The Local Food and Farm Program is looking for a few good ideas that will help put more Iowa-grown products on dinner plates and more money in the pockets of Iowa farmers. Iowa nonprofit organizations, farm groups and educational institutions are encouraged to submit proposals for potential funding.

“Iowa Food Marketing Regulations: A Guide for Small-Scale Producers” offers an overview of various licenses required for selling food in Iowa and state regulations that govern those sales, which are based on type of food, where it is sold, how it is processed, scale of operation and type of customer.

Iowans can make their voices heard about creating a more vibrant food system at the Iowa Local Food Summit April 3. The summit will include conversations and workshops about how to meet the goals outlined in the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan, developed by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in response to state legislation passed in 2011.

Small prairie strips growing at key points in corn and soybean fields at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge are yielding more than good crops; they’re improving soil and water quality as well as creating beneficial habitat for insects and birds. Research that incorporates native prairie into working landscapes will be highlighted at a field day on  Sept. 6.