Local Food Systems and the Local Food and Farm Program

Local Food Systemsand the Local Food and

Farm Program

Craig ChaseISUEO Specialist – Local FoodsLFFP CoordinatorLCSA MFSI Program Leader

Local Food System Quiz

1. It is estimated that Iowans spend how many $billion on food each year?

a) $2 b) $8 c) $14 d) $21

2. What percent of local food purchased is produced in Iowa?

a) 2% b) 6% c) 14% d) 26%


3. If Iowans ate and purchased locally 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day for 3 months, how much would it add to the Iowa economy?a) $165M b) $212M c) $287M d) $302M

4. How many jobs would it add to the Iowa economy?a) 1,015 b) 2,752 c) 4,094 d) 6,389


5. Iowa has how many of the following:a. Farmers’ Markets? (114,226, 301, 349)

b. CSA farms? (41, 52, 93, 167)c. Buy Fresh, Buy Local chapters? (11,19,27,40)d. Farm to School chapters? (2, 4, 11, 15)e. Regional Food System Working Groups?

(9,16,17,24)f. Organizations, non-profits, etc. that serve as

local food resources (50, 65, 75, over 85)

Why Local?

Problem #1

• Who is going to farm and what are the opportunities for a beginning farmer?

• Can most beginning farmers make a living with a conventional C-Sb farming operation given…– Current land prices– Current machinery prices?

• What are the expectations that a beginning C-Sb conventional farmer can be large enough to make a living?

Percent of Iowa Farmers Over 65 and Under 35 Years Old

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

< 35 > 65

Farms and Sales by Sales Class in Iowa, 2007

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Less than$1,000

$1,000 to$2,499

$2,500 to$4,999

$5,000 to$9,999

$10,000 to$24,999

$25,000 to$49,999

$50,000 to$99,999

$100,000to

$249,999

$250,000to

$499,999

$500,000to

$999,999

$1,000,000or more

Farms Sales

Local Food Systems Benefits

• Opportunity #1 – the capital costs for beginning farmers is much less due to smaller machinery and land base needed.– Fruit and vegetable operations, along with niche

livestock offer an opportunity for beginning farmers that want to farm, to be able to farm with less risk and less capital outlay.

Problem #2

• With fewer farms surrounding small rural communities, there are fewer young families with children in school and fewer consumers to purchase local merchandise resulting in declining small rural communities.

• Declining communities lead to fewer opportunities for non-farm kids to remain in the communities they grew up in.


• Opportunity #2 – Development of local food systems contributes jobs to the Iowa economy.– According to Dave Swenson at ISU, if all Iowans

purchased locally 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for 3 months, $302 million in economic activity would accrue along with the creation of 4,094 jobs.

– According to a recent USDA study, for every $1M in local produce sales, 13 FTE on-farm jobs are created.

Problem #3

• There are changes occurring to the global climate resulting in wider swings in temperatures and weather events (droughts, floods, etc.) due to increases in greenhouse gases.

• Non-renewable energy supplies are decreasing and prices are more sensitive to supply swings.


• Opportunity #3 – Local food systems offers the potential to lower greenhouse gases and fuel usage through a more regional distribution system than the global system that is currently in place.

Problem #4

• One third of U. S. children are obese or overweight. Over the past three decades, obesity rates have doubled in 6-11 year olds and tripled in 12-19 year olds.

• Obese children are more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood lipids. 1 in 3 children born in 2000 will be diabetic in their lifetime (CDC).

• Our children will be the first generation to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents.


• Opportunity #4 - Promote healthier eating habits– Students: Regular access to healthy food has been

proven to be one of the strongest predictors of improved school performance

– Food Service: school meal participation average increase +9%

– Farmers: market diversification– Economy: 1.87 economic multiplier

Why Now?

Local Food Systems Interest

• Interest is increasing rapidly because of the benefits of local food system development

• Local food can add diversity to Iowa’s agricultural landscape

Local Food Systems Interest

INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT•Spent almost $7000 on local food for school meals in the 09-10 school year•Successfully put in a brand new school garden in May 2010, named "Mustang Roots n' Shoots" by a student vote•Mobilized community volunteers during summer 2010 to help preserve local strawberries for use during the school year•Kelly Crossley, Independence’s Food Service Director, presented about her farm to school program to a group of Iowa food service workers at NIFFP’s Farm to School workshop in April•Independence was one of 9 out of over 300 national applicants selected by the USDA’s farm to school tactical as a site to visit to learn more about implementing Farm to School programs across the country•Seventh graders participated in a field trip to a nearby dairy to get an up close look at where local milk and cheese come from•A first grade class was visited by a local dairy farmer, who entertained and educated students with a mozzarella cheese making demonstration

Response from Iowa State University

• The Leopold Center along with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences entered into a 3-yr agreement in the summer of 2010.

• Agreement enabled Ajay Nair and Joe Hannan (horticulturalists) to be hired and Craig Chase (farm management) to be reassigned.

• Purpose – increase research and outreach related to fruits and vegetable production and profitability.

Response from Iowa State University

• In September 2010 ISU Extension and Outreach began the following:– Develop an Extension-wide Plan of Work.– Inventory activities and aggregate outcomes related

to food system work.– Obtain grant dollars to develop in-service training for

all ISU employees.– Develop interdisciplinary teams to increase likelihood

of receiving larger grants (e.g., Sustainable Food Systems to Improve Food Security).

Response from the LCSA

• Marketing Food Systems Initiative.– 16 Regional Food System Working Groups covering

83 counties in Iowa.– Support for various other working groups (grass-

based livestock, pork-niche, energy,…).– Grant funding – approximately $200K new funding

per year (6-8 new grants).– Development of resources (Growers manual,

Learning about Local, etc.).

Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

• Enhance Networks and Partners– Practical Farmers of Iowa

• Young and beginning farmers is a growth area; most farmers are producing food.

– Iowa Food System Council• Diverse group of individuals and organizations focused on

finding common ground and developing partnerships to address food system issues.

– Iowa Innovation Council• Food is one of their targeted economic development

areas.


• Networks and Partners– Sysco of Iowa – working with Primus and others

regarding GAPs training and audits.– Hy-Vee – working on GAPs training and other

barriers for producers.– Luther College, ISU Dining, UNI Dining, and others

– working on barriers for food to institution.– Malcolm Price, Independence, … and others –

working on barriers for farm to school.


• Networks and Partners– GROWN Locally – working on GAPs training, food

hub development, producer manuals.– Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

districts. Many of these have local food coordinators.

– In total over 85 organizations and individuals are working on local food projects (Learning About Local).

Response from the Legislature

• Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan was a response to increasing consumer demand for local food.– Requested by Iowa legislature in 2010, presented in

January 2011.

– 29 operational recommendations / six sections: • Business development and financial assistance• Processing• Food safety• Beginning, minority, and transitioning farmers• Assessing progress• Local food incentives.

Response from the Legislature

• Local Food and Farm Initiative passed legislation (based on Plan).

• Initiated Coordinator and Advisory Council.

• Preliminary report due February 2012, final report due June 2012.

• 6 section leaders to assess progress, identify barriers, and outline next steps for each recommendation.

• Identify projects to fund based on section leader findings and recommendations.

Progress – Based on ILFFP

• Business development and financial assistance– Implementation of 4-6 food business projects

• Food hub, shared-use kitchen, other ideas

– Iowa Small Business Loan Program extension– Local food development training for lenders

• Processing– Expanding education for small meat processors

Progress

• Food Safety– Offering recurring GAP training.– Offering food safety audit cost-share program.– Food regulations publication is underway.– Producer manual for post-harvest handling is

completed.– Producer was added to Iowa Department of

Inspections and Appeals Food Safety Task Force

Progress

• Beginning, minority, transitioning farmers– Surveys are underway to determine the number of

organizations working in this area and programs currently being offered.

– Initial findings indicate a wide range of programs, but limited programming related to optimizing labor and farmers working together to aggregate supply.

Progress

• Assessing progress– Different organizations and grant programs are

seeking consistency with measuring local food purchases and sales.

– Data base development for identification of producers and purchasers is being studied.

Progress

• Local food incentives– Farm to school programs are being identified, new

pilot programs are being sought.– Farm to institution programs are being identified,

new pilot programs are being sought.

• Keep in mind that the section team has been in place for a little over 90 days. Further progress will be made over the next few months.

Next Steps…

• From regional and national studies, it appears:– The largest barrier is likely to be expanding

production and aggregation; second largest is likely to be food safety.

– Other areas of expanding opportunities include working with beginning, minority, and transitioning farmers and urban agriculture.

Next Steps…

Key: The pace and the breadth of what happens next is dependent upon financial and time commitments made by interested parties such as yourselves.

SO…

Join us April 3 for the Iowa Local Food Summit where we will develop a strategic plan together to move local food system development in Iowa forward. Registration information out soon…

Questions…..

Any questions or comments?

Thank You for This Opportunity!Craig A. Chase

Leopold Center for Sustainable AgricultureMarketing and Food System Initiative Program Leader

Iowa State University Extension and OutreachLocal Food and Farm Program Coordinator

Local Food Systems and Alternative Enterprise Analysis209B Curtiss HallAmes, IA 50014(515) 294-1854

[email protected]

Documents

Local Food Systems and the Local Food and Farm Program