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

Jones, Wendell

Zacharakis-Jutz, Jeffrey T.

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.</p

Zacharakis-Jutz, Jeffrey

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

00-26 COMPETITIVELeopold Center GRANT REPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE L E O P O L D C E N T E R Establishment of a local food system in eastern Iowa Abstract: 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. Background On average, U.S. farmers receive only 22 cents of every dollar spent on food. The re­maining 78 cents is devoted to packaging, labor, transportation, depreciation, and mar­keting. Even in an agricultural state such as Iowa, as much as 90 percent of the fresh produce consumed is estimated to be imported from other states and countries. One of the ways to help Iowa’s producers retain a greater percentage of the food dollar is to provide more local opportunities where producers and consumers can engage directly in commerce. Estimates are that a local food system, which relies less heavily on market­ing, could return 30 cents per food dollar to the farmer (Adding Values to our Food System: An Economic Analysis of Sustainable Com­munity Food Systems, 1997, Everson, Wash­ington; view original document at www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/ foodsys/addval.htm). Localizing the food supply also gives consumers increased control over how their food dollar is spent. Participa­tion in a local food system allows consumers to reward producers who use environmentally friendly practices with a larger share of the food dollar. The goal of this project was to foster the organization and growth of a local food sys­tem in Johnson County, Iowa, through educa­tion, demonstration, and information transfer. Efforts were restricted primarily to Johnson County with some involvement by producers in immediately adjacent counties. Preference was given to small- and medium-scale family owned operations that practiced sound farm management and land stewardship techniques. Approach and methods The majority of the project activities were carried out by Carol Hunt, Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District Local Food Systems Project Coordinator, under the guidance of the principal investigator. Directory of Local Food Producers—This publication brought together existing informa­tion on local food producers and processors, plus new information, in a single, comprehen­sive source suitable for wide distribution in the community. The directory included informa­tion about what type of product was sold, where sales occurred, what the working hours and days were, contact information, etc. Data on producers (farm acreage, production capa­bility, and income from food production) also were compiled. The first entries were solicited in fall and winter 1999. Participating produc­ers were invited to resubmit and revise their entries for directories issued in each of two subsequent years. At the same time new entries were sought to keep the database current. Cop­ies were distributed to businesses, tourist ven­ues, and recreational spots in Iowa City and Coralville. Principal Investigator: Wendell Jones District Conservationist Natural Resources Conservation Service Iowa City Co-investigators: Jeffrey Zacharakis-Jutz Community Develop­ment Specialist ISU Extension Marion Budget: $25,800 for year one $25,800 for year two $25,800 for year three Leopold Center Progress Reports 1 Our goal was to determine whether using a variety of formal and informal education, demonstration, and information transfer strategies was an effective way to build a stronger community-based food system in Johnson County, Iowa. We also wanted to know whether this could materially benefit food producers in the region. We found that diverse efforts placed throughout the commu­nity quickly strength­ened our local food system at multiple points, and that a number of producers experienced increased commerce and profit as a result. In addition, the positive outcomes of this project have continued and ex­panded, suggesting that the initial effort and funding invested have acted as a catalyst that will result in “paybacks” for some time to come. Institutional/Commercial Buying of Local Food—Building on an earlier Extension 21 project, a select number of local producers and area chefs were recruited for an institutional buying effort that would serve as a model to test a proposed business plan. The purpose of the business plan was to strategically address issues that would face this group of producers and buyers. These issues included: Ways for buyers to easily identify producers who had products they needed; ways for producers to anticipate and plan for expected needs of buy­ers; how producers could get a fair price; food quality standards; product packaging, deliv­ery and payment procedures; mechanisms for efficient producer-buyer transactions; and pos­sible business structures (such formation of a co-operative). The goal was to recruit one or two commercial/institutional enterprises each year to commit to buying local food, with a 5 percent increase in the amount of each institution’s food budget spent locally. Addi­tional producers were solicited as interest and need increased. Participants in the project were to keep accurate records to help monitor the financial impact of such local commerce ven­tures. In addition, the project implemented the serving of several “All-Iowa” meals that ad­vertised and demonstrated the concept of eat­ing locally. Public Education and Other Activities—Ini-tially, several projects and activities were pro­posed. Among them were quarterly work­shops for education and networking and a periodical newsletter to educate the commu­nity about local food issues, surveys and ques­tionnaires, and a forum for feedback and infor­mation exchange. There was not enough time to carry out all of these activities. However, project organizers found other opportunities and means to disseminate information. Results and discussion Directory of Local Food Producers—Nearly 75 applications were received for inclusion in the first directory. Direct contact with produc­ers generated the greatest response to the call for applications. Newsletter publicity and di­rect mailings also yielded a good return. Nine thousand copies of the first year’s directory were distributed; 7,500 were handed out the second year. The third edition (with approxi­mately 120 entries) was developed at the end of 2002. Feedback from users indicated a high level of interest and degree of usefulness. Many people, including restaurant chefs, have reported us­ing the directory to find local foodstuffs. In addition, the directory unexpectedly has func­tioned as a publicity tool. Newspaper reporters have used the directory to find topics for spe­cial interest stories. Institutional/Commercial Buying of Local Food—During the 1999 growing season, par­ticipating institutional buyers purchased ap­proximately $14,000 worth of meat and pro­duce from participating producers. In addi­tion, more than $5,000 in sales took place from non-participating producers to participating institutions and from participating producers to non-participating institutions. News about the project led to inquiries from area producers and institutions, some of which were formally invited to participate in the institutional buying project. In the second year, the number of participating restaurants in­creased from three to seven. Eleven producers supplied products to them. Sales in the second year were close to $25,000. In 2001, the number of participating producers and restau­rants tracked by the project remained the same, but commerce increased to nearly $35,000. At the start of the 2002 growing season, restau­rants needed no prodding to resume their pur­chases from local growers. In general, participant response to the institu­tional buying project was very positive. Grow-Volume 12 (2003) 2 ers were pleased to have additional markets for their products; institutional chefs were enthu­siastic about the quality of food they purchased locally. The most serious concerns affecting this effort were pricing issues. Most institu­tions buy their food from wholesalers that have different price structures than small producers, who may not be able to price their products competitively. Many of the producers raised small volumes of food using labor-intensive organic techniques, with correspondingly higher product costs. Producers were encouraged to set prices that allowed them to earn a fair profit, but it was not possible for producers to agree on a single price that suited them all and that resulted in diminished cooperation among producers. Some producers called for pricing guidelines because they simply were not sure how to set prices on their products. Consumer demand ultimately drives the institutional food mar­ket, and this makes public education about the costs of local food production a key factor in building a sustainable local food system. Public Education and Other Activities—These efforts occupied a large portion of the project coordinator’s time. Participation in public events and workshops was critical. But much time was spent on extensive informal commu­nication with hundreds of groups and indi­viduals including producers, consumers, lo­cal food systems activists, and other commu­nity members. Examples of some activities were: •	 Developing and staffing an information booth for use at the Iowa City farmers’ market and several other events, A group of people enjoying an all-Iowa Harvest Party held in Johnson County in October 2000. Leopold Center Progress Reports 3 For more information, contact Wendell Jones, 51 Escort Lane, Iowa City, IA 52240-8612, (319) 337-2322, Ext. 3, e-mail wendell.jones@ ia.nrcs.usda.gov •	 Demonstrations and cooking classes in partnership with New Pioneer Co-op natu­ral food store, •	 Presentations at workshops and confer­ences throughout the Midwest, •	 Service on the Local Food System Task Force, •	 Coordination of the Iowa Network for Community Agriculture 2001 annual con­ference, and •	 Preparation and presentation of Iowa­grownfood for agencies such as ISU Ex­tension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District, and special interest groups. Conclusions Strengthening local food systems in Johnson County could be accomplished though a vari­ety of techniques, some formal and others less so. What was accomplished though the three years of this project serves both as a founda­tion and catalyst for growth, rather than a final and complete outcome. Impact of results Using multiple approaches to consumer edu­cation about local, sustainable food systems can result in increased community participa­tion in these systems. If individual and institu­tional consumers increase their purchases of locally grown foods, local growers will be encouraged to increase production and diver­sification while maintaining economic, envi­ronmental, and social viability. Education and outreach Extensive personal communication between the project coordinator and many interested parties was ongoing. Other activities included sharing information via: •	 Fifteen conferences and workshops, •	 Information booth displayed at several locations (viewed by 3,000-4,000 people), •	 Local food cooking classes and demon­strations (1,000 people attended), •	 Forty catered meals (1,600 people served), and •	 Interviews with area newspapers, radio stations, and public television outlets. Volume 12 (2003) 4 

English

Establishment of a local food system in eastern Iowa

https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/53016

Establishment of a local food system in eastern Iowa

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