Community Food Systems Annual Event
The Community Food Systems Program began hosting the Community Food Systems (CFS) Annual Event in 2015. This daylong conference lifts up best practices around the nation within all areas of community food systems. Come learn, engage, and discuss ways to promote community engagement, collective action, and food systems projects including edible landscapes, food hubs, shared-use kitchens, and more.
This gathering is meant to build up our partners and promote collaboration, sharing and networking for creative and collaborative projects.
2023 Conference
Growing a Culture of Celebration
2023 Community Food Systems + Farm to School and Early Care Conference.
The Community Food Systems Program and Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition are excited to host this joint, collaborative event! Join us in person, June 15-17, 2023 in Waukee, Iowa to celebrate food, collaboration, and learning.
Conference Agenda
Thursday, June 15: Community Food Systems
Friday, June 16: Farm tours, field trips, and farm to table awards reception
Saturday, June 17: Farm to School and Early Care
Registration opening soon! To keep posted on conference announcements, follow us on Facebook or sign up on our mailing list.
Request for Proposals
Proposals are due end of day, March 31, 2023.
The planning committee invites individuals, organizations, and groups to submit presentation proposals. The goal of the conference is to engage, support, and inspire individuals, organizations, and businesses in all areas of the food system. Multiple session tracks and options are available.
Questions? Contact Bre Miller at millerb@iastate.edu.
Past Events
2022
The 8th Community Food Systems Annual Event took place on Thursday, February 24 and Friday, February 25, 2022 at the West Des Moines Marriott in West Des Moines, Iowa.
The goal of the conference was to lift up best practices around the nation in all community food systems areas. Presentations focused on impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed strategies for moving food systems forward.
Post-Conference Recordings
Post-conference recordings of all sessions are available for $25. To register, complete the form below. For questions, email Bre Miller, conference coordinator, at millerb@iastate.edu.
Event Program
To view speakers and session abstracts, click on the link to the conference program below:
To stay informed on the 2023 CFS Annual Event, check back here or follow us on Facebook.
Pre-Workshop
Local Food Leader Train the Trainer was offered February 24 as a pre-workshop to the CFS Event. As a certified Local Food Leader trainer, you can teach, host and support online module grading.
For more information on Local Food Leader Train the Trainer and other certification offerings, visit our webpage or contact Kaley Hohenshell at kaleyh@iastate.edu
A special thank you to our event sponsors: Iowa Farmers Union and Principal.
2021
The 2021 CFS Annual Event focused on Retail and Leadership Within Community Food Systems, lifting up best practices around the nation in all community food systems areas. Attendees learned, engaged, and discussed ways to promote community engagement, collective action, and food systems projects.
The 7th ISU Community Food Systems Annual Event took place Friday, February 12, 2021! Due to COVID-19, this event took place entirely online. Get full details and agenda here.
2020
The 6th ISU Community Food Systems Annual Event took place January 9 and 10, 2020, at the West Des Moines Marriott. Two pre-conference workshops were offered on January 9: a Local Food Leader workshop, and a Business Model Canvas workshop.
The community food systems event on January 10 featured a keynote from Samantha Schaffstall of USDA’s Ag Marketing Service, 9 breakouts and poster session presentations.
The 2020 theme was Food Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Partnerships. #CFS20
2020 sponsors
2019
Our 2019 Community Food Systems Program annual event took place Friday, March 29, at the Ramada Tropics Resort and Conference Center, 5000 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines.
Keynote speakers included Sommer Sibilly-Brown of the Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition, Inc., and Arthur Neal, Jr., of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Workshop topics ran the gamut from developing curriculum to teaching through the arts to using GIS mapping to assist in the development of community food systems.
Click the links below to access resources and videos from the conference.
Video: Sommer Sibilly-Brown’s keynote, “Capacity Building” (40 min.)
Video: 10-state panel of food systems advocates discussing certification program pilot (45 min.)
Video: Arthur Neal, Jr.’s keynote, “What’s Happening in Local Foods?” (28 min.)
Video: Mapping and Technology panel session (45 min.)
Video: Food Systems Curriculum and Certification panel session (1 hr. 49 min.)
- List of attendees and presenters
- Community Food Systems Program next steps (C. Long)
- Agrihood project in Pleasant Hill (M. Sturm & T. Grundmeyer)
- Agrihoods info handout from ATTRA
- Dubuque institutional local food purchases overview
- Local purchasing poll (Dubuque Eats Well)
- Farm to institution poll results (Dubuque Eats Well)
- Iowa Workforce Development apprenticeship program (A. Sidwell)
- Public gardens (edible landscapes) (C. Long & S. Staashelm)
- Small Business Development Centers (B. Tapp)
- Trends in local foods (B. Menner)
2017
2015
Our second event took place in December 2015 at Reiman Gardens in Ames and celebrated that year’s accomplishments. Event handout
Our first annual event took place Jan. 9, 2015 at Design on Main in Ames. We celebrated 2014 accomplishments, and members of our first Ag Urbanism committees presented. Agenda
