Information gathered in a 2005 Leopold Center-funded project about special Iowa-based foods receives wider dissemination on a web site containing facts, photos, and interviews with the food producers

Saltzman, Rachelle H.

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Information gathered in a 2005 Leopold Center-funded project about special Iowa-based foods receives wider dissemination on a web site containing facts, photos, and interviews with the food producers.</p

Saltzman, Rachelle

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

Taste of Place Project,Phase II: OutreachQuestion & AnswerQ: How can we publicize those unique foods that providea “taste” of Iowa?A: This project created a web site to encourageIowans and non-Iowans to explore Iowa’s foods andthe places that produce them. The foods and storieson the web site may encourage people to use foodas a way to explore different cultures, those familiarand new ones.Volume 16 (2007) •Leopold Center Progress Report • page 59Abstract: Information gathered in a 2005 Leopold Center-funded project about special Iowa-based foods receives wider dissemination on a web sitecontaining facts, photos, and interviews with the food producers.Competitive Grant Report M13-2006Principal Investigator:Rachelle H. SaltzmanIowa Arts CouncilDes MoinesBudget:$10,000 for one yearMaasdam sorghumBackgroundPlace-based foods have a unique taste that often relatesto an ecological niche and/or the ethnic or regionalheritage of the producers. In 1992 the European Unionestablished specific definitions for “geographical indica-tions” or GIs, which focus on place of origin and qualitiesthat derive from that place, e.g., climate and soil. Be-cause geographic origin designations were developeddue to particular historic and economic conditions,heritage and artisanship are implied but are not require-ments of protected designation of origin (PDO) orprotected geographical indication (PGI) criteria. They arepart of the traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG)indication. These terms all have legal consequences andprotections that differ from trademarks.Categorizing American foods in those terms is difficult andperhaps irrelevant. Some foods are easy to declare place-based because they did originate here or have been grownhere for decades and are tied to specific ethnic or occupa-tional groups, processing/production methods, and eatingtraditions. Many foods are identified either with a specificorigin or a particular heritage but not both.During 2006 and early 2007, this project worked to establisha web presence for information obtained about unique Iowa-based foods during the earlier Leopold Center fundedproject, Iowa Foodways: Taste of Place. The first projectidentified Iowa foods that are• Grown here, are artisan processed or prepared,and have a heritage basis;• Artisan processed here and have a heritage basisthat relates to Iowa;• Grown and artisan processed here, but have nosubstantive heritage basis; andVolume 16 (2007) •Leopold Center Progress Report • page 60One ear K&K popcorn• Grown and processed here, have a heritage basis,but are commercially produced.The objective was to create an Iowa Place-based Foodweb page hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs(DCA). The site was to include fact sheets for five (laterexpanded to nine after further research) place-based Iowafoods for informational use by the general public, farmers,and processors as potential models for other place-basedfoods, and to promote the foods selected to be featured onthe site.Approach and methodsThe principal investigator consulted with project advisors tocraft a workable definition for place-based foods and morespecific criteria for differentiating place-based foods as adistinct category. It was recommended by several sourcesthat the European GIs be used as a starting point forcategorizing those foods.In consultation with the producers of the nine Iowa foodschosen, fact sheets accompanied by photos were pre-pared. Six audio interviews were linked to the newlydesigned web site. The site was beta-tested and previewedby DCA staff, appropriate national scholars, Leopold Centerstaff and consultants, as well as all interviewees.Results and discussionThe data used for this project came from the first year’sresearch, conducted in 2005-2006, with follow-up researchtaking place in 2006. Data consists of interviews with foodproducers, photographs of food production processes, aswell as release form transcripts, photo identificationsheets, and tapes. Permission was obtained frominterviewees for the use of this material.The Iowa foods web site is found at http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/programs/folk-and-traditional-arts/place_based_foods/index.htm   The nine foodstories featured on the web page describe:1. Maytag ® Blue Cheese;2. Maasdam Sorghum;3. Dutch letters;4. Rhubarb and dandelion wines from the AmanaColonies;5. K&K Tiny but Mighty Popcorn;6. Mettwurst;7. Black walnuts, pawpaws, and maple syrup;8. Muscatine melons; and9. Pork tenderloins.Since the web pages were launched in late January2007, they have received state and national attention.Several food scholars say they plan to use the web siteas a model for projects in their states or regions.  Usersof the site have suggested additions to the site, inter-views with additional food producers, and offered toextend more opportunities to speak with local food-based organizations.ConclusionsThe original project goal to create web-based fact sheetsexpanded beyond its first intentions. The process ofcreating and testing the site resulted in web features withappeal to farmers, business people, and cooks, as wellas food writers and agribusiness organizations. The sitecould be expanded to include culinary tourism informa-tion and perhaps some additional stories/fact sheets.Another option would be to fund projects to create theinfrastructure necessary for producers and food busi-nesses in Iowa to work together and produce more andbetter Iowa place-based foods.Impact of resultsThe real challenge of this project has been finding timeand funds to continue the work that has been started.The major impact is that it easily can be replicated forVolume 16 (2007) •Leopold Center Progress Report • page 61For more information contact Rachelle H. Saltzman, Iowa ArtsCouncil, 600 E. Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa  50319; (515) 242-6195, e-mail riki.saltzman@iowa.govother states and regions. It also has provided a publicvenue for specific Iowa place-based foods to receive muchneeded attention. This can only serve to increase the valueof all Iowa’s local foods.There is an opportunity for further research into potentialplace-based foods as well as an overall effort to link thenetworks of Iowa food value chains, from value-addedproducers, to various points of sale, as well as to restau-rants, fairs and festivals.Education and outreachNews coverage of the project’s web pages appeared in theDes Moines Register, Farm Bureau Family Living, FarmNews, Wallace’s Farmer, and the Practical Farmers ofIowa newsletter. The Associated Press picked up the newsrelease and at least four major Iowa television stationslinked to the release on their web sites. Iowa Radio Groupand WOI-Radio aired interviews with the principal investi-gator. The Iowa State Library posts copies of all digitalphotos from this project on its photo archives web site.Saltzman gave presentations on the project at CentralCollege and to eastern Iowa Buy Fresh Buy Localmembers. She spoke about the results at the June 2006Food and Society conference and the American FolkloreSociety conference in October 2006.A presentation on the project can be viewed at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/workshop06/index.htmLeveraged fundsNo additional funds were leveraged by this project,though Saltzman is following up on the results withfurther interviews and consultations around Iowa withregard to culinary tourism projects.

Taste of Place Project, Phase II: Outreach

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Taste of Place Project, Phase II: Outreach

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