Past Projects and Accomplishments:
- 2007 - Workshop co-sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture for local, sustainable producers to discuss on-farm safe food handling practices and provide an update on the latest food safety research related to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs).
- 2007 - Catherine Strohbehn, HRIM Extension; Sam Beattie, FSHN Extension; Neric Smith, County Extension Director, Jefferson County. Pilot workshops helped producers understand and address best practice in food handling.
- 2006 - Sharma, Amit. Economic viability of Local Food Marketing for Restaurant Operations and Growers/Producers in Iowa. Purpose of this study, funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, was to investigate the economic costs and benefits, and non-economic factors that influence restaurants and producers to buy/sell locally grown/produced foods.
- 2004 - Strohbehn, C., Henroid, D., and Ellis, J. Evaluating on-farm food handling practices and microbiological quality of locally grown produce and eggs.
- 2007 - Enhanced Marketing Tool Kit Effect - This report summarizes a project conducted by South Dakota State University as a follow up effort to earlier works by Strohbehn and Gregoire.
- 2006 - Ellis, J. & Gregoire, M.B. Using Contracts to Expand Produce Market Opportunities
- 2005 - A Checklist for Purchasing Local Produce - provided to School Nutrition Association members in attendance at the Annual Nutrition Conference in Baltimore, MD.
- 2003 - On-Farm Food Safety Workshop for Sustainable Producers, Ames, IA, sponsored with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
- 2003 - Presented a Report to the Iowa Food Policy Council
- 2002 - From Farm to Fork: A Forum on Locally Grown Foods at University Campuses, Ames, IA, sponsored with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
- 2002 - Institutional and Commercial Food Service Buyers Perceptions of Local Foods
- 2001 - Connecting Growers and Foodservice Operators Workshop, Ames, IA, sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
- 2001 - Conducted needs assessment in Iowa Schools.
- 2001 - Report issued to the Governor’s Local Food Task Force.
- 2000 - Led development of a USDA Midwest Regional Conference, sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Department of Education, Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Iowa State University Extension
- 1999 - Value Added Ag 21 Grant with Nevada (IA) School
View current projects