Food Systems Program Update

Robert Karp

A Project Ends, A Name is Changed, A Program is Born

Three years ago PFI received a grant from USDA for a project we called the “Field to Family Community Food Project,” or “Field to Family Project” for short. The purpose of this Central Iowa project was to explore and demonstrate ways to increase local food production and to address hunger and nutrition issues among low income families. It was an unusual combination and an ambitious project, which has had some great successes. In fact, just recently the USDA sent a consultant to Ames to learn more about our project because we are considered one of their most successful efforts.

Our goal for the Field to Family Project, however, was never to limit its activity to Central Iowa. We always saw ourselves reaching out to work on food systems issues across the state, much as PFI’s on-farm research works statewide. This goal of having a statewide focus has begun to come to realization through several grants that have a broader focus:
• a “Share the Learning” grant from the Vision 2020 project at ISU (described in the Spring 1999 newsletter);
• a USDA SARE Professional Development Program grant (described in the Spring 2000 newsletter);
• a USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program grant (described in the Summer 2000 newsletter);
• a multi-state USDA grant focusing on small farm profitability (described below).

Our work in Central Iowa continues but it is now complemented by a stronger focus across the state. In light of our successes, the PFI board and staff recently decided to make PFI’s Field to Family Project into a full-fledged “program area,” namely the PFI Food Systems Program. And thus we are dropping the name “Field to Family Project,” though we are not dropping our attractive logo!

We realize some of you liked the name Field to Family and so did we. But quite honestly it confused many people. Many reporters mislabeled us as the Field to Farm project. (Other versions included: Friends to Family, Farm and Table…and so on!) And many people also thought we were an organization separate from Practical Farmers of Iowa, rather than a project of PFI

Furthermore, our original USDA grant ended this fall and it seemed like the right time to make a change. Best of all, the change signifies the recognition by the PFI board of the important role food systems work can play in helping sustainable agriculture thrive.

Anyone wanting more information on our current work or wanting to make suggestions for future efforts, please contact our downtown Ames office at 515-232-5649.

New Small Farm Project Begins

PFI learned this fall that a grant proposal to USDA was approved for a project titled the North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability (NCISFP). The NCISFP project is a four-state effort with partners in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Wisconsin. This three-year project will focus on farming practices and value-added processing, marketing and distribution of farm products.

The initiative will develop working relationships among farmers and scientists through the development of community-based producer clusters. These clusters will help identify and apply innovative strategies to enhance the success of small and mid-sized farms, especially those involved in finding and servicing markets for high-value farm products.

PFI will be hiring a part-time program associate to work with producer clusters that are involved in finding and accessing markets for high-value products. PFI staff will also develop four case studies of innovative initiatives that tie small farm profits to marketing high value crop or livestock products. Another component will involve on-farm research on sustainable swine production systems.