Sioux City Journal, IA
09-13-06
Organic grocery chain to buy locally produced food
By Nick Hytrek, Journal staff writer
Rob Marqusee likens his dream of Woodbury County becoming a model of
organic food production to a puzzle.
Several of the puzzle's pieces have fallen into place, he said Tuesday.
Among the developments were a national grocery chain announcing its desire to
buy locally grown organic and natural food, a new educational offering for
farmers interested in organic production and an organic growers conference that
will feature national experts.
The recent developments could enhance and enable the county's policies to
encourage organic production to take root.
"The buyers are there, the sellers are there, the incentives are there, the land is
there," said Marqusee, Woodbury County's rural economic development director.
On Tuesday, Whole Foods Market in Omaha announced its intention to buy
organic food produced in Woodbury County and the area to sell in its Omaha
grocery store.
"I don't think there's a limit to what we'll buy. Whatever you can provide, we'll do
our best to buy," said Tom Marciniak, Whole Foods Market's Omaha store team
leader.
The grocer is especially interested in fruits and vegetables that it can sell in its
produce section or use to make meals in its deli, Marciniak said. The store also
will consider locally processed items that could end up being distributed
throughout the grocery chain's 185 stores in North America and the United
Kingdom.
Whole Foods' announcement is a boost to local farmers who currently grow
organic foods or are considering the transition.
"This provides an outlet for our products," Woodbury County Board of
Supervisors member George Boykin said.
The announcement should ease concerns some farmers considering organic
farming have about not having enough places to sell their products. Marqusee
said he hoped that the announcement will lead to more organic production in
Woodbury County.
To spur production, Marqusee has sent letters to all owners of Woodbury County
farmland that is currently sitting idle under the federal Conservation Reserve
Program. With most of that land set to come out of the program in the next five
years, Marqusee said much of it would be eligible for organic certification.
"They have an opportunity. Most of these people have not sprayed (the land)
since it went into the CRP," Marqusee said.
With the county willing to give property tax rebates to farmers converting land to
organic farming, CRP landowners will at least have another farming option to
consider, Marqusee said.
Marqusee has made no secret of his desire to see organic farming lead to
economic development and the revitalization of small family farms in Woodbury
County. While organic farming isn't "top-down" economic development of having
an industry locate in the area and create 100 jobs, Marqusee said it can provide
a family with a higher income while producing a healthy product. Organic farming
also tends to create localized economies in which food is bought and sold locally.
"The money goes to people and businesses that are already here," Marqusee
said.
Marqusee envisions enough farmers producing organic food that an organic food
processing company will someday locate in the area, thus creating the jobs and
property tax growth many seek from economic development.
Other developments Marqusee touted Tuesday:
-- Whole Foods will be a major sponsor of the county's second annual Organic
Growers Conference in November.
The two-day event will feature several sessions aimed at educating producers on
the ins and outs of organic farming. The highlight will be the appearance of Jerry
Brunetti, a nationally recognized speaker on holistic nutrition and sustainable
agriculture. Marqusee said he expects 400 people to attend the event.
-- The Farm Beginnings Program will be offered to area farmers. The 10-class
program educates growers on organic and sustainable agriculture practices and
assists them in developing business and marketing plans.
The program is offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and
the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Neb., with the cooperation of Iowa State
University, South Dakota State University and Western Iowa Tech Community
College in Sioux City.
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or
nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.