Johnson County Food Policy Council
SWOT Analysis - Local Food in Johnson County
DRAFT updated June 16, 2012
Compiled by: Laura Dowd, Local Foods Connection
Table of Contents
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Attachments
pg 2-7
pg 8
pg 9-12
pg 13
pg 14
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 1 of
18
Strengths
Distributors
 UNFI, United Natural Foods
-Purchases food from Farmers Hen House, Kalona Supernatural Organics
Documents
 Crossroads Resource Center, Ken Meter
Iowa Valley Region Local Farm & Food Economy
http://www.crcworks.org/?submit=fffc
 Food Access & Health Working Group:
Cultivating Resilience: A Food System Blueprint that Advances the Health of Iowans, Farms and
Communities
http://www.iowafoodsystemscouncil.org/food-access-health/
 Iowa Corridor Food & Agriculture Coalition
A Healthy Seasonal Local Food System Plan
http://www.farmlandinfo.org/farmland_preservation_literature/index.cfm?function=article_view&articleI
D=39000
 Iowa State University - Johnson County Extension
A. Yard and Garden Publications
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/ProductArea.aspx?TopicID=10
B. Poverty & Food Needs - Johnson County Iowa
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/hunger/existingdata.htm
C. Food Insecurity in Iowa
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/ProductList.aspx?Keyword=insecurity
 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture:
A. Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs-and-papers/iowa-local-food-and-farm-plan
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/content/local-food-and-farm-program
B. Johnson County Food System Atlas: Exploring Community Food System
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs-and-papers/2002-09-community-food-systems-johnson
C. Learning about Local: A Resource Guide to Iowa Organizations and Programs Supporting Local and
Regional Food Systems
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs?page=1
D. Credit, Crop Insurance and Sustainable Agriculture in Iowa
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/09-19-2011/sustainable-farming-perceptions
E. Local Foods in Iowa: Increased Opportunities for Economic Growth
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs?page=2
F. What Retail Foodservices Should Know When Purchasing Local Produce Directly from Farmers
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs?page=3
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 2 of
18
Strengths
G. What Producers Should Know About Selling to Local Foodservice Markets
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs?page=4
H. Is Local Food More Expensive? A Consumer Price Perspective on Local and Non-local Foods
Purchased in Iowa
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/12-14-2009/leopold-center-study-compares-local-non-local-foodprices
 Local Foods Connection
Top Barriers to Local Food Access for Low-Income Individuals
http://www.localfoodsconnection.org/faq/
Under Question #5
Educational Institutions
 Iowa City Community School District
-see Farm-to-School
-see Compost Happens: school food waste diversion
(see also: Events, Places)
 Iowa State University - Johnson County Extension
A. Master Gardeners
http://www.mastergardener.iastate.edu/
(see also: Events, Opportunities)
B. Pick A Better Snack Nutrition Education Program
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/pickabettersnack/
 University of Iowa
Simply Food
Student Environmental Coalition
Student Garden
see also: Opportunities
Events
 Backyard Abundance Garden Tours
 Farmers Markets
-Coralville
-Iowa City
A. Downtown Association Second Saturdays
B. East Side Iowa City Farmers Market
C. Grantwood Elementary Winters Farmers Market
D. Iowa City Parks & Recreation Chauncey Swan Farmers Market
i. Chef at the Market by ICP&R Farmers Market
E. Sycamore Mall Farmers Market
-Lone Tree
-North Liberty
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 3 of
18
Strengths
 Field to Family Fall Festival
 Hy-Vee Cooking Classes
-Make Your Own Pizza in collaboration with Family Farm
 Iowa City CSA Fair (Local Foods Connection & Kurt Friese)
 Iowa City Farm-to-School
A. Growing School Gardens Training Workshop
B. School Farmer Fairs
C. Cooking & Nutrition Classes
D. School Produce Booth during Kids Day at the Iowa City Farmers Market (Sept 2012)
 Iowa State University - Johnson County Extension
A. Summer Webinar Series “Garden Goodness”
http://www.mastergardener.iastate.edu/info/summerwebinar2012.html
B. Preserve the Taste of Summer Program
http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/preservation/home.html
 Iowa Valley RC&D Workshop and Classes
 New Pioneer
A. Cooking Classes
B. Gardening Classes
 Practical Farmers of Iowa
-Field Days (Johnson County overlap)
http://www.practicalfarmers.org/events/field-days.html
-Farminars
http://www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar/
 SoilMates
A. Commercial Organics Collection for Composting Workshop (June 24, 2012)
B. K-12 Classes: Gardening 101, Let’s Grow It Here, and Where the Soil Meets the Root
C. Soil Pioneers Partnership with United Action for Youth Community Youth Leadership Program.
Farms and Farmers
Agricultural land in general
Beuter Farm
Fae Ridge Farm
Honey Creek Acres
Gooseberry Hill Farm
Pavelka’s Point Meats
Salt Fork Farms
Wilson’s Apple Orchard
Family Farm
Hotz Produce
Jordan Creek Bison Farm
Plum Grove Historic Farm (Iowa City)
The Golden Egg?
ZJ Farm
Local Foods Connection
Cedar Ridge Vineyards
Friendly Farm
Hue Hill Farm
Kessler Farm (?still exits)
Pure Prairie Gardens
Wild Woods Farm
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 4 of
18
Strengths
Food Businesses
Community Supported Agriculture, in general
Local Burrito
Rosie’s Best
Non Profit Organizations
 Backyard Abundance
(see also: Events)
 Crossroads Resource Center
http://www.crcworks.org
 Farm Bureau of Johnson County
 Field to Family
(see also: Events, Publications)
 Iowa Farmers Union
 Iowa Valley RC&D
(see also: Events, Documents)
 Local Foods Connection
(see also: Events, Documents, Publications)
 Practical Farmers of Iowa
(see also: Events, Services)
 Proteus: Job Training, Health Care, Assistance
http://www.proteusinc.net/
 Regional Food System Working Group
 SoilMates
(see also: Events)
 Table to Table
-Farmers market gleaning
 Women, Food & Agriculture Network
 Government Organizations
A. Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center
-Compost, mulch
-Rain barrels, compost bins
B. Iowa Department of Natural Resources
I. HUSH (Help Us Stop Hunger): donation of deer meat
~Tiffin Meat Locker
~Ruzicka’s Meat Processing
II. Wild Edibles Hunt at Kent Park
C. JC Food Policy Council
D. Johnson County Social Services, ‘Youth Empowered to Serve’ Program
-Provides Job Training Skills
-Dirty Face Creek Farm, site location this summer (2012)
E. JC Soil & Water Conservation District
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 5 of
18
Strengths
 Johnson County overlap with these organizations
A. Food Access & Health Working Group (see also: Documents)
B. Food and Water Watch
C. Iowa Food Systems Council (see also: Documents)
D. Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (see also: Documents)
 Hunger Relief
A. Johnson County Crisis Center Food Bank
B. North Liberty Food Pantry
Places
 Community Gardens - Iowa City
A. Iowa City Parks & Recreation
-Children’s Discovery Garden
-Wetherby Park
~Community Garden
~Edible Forest Maze
B. Miller Orchard
C. New Pi Earth Source Garden
 F.W. Kent Park
Lake for fishing
. Iowa City Community School District School Gardens
City High: in planning stages
Coralville Central Elementary
Grantwood Elementary: garden at
Fairmeadows Park
Garner Elementary
Northwest Junior High
Penn Elementary: garden at North Liberty Recreation
Center & Greenhouse Project
Tate High
Hills Elementary
Kirkwood Elementary
Twain: they won’t have a garden until Spring 2012, but
they are part of the USDA Peoples Garden Initiative, a
research project that ISU Ext. is coordinating
West High
Roosevelt Elementary: will close this year
Lemme Elementary
Mann Elementary
Shimek Elementary
Weber Elementary
 Other School Gardens
-Willowwind School
Publications
 Edible Iowa River Valley Magazine
 Field to Family
-Buy Fresh, Buy Local (yearly)
 Local Foods Connection
-Guide to CSAs that Serve Iowa City and Cedar Rapids (yearly)
 Radish Magazine
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 6 of
18
Strengths
Restaurants and Chefs
 Iowa City
Atlas
Burt, Chef Dave
Chef’s Table
Devotay
El Banditos
Givannis
Her Kitchen
Leaf Kitchen
Motley Cow Café
Oasis Falafel
One Twenty Six & Hearth
Share
Tulip Blossom
Wedge
Vesta
Java House Salad Bar
 Mt. Vernon
Lincoln Café
 Oxford
Augusta
Services
Practical Farmers of Iowa
-Find a Farmer, Find a Farm
http://www.practicalfarmers.org/findafarmer/
Stores
Iowa City
-Bread Garden (see also: Opportunities)
-New Pioneer (see also: Events, Places)
-Hy Vee (see also: Events, Opportunities)
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 7 of
18
Weaknesses
Educational Institutions
 Lack of consumer knowledge of food processing
Events
 Farms & Farmers Market
A. Public transportation directly to farmers markets
Farms & Farmers
 Access to Land
-Availability of land
-Cost of land
Food Businesses
 Lack of meat processing facilities for small-to-medium sized farms
Nonprofit Organizations
 Government Organizations
- Johnson County
A. The difficult relationship between Johnson County Planning and Zoning and some farmers.
B. Time, expense and difficulty in applying for special event and conditional use permits. (relating to
agriculture)
C. Definition of a farm in ordinances and policies does not encompass the new types of farms,
including, small, specialty, organic, and customer driven (direct sales to customers)
D. Zoning and restrictions on alternative living situations, such as building structures.
Places
 Lack of community space for CSA farmers to distribute food. Refrigeration necessary.
 Lack of community kitchen
 Lack of community certified kitchen
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 8 of
18
Opportunities
Distributors
 Hawkeye Foods/Local Harvest Supply
-Could reevaluate/restart Local Harvest Supply
 Iowa Valley Food Co-op
-Could take wholesale orders
 United Natural Foods Inc. / UNFI
-Could purchase more local food
Educational Institutions
 Farm-to-Preschool: newly formed national school program
-County could provide funding and publicity
 Iowa City Community School District
-Healthy Kids Community Care Clinic has Nutrition Programming as part of its strategic plan. Local food
might be able to be incorporated
 Clear Creek-Amana School District
 Highland Community School
 Lone Tree School District
 Solon School District
School Districts as a whole:
-Could purchase more local food
-Examine possibility of school kitchens being used a community kitchens
-Have more schools equipped with kitchens for making meals for children
-Incorporate more food, agriculture and nutrition with existing Core Curriculum
-Produce food at school gardens that can be used for school lunches and snacks
 Iowa State University - Johnson County Extension
-Could offer more canning classes at local office
-Johnson County could partner with Johnson County 4-H
-teach 4H participants about local food systems and economies
-4H participants could teach other youth about gardening
-Create categories for exhibits at the 4-H fair that promote and reward fresh, seasonal food (Currently, only
cupcakes, biscuits, breads, cookies, etc.. are allowed at the Johnson County and state levels).
 University of Iowa
-Could purchase more local food
-Johnson County could apply for volunteers and interns for local food projects
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 9 of
18
Opportunities
Events
 Johnson County Fair
-Opportunities to promote local food
 Farmers Market
-Increase farmer acceptance of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer), WIC coupons (Women, Infant, Children),
and Senior Coupons.
-Increase user redemption of EBT, WIC and Senior.
 Summer of the Arts Eco-Education
-Opportunities to promote local food
Farms & Farmers
 Johnson County Poor Farm
-Could donate land for growing local food
Nonprofit Organizations
 1105 Gilbert Court Project
-Could make certified kitchen available for community use
 Americorps: VITSA, NCCC, FoodCorps
-Johnson County could apply for worker
 Blue Zones Wellness Community Initiative
-http://www.iowacityarea.com/News/Detail/Iowa_City_Area_Blue_Zones_Project.aspx
-Rebecca Neades (Chamber) and Hodge Carter (Mercy of Iowa City)
-Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty area with a potential for all of Johnson County
-Partnership on local food and/or gardening project
 Iowa Valley Coop
-Could open a Johnson County branch
 Proteus: Job Training, Health Care, Assistance
http://www.proteusinc.net/
-County could promote to small farmers
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 10 of
18
Opportunities
 Hunger Relief
A. Agape Café, Free Lunch, Share Iowa
-Could purchase/use local food
 Government Organizations
A. Iowa Public Health Association
http://www.iowapha.org/
-Dissemination of Information
-Potential partner on projects
B. Johnson County
-Could implement local food purchasing policies and practices for its institutions
Examples of articles on topic:
“Local Food for Local Government” by Change Lab Solutions
http://changelabsolutions.org/publications/local-food-local-government
Multiple articles at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) website
http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/foodstandards.html
-Could implement methods for promoting rural and urban businesses to build regional demand for locally
produced foods and food products
~cover the production and printing costs of the Guide to CSAs that Serve Iowa City & Cedar Rapids
(approx. $1,000)
~increase the scope of the Guide to CSAs to include other types of farms (increase cost by $200-$500)
~cover the event costs for the Iowa City CSA fair (approx. $100-$200)
~increase the scope of the Iowa City CSA fair to include other types of farms
-Could update local land use policies and rules related to local food production and distribution (for small,
alternative, organic farms)
In Attachments, see letter written to Johnson County Planning & Zoning from Local Foods Connection,
dated December 17, 2010.
-Administrative offices could recognize some of the main differences between how large, industrial
agriculture farms are run and small, sustainable farms.
~Sustainable farmers need to live where they work because of the labor-intensive nature of this type of
farming. This is one of the reasons that small farms need different types of regulations.
C. Johnson County Obesity Task Force (in process of changing name)
-Place to disseminate information about local food activities
-Potential partner in local food projects
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 11 of
18
Opportunities
Stores
 Iowa City
A. Bread Garden
-Could purchase more local food
-Could donate more to local food causes
-Could implement a sales system at the register that recognizes local food purchases
B. Hy-Vee
-Could purchase more local food
-Could donate more to local food causes
-Could implement a sales system at the register that recognizes local food purchases
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 12 of
18
Threats
These are not necessarily specific to/isolated in Johnson County, Iowa
Educational Institutions
 Lack of education about local food
-people looking for careers
Farms & Farmers
 Urban sprawl onto farmland
 Pesticide application drift from pesticide users onto land that is managed organically
 Soil Erosion
 Percentage of farmers retiring
 Availability of Insurance
-Crop for fruit and vegetable crops
-Medical for farmers and farm workers
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 13 of
18
Attachments
Local Foods Connection
PO Box 2821
Iowa City, IA 52244
www.localfoodsconnection.org
localfoodsconnection@yahoo.com
(319) 338-2010
Johnson County Planning and Zoning Commission
Johnson County Board of Supervisors
913 S Dubuque Street, Suite 204
Iowa City, IA 52240
December 17, 2010
Dear Rick Dvorak,
Thank you for meeting with Rebecca Raab and me this summer to discuss our interest in amending the 2008 Johnson
County Land Use Plan to incorporate language that recognizes the importance of local food to county farmers and the
local economy. We appreciate your willingness to listen to our concerns and to be receptive to our ideas. While
conducting research for our action plan, we were pleased to discover that, in its 2009 Annual Report, the Johnson County
Planning and Zoning Department stated that it wished to become “…more actively involved in the local food initiative.” To
assist your office in becoming more involved and to meet our goals, we decided to offer Johnson County suggestions for
wording that can be incorporated into its planning documents. The suggested wording would show support for sustainable
and value-added agricultural initiatives.
Several other counties in Iowa have taken similar measures. Woodbury County has taken a comprehensive approach
requiring all county departments to purchase local foods for their facilities, providing conversion loans to farmers, creating
a regional trademark system and more. Story County has created a Local Food Systems Planning Division within its
Planning and Zoning Department and drafted a local food planning strategic action plan in September 2010. Finally, Linn
County has integrated statements supporting sustainable agriculture and value-added agricultural initiatives into its 2000
Rural Land Use Plan.
Below are statements taken from the Linn County Rural Land Use Plan that could easily be inserted into the
following sections and adapted to fit Johnson County’s land use needs:
1) From Linn County’s 2000 Rural Land Use Plan, Chapter 3, Goal 1.5, “Support sustainable farming and
value-added agricultural initiatives” to be inserted into the Johnson County 2008 Land Use Plan,
Section 3.1 as new Item 1.4.
2) From Linn County’s 2000 Rural Land Use Plan, Chapter 4, Policy 1.10, “Encourage locally grown farm
products by allowing activities such as farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick operations, tree farms,
agri-tourism and similar activities” to be inserted into the Johnson County 2008 Land Use Plan, Section
4, Agricultural/Rural Strategies as new Item 5.
Inclusion of such statements in Johnson County planning documents could encourage an interpretation of
codes friendly to local food activities and small farm operations. Furthermore, by taking these steps, the
Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department can demonstrate to the county its awareness of current
trends in agriculture and economic development.
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 14 of
18
Letter to Planning & Zoning continued
We are excited to invite the Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department to take these initial steps and to
join our community’s active local food network. In case you are interested in studying these issues further or
developing a more intensive local food action plan, we have included with this letter more information.
Appendix A: A summary of additional local food policies from other counties in Iowa
Appendix B: Regional-National local food legislation and planning documents
If you have any questions or comments regarding this letter, or about local foods in general, please feel free to
contact our organization. We will contact you early next year to get your feedback on our proposal.
Sincerely,
Laura Dowd, Founding Director
Local Foods Connection
Susan Jutz, Owner and Operator
ZJ Farm, Solon
Jason Grimm, Food System Planner
Iowa Valley RC&D
Janette Ryan-Busch
Fae Ridge Farm, Iowa City
Kim Friese
General Manager, Devotay
Manager Editor, Edible Iowa River Valley
Kurt Friese
Publisher, Edible Iowa River Valley
Iowa Food Systems Council Board of Directors
Scott Koepke, Grocery Manager
New Pioneer Food Co-op
Slow Food Iowa City
cc: Johnson County Board of Supervisors, 913 South Dubuque Street, #201, Iowa City, IA 52240
Local Foods Connection
Letter to Johnson County Planning and Zoning Department
Page 15 of
18
Page 16 of 18
APPENDIX A
Examples of County Policies Supporting Sustainable and Value-Added Agricultural Practices in Iowa
Woodbury County and the City of Sioux City, IA
www.woodburyorganics.com
April 29, 2008 – “Sioux City Sue Local Foods Network Program” designed to facilitate the sale of locally produced
food in regional restaurants, hospitals, schools, and other food service establishments.
October 1, 2007 – “The Organic Market Project,” a public-private initiative, promotes the area as the Midwest leader in
organic food production and processing.
July 3, 2007 – “Sioux City Sue” logo was adopted and made available to any producer who resides within 100-miles of
Sioux City and complies with the terms of the license.
June 1, 2006 – “Local Food Purchase Policy” Woodbury County shall purchase, by or through its food service
contractor, locally-produced organic food when a county dept. serves food in the usual course of business.
June 28, 2005 – Woodbury County adopted its “Organics Conversion Policy” that provides a 100% rebate of all real
property taxes for 5 years for those farmers converting from conventional to organic farming practices. Education support
for new organic farmers is provided by local colleges and non-profits such as Midwest Organic Sustainable Education
Service, the Organic Trade Association and the USDA.
Many cities, such as the City of Danbury, will contribute a buildable unimproved lot within city limits for new organic
farmers.
The county hosts an Organic Growers Conference each November.
Regional Hy-Vee stores and Whole Foods in Omaha have made a commitment to stock local organic produce.
A non-official centralized broker, the Firehouse Market, helps streamline distribution of local foods and ensures that
foods receive the Sioux City Sue trademark. This also helps farmers get the best price for their products from a wide
variety of purchasers including large supermarkets and restaurants.
Story County, IA
http://www.storycounty.com
Story County Local Food Systems Initiative
Since the beginning of 2008, the Story County Planning and Zoning Dept. has been working on a multi-phased project to
develop a local foods systems planning initiative at the county government level. Departmental tasks include creating a
foodshed of the region with mapping of area food producers, retailers, wholesalers and supporters of the greater Story
County food system as well as identifying gaps in the foodshed requiring further investigation.
September 21, 2010 – The Story County Board of Supervisors adopted “Local Food and Farms: Growing Story
County,” which is an action plan for supporting the county local food system.
Oct 7, 2008 – Story County Board of Supervisors adopt Resolution #09-16 which created:
- a “Grow Story County” steering committee and
- a Local Food Systems Planning dept. within the county Planning and Zoning dept.
The resolution states that “[c]ounty governments have a role to play in helping the local food system as well as
addressing the issues of the food system at a local level.”
September 2008 – The County Planning and Zoning Dept. published a report entitled “The Story County Local Food
System - Issues and Opportunities”
Linn County, IA
www.linncounty.org
Linn County has integrated policies and strategies supportive of a variety of sustainable and value-added agricultural
initiatives into its Rural Land Use Plan as stated in the enclosed letter.
Polk County, IA
http://www.polkcountyiowa.gov
updated June 5, 2012
Page 17 of 18
Polk County has integrated policies and strategies supportive of the area local food initiative into its Comprehensive Plan
entitled “The Polk 2030 Plan.” According to the plan the “…proximity of high-quality agricultural areas to the urban
core…provides…opportunities for direct marketing to consumers and the food service industry. Direct marketing to
consumers could occur through farmer’s markets, community supported agriculture, sale of products at point of
production, and farm tourism such as wineries, corn mazes, and seasonal sales. Access to the food service industry
could include marketing of locally-grown foods in local stores and sales to local restaurants.” (pp 6-3) This belief is
reflected in the “Economic Growth and Agriculture Goal: Policy 1 - Value-Added Economic Development”. (pp 6-8)
Scott County, IA
http://www.scottcountyiowa.com
In its“Strategic Plan 2010-2015-2025,” the Scott County Board of Supervisors and County Administrator expressed their
support for sustainable initiatives within their county. Goal 6 of the plan expresses the desire for “national and regional
recognition as a leader in ‘green’ and ‘sustainability’.” (p 12) Among other things, the county will draft a Sustainability
Plan.
The Scott County “Go Green Team” steering committee consists of 21 county and state officials. The committee
focuses on broadening departmental and public awareness of sustainability in a variety of ways.
Sioux County, IA
http://www.siouxcounty.org
As stated in the Sioux County 2007 Comprehensive Plan, “Sioux County has taken extensive measures to create an
environment that is friendly and inviting for value-added agricultural enterprises.”
updated June 5, 2012
Page 18 of 18
Appendix B
Local Food Legislation and Planning Documents
Iowa
1. Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan
www.leopold.iastate.edu/foodandfarmplan.html
The Iowa legislature passed an amendment this past session requesting that the Leopold Center develop and submit a
Food and Farm Plan complete with recommendations to create a more robust local and regional food and farm economy
in the state. This Plan will be submitted to the general assembly by January 10, 2011 and will become available to the
public on the Leopold Center website at the time.
2. Iowa State University Research
Alan Vandehaar and Gary Taylor of Iowa State University are working on a Leopold Center project “to engage
community planners and local elected officials with local food system producers to integrate local food systems into
community plans and policies”.
In an email invitation to stakeholders they said, “As planners we are interested in learning what cities and counties can
do to better support and encourage local food systems through their plans, policies, and regulations.”
“This is important because the interest in developing local food systems (LFS) around Iowa and the U.S. is rapidly
growing both as an economic development strategy and as a means to improve local health with greater access to locally
grown fresh food. The attractiveness of local foods is that food grown, processed, and sold locally is better for Iowa
communities, consumers, farmers, and the environment. According to the USDA direct consumer food marketing
doubled from 1997 to over $1 billion in 2007. The development of more LFS can benefit both urban and rural areas of our
state.”
The recommendations from this project will be made available in Spring 2011.
State Specific
1. Missoula (Montana) Community Food & Agriculture Coalition
The Community Food & Agriculture Coalition is a multi-stakeholder coalition that addresses community needs related to
food and agriculture in a comprehensive and creative way. The group aims to develop and strengthen Missoula County’s
food system, promoting sustainable agriculture, building regional self-reliance, and assuring all citizens equal access to
healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food.
Among their accomplishments include:
* Provided written comment and testimony on 25 subdivision proposals regarding their impacts to agriculture in 2008
and 2009. Twelve of their members were involved in the process. As a result:
o One subdivision was outright rejected. Four were required to permanently protect farmland, conserving over 250
acres in total. Two others were re-designed to include community gardens.
o Developers are contacting CFAC early in the design phase to discuss ways to minimize their impacts to
agriculture.
National
1. American Planning Association (APA)
Policy Guide on Community and Regional Food Planning
http://www.planning.org/policy/guides/adopted/food.htm
How planning operates to balance the need for an efficient food system with the goals of economic vitality, public health,
ecological sustainability, social equity, and cultural diversity will present a formidable challenge to planners who engage
in community and regional food planning, and in planning for various community sectors such as transportation,
economic development and the environment.
updated June 5, 2012