Marketing, food systems groups meet

When nearly three dozen people in marketing and food systems work throughout Iowa gathered in Ames July 19, it was more than a "family" reunion.

The groups represented a variety of projects and approaches to diversify and strengthen local and regional food systems. The meeting included farmers as well as state horticulturists, law professors as well as biology professors, sociologists as well as food service directors, and conservationists as well as community activists.

All had one thing in common: their partnership with the Leopold Center on marketing and food systems projects. Some projects had just been completed, while others had recently begun. Rich Pirog, marketing and local food system program leader for the Leopold Center , convened the meeting to help participants work together and explain the Leopold Center 's  marketing and food system initiative in light of the Center's budget cuts.

"It was helpful for everyone to learn more about the wide array of marketing and food systems projects in Iowa," Pirog said. "We discussed ways that the LeopoldCenter can act as a catalyst and convener to move forward the goals that we all share."

A good example would be a project at the University of Northern Iowa, Pirog said. Professor Kamyar Enshayan received a small Leopold Center grant in 1998 to coordinate institutional buying of local food at the university, a local restaurant and hospital. The project has grown to include other hospitals and food service institutions in Black Hawk County, a "Buy Local" campaign, a farm apprenticeship program, and support from the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program.

How could the lessons learned in this project be applied elsewhere? Here's a sampling of comments:

• We really need an organization to bring this type of group together. There is more power and strength in uniting the interests under a common purpose or goal.

• The LeopoldCenter can help by hosting meetings like this to frame the vision we all share.

• We need to work together to change customer habits, not just react.