program and a Leopold Center grant to connect farmers with hotels and restaurants. Center education coordinator Rich Pirog is special advisor for the group. Representatives from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Iowa Department of Public Health, and Iowa Department of Human Services are non-voting members.