Listen to Growing for Good – A mini audio series about Grow: Johnson County

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

FOOD SYSTEMS

Making our food system stronger through diversification, collaboration, and education.

We work to build networks, create resources, facilitate effective connections, and address gaps in service.

A food system includes production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management. Much like a watershed, it exists whether or not people are aware of it and it doesn’t fit into neat political districts. Our team works to help the social, environmental, and economic features of our food systems to be more equitable, more local, and more sustainable.

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Grow: Johnson County

Grow: Johnson County is a community-focused educational farm program based out of Iowa City, IA, designed to improve healthy food access for our neighbors as well as equip aspiring growers with land-based food production experience. The program utilizes six acres of county-owned land to grow and donate an array of fruits and vegetables highest in demand at local food pantries and provide hands-on food production opportunities for community members of all ages and abilities. Since 2017, Grow has provided over 160,000 pounds of food to our 16 local partner agencies. LEARN MORE
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Pounds Grown and Donated
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Volunteer Hours Contributed
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Partner Agencies
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Clean Start Food Safety Program

Clean Start is a free food safety coaching opportunity made possible through a USDA Food Safety Outreach Program grant. The program goal is to improve on-farm knowledge and capacity of beginning farmers to implement food safety best practices on their farm.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAN START

SEE PACK SHED HANDBOOK

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Choose Local

Choose Local is a marketing campaign that connects Iowa consumers with Iowa farmers and producers, and empowers Iowans to choose local food.

The Choose Local campaign includes seven short videos (3-5 minutes) that focus on the most common methods of accessing local food and specialty crops in Iowa. LEARN MORE

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Iowa Food Hub Managers Working Group

The Food Hub Managers Working brings actively engaged food hub managers together in quarterly meetings, addresses current operating and start‐up challenges and emerging needs for food hub businesses and determines the long term role of a statewide food hub manager’s network in leveraging new funds, creating new opportunities and new partners, and supporting the sustainability of food hubs in Iowa.

LEARN MORE ABOUT A RECENT COLLABORATION

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FarmTabs

FarmTabs is a software developed by the Iowa Valley RC&D team to enable small and mid-sized farmers to manage records to meet GAP audit and other food safety requirements. FarmTabs is free software developed by experts in the area of food safety, agricultural supply chains, process improvement and software development. FarmTabs is publicly available under a Creative Commons License. LEARN MORE
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Corridor Food Asset Map

The Corridor Food Asset Map will focus on the communities in Linn and Johnson County. Do you like to grow, cook, or eat food? BUT you also feel like you lack access to land, kitchen space, or food itself? We want to hear from you 

LEARN MORE

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Iowa Farmers Market Manager Toolkit

The Iowa Farmers Market Manager Toolkit is a series of vendor handouts, the Iowa Farmers Market Manager Handbook, and the Lettuce Grow Online Training series. This Toolkit is meant to complement the existing booklet published by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and resources provided by the Iowa Farmers Market Association. It was created in partnership with Northeast Iowa RC&D with support from Iowa’s market managers and vendors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TRAININGS HERE.

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Come to the Table

A speed dating event for producers and buyers. Farmers, bakers, and butchers sit down with grocers, restaurant chefs, school food directors, hospital directors, university kitchens, and distributors to talk about business opportunities.
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Beginning Farmer Training

Training offered throughout the year on farm safety, food safety, state and federal regulations, crop planning, and specialized skills. We work together with local and state partners.
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Iowa Kitchen Connect

A statewide initiative to inspire a new food entrepreneur culture in Iowa. Through comprehensive outreach to regulators, buyers, educators, and technical assistance providers, the project empowers and informs start-up food businesses.

LEARN MORE