Success Stories in Sustainable Agriculture: Helping Iowa Producers

Leopold Center support over three years has helped Ajay Nair, assistant professor in Horticulture, set up the ISU Sustainable Vegetable Production Lab, a research and education program to help small producers in Iowa

The Economic Impact of Iowa\u27s 2014 Local Food Champions

These are stories of nine local food champions who support development of local food systems in Iowa. These profiles were produced for an evaluation of the Regional Food Systems Working Group (RFSWG)

Impact Snapshot: Local Food & Farm Initiative Program Outcomes and Impacts, 2011–2014

In July, 2011, the legislature passed Senate File 509, creating the Iowa Local Food & Farm Initiative (LFFI). The LFFI was created to strengthen local food economies that promote self-sufficiency and job growth in the agricultural and allied sectors. The legislature allocated $150,000 to LFFI in 2012 and 2013 ($75,000 each year), of which 30 to 35 percent was applied to a competitive grants program in 2012 and 2013. The LFFI has funded seven local foods projects focused on the areas of business development; beginning, minority, and transitioning farmers; and development of farm to institution sales. This impact brief shows how modest investments can leverage additional funds, create economic opportunity, benefit youth, increase awareness of local foods, and prompt new partnerships and projects

Food Hub Development in Iowa

This 25-page report is from the first coordinated study of food hub development in Iowa. Two surveys of food hub managers and local food coordinators identified 31 food hubs or centers of food hub-related activity that serve Iowa markets. Work was funded by a grant from Ag Ventures Alliance and the USDA\u27s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program with support from the Leopold Center

Impact Brief: 2013 Economic Impacts of Iowa\u27s Regional Food Systems Working Group

This is a summary of an 18-page report: 2013 Economic Impacts of Iowa\u27s Regional Food Systems Working Group. The report looks at the statewide impact of the local foods sector on Iowa\u27s economy, based on data collected in 2012 and 2013 by local food coordinators who are part of RFSWG

Determining What Growers Need to Comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule

Extension educators have been enlisted to assist farmers in meeting requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Although food safety is a familiar topic for Extension educators, helping farmers learn how to prepare for PSR regulations is new. In this article, we describe a needs assessment conducted in the north central United States according to a modified Delphi approach. Results revealed unique characteristics of farmers in the region, least understood components of the PSR, preferences regarding educational tools, and the need for materials for varied audiences. Our process can be adapted for the purpose of determining how to assist growers in other regions in complying with the PSR

Shepherding Community Engagement to Strengthen the Local Food System in Northeast Iowa

In this case study, we describe how a multistake­holder collaboration in Northeast Iowa is using a type of systems leadership that we call “shep­herding” in order to engage a six-county regional community in creating food systems change. Shepherding is an intentional process of fostering trust, connecting food systems actors, tracking readiness, and making strategic requests to help interested community members define active food system roles for themselves. In Northeast Iowa, “shepherds” usually have been paid staff of the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative partner organizations. Some literature characterizes leader­ship by paid staff as an asset, but such leadership also can foster more limited community engage­ment and empowerment. We examine some successes and challenges of engaging a regional community using the strengths of paid staff. We conclude that paid staff can offer benefits in terms of connecting local food system efforts by aligning community stakeholder efforts with formalized work efforts of organizations represented by paid staff, which contributes to the compounded impacts of the work. At the same time, relying on paid staff may reinforce existing patterns and power structures