PRESS RELEASE
February 17, 2010
Delegation from Pottawattamie County and North Omaha Attend Training with MacArthur Fellow Will Allen at Growing Power in Milwaukee WI.
Members of the Pottawattamie County Farm to Fork Local Food Policy Council, local food producers, representatives from the City of Council Bluffs, and representatives from communities in North Omaha met with Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI over the past weekend (February 12, 2010).
Growing Power (www.growingpower.org ) is an internationally recognized leader in urban agricultural technologies as well as a leader in developing year-round growing techniques for northern climes. Will Allen is a MacArthur Fellow for his work in these areas (http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4537249/ ).
The 20 person delegation met with Will Allen, his staff, and Milwaukee City Commissioner Rocky Marcoux to discuss ways to bring year round food production to Southwest Iowa in order to increase access to healthy local food in our communities. The delegation toured the urban farm and learned about the system of intensive farming techniques that also include aquaculture, vermicomposting, and livestock production.
The delegation learned about the economic development potential in a project like Growing Power; a self-sustaining facility that employs forty full-time employees earning between thirty and sixty thousand dollars a year. The facility also works with community groups to get vacant land into food production so that people can earn a stable income by growing food for local schools, institutions, restaurants, grocery stores, and personal consumption.
Council Bluffs City Council Member Matt Walsh said that he sees a value in creating a program like the one they visited in Milwaukee for Pottawattamie County and Council Bluffs; saying “locally grown food provides jobs, grows our local economy, and produces healthy food.”
With broad support in both Iowa and Nebraska, the delegation hopes to import the technologies presented at the training for development in the communities of Pottawattamie County, North Omaha, and throughout the two states. Developing a similar project here could provide technical assistance and training opportunities to current and potential local food producers in order to make healthy, local food available year-round in our communities.
Margarite Goodenow, Chairperson of the Pottawattamie County Farm to Fork Local Food Policy Council, felt that the methods used at Growing Power were “a forward thinking technology that if integrated into our local food system would offer many benefits.”
Nebraska State Senator Brenda Council (District 11), after attending the training in Milwaukee said she was “impressed with the operation; and sees opportunities to model a local program on the Growing Power facility to encourage local food production and increase economic opportunity and job growth in her district.”
This training opportunity was made possible by a grant from the Iowa West Foundation, whose generous support for developing community based food systems in Pottawattamie County has helped to create a sustainable local food movement in the county.
For more information please contact Local Food Coordinator Bahia Barry, at Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development: bahia.barryATrcdnet.net, 712-482-3029.
2010 is sure to be a busy and exciting year! SWIFFI, local food councils, and other organizations have scheduled meetings, events, conferences and more.
January 4th: Are you a “local food coordinator” in Iowa? Or is your organizations hiring a local food coordinator soon? The first ever conference call for local food coordinators will offer us the chance to network, share ideas, and inspire greater collaboration throughout the multiple groups, counties, and organizations we work with. Contact us at www.swiffi.org for more information.
January 8th: The Pottawattamie County Local Food Council is hosting their monthly meeting in conjunction with a training opportunity facilitated by Sue Honkamp: Branding 101. Contact the local food coordinator (www.swiffi.org) to reserve a place at this meeting – space is limited.
January 15th: The Cass County Local Food Policy Council is hosting its first meeting of 2010. Contact the local food coordinator (www.swiffi.org) for more information.
January 21st: SWIFFI will be having its first meeting of 2010, the first meeting with new project facilitator: Golden Hills RC&D. Meeting will be held in Pottawattamie County. Please contact us at www.swiffi.org for more information or to reserve your space at this meting. RSVP due by 01-05-2010.
And that’s just January!
We hope to begin work identifying locations for certified community kitchens (local food incubators) in early 2010; please let us know if you want to participate in this process.
Funding streams: many federal, state, foundation, and private grants are announced in January and February; now is the time to identify primary needs in our community based food systems and work together for funding. Please come to a food council or SWIFFI meeting if you have a project idea/need!
Community Gardens are being developed in Council Bluffs. Look for more information soon about the city sponsored garden being developed at 12th ST & Ave B. Garden plots should be available at this location for the 2010 growing season. Please contact the local food coordinator if you would like to reserve a plot, or would like more information. www.swifi.org
Happy Holidays
“Recall that whatever lofty things you might accomplish today, you will do them only because you first ate something that grew out of dirt”— Barbara Kingsolver
If you answer “YES!” to the following questions:
•Has your organization identified its niche? –Do you know what you stand for and are you committed to making it work?
•Do you need to differentiate your organization? –Are there similar organizations in the arena in which you operate?
•Is your organization sending mixed messages? –Are members of your organization sending different messages about what you stand for?
•Are people talking about your organization when you’re out of earshot? –Can you personally answer every question, or will people think they know what your organization stands for and make decisions based on their assumptions?
Then it’s time to BRAND!
Branding Cattle
At the Community Food Security Coalition Conference last month, Scott Allegrucci with Local Burger out of Lawrence, KS used the following analogy about branding:
•Determining when to brand (marketing) is similar to determining when to brand cattle
•It’s time to brand when
–Your cattle are going to graze on the same range as cattle owned by multiple ranches –Your cattle are going to market along with cattle owned by multiple ranches You need to be able to differentiate your cattle!
Each cow needs to have the same message!
By Sue Honkamp Value Chain Partnerships
The Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative group is actively seeking local SW Iowa residents, local food producers, local food retailers, farmers market mangers, and all other food-shed stakeholders to contact the Local Food Coordinator in order to schedule the first SWIFFI meeting in 2010.
There have been many changes and wonderful happenings in Southwest Iowa during the past year and it is time to get back to regular SWIFFI meetings.
2010 will present many unique and profound funding opportunities and having our regional food group in good working order will allow us to seek out and deliver strong regional projects for federal funding!
Meeting Schedule for 2010:
January 21, at Golden Hills RC&D Oakland, Iowa 2PM – 4PM
April 15, location to be determined
July 15, location to be determined
October 21, location to be determined
Fall is the time to start enjoying those nice crisp apples. Did you know apples may help promote weight loss, protect against certain types of cancer, heart disease and memory loss, as well as enhance lung function? According to Barb Fuller, Nutrition and Health Program Specialist with ISU Extension, there is more to this fruit than its juicy, delicious crunch. Apples are among the highest antioxidant containing foods.
A medium apple is less than 100 Calories; it is fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free and an excellent source of fiber. The natural sugar in an apple is slowly released, keeping blood sugar levels steady.
There are over 100 varieties of apples available in a range of colors, freckled and even striped. Some are sweet, some are tart, some are better for baking and some for snacking. All have excellent nutritional benefit.
Selection
Select apples that are shiny, firm to the touch, have a good aroma a free of skin tears and breaks. Handle them gently to avoid bruising.
Storing
Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature so keep them stored in the refrigerator for long life. The will stay crisp for four to six weeks. Store them away from strong smelling foods. More information can be found in PM 1078 “Harvesting and Storing Apples” and PM 1863 “Iowa Grown Apples” contact your county Extension office for copies.
Apple serving suggestions
- Mix ½ cup shredded apples and a dash of cinnamon into pancake batter
- Layer sandwiches with apple slices
- Toss diced apples with mixed greens, blue cheese, and walnuts
- Add chopped apples to chicken or tuna salad
Recipes
Golden Apple Oatmeal
½ diced medium apple
1/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup water
Dash of cinnamon
1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal, uncooked
Combine apples, juice, water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil
Stir in oatmeal, cook one minute. Cover and let stand before serving.
Makes 1 one cup serving
Apple and Cheese Pizza
1 pizza dough (your choice) about 14 inches
3 large apples, thinly sliced
1 cup apple juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoon honey
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
Press dough into a lightly greased 14 inch pizza pan. Cook apples in juice until tender. Drain off juice and save. Place apple slices on dough. Dissolve cornstarch in apple juice, cinnamon, and honey. Cook and stir over medium heat until clear. Spread sauce over apples. Sprinkle on pecans and cheese. Bake 425F for 15 minutes. Serves 10.
Recipes from usapple.org
Barb Fuller, MA, RD, LD
ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Program Specialist
October 10 -13
The 13th Annual Community Food Security Coalition Conference
Des Moines, Iowas
On Saturday at the Food Policy Council Gathering, there will be several representatives from Southwest Iowa, including County Supervisors, Food Council members, and community leaders!
I thought I would post a few motivational tidbits to get folks amped up for the conference:
The primary uses of the corn and soy that we grow in Iowa is: livestock feed, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated vegetable oil.
In Iowa, on average, seven tons of soil per acre is lost due to erosion every year.
Iowans spend more than 8 billion dollars on food each year – more than 90% of it is imported.
Two-thirds of Iowans are either overweight or obese.
Since 1996 there has been more than a 60% increase in the rate of diabetes in Iowa.
Iowa children may have a shorter life span than their parents due to the dramatic rise in obesity and related chronic diseases.
More than 11% of Iowa households do ot have regular access to safe and nutritious food.
Almost 4% of Iowa households experience hunger and very low food security.
The good news is that there is a large and growing group of individuals, foundations, organizations, elected officials, community leaders, and citizen activists working to correct these trends!
More and more people want to eat food that is good, safe, and nutritious. More and more people want to produce food that is also good, safe, and nutritious.
These people are my hero’s! People like Virginia Bechtold who works harder than anyone I know to get good food into the Council Bluffs schools. People like Jens Baake who diligently promotes good food in the Ameristar food service. People like Denise O’Brien who provides priceless support for women in Agriculture. (Did you know that more than 50% of the agricultural land in Iowa is owned by women?) People like Mitch Streit who sells local produce at the Madison Ave. Hy-Vee. And people like Phil & Marilyn Hackett, Elaine Baughman, and Charles & Bernadean Bichel who grow an abundance of diverse foods for us to eat!
These people and many, many more are working to create a stable, accessible, sustainable local food system in Southwest Iowa. There is room for more in our local food system; so raise some food, eat something local and relish the satisfaction that comes from doing such a good deed!
See you in Des Moines!
*all data from: A Vision for “Good Food” for Iowa by Angie Tagtow
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER
The USDA has launched it’s new website in support of local food. Have you read it or looked at it yet?
It is a very nice website, visually appealing and easy to navigate.
However, it leaves me a bit flat. Don’t get me wrong, I am over-the-moon about the USDA’s support of local food systems. The website is a fantastic beginning!
My dream is that eventually we know as much about our locally produced food as we do about internationally traded foods. Have you ever looked the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) website? They can tell you how many pounds of cherries (for example) were imported into the US so far this year, where we bought them, who grew them, cost, market implications etc. etc. etc. I know that in today’s global economy this information is important and relevent.
I would say however, that this kind of information about local, small-scale food production is also important and also relevent.
How do we track this data? Right now in Southwest Iowa we don’t even know who is in the local food system. In other words we don’t know who is producing food, what they are producing, or where they are selling it. Individuals, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and grocery stores are asking for local food – how do we get it to them?
We have three things going for us here, we have land (it doesn’t take much to grow food), we have water that falls from the sky, and we have demand for good food. We know what we need too: we need more people producing local food and we need to know what is available right now.
If you, or someone you know is producing local food, go to www.swiffi.org and fill out the Local Food Producer Questionnaire and submit it to the Local Food Coordinator.
If you, or someone you know is interested in becoming a farmer or a rancher contact the Local Food Producer on the SWIFFI website.
If you, or someone you know has land (as small as a 1/4 acre piece) that they would like to see in food production, please let the Local Food Coordinator know.
We can do amazing things to take control of our food system. If you need a few good reasons why, here is an article to read: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/GoodFoodIowa_0408.pdfB L I C H E A L T H P R I M E R
Have you been to Harrisdale yet?
Harrisdale Homestead is at the end of Dallas Road in Cass County, only a few minutes from Atlantic but it feels a world away! The homestead has been in the Harris family for over 150 years, it is a beautiful home that now serves as a bed & breakfast and a meeting facility.
The B&B is full of original furnishings and beautiful American Arts & Crafts style woodwork. The house itself is surrounded by many acres of pasture, and corn and soy fields; not to mention the pumpkin patch, the herb garden and the edible landscaping that are right out the back door.
I always enjoy the time I spend at Harrisdale; meetings held there somehow feel more productive and lunches made the by the proprietor LaVon Eblen really satisfy! Lately I have been there on Sunday afternoons, enjoying cooking classes that have focused on using local food.
LaVon and the Harris family are strong advocates of local food systems, and they seek to contribute to rural vitality and sustainability by facilitating activities that foster local food and agriculture, cultivate community, and promote democratic participation and leadership.
Other notes:
Tomorrow is the quarterly Regional Food System Working Group meeting; it’s in Madrid this time and is sure to be lively and motivational!
Also coming up in October (10-14) is the Community Food Security Coalition Conference, it’s in Des Moines this year – several folks from the Cass and Pottawattamie County Food Councils will be attending the Saturday Food Council meeting!
It is time to talk about pumpkins!
This is one of my favorite foods and pumpkin season is a happy time in my kitchen; we make pumpkin soup, pumpkin tureen, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin, and pumpkin pasta.
Weather has contrived to make canned pumpkin scarce this year and because of that a lot of people will be using fresh squash (instead of canned) to make some of their traditional holiday foods.
Barb Fuller, ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Program Specialist, has submitted the following to demystify the process and ease our transition from canned to fresh.
Enjoy!
Pumpkin, pumpkin where are you?
The news recently has reported a canned pumpkin shortage for 2009. This seems to be due in part to poor growing conditions in 2008.
So what can you do?
There are pumpkins appearing at farmer’s markets and some road side stands and pumpkin patches. Some varieties are grown for Jack-o’-lanterns but some are grown as “pie pumpkins”. Pumpkins store well at cool temperatures 40 ° to 50°, so buy one now to make your Thanksgiving pies.
So what do you do with it to get ready to make a pie?
Pumpkin can be prepared in three ways. Cut into 1 ½ to 2 inch chunks with the skin on and the seeds removed. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or boil in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. When cool, remove the peel, then puree until smooth. A pumpkin can also be baked. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds for about 40-50 minutes at 350° until tender. Remove peel and puree.
The puree may be frozen to use at a later time or used immediately. Measure and use as you would canned pumpkin.
Winter squash can be cooked in a similar matter and used in place of pumpkin for those pies and autumn desserts.
Both pumpkin and winter squash have the highest source of Vitamin A of all common vegetables. They are also good sources of iron, potassium, and phosphorus.
Barb Fuller, MA, RD, LD
ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Program Specialist
