FIELD TO FAMILY PROJECT SUMMER 2000 UPDATE

Robert Karp

Marketing Opportunity for PFI Members—Practical Farmers Partners with Local Harvest

Practical Farmers of Iowa has recently become a partner in a new national web site called Local Harvest. Local Harvest is a not-for-profit venture featuring a national database of direct marketing farmers, CSA’s and farmers’ markets. Local Harvest offers unique features for the farmer or market manager. By registering with Local Harvest you can:

Farmers, CSA’s and farmers’ markets can register with Local Harvest for free for one year. After the first year the cost is $20 for PFI members and $40 for non-PFI members. To register with the Local Harvest web site go to www.localharvest.org and follow instructions for farmers.

Selling Direct to Local School Districts – a Farm to School Update

The Field to Family Project of Practical Farmers of Iowa, in conjunction with Iowa State University Extension and the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management at ISU, has been working on a project to explore increasing the use of locally grown foods in local school districts. This fall we will be begin working with the Nevada School District in Story County on a pilot effort which will involve about five or six growers providing fresh fruits and vegetables primarily for the school’s salad bar. Efforts to incorporate this project into school curriculum will also take place.

In addition, a four-page Extension publication has been produced on linking farms and local schools. The publication is targeted to producers who are interested in selling to their local school districts. It provides a wealth of useful information on how school food service operates and recommends approaches that will make such an effort more successful. A web version is available at the following URL: www.exnet.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1853A.pdf. Hard copies are also available at no charge by sending a request to ISU Extension at pubdist@exnet.iastate.edu or by calling 515-294-5247. Hard copy requests should include the publication number (PM-1853a) and a complete mailing address. Feedback or comments on the publication are welcome and can be directed to the PFI’s Field to Family Project office or to the other authors listed at the end of the publication.

Public Television Feature

On July 14th and again on July 16th the PFI Field to Family Project was featured on “Market to Market” a Public Television show produced in Iowa but syndicated to over 30 states around the country. The segment featured interviews with Joe Lynch, Vic Madsen, Gary Huber and Robert Karp. It included information about a variety of projects we are involved in including Magic Beanstalk CSA, the All-Iowa meals, and our hunger work.

New Program Assistant

We have hired a new program assistant on a part-time basis to help with a variety of our projects. Rick Hartmann has a masters degree in plant pathology, has worked as a union organizer and is very involved in the ISU student organic farm. Rick is helping Gary with the All-Iowa meals and is managing our farmers’ market in downtown Ames. It has been great to have Rick on board. There’s an article from Rick on our Downtown Farmers’ Market on page 8.

Brokering Expands

So far in 2000, the local food brokering work of PFI has doubled over 1999 as measured by the number of events. By the end of July last year we had helped source foods for fourteen different events, whereas by the end of this past July the number was twenty-seven. Some of the 2000 events where we helped source local foods for the Governor’s Conference on Environmental Education, the Tri-State Master Gardener’s Conference, and the Ames High Class of 1955 Reunion. Many of the meals are a result of requests from the Leopold Center and the Vision 2020 project at Iowa State.

New Grant Expands Local Direct Marketing to Iowa Institutions