Community economic impact assessment for a multi-county local food system in northeast Iowa

We are in the process of documenting the multiple economic impacts of a cluster of food and farm businesses such as direct-marketing farms, local vendors/suppliers of these farms, and grocery stores and institutions that buy locally grown. We will be able to show, for example, the extent to which a vegetable farm with an orchard and an on-farm bakery contributes to the local economy through their payroll and trade with other local firms.

We have formed a local advisory group that includes Community Main Street, a banker, local economic development officials, a grocer, mayors of two cities, ISU Extension staff and three farmers. We are developing the process of approaching many food and farm businesses and inviting their participation in this study. Our consulting economist, Ken Meter, has compiled regional economic data as a context for this work.

Kamyar Enshayan
Center for Energy and Environmental Education - University of Northern Iowa
Phone: 319.273.7575
Email: Kamyar.enshayan@uni.edu