Local Foods Resources - Dubuque County
LOCAL FOOD EVENTS IN OUR REGION!
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Announcements
GAP Cost-share Grants Available for Iowa Growers
New Report: "Local Food Prospectus for the Tri-State Region
A new report is available from the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Although the report is to cover a tri-state area, there is a great deal of information on fruit and vegetable production in the US. If you are interested in fruit and vegetable production, I encourage you to review this report - especially if you are a producer looking to scale-up or provide technical assistance to producers. It is a great compilation of data and graphs. The *Local Food Prospectus for the Tri-State Region* is a great resource for people interested in agriculture, local foods, and economic development. Read the Report
New Microloan Program
Aquaponic Agriculture Holds Promise for Local Foods
An aquaponics experiment in Iowa is demonstrating that fresh greens and tasty fish can be produced almost anywhere in an economically and ecologically viable form of agriculture. Read More
Passing Along Farm Knowledge
A mentor-intern handbook for dairy and livestock farmers is a resource for both mentors and interns. This handbook helps them identify ways to work together to meet shared goals. It provides examples and activities to help mentors and interns get the most out of the internship. Read Handbook
Pastured Heifers Grow Well
Dairy heifers that were raised on pasture in the ongoing Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) performed as well as or better than similar heifers that were raised in confinement. Read Full Article
2013 Garden Calendar Available
Gardeners, both novice and experienced, will be inspired to preserve their garden bounty with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s 2013 garden calendar. The full-color, 12-month calendar is filled with stunning photography and information. More Info
Healthy & Homemade: 2013 Nutrition and Fitness Calendar
Use this 12-month calendar to track your nutrition and fitness plans and to create simple, healthy meals. Each month's featured recipe also comes with a menu plan and fitness tips. More Info
Iowa Farmers Feed Us
While Iowa farmers are currently focused on harvesting their fields and caring for their livestock, they also understand the need to open their doors to consumers interested in seeing how their food is grown and raised today. Starting now through noon on October 31, you can meet eight Iowa farmers and learn more about how your food is grown and raised. MEET IOWA FARMERS
Farm Energy Resources
The Iowa Farm Energy Working Group has created a One Stop Shop for resources on how to reduce fossil fuel use on farms, energy conservation, renewable energy, utility rebate programs and energy audits. Learn more about this group and get a link to their new resource page. Learn More
New Guide Offers Overview of Iowa Food Marketing Rules
“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.LEARN MORE
Rural Business Enterprise Revolving Loan Program
The Limestone Bluffs Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area, Inc. is administering a Rural Business Enterprise Revolving Loan (RBERL) program targeted towards new or expanding small businesses. The loan program is designed to assist the six eastern Iowa counties included in the Limestone Bluffs area overcome gaps in local capital markets that inhibit emerging small businesses from obtaining suitable credit and impede economic growth and stability. Loan Selection Process: Loan Application forms are available upon request from the Limestone Bluffs RC&D office. Applicants may also request assistance from Limestone Bluffs RC&D in completing application forms by calling 563-652-5104. More details
10 Ways to Start Eating Local
We've all heard the benefits of buying local, but sometimes it's difficult to make changes in buying and cooking habits. Below are easy tips to get started!
1. Know What's in Season.
Knowing what's in season in your region will help you know what to expect at farmers markets and farm stands. Check out the Northeast Iowa Seasonal Produce Guide
2. Shop at a Farmers Markets.
Shopping at your local farmers market is a fun and easy way to increase the amount of local foods you eat and purchase! Try planning your weekly menu AFTER shopping at the market and let your fresh, local produce guide to your recipes. More and more local produce is offered year-round, due to winter farmers' markets and the hard work of farmers who utilize season extension and storage techniques.
3. Join a Community Supported Agriculture Farm.
CSA farms connect participants to their farm buy having consumers purchase a "share" of the farm and, in exchange, you receive weekly or biweekly share of the harvest. You receive the best produce the farm has to offer, and the farm has a set of guaranteed sales and income up-front for seasonal expenses. If you'd like to find an area CSA farm to join, please e-mail bbethel@iastate.edu and I'll be happy to find you a good fit!
4. Plant a Garden.
Growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat local! From a simple indoor herb garden to prolific raised beds to feed your family, there are LOTS of ways to grow your own food! See Planting a Home Vegetable Garden
5. Visit U-Picks & Farm Stands.
Take advantage of our Midwest soil by visiting U-Picks and Farm Stands throughout the year! Whether it's stocking up on strawberries during early summer or picking apples during the fall, u-picks are a great source for large quantities of super-fresh produce, and they provide a hands-on farm experience!
6. Find a good Seasonal Recipe Book!
Buying local produce becomes wasteful if we don't know how to cook and use it! Search out some good seasonal cookbooks, which makes it easier to plan recipes with the season! Some of my favorites include From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce and Simply in Season.
7. Find Time to Cook at Home
Making time to cook at home is becoming increasing hard, which makes ready-to-eat dinners and fast food more and more popular! Find ways to cook at home that work for your and your schedule. For example: I shop at the farmers market on Saturday, plan my week's recipes and pick up the rest of my ingredients on Sunday, and then spend about 2-3 hours cooking all of our meals for the week (lunch and dinner!). The kitchen becomes truly a disaster zone but my family has home-cooked, seasonal meals throughout the week and I don't have to spend an hour cooking every night! Win-Win! Helpful Menu Planning Tools
8. Stock your pantry!
Choosing to eat locally often means cooking from scratch. While this can be a fun, creative and healthy activity, there are tips to making this task easier! Having items on hand that you use on a weekly basis makes spur of the moment changes to recipes much easier! For example: I try to keep beans (cannellini, black, kidney and garbanzo), rice (brown, wild, and arborio), spices (too many to name!), oils (olive, canola, sesame), canned tomatoes (diced, paste, sauce), onions and garlic on hand at all times! With these basic staples I have a lot more power and flexibility in the kitchen!
9. Choose Restaurants the Source Locally.
Frequent restaurants that buy from local and regional growers and continue your support of local farmers even when you eat out! If your favorite restaurant isn't sourcing local, ask your waiter if any ingredients are local! Once restaurant owners know their customers are beginning to request such items, change becomes much easier!
10. Frequent Locally-Owned Food Producers.
One of the benefits of buying local food is keeping your dollar in the local economy, and the same reasoning goes for supporting locally-owned producers such as bakeries, butchers, and coffee roasters for foods you don't produce at home or which aren't grown locally.
Resources for Consumers
Organically Speaking - Figure out what labels really mean!
Buy Fresh Buy Local - Riverbend (Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones Counties)
Buy Fresh Buy Local Directory 2012
Recipe of the Month: Mini Buy Fresh Buy Local Quiches
This recipe was developed by Hy-Vee chef Patrick Hanniford and was tested at our first Seasonal Cooking workshop in March! This recipe received great feedback and I must admit I've made it several times since the workshop! A very versatile and easy recipe!
Dubuque County has a vibrant community of farmers, consumers, institutions and agencies dedicated to promoting the use of local foods. From restaurants featuring locally-produced foods to Iowa's oldest farmers' market, we have many resources for people interested in the nutritional, environmental and economic benefits of using more food produced right here in our region. We promote resources, partners and programs that will support the further growth of our local foods community. Please contact us if you would like to connect us with other programs or resources.
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Partners and resources
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Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities: Connecting Local Food Producers with Institutions in Dubuque
- Farmers' Market Vendor Conference materials
For more information about local foods in the Dubuque region, please contact Regional Foods Coordinator Brittany Bethel: bbethel@iastate.edu or 563-583-6496.
Farmers Markets and Local Food Stores
Dubuque Farmers' Market (May - October)
Dubuque Winter Farmers' Market (November - April)
Dyersville Area Farmers' Market
Platteville WI Farmers' Market (May - October)
Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities: Connecting Local Food Producers with Institutions in Dubuque
Throughout the 2011-2012 academic year, students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban and Regional Planning partnered with the City of Dubuque to undertake a variety of planning projects that would help the city become more sustainable as a part of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities. One of these projects dealt with local foods in the region and students partnered with the Iowa State University Dubuque County Outreach and Extension Office to determine the opportunities and challenges for local collegiate institutions to begin providing locally produced products in their dining services.
This Local Food Team (LFT) performed background research and conducted expert interviews with individuals knowledgeable in the local food systems as well as those from other universities that had successfully developed a local food program. “Best practices” research from other successful local food programs was then used to develop a survey distributed to local producers around the Dubuque area to determine overall interest in selling to institutions and what barriers and challenges they saw in successfully partnering with the institutions. The Best Practices research also determined that the most successful collegiate local food programs began with building strong relationships between dining services coordinators and the producer providing the local product. This led to the organization of a networking event in which dining services coordinators and chefs from each of Dubuque’s three colleges and universities would have the opportunity to start developing positive relationships with local producer’s interest in selling their products to them.
Overall, the product deliverables included an action plan that provides a step-by-step guide for local institutions interested in creating a local food program as well as to producers interesting in selling more of their products to institutions. This plan also includes a guide to local food handling and safety regulations as well as information on educational resources and funding opportunities for all stakeholders. This plan also provides recommendations on how county and city governments, the local extension office and the general public can continue to promote and increase the consumption of locally produced products.
Other deliverables include marketing material to help raise awareness for local foods in the community and a local food resource map which includes the locations of food advocacy groups, producer cooperatives, and organization that support sustainable agriculture. All of these items were delivered to both the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque County Extension office for future use. These materials are not only available to institutions of higher education but can be used by any larger institution interested in developing a local food program.
Institutional Local Food Program Action Plan and Guide
Farmers' Market Vendor Conference materials
Click here to download the PowerPoint slides used by our presenters at the Farmers' Market Vendor Conference on Saturday, February 25, 2012:
Vendor Marketing & Merchandising by Andy Larson
Serving and Selling: Food Safety First! by Dr. Angela Laury
You will need Adobe Reader to view these presentations. The files are fairly large, so please be patient as they download.
Presenter contact information:
Andy Larson
allarso1@iastate.edu
(515) 294-5875
Dr. Angela Laury
angelaml@iastate.edu
(515) 294-0868
