The Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will hold a virtual Specialty Crop Marketing Boot Camp on two occasions in February.

The next virtual Local Food Leader Certification will be held this spring, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The certification is intended for beginning local food practitioners, although it is open for anyone who is interested in food systems development and collaboration.

In Marshall County the dangers of a food system under threat became apparent as the community grappled with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, a derecho in 2020 and a tornado in 2018.

he Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition is on a mission: to increase access to locally grown food and food education for children and families. By forging cross-sector partnerships, the coalition is advancing programs and policies in schools and settings that provide early care and education, often referred to as ECE.

The Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the ISU Live Green!

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural agritourism bus tour, the Visit Iowa Farms Program with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a second “Exploring Iowa Agritourism Ventures” tour on Monday, Aug. 28.

Food systems partners from five states are working together on a newly funded grant project from the United States Department of Agriculture that will create a resource hub for regional food systems practitioners in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

A free, online course from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team is available to help those with on-farm visitors regarding risk management and liability concerns.

The Community Food Systems Program and the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development is hosting the first-ever Community Food Systems and Farm to School and Early Care Conference, June 15-17, in Waukee.

Registration for the 2023 Community Food Systems + Farm to School and Early Care Conference is now open. Register April 1 through April 30 for early bird pricing.