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Regional Food Systems Working Group (RFSWG)
The Regional Food Systems Working Group supports
education, conducts research, and facilitates partnerships to
increase investment and support of community-based, economically
sustainable, and environmentally and socially responsible regional
food enterprises.
Contact:
Rich Pirog
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
209 Curtiss Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-1050
rspirog@iastate.edu
515-294-1854
Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition
The Northeast Iowa Food & Farm (NIFF) Coalition is a diverse group
of farmers, food producers, community leaders and area residents in
the five counties of Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and
Winneshiek. They have created a plan to support the development and
marketing of locally grown agricultural products to enhance the
lives of local citizens. The NIFF Coalition received funding from
the RFSWG to complete five assessments to learn more about the local
food environment in northeast Iowa: a household consumer survey,
institutional survey, baseline data survey, an economic impact
assessment and a map of assets. We learned that northeast Iowa has
great potential to produce food for its residents. There is a long
history of food production in the area, yet annual direct marketing
sales are less than 1percent of the total food expenditures each
year. Consumers and institutions are ready to support a local food
system. Forty-eight percent of the consumers surveyed would purchase
locally grown food but are unable to find it. Barriers to the use
and integration of local foods have been identified. This
information will be used to complete the Community Action Plan as
part of the northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative funded by the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This initiative will address issues such as
increasing the availability of healthy local foods in school,
restaurants and grocery stores and improving opportunities for
residents to incorporate physical activity into their everyday
lives. RFSWG is part of the Value Chain Partnerships project.
Contacts:
NE IA Food & Farm Coalition,
www.niffcoalition.org
NE IA Food & Fitness Initiative,
www.iowafoodandfitness.org
Teresa Wiemerslage
ISU Extension - Allamakee County
21 Allamakee St.
Waukon, IA 52172,
wiemer@iastate.edu, 563-568-6345
Brenda Ranum
ISU Extension - Winneshiek County
911 S. Mill St.
Decorah, IA 52101
ranum@iastate.edu
563-382-2949.
Growing the Local Food System in Southeast Iowa
How can we increase the amount of local food produced and consumed
in a six-county region in southeast Iowa? The six counties targeted
in this project include Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren
and Wapello. An economic data analysis for the region shows that
consumers spent $231 million each year on food purchases (for dining
in and out). Of these dollars, $141 million are spent on food from
outside the region. This project is developing the leadership
structure to increase local food consumption by addressing
production, processing, and distribution in this six-county area and
ultimately recapturing a portion of the $141 million leaving the
region. Ken Meter, agricultural economist from Crossroads Resource
Center, completed an economic impact study for the region.
Agricultural producers in the region were assisted with entry into
the Iowa Market Maker program to increase their visibility to
consumers. Mini-grants were awarded to producers in the project
region to identify producer needs. Strategic planning meetings were
held to develop a vision statement, goals and leadership team to
continue moving efforts forward. Producers, meat processors and
grocers are being surveyed to identify needs and opportunities. A
two-part workshop targeting farmer’s market mangers and local food
producers will be held this spring.
This project has shown that there is widespread interest in local
food system development in this region. Over 50 people attended
strategic planning sessions and represented a wide array of
interests including: food producers, business developers, county
supervisors, state representative, Extension personnel, bankers and
entrepreneurs. A leadership team has been assembled to lead and
organize efforts for the next six months. In 2007, $1,500 in
mini-grants were awarded to five producers who leveraged an
additional $8,200 of their own funds. Mini-grants were awarded for
production of apples, organic beef, honey, raspberries, eggs and
grapes. Survey work is underway to better understand the needs and
interests of local producers, grocery managers and meat processors.
Momentum in our southeast Iowa region continues to grow. To date,
efforts have been focused on capacity building, developing
leadership and data collection related to food production and sales.
We have an engaged leadership team and will spend the next six to
twelve months working to identify specific resource needs to expand
local food production, processing and distribution in this
six-county area. RFSWG is part of the Value Chain Partnerships
project.
Contact:
Detra Dettmann
Natural Resources Conservation Service/Pathfinders RC&D
1805 West Jefferson
Fairfield, IA 52556
Detra.Dettmann@ia.usda.gov
641-472-6177.
Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative
The Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative (SWIFFI) is a
multi-county coalition of individuals and organizations with the
common vision of a sustainable regional food system for Southwest
Iowa linking production, processing, distribution, and consumption
for better health, food security, and community and economic
development. SWIFFI is working on a strategic plan to build that
regional food system, including an overall plan for our region as
well as assisting counties to develop their own county-level plan
and activities. Counties represented include Adams, Adair, Cass,
Guthrie, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. We have learned that
there is strong demand for locally produced foods in our region, but
that many elements of the food system need to be strengthened in
order for supply of local food to meet demand. These elements
include clarification of regulations pertaining to local foods,
financial and technical support for new food producers, and
aggregation of product in order to reach urban markets as well as
the very small markets in most of our counties. We are addressing
these issues by initiating a local chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local,
starting a mini-grants program for food production or marketing,
bringing SWIFFI members to learn about a successful model for
producer cooperative marketing at the Floyd Boulevard Local Foods
Market, a new food producer incubator pilot project and developing
workshops to clarify regulations. RFSWG is part of the Value Chain
Partnerships project.
Contacts:
Keith Booth, Director of Resource Development
Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development
53020 Hitchcock Avenue
Lewis, IA 51544
kbooth@iastate.edu
712-769-2650
Holly Born
National Center for Appropriate Technology
53020 Hitchcock Avenue
Lewis, IA 51544
hollyb@ncat.org
712-769-2604
Northwest Iowa Regional Local Foods System
In 2008, the Northwest Iowa Regional Food System will start creating
a plan to increase local food production and consumption in a
six-county area in northwestern Iowa. The counties include Woodbury,
Monona, Ida, Cherokee, Plymouth and Sioux. The area needs more local
leaders to organize, plan and encourage the participants to achieve
clear goals. The plan should provide training for business plan
development, business mentoring from experienced people, a clear
vision of the organization mission and resources for funds. A
process should be implemented to collect asset inventory data
regarding current food sales, potential food sales, current local
food production and potential local food production. The plan should
educate consumers, increase awareness of health benefits and provide
local foods to area institutions, schools and food service
businesses. The plan also should address local food availability to
citizens who are underserved due to isolation, financial
restrictions or awareness.
In 2008, twelve community planning meetings will be scheduled to
increase local food awareness and identify/develop leaders in area
counties. The goal of these meetings is to assemble a leadership
team to develop a strategic plan to implement the vision of
increased local foods consumption in our communities. RFSWG is part
of the Value Chain Partnerships project.
Contact:
Patrick Garrity, Executive Director
FBLFM
1211 5th Street
Sioux City, IA 51101
fblfm@iw.net
712-224-3536
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