The Extension Connection: 2004 Annual Report Edition

Business partnerships support initiatives

Iowa State University Extension supports many community and business driven initiatives. These partnerships link ISU research-based information and educational resources with the product knowledge, creativity and resources of Iowa-based businesses, fueling Iowa’s economic growth and development.

ServSafe keeps Iowa food service safe
Americans are eating more of their meals away from home, and the hospitality industry is an integral part of Iowa’s economy, providing more than 140,000 jobs and $1 billion in wages. Safe food handling by these employees is essential, as the cost of food borne illness represents large economic losses. To assist local food businesses with training their employees, ISU Extension has been offering the ServSafe Food Protection Manager training program throughout the state since 2001 in partnership with the Iowa Hospitality Association Educational Foundation and local health departments.

ServSafe is the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s nationally recognized food safety training program; 631 restaurant and foodservice managers participated in the training in Iowa over the past year.

“Our partnership with ISU Extension has allowed us to make food and safety training affordable and convenient,” said May Scannell, director of education for the Iowa Hospitality Association Educational Foundation. “Extension nutrition and health field specialists offer classes and provide training across the state, making the Servsafe program localized, affordable and accessible to the food service industry.”

Value chain markets Iowa products
A value chain is a string of companies, collaborators or producers who work together to satisfy market demands for specific products and services. ISU Extension and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture direct the Value Chain Partnerships for a Sustainable Agriculture (VCPSA) project.

Funded in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Food and Society Initiative, the project is working to enhance value chain opportunities for agricultural businesses in Iowa. It currently includes a pork niche marketing group, regional food systems working group and bioeconomy working group. The goal is to help farmers market their food more profitably and with respect for the environment.

“Being able to network with other folks doing similar projects has been vital to my business,” said Steve Williams, owner of Naturally Iowa, an organic and all-natural dairy product business in Clarinda. “I’ve had valuable conversations with people in VCPSA concerning issues like transportation, marketing and producer quality. I’ve also made valuable contacts for selling our products.”

More than 200 people, including Iowa farmers, and 30 organizations have participated in VCPSA since its initiation in July 2002.

Partnership promotes bioecomomy
As the world continues to move from a petroleum-based economy to a biobased economy, ISU Extension is partnering with a new nonprofit organization, BIOWA Development Association. BIOWA’s board of directors represents biobased chemicals, products, fuels and power, agricultural producers, conservation and environmental groups, investment groups and the Regent Institutions. The group is dedicated to developing biorefineries and biobased businesses in Iowa, and to providing investment opportunities for Iowans in biobased businesses.

Georg Anderl, BIOWA president, credits ISU Extension for helping form the organization, and for continued support and leadership. “ISU Extension has been there from the very start — when the vision and roadmap document was first crafted, to the start of the implementation stage, to today as we are working with the Iowa Department of Economic Development to integrate our activities with the Battelle recommendations [an analysis of biosciences in Iowa].”

Anderl, who also is director of operations market development for Genencor International Inc., stressed the value of the partnership between industry and ISU. “Most of our board members hold full-time positions in their corporations. The expertise and facilitation that Extension has provided has been a valuable component to the success of this association.”

Manufacturers group provides forum
Formed in 1977, the Cedar Valley Manufacturers Association (CVMA) now consists of nearly 100 area manufacturers and support organizations employing more than 5,000 people. This business organization was formed by a group of area manufacturers with assistance from ISU Extension’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS). Its purpose is to establish a forum for the exchange of ideas and common problems.

The goal of CVMA is to promote and serve industry in the multi-county area with an organized approach to free enterprise, education and positive legislative relations.
CIRAS and ISU Industry Outreach Center in Cedar Falls provide clerical assistance to the association. This partnership has enhanced the professionalism of the organization, increased the marketing to manufacturing clients and increased membership and volunteer participation.

“Our partnership with CIRAS and ISU Extension has offered many process improvements to our organization by having one place for all inquiries to contact,” said Lisa Smith, CVMA president. “There have been many enhancements to the quality of services offered to our membership base, and the service we have received has always been with much professionalism.”

Monona County develops vision
Rural Iowa counties such as Monona face challenges for their future, including an aging population and limited opportunities for youth and for employment. A unifying vision and skilled leaders with the ability and will to achieve that vision as a community are critical for development. ISU Extension has led the effort to bring citizens together to assess community assets and needs, develop leaders, identify strengths and foster county cooperation.

Extension partnered with Western Iowa Power Cooperative and Sioux Rivers Resource Conservation and Development in a year-long study of Monona County communities to assess and promote existing businesses and other resources and identify gaps of services for potential development in the county.

“Contacts that Extension staff have made over the years have really set the stage for this project,” said Darrell Geib, with the Natural Resource Conservation Service. “Their expertise and resources help provide credibility and professional support to the community.”

As a result, a county resource directory was compiled, listing services and businesses in each community. In addition, cooperation among agencies is resulting in a countywide quality-of-life needs assessment for future planning and growth.

Monona County youth participate in Earth Day Clean Up at the Monona County Fairgrounds. It's an example of the cooperative efforts under way to help Monona County achieve its vision for development.

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Extension reaches foodservice managers and employees with continuing education including ServSafe protection training.

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The Extension Connection is a quarterly publication of Iowa State University Extension.

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Stanley R. Johnson, vice provost for extension, vpforext@iastate.edu
Mark Settle, managing editor, msettle@iastate.edu
Laura Sternweis, editor, lsternwe@iastate.edu

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Last update: January 2005

The bioeconomy working group is defining value chains in Iowa's bioeconomy. The group hopes to implement two biobased supply chains in the next year.

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