Plan Overview

Sub-topicTacticsTags
Needs state appropriation1.1. Hire Local Food & Farm state coordinator
1.2. Provide 2-year support for Iowa Farm-to-School Program
Good Food Governance;
Leadership/Staffing;
Regional Collaboration; Funding & Investment Strategies
Sub-topicTacticsTags
State-level local food program fund and advisory board2.1. Appoint Local Food & Farm Program advisory board
2.2. Set up voluntary funding mechanism for Local Food & Farm Program (to fund coordinator after year 1)
2.3. Annual local food and farm report
Good Food Governance;
Leadership/Staffing;
Regional Collaboration;
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning;
Funding & Investment Strategies
Sub-topicTacticsTags
Business development and financial assistance3.1. Implement 4-6 local food business projects across the state
3.2. Extend Iowa Small Business Loan Program Fund
3.3. Recruit women & minorities for local food small business program
3.4. Offer local food business development program for bankers
Good/Local Food Economies;
Regional Coordination;
Small Business Support;
Local brand promotion;
Equity & Justice
Processing3.5. Offer local food processing educational program for farmers, entrepreneurs
3.6. Pilot small meat processing facility investment credit program
3.7. Reclassify small meat plants as industrial property
3.8. Pilot meat-cutting education and mentoring program for small businesses
3.9. Expand education and training for small meat processors
Supply Chain Infrastructure;
Food Processing;
Good/Local Food Economies;
Small Business Support;
Workforce Development;
Training & Education
Food safety3.10. Set up task force to review state laws and regulations on local foods
3.11. Offer recurring Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) educational training
3.12. Pilot food safety audit cost-share program for farms selling wholesale to larger volume buyers
3.13. Increase outreach about Iowa food regulations
3.14. Add local food producer to Iowa Food Safety Task Force
3.15. Train educators working with local food producers about food safety
Good Food Governance;
Leadership/Staffing;
Food System Coordination;
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning;
Food Safety;
Agriculture & Food Production;
Farm & Producer Business Support;
Training & Education, Agriculture
Beginning, minority, transitioning farmers3.16. Develop programs for beginning farmers and food entrepreneurs with outreach to minority populations
3.17. Business training program for food brokers and supply aggregators
3.18. Business training program for recruiting, managing and optimizing labor for small food operations
3.19. Create sample contracts/production agreements for local food sales
Agriculture & Food Production;
Farm & Producer Business Support;
Young, Beginning, and Small (YBS) Farmers;
Supply Chain Infrastructure;
Good/Local Food Economies;
Small Business Support;
Local brand promotion;
Equity & Justice
Assessing progress3.20. Set up subcommittee to oversee data collection and track growth of local food businesses
3.21. Track state agency purchases of Iowa grown foods
3.22. Survey producers of edible horticultural food crops
3.23. Survey producers about labor skills needed for fruit/vegetable production, processing
3.24. Survey capacity of food production and aggregation centers for distribution, storage and processing
3.25. List sources of technical assistance for local food businesses
3.26. Increase outreach for local food producer liability insurance options
Good Food Governance;
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning;
Research & Innovation;
Food System Coordination;
Good/Local Food Economies;
Regional Coordination;
Small Business Support;
Local brand promotion
Local food incentives3.27. One-year pilot program to reimburse five K-12 school districts that serve Iowa produce
3.28. One-year pilot program to reimburse five health care facilities that serve Iowa produce
3.29. Add local foods component to Iowa Great Places program
Good/Local Food Economies;
Public procurement;
Local brand promotion;
Good Food Governance;
Funding & Investment Strategies

Plan Information

CategoryDatabase entry
Plan RegionIowa
Publication Date2011
Entry reviewed by original authorNo
PDF attachmentView Full Report
Plan TitleIowa Local Food & Farm Plan
WebpageIowa State University Extension and Outreach Website (Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development)
AuthorsLeopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, mandated and sponsored by the Iowa legislature
Author Type University
Region Type State
Funding Sources Iowa State Legislature
FundersIowa State Legislature
Total Project BudgetUnspecified
Plan GoalsAccording to the legislative mandate, to offer “policy and funding recommendations for supporting and expanding local food systems and for assessing and overcoming obstacles necessary to increase locally grown food production” (5). This plan is part of the larger Local Food and Farm Initiative (LFFI), the goals of which are to: 
“1. Promote the expansion of the production of local foods, including the production, processing, distribution and marketing of Iowa products. 2. Increase consumer and institutional spending on Iowa-produced and marketed foods.3. Increase the profitability of farmers and businesses engaged in enterprises related to producing, processing, distributing and marketing local food.4. Increase the number of jobs in this state’s farm and business economies associated with producing, processing, distributing and marketing local food.”
(Via https://www.extension.iastate.edu/ffed/local-food-and-farm-initiative-lffi-reports/)
Intended AudienceGovernment (Iowa state legislature)
Plan Recommendation StructureRecommendations across three type-based sections (1. for state appropriations; 2. to create a Local Foodand Farm Advisory Board and a LocalFood and Farm Program Fund; and 3. for operation ofthe Plan). Each recommendation includes a description, justification, and funding strategies, and is categorized as either “short-term” or “long-term.” 
Catalyst for PlanThe Iowa legislature passed an amendment in 2010 mandating that the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University develop a Local Food and Farm Plan for the state of Iowa (9). 
Creation ProcessOutreach and input from 1,000+ individuals via working sessions, workshops, listening sessions, one-on-one visits, and surveys. Using this input, an initial draft was written. This draft was distributed to representatives from 21 relevant state agencies, institutions, and organizations for review. Feedback was provided via one-on-one meetings and integrated into the final draft of the plan. 
The complete methodology is laid out in detail on pages 40-44 of the plan itself. 
Theoretical Framework  Unspecified
Theoretical Framework: LiteratureUnspecified
Development Timeline1 year
Implementation StrategyThe Local Food and Farm Program, under the Local Food and Farm Initiative (LFFI), part of ISU, is responsible for oversight and coordination of the plan’s recommendations. At the outset of the program (2012), The Local Food and Farm Program State Coordinator, along with a Local Food and Farm Program Team of six food system section leaders, was responsible for this work. (Detailed in the 2012 preliminary report: https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/de20617d-07e0-4cd7-a5be-aa527ddb93e9/content) 
Implementation TimelineUnspecified
Evaluation StrategyRecommendations 3.20-3.26 of the plan focus on assessing progress via data collection and infrastructure. 
Each year, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at ISU reports to the legislature on the Local Food and Farm Program. Annual reports, up to 2020, are available at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/ffed/local-food-and-farm-initiative-lffi-reports/  
Current Plan StatusUpdate in progress
Government Adoption StatusUnknown
Government Adoption Status (Notes)N/A
Supplemental Documents (to be attached within the AirTable)View Supplemental Documents