2 research outputs found
Establishment of a local food system in eastern Iowa
Several strategies to enhance local food production and marketing were employed by the Johnson County (IA) Soil and Water Conservation District. Among them were a pilot project on institutional buying practices, a directory of local food products, planning of locally sourced All-Iowa meals, and other educational and outreach activities
Marketing and value-added opportunities with alternative swine systems
Cindy Madsen is a member of Audubon County Family Farms, a group of producers who believe in healthy farms raising healthy families. They work together to market their products directly to the consumer. Four producers use hooped structures in their hog production, two\u27sell chickens and eggs, one has antibiotic-free beef, as well as other products. All have very diverse, sustainable farming systems. It helps to have a state-inspected small processor available 20 miles from Audubon.
Gary Malenke of Sioux-Preme Packing shared insights from the packer\u27s perspective. His company\u27s primary business had used mostly frozen carcasses until they began working with Farmland Foods and started to custom cut their own hogs in early 1997. In a constantly changing business, he said Sioux-Preme had trouble establishing an identity in a very competitive primal cuts market. One strategy has been to focus on lighter weight pigs, which work well for food service. To differentiate themselves, they went to customers not being served by the mainstream packers