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What is a Food System?
A regional food system supports long-term connections between farmers and consumers while meeting the economic, social, health, and environmental needs of the communities within the region. Producers and markets are linked via infrastructures that are efficient, promote environmental health, provide competitive advantage to producers, processors, and retailers, encourage identification with the region’s culture, history, and ecology, and equitably share risks and rewards among all partners in the system.
What is a region? The initial definition of a Southwest Iowa region is based on a community landscape, history, and culture, and includes these counties: Adams, Adair, Cass, Guthrie, Audubon, Shelby, Pottawattamie, and Montgomery. However, a regional food system is complex and dynamic. It will change and/or grow determined by community leaders, infrastructure, food policy, and all partners in the food system.
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Dear Local Food Producer
Would it surprise you to know that no one has a list of local food producers? Not just in your county, or our region, but even at a state level.
There is no private or public agency tasked with recognizing the people who are growing food to feed their communities; even though local food production is an emergent concern at the county, state, and national level.
The production and consumption of local food adds significance to our communities in many ways:
- It provides nutritious food to those who need it most – our neighbors
- It boosts our economy by keeping more of our hard earned money closer to home
- It makes us more secure as we rely less on imported food (both domestic and foreign)
- It promotes our cultural traditions of farming and ranching on a small scale
And so much more!
Local food is a going concern in Southwest Iowa and we are well on the way to putting our region “on the map”. Iowa is recognized nation wide as not only a state that “Feeds the World”, but also as a state that is rediscovering how to feed themselves. As local food producers you feed your neighbors, your communities and help make Southwest Iowa a leader in the local food movement.
Here in Southwest Iowa we have two counties with Board of Supervisor appointed Local Food Policy Councils, a regional group: Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative, and a newly hired Local Food Coordinator. These groups, and many other dedicated individuals and groups, are working to create a viable, sustainable local food system in Southwest Iowa.
Please take a moment to fill out the attached form and return it to the Southwest Iowa Local Food Coordinator so that your name can be added to the growing list of local hero’s who’s efforts provide nutritious and fresh locally produced food!
The information you provide will not be sold, rented or given to anyone for any reason. It will be used to better serve you the producers and to provide data to Iowa State University and the Iowa State Food Council. Eventually we will create an online database for our region that can tie into a statewide database of similar information. This effort will be undertaken with the strictest professionalism and respect for your wishes; if you would like more information, clarification, or to schedule a meeting with the Local Food Coordinator and find out how to get more involved with local food issues in your county please call:
Bahia Barry
Local Food Coordinator
Golden Hills RC&D
Pottawattamie County Local Food Council
Cass County Local Food Policy Council
Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative
712 S. HWY 6
PO Box 189
Oakland, IA 51560
Office: 712-482-3029
Office fax: 712-482-5590
Thank you, I will look forward to hearing from you!
Bahia Barry
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