Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
1/20/99
Contacts:
Jan Libbey, Iowa Network for Community Agriculture, (515)
495-6367
Gary Guthrie, Growing Harmony Farm, (515) 382-3117
Shelly Gradwell, ISU Sustainable Agriculture Extension
Program, (515) 294-1923
Treva Blumenshine, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5672
Local Food System Conference Set for Jan. 30
AMES, Iowa -- The fourth annual Iowa Local Food System Conference will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Grinnell United Church of Christ, Grinnell, Iowa, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In case of bad weather, the conference will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6. The conference is open to the public and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. Registration is recommended.
"This conference brings together the breadth and depth of local food projects from across Iowa. The conference is sure to feature a very congenial spirit. I encourage anyone interested in local food to come celebrate Iowa's local food projects and participate in the progress," says Jan Libbey, Iowa Network for Community Agriculture (INCA) education and outreach coordinator.
Denise O'Brien, farmer from Atlantic, Iowa, will give the keynote presentation, "Rooted in the Global Garden: International Insights for Local Foods." She is the coordinator of Women, Food and Agriculture, and past president of the National Family Farm Coalition.
The conference is presented by INCA, Practical Farmers of Iowa and the Field to Family Community Food Project. The conference is supported by Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Iowa State Sustainable Agriculture Extension Program.
The conference will feature a roundtable discussion of updates of local food projects from across Iowa. The afternoon workshops will include "What Works: Production Tools and Processing Setups," "Institutional Buying: Where's It Going?," "CSA Start-up and Stay Strong: Long-term CSA Development," "Crop Focus: Tomatoes, Greens and Garlic," and "The New and True Economics of CSA: Values and Vitality."
A noon potluck meal will celebrate the goodness of shared food. Participants are encouraged to bring a display to share the story of their farm, CSA or local food project. Childcare will be available on site for ages 12 and under and will feature interactive activities.
Producers and community members interested in local food systems development can contact Jan Libbey at (515) 495-6367. Other resources include a free publication, "Iowa CSA Farms" (Pm-1693) and "Iowa Community Supported Agriculture Resource Guide for Producers and Organizers" (Pm-1694), $5. Both publications are available through county ISU Extension offices or by calling ISU Extension Distribution Center at (515) 294-5247.
For more information and registration contact, Jan Libbey at (515) 495-6367 or Gary Guthrie at (515) 382-3117.
ml: imajor, isufarm
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