The Iowa City Farmers Market is Underway! May 6, 2008

Nothing beats the last few days of heat and sun to remind us that summer is coming. I’ve been running over to Hickory Hill Park the past few mornings and it’s a delight to see so many people out in their yards and gardens, getting the ground ready for this summer’s vegetables and plants. I don’t know about you, but I definitely have a case of spring/summer fever. And I can’t think of a better way to indulge that fever than a trip to the Iowa City Farmers Market for some fresh, delicious, local food!

The 2008 Farmers Market season kicked off this past Saturday and continues on Wednesdays from 5.30-7.30pm and Saturdays from 7.30-11.30am until the end of October at the Chauncey Swan parking ramp on Washington St.

Be sure to shop for some early season delights like asparagus and greens from our awesome LFC farmers. In June, July, and August you can look forward to shopping along to live music on Wednesdays and Saturdays from the likes of Bob & Kristie Black, Kalimbaman, and many more great acts. For a full schedule of this summer’s music acts, click here. Don’t miss monthly chef demonstrations, Kids Day, and Taste of Market either. For the full events schedule, click here.

Don’t forget that Cedar Rapids has their own farmers markets, too. For locations, click here.

Get ready for some great food! We hope to see you out at the market.

Volunteer and Sponsor of the Week! May 5, 2008

Volunteer of the Week: Dr. Stephanie Nomura from the Center for Fit Families at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Dr. Nomura is helping LFC’s expansion into CR by introducing us to new clients.

Sponsor of the Week: Central Iowa Power Cooperative in Cedar Rapids. CIPCO made its first donation to LFC.

Thank you for contributing to the work of LFC!

Please Comment on our Updated Top Ten List April 26, 2008

Dear Awesome LFC blog readers and all interested in the issues of local food, food justice, human rights, environmental activism, sustainable agriculture, poverty, health and nutrition:

Please take a moment out to comment on our updated “Top Ten Barriers to Local Food Access for Low Income Individuals” article. We know the article will benefit from constructive criticism, and we want to start a national discussion on these issues. You can comment here in our blog or at the Sustainable Table website at: http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/

Thanks so much!

Local Foods Connection is a non-profit organization that purchases produce, meat and other products from small family farmers and donates this food to low-income families. As part of our main program, we enroll families in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups, through which they receive a box of fresh, organic produce every week for approximately 20 weeks. Running concurrently with the CSA program, we offer our clients opportunities to learn about nutrition and healthy meal preparation. They earn points for each educational activity completed and can use these points to purchase kitchen equipment. We have begun our tenth year of work in the Iowa City, Iowa region. We also serve Fairfield, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The “Top 10 Barriers” list was compiled by Local Foods Connection staff and volunteers, as well as social service agency personnel who serve the same populations we do. LFC serves single mothers, people with exceptional medical needs, immigrants, refugees and racial minorities in cities ranging in size from 9,000 to 200,000 people. We realize that people living in bigger cities or smaller towns, in Iowa or elsewhere in the country, might experience additional obstacles unique to their environment and consequently might not be well-represented on this list. Furthermore, we understand that some of the challenges on this list are confronted not only by low-income families, but by people of all income levels wishing to purchase more local foods and to add fresh food to their diet.

Local Foods Connection is excited to start a conversation about the “Top Ten Barriers to Local Food Access for Low-Income Individuals” with other communities around the country. We want to share our thoughts, to expand upon the list and to work together towards new solutions to these problems. Please join the discussion at Sustainable Table’s forum.

1. Financial Restrictions

We believe that cost is the greatest obstacle low-income individuals face in accessing fresh, and especially organic and locally-produced, food.

• The cost of vegetables and fruit rose 120% between 1985 and 2000, while the price of junk like sodas and sweets went up less than 50% on average. (source 3)
• Fresh food often doesn’t provide as many calories per dollar as processed food.
• Fresh food doesn’t stay fresh as long as processed food.
• Fresh food requires more labor to make into appealing, satisfying meals than processed food.
• Eating a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables, as recommended by the USDA, is expensive. Even though some fruits and vegetables can be bought at Farmers Markets for a good price, purchasing products of different nutritional contents on a regular basis throughout the year is costly.
• Eating out-of-season fresh fruits and vegetables is even more expensive.

We believe that healthy food is often one of the first things cut from a family’s budget when they are experiencing financial difficulties. Faced with limited resources,

• One out of six Americans turns to government food assistance programs.
• People skip meals.
• People substitute less expensive, less nutritious alternatives.
• People go to soup kitchens or food pantries.
• Parents skip meals to make sure there is enough food for their children. For parents, it is more important to ensure that their children have enough food and “are full” than it is to provide children with a healthy diet.
• People cannot afford a balanced meal.
• People choose to pay bills (e.g. rent, utilities, and prescription drugs) instead of buying food.(source 2)

We believe that individuals depending upon supplemental food assistance from the government can be restricted in the types of food they are allowed to purchase.

• The government places restrictions on where food assistance coupons can be used. For example, WIC coupons cannot be used at the New Pioneer Co-op, the natural food stores in the Iowa City/Coralville area.
• Organic foods are not always eligible for purchase with WIC coupons. Individual states make the decision. (source 9)

2. Preparation and Storage of Food

We believe that low-income families lack, and cannot afford, much of the equipment and companion ingredients needed to prepare fresh food into a variety of interesting, fulfilling meals throughout the year.

Individuals might lack such basic ingredients as: cooking oil, garlic/onion, butter, milk, flour, spices, etc… Purchasing basic kitchen equipment can be an obstacle as well, such as blenders and adequate pots/pans for recipes that aren’t “one-pot” meals. Major appliances might be absent from their lives or might be inadequate for storage and food preparation. Lots of low-income folks live doubled up (with friends or family members) or in rooming houses where they may be lucky to have one shelf in the fridge for cold storage. Appliances can be unreliable - a cooktop with one working burner, for instance.

3. Distribution of Food

We believe that individuals and families have trouble knowing where to buy fresh local food, in addition to having difficulties getting to these locations. The challenges individuals face can be specific to the area in which they live, be it an urban, suburban or rural environment. Low income individuals might live in areas with restricted access to affordable, healthy/fresh foods.

• Cars
  • One-stop grocery shopping is easier for low-income individuals because it saves time and gas money.
  • Going to the farmer’s market or a grocery store featuring local foods would require making an additional trip.
• Public transportation
  • It is not always adequate or easy to use.
  • Carrying groceries on a bus or subway is difficult, especially with children.
  • It is often inadequate in rural areas.
• Big cities often have food deserts, where only convenience stores are available for food shopping in low-income areas.
• Food delivery services can be expensive, if available at all.

4. Lack of Knowledge and Education – Low-Income Individuals

We believe that low-income individuals might lack knowledge on how to prepare fresh food for a variety of reasons, including lack of quality education, inexperience of family members, and popular cultural influences. Individuals often lack:

• An understanding of the meanings and benefits of fresh, organic, and local food.
• Awareness of the health benefits of eating fresh food.
• Confidence in preparing fresh food.
• Skills in preparing fresh food in fast, easy ways.
• Knowledge of ways to make produce attractive to children.

5. Cultural Values and Lifestyles

We believe that low-income individuals might lack experience eating meals highlighting fresh food.

• Eating habits developed during childhood, memories from holidays and other celebratory occasions, and positive, community-centered experiences might have centered on comforts foods made with lard, fat, sugar, as well as processed foods.
• An individual’s life might be lacking in pleasurable and affirmative food-related experiences. Children attending crowded public schools, for example, are forced to eat lunch hurriedly, in shifts as short as 20 minutes, so that maximum use can be made of cafeteria space.
• Individuals living in urban and suburban settings might be completely disconnected from the agricultural origins of the food they eat. Never having seen a vegetable, a grain, or a fruit growing on a plant, they might be unaware of the simple form food has in its original state, and the changes it undergoes during processing.

• We believe that low-income families are accustomed to eating fast food because a great deal of fast food advertising targets low-income families and these restaurants are clustered in low-income communities.
• Families seeking emergency food assistance often receive boxed, canned, and processed food, which has a longer shelf life and can be more easily transported than fresh food. Families who depend on food pantries to survive long-term financial crises can become accustomed to convenience foods.

6. Disabilities

We believe that individuals with disabilities who take care of themselves, and those who depend upon others to care for them, face even more obstacles to local food access than those faced by the low-income population in general. There is a very high correlation between having a disability and have a low-income.

• To remain eligible to receive services through Medicaid, individuals are forced to remain at a very low-income level, hindering their ability to purchase fresh food. (source 5)
• Undiagnosed individuals with mental retardation usually don’t know how to use the store or even the oven. They often rely on microwave and take-out.
• Diagnosed individuals with mental retardation might receive funding for services and have access to Support Community Living (SCL). SCL is a one-on-one service that teaches, assists and creates skills for individuals with disabilities. The goal of SCL is to work toward specific goals and increase client’s independent living skills and community development. SCL clients can have goals that help them learn about nutrition and how to cook and shop wisely. However,
  • SCL workers might not be educated in the areas of fresh food, nutrition and cooking.
  • Recipes need to be easy and only a few steps long.
• Similar challenges are faced by individuals with physical and mental illness and brain injury. These individuals might be eligible for Consumer Directed Attendant Care (CDAC). CDAC workers can grocery shop and prepare meals for clients.
  • However, CDAC workers might not be educated in nutrition and cooking.

7. Preparation and Storage of Food – Social Service Agencies

We believe that the variety of social service agencies which are in a position to assist their low-income client increase their consumption of local and fresh foods often lack the time, funding, experience and education to do so. Examples of the types of agencies and organizations that we believe could help their clients learn more about local and fresh food include: food pantries, neighborhood centers, Lion’s Clubs, churches, homeless and domestic violence shelters, medical clinics, family resource centers, and environmental action groups.

• Few staff members at social service agencies have the extra time to add the component of local foods to their work.
• These agencies might not have adequate space, kitchen equipment and utensils with which to prepare fresh food.
• These agencies might lack the major appliance for the storage, refrigeration and freezing of fresh food.
• These agencies might lack the extra volunteers to process and store fresh ingredients safely.

8. Fulfillment of Government Nutrition Standards – Agencies & Institutions

We believe that state and federal restrictions on food purchasing can negatively affect the decision to acquire local foods by agencies and institutions that serve food to their clients, such as senior centers and school districts. If government money is used to purchase foods at an institution, it might be required to meet government nutrition standards. Reconfiguring a menu to incorporate local foods and continue to meet these standards can be a burden.

9. Lack of Education – Social Service Agencies

We believe that the knowledge and understanding of local and fresh foods can be limited at all levels with a social service agency’s workforce.

• Workers at these agencies might lack the same knowledge of nutrition and lack fresh food preparation skills as the clients do.
• Agency administration might not have considered the potential positive relationship between improving their clients’ health through their diet, and improving other aspects of their clients’ lives. In order for agency staff to integrate nutrition and food into their interactions with clients, there must be interest in and commitment from the agencies’ supervisors or board of directors.

10. Lack of Education - General Population

We believe that if the general public understood the obstacles to local food that low-income families face they would support programs and organizations that increase this population’s access to good, fresh food. We believe that the general public lacks knowledge of:

• The extent of poverty in Iowa.
• The causes of poverty.
• How poverty affects food shopping habits.

FEEDBACK

Local Foods Connection is excited about starting a conversation about this list! Please join the discussion at Sustainable Table’s forum and share your experiences with everyone!

• Would you change the order of any item on the list? (1 = greatest obstacle; 10 = least obstacle)
• Would you add any item to this list?
• Can you share an experience you have had with any of these obstacles?
• Do you disagree with anything we have said?
• What solutions do you have to offer?

Local Foods Connection
localfoodsconnection@yahoo.com

With special thanks to: Tiffany Boyle, the Lead Family Services Coordinator for the ARC of Southeast Iowa which assists developmentally disabled individuals in our community to realize their full potential in how they live, learn, work and play.

Katherine Nydam-Olivier, a social worker who works primarily with people who are homeless in Iowa City.

This document was prepared as a community service by volunteers. The initiative for the creation of this document came from the Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Office’s I Food Initiative, a project to help strengthen the local food network in Southeast Iowa.

Our first version of the “Top Ten” list was presented at a workshop at the Iowa Network for Community Agriculture. _ARTICLES

Bibliography

1. 2007 Hunger in Iowa Report by Susan Roberts and Erin Feld (and the 2003 report)

2. The Hartford Food System: A Guide to Developing Community Food Programs, Replication Manual put out by World Hunger Year

3. Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock

4. Iowans Fit for Life, Active and Eating Smart: Nutrition and Physical Activity by the Iowa Department of Public Health,1, Nutrition and Physical Activity.

5. Eligibility requirements for individuals with disabilities: www.socialsecurity.gov and http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp

6. The ARC of East Central Iowa

7. Living Well Iowa (run in this area by Keith Ruff through the Evert Conner Center)

8. Retail and Consumer Aspects of the Organic Milk Market by Carolyn Dimitri and Kathryn M. Venezia for the US Dept. of Agriculture, May 2007.

9. Frequently asked questions of the WIC program

10. Are Lower Income Households Willing and Able to Budget for Fruits and Vegetables? by Hayden Stewart and Noel Blisard for the USDA: Economic Research Service, Jan 2008

11. Dynamics of Poverty and Food Sufficiency by David Ribar and Karen Hamrick for the USDA: Economic Research Service, Sept 2003

12. Household Food Security in the United States, 2006 by Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews and Steven Carlson for the USDA: Economic Research Service, November 2007

Jen’s Reflections on a workday at ZJ Farm April 22, 2008

Back on the 12^th of April, a group of volunteers descended upon ZJ Farms in Solon. Laura led the charge, with the repeat volunteers, Robert and me, and a group of students from an environmental science class. Everyone made it safely, although a few of us (I’ll name no names) may have perhaps gotten a little bit lost – but only for a few minutes!

We all gathered in the sheep barn, intrigued as to what our tasks for this farm work day would include. First, Laura passed around two handouts which were meant to educate the environmental science class. The first had a list of terms and their definitions, and as we looked over it, one phrase in particular jumped out: pesticide treadmill. Susan, the owner of ZJ Farms, informed us that a pesticide treadmill is an unending cycle where farms have to up the ante on their pesticides because the pests are becoming more and more resistant to the chemical compounds. She also briefly touched on how our outlawed pesticides are still being made in the United States, and are being exported overseas to other countries. Some of that produce then makes its way back into the United States, where we consume it. The second handout explained how volunteering time to work on the farm benefits the environment.

After this discussion, we all broke out into groups. A set of people worked on creating tomato cages out of concrete rebar,

another group worked on cutting milk jugs,

and a third clustered into the greenhouse to work on creating soil blocks to plant seeds in.

I was working in the greenhouse, so I’m not really sure what was going on back at the barn. Once we arrived in the greenhouse, we mixed soil and water to the correct consistency

(as Robert told us, “The correct consistency is key!”) and then Robert started making the soil blocks.

Some people migrated into the greenhouse to start planting the seeds into the soil blocks.

I worked on transplanting some tomato seedlings to encourage root ball growth. Here, I’m listening to Susan very intently. See the concentration on my face?

Lunch time came around quickly, and almost everyone left, I’m sure quite hungry from their morning’s labor at the farm. I had some time to kill (and had a very large breakfast), so I stuck around to help Susan a little more. We finished transplanting the tomatoes, and she pointed out some large boxes that some volunteers had created (I must have missed that when I was in the greenhouse!). We shuffled around some flats of seeds and set up the warming mats in those boxes for the small seedlings.

I had a great time working at the farm, and I look forward to coming back often throughout the season. It’s a good feeling to look out over Susan’s farm and realize that you had a (albeit very small) part in the process.

The best thing about volunteering at Local Foods Connection, hands down, is knowing that I am not only supporting small family-owned and run farms, but I am also helping low-income families in my area get fresh food. As food prices rise around the world, it’s nice to know that I can use some of my time to the benefit of so many different spheres: the environment, local agriculture, CSA Farms in particular, and the everyday people that surround me.

Revisiting “Local” Food April 15, 2008

Not surprisingly, I’ve been thinking a lot about “local” food lately. And after browsing through our 2008 Community Supported Agriculture Guide for the Iowa City area, I started thinking about my own contributions to the foods that I eat. I reminisced about last season’s attempt to grow tomatoes, chives, and aphid-riddled zucchinis in pots on the back porch. And I dreamed of the aphid-free zucchinis I’m going to plant in our new sun-filled yard next year.

While I don’t pretend to think I can produce all of the fruits and vegetables that I eat in my own yard (at least not yet!), and I’m thrilled that I can purchase fresh, local produce from farmers like Maury and Sherry Sass, I sometimes forget about just how delicious, inexpensive, and fun hyper-local food can be. Home gardens take time, though; time you might not have. So maybe this year I’ll enlist the help of a few neighbors to distribute some of the work.

And it turns out that this communal work for hyper-local food has a long tradition in Iowa. Communal gardening was a way of life in the Amana Colonies, which, at one point, included some 50 communal kitchen houses. Each communal kitchen house was shared by multiple families, and the families would distribute the tasks of growing and then cooking their food.

While I may not be willing to give up my home kitchen at this point, I’ve taken some inspiration from the lesson of the Amanas. If you’re interested in some inspiration, maybe you want to take a trip over to Amana. The Amana Heritage Society offers information about Amana, as well providing links for guided tours.

You might just take home a few lessons.

Another Great Depression? April 8, 2008

UK’s The Independent ran a story last week entitled “USA 2008: The Great Depression.” In it, journalist David Usborne argues that the growing number of Americans relying on food stamps is the surest indicator that the US is facing an economic recession.

As Usborne describes, a shocking 28 million people in the US will be enrolled in a food stamp program this year, the highest level since the program’s inception. Link to the original article here, or read on below.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/usa-2008-the-great-depression-803095.html

USA 2008: The Great Depression

Food stamps are the symbol of poverty in the U.S. In the era of the credit crunch, a record 28 million Americans are now relying on them to survive a sure sign the world’s richest country faces economic crisis.

We knew things were bad on Wall Street, but on Main Street it may be worse. Startling official statistics show that as a new economic recession stalks the United States, a record number of Americans will shortly be depending on food stamps just to feed themselves and their families.

Dismal projections by the Congressional Budget Office in Washington suggest that in the fiscal year starting in October, 28 million people in the US will be using government food stamps to buy essential groceries, the highest level since the food assistance programme was introduced in the 1960s.

The increase – from 26.5 million in 2007 – is due partly to recent efforts to increase public awareness of the programme and also a switch from paper coupons to electronic debit cards. But above all it is the pressures being exerted on ordinary Americans by an economy that is suddenly beset by troubles. Housing foreclosures, accelerating jobs losses and fast-rising prices all add to the squeeze.

Emblematic of the downturn until now has been the parades of houses seized in foreclosure all across the country, and myriad families separated from their homes. But now the crisis is starting to hit the country in its gut. Getting food on the table is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet. As a barometer of the country’s economic health, food stamp usage may not be perfect, but can certainly tell a story.

Michigan has been in its own mini-recession for years as its collapsing industrial base, particularly in the car industry, has cast more and more out of work. Now, one in eight residents of the state is on food stamps, double the level in 2000. “We have seen a dramatic increase in recent years, but we have also seen it climbing more in recent months,” Maureen Sorbet, a spokeswoman for Michigan’s programme, said. “It’s been increasing steadily. Without the programme, some families and kids would be going without.”

But the trend is not restricted to the rust-belt regions. Forty states are reporting increases in applications for the stamps, actually electronic cards that are filled automatically once a month by the government and are swiped by shoppers at the till, in the 12 months from December 2006. At least six states, including Florida, Arizona and Maryland, have had a 10 per cent increase in the past year.

In Rhode Island, the segment of the population on food stamps has risen by 18 per cent in two years. The food programme started 40 years ago when hunger was still a daily fact of life for many Americans. The recent switch from paper coupons to the plastic card system has helped remove some of the stigma associated with the food stamp programme. The card can be swiped as easily as a bank debit card. To qualify for the cards, Americans do not have to be exactly on the breadline. The programme is available to people whose earnings are just above the official poverty line. For Hubert Liepnieks, the card is a lifeline he could never afford to lose. Just out of prison, he sleeps in overnight shelters in Manhattan and uses the card at a Morgan Williams supermarket on East 23rd Street. Yesterday, he and his fiancée, Christine Schultz, who is in a wheelchair, shared one banana and a cup of coffee bought with the 82 cents left on it.

“They should be refilling it in the next three or four days,” Liepnieks says. At times, he admits, he and friends bargain with owners of the smaller grocery shops to trade the value of their cards for cash, although it is illegal. “It can be done. I get $7 back on $10.”

Richard Enright, the manager at this Morgan Williams, says the numbers of customers on food stamps has been steady but he expects that to rise soon. “In this location, it’s still mostly old people and people who have retired from city jobs on stamps,” he says. Food stamp money was designed to supplement what people could buy rather than covering all the costs of a family’s groceries. But the problem now, Mr Enright says, is that soaring prices are squeezing the value of the benefits.

“Last St Patrick’s Day, we were selling Irish soda bread for $1.99. This year it was $2.99. Prices are just spiralling up, because of the cost of gas trucking the food into the city and because of commodity prices. People complain, but I tell them it’s not my fault everything is more expensive.”

The US Department of Agriculture says the cost of feeding a low-income family of four has risen 6 per cent in 12 months. “The amount of food stamps per household hasn’t gone up with the food costs,” says Dayna Ballantyne, who runs a food bank in Des Moines, Iowa. “Our clients are finding they aren’t able to purchase food like they used to.”

And the next monthly job numbers, to be released this Friday, are likely to show 50,000 more jobs were lost nationwide in March, and the unemployment rate is up to perhaps 5 per cent.

Spring Farm Work days are Here! March 31, 2008

Now that winter is turning to spring, I know my fingers are itching to get down in the dirt. If yours are, too, indulge yourself in a work day at one of our partner farms!

If you would like to join us for any of the upcoming farm work days, please email Local Foods Connection to register. Thank you!

Saturday March 29th
at Scattergood Farm in West Branch
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 10 volunteers

Sunday, March 30th
at Scattergood Farm in West Branch
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 10 volunteers

Saturday, April 5th
at ZJ Farm in Solon
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 25 volunteers

Sunday, April 6th
at Simone’s Plain ‘n Simple in Wellman
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 12 volunteers

Saturday, April 12th
at ZJ Farm in Solon
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 25 volunteers

Sunday, April 13th
at Fare Thee Well Farm, farmer Anne Coatar
meet at 10:00 am, Old Capitol Mall Food Court
maximum 12 volunteers

Recap from the CSA Fair March 26, 2008

Local Foods Connection, with the help of New Pioneer Co-op and Edible Iowa River Valley Magazine, hosted the annual Iowa City Community Supported Agriculture fair this past weekend. The event was attended by dozens of people from the Iowa City area, Cedar Rapids, and even Davenport.

Visitors had a chance to meet farmers from eight different farms serving Johnson County and the surrounding area. Farmers had on display brochures and photographs, and spoke one-on-one with visitors about their life, work and the goods they have for sale. One farmers was even selling eggs from her organically-raised chickens.

A reporter from the on-line journal, The Iowa Independent, attended the fair, and posted videos and story about the event on their website. Learn more about the fair at:

http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2132

2008 Guide to CSAs Serving Iowa City March 24, 2008

In case you missed the CSA Fair this past Saturday, or the copies of the 2008 CSA Guide located around Iowa City, here it is! All you wanted to know about CSAs in the Iowa City area. Get out your notebook, pencil, phone, and some muddy boots and check out these local farms.

2008 Community Supported Agriculture Farms
Prepared by Local Foods Connection
A pdf version of the guide is available here: 2008 CSA Guide

This list is provided as a community service. No endorsement is being made for any individual farm. Farms are listed in CSA name alphabetical order. We apologize for any mistakes or accidental exclusions.

Acoustic Farms
Barbara Grant home: (319) 854-6111
Mark Armstrong cell: (319) 560-2565
2674 Linn Grove Road
Springville, IA 52336
acousticfarms@hotmail.com

General Farm Info: Acoustic Farms is 82 acres located east of Springville offering naturally-raised vegetables, herbs, lamb and pork. We try to live in harmony with nature on our farm, producing fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Acoustic Farms has a happy staff that includes me (Mark), my beautiful partner Barbara, my wise mother Thelma, and our comical dog Hank. We have always shared our bounty with friends and neighbors and now would like to share with you as well. We offer grass-raised lamb, corn-fed pork, fresh and dried wild mushrooms, maple syrup, sweet corn, apple cider and fresh eggs, in addition to a cornucopia of vegetables. All in season and all delivered to your specific destination, fresh, crisp and pure. We believe food should be a sensual experience and we would like our food to be a part of your very own simply delicious life.

Share Size: Full and half share sizes.
Season: May through September. 2007 first year of CSA.
Contents: Spinach, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, green beans, melons, onions, carrots, beets, squash, surprises.
Delivery: Delivered to your door in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids areas.
Cost: Call farm for details. Half payment due May 1, balance due July 1.

Echollective
Michelle Kenyon Brown Michelle: (563) 432-7484
Derek Roller Derek: (319) 325-3910
879 Echo Avenue echofarm@netins.net
Mechanicsville, Iowa 52306
Serving Cedar, Linn and Johnson Counties

General Farm Info: Echollective Farm is a farming intentional community located 30 minutes from Iowa City, 40 minutes from Cedar Rapids and 10 minutes from Tipton & Mechanicsville, Iowa. A cluster of farmers and volunteers cultivates 53 acres including 20 forested acres, a creek and 14 acres with certified organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, and hay. CSA Members exchange labor for weekly boxes of bounty. The CSA project is part of Echollective Farm’s broader mission to support and educate the public about: sustainably & locally produced food; renewable energy; and green building construction. We conduct hands-on workshops; host internship programs; and harvest & market products that make our community healthier.

Share Season: May-October.
Contents: asparagus, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, kale, rhubarb, basil, oregano, parsley and several other herbs, Swiss chard, radishes, peas, leeks, green garlic, beets, carrots, and strawberries, bell & hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, beans, cauliflower, squash, onions, potatoes, garlic and garlic scapes.
Share Size: Varies from 1 person to a household of 10.
Delivery/ Cost: Shares are picked up at the Echollective Farm. Labor is exchanged for shares. Contact Echollective Farm to work out details.
Other products: Certified organic garlic by the pound; certified organic herbal & flower bouquets; honey; bee-keeping workshops; Echollective Farm newsletter; demonstrations, tours and workshops related to straw bale construction, earthen plasters and wind & solar produced electric power; internships & apprenticeships available for aspiring organic vegetable farmers; and a Garlic Festival.

Gooseberry Hill Subscription Produce
Dianna & John Fuhrmeister (319) 354-7260
3310 Lynden Heights Rd. NE
Iowa City, IA 52240

General Farm Info: 2-3 acre ever-expanding garden area. A wide variety of produce is grown and others may be added upon request. Note that fruits are also included in shares. We are not certified organic, but it is our philosophy.

Share Size: Wicker basket is filled with more than enough for a family of four to supplement meals with garden fresh produce.
Season: May through September. CSA since 2000.
Contents: Potatoes, green onions, sandwich onions, sugar snap peas, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, sweet corn, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, asparagus, okra, kohlrabi, beets, horseradish, turnip and beet greens, cucumbers, summer squash, radishes, and more. Fruits: strawberries, cherries, apples, red raspberries, blackberries, white Iowa peaches, rhubarb, and plums. Country fresh eggs and flowers. Printed recipes and labeled produce.
Delivery: Delivery to your door.
Cost: Call farm for details.

Grass Run Farm
Ryan and Kristine Jepsen (563) 492-3400
2712 Hoover Road ryan@grassrunfarm.com
Dorchester, IA 52140
www.grassrunfarm.com

General Farm Info: 100% Grass-Fed Beef. Pastured Pork. Humanely-Raised Veal. Milk Share. We raise these animals on our certified organic farm near Dorchester (north of Decorah). We raise our cows on fresh grass and quality hay, following international research indicating that a pasture-based system is healthy for the animals, healthy for our environment and healthy for you. Our pigs range and root at will—no conventional confinement, growth enhancers or antibiotics. “Pastured” veal means that our calves live at their mother’s side, nursing the way nature intended. We have an open gate policy, so put on your boots and come meet the animals.

Contents: Currently we have many different buying options:
• Monthly meat CSA: 8-10 lbs of meat each month for six months for $300 ($50 a month). Includes of mixture of beef and pork and a mix of cuts. March box is 9 lbs and includes ground round, minute and cube steaks, hamburger patties, bacon and pork shoulder roast.
• Good-Grazing Beef Box: $200. Pastured-Pork Sampler: $125. Quarter, half and whole beef, hogs and veal. Have your meat custom cut and save big with volume purchasing.
• Sampler Packs; $55 Best-Sellers Box with steaks, chops and our famous Italian sausage.
• Custom order any item in any quantity (e.g. one steak and one pound of ground beef - or 400 lbs!): Prices and quantities vary.
Delivery: Shipping to Iowa City varies depending on weights but averages $20-$25 per box.

Local Harvest CSA
ZJ Farm, Red Cedar Farm, and Simone’s Plain & Simple

ZJ Farm
Susan Jutz (319) 624-3052
5025 120th St NE www.zjfarms.com
Solon, IA 52333 susan@zjfarms.com

Farm General Info: Susan and her four children (Frances, Reuben, George and David) share in the work of their 80-acre farm. Growing vegetables for Local Harvest CSA is only one component of their small, diversified farm. The diversity of the ZJ Farm extends beyond the products they sell to the environment they promote and maintain. Community education is central to the work they do. Summer intern immersion program & seasonal events for all ages. On-farm events include a spring potluck, annual prairie burn, fall barn dance & more.

Share Season: 20 weeks May to October. CSA since 1997.
Contents: Over 150 varieties of more than 40 types of organic vegetables. Almost all vegetables are harvested the same day as delivery. Write or call for more info. Email newsletter.
Sizes: Family feeds a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children); Regular feeds two vegetable-loving adults.
Delivery: Monday: Cedar Rapids at Red Cedar Farm. Wednesday: Iowa City Farmer’s Market. Friday: drop sites in Iowa City and North Liberty. Pick-up at the farm by arrangement on M, W, F.
Cost: Call farm. Staggered payment & volunteer exchange options.
Other Products: Pork and lamb, community events

Red Cedar Farm
Kate Hogg (319) 247-0223
2750 Otis Road SE redcedarfarm@earthlink.net
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Cedar Rapids pick up location for Local Harvest CSA.
Other Products: organic, free-range eggs.

Simone’s Plain & Simple
Simone Delaty (319) 683-2896
1478 470th Street SW Cell: (319) 631-0146
Wellman, IA 52356 plnsimple@netins.net
www.simoneplainandsimple.com

Farm General Info: When you visit Simone’s farm, you immediately see the evidence of the French country way of life in the way she has designed and nurtured her gardens: vegetables, flowers, herbs, all varieties of currants… Her wood-fired brick oven is a functional and beautiful little building used weekly for artisan breads and pizzas. In 2003, Simone planted 5 acres of her land in native prairie.

Share Season: May through October. CSA since 1997.
Contents: Bread & Egg: dozen brown eggs from free-range chickens and a loaf of handmade French Country bread. 20 weeks; Fresh Flower: bouquets of fresh-cut flowers. 16 weeks.
Delivery: Wednesday Iowa City Farmer’s Market. Email news.
Cost: Consult current Local Harvest CSA prices for each share at www.zjfarms.com.
Other Products: On Fridays and Saturdays, dinners for private parties at the farmhouse. Details at website.

Oak Hill Acres
Andy & Christina Tygrett (563) 946-2304
Terry & Lorraine Tygrett (319) 560-4826
978 310th St. oakhillacres@fbx.com
Atalissa, IA 52720
http://www.oakhillacres.com/

Farm General Info: Family owner and operated certified organic farm on 278 acres since 1997. Thirty acres certified organic vegetables. The remainder of the farm is in timber, small grains, and is seeded down in mixed hay. We are dedicated to marketing high-quality vegetables, bedding planting, and small grains directly to customers. Heirloom vegetables and bedding flowers are produced in four greenhouses. We built a 30’ x 96’ greenhouse to produce earlier vegetable crops. This greenhouse will also extend the season into the fall. Open houses, potlucks, and farm tours are held throughout the season. Annual CSA picnic in June.

Share Season: Min. of 22 weeks May-October. CSA since 2001.
Sizes: Half: a 1-2-person household; Full: a family of 3-5.
Contents: Beets, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, green and yellow beans, kohlrabi, sweet and hot peppers, lettuce and greens, herbs, potatoes, tomatoes, summer and winter squash, and much, much more.
Delivery: Weekly drop-off sites: Iowa City/Coralville, West Liberty, Muscatine, Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities. Shares can also be picked up at the farm.
Cost: Call farm. Payments due in April and July.
Other Products: Small grains, hay, and cut flowers

Sass Family Farm
Maurice & Sherry Sass
Chris Sass: (319) 629-1220
(319) 648-3788
Cara Sorrells (319) 653-4205
3060 160th Street sassfarms@netzero.net
Riverside, IA 52327 www.sassfamilyfarm.com

Farm General Info: Enjoy an authentic working 1950’s Iowa farm. Visitors are always welcome! We invite you and your family to come experience our relaxed country atmosphere. Kids can play on the playground or enjoy the petting zoo while you shop at the Country Market, or the newly established Country Store. We have 80 acres, 15 in garden crops and the rest in pasture, hay, and corn. Our CSA vegetables are chemical-free.

Share Season: 20 weeks, May-October. CSA since 2005.
Size: Full and half shares available.
Contents: lettuce, onions, spinach, asparagus, rhubarb, squash, herbs, cabbage, peppers, sweet corn, beets, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, potatoes, pumpkins, gourds, brown eggs, jams, honey, jellies, baked goods and more. Printed newsletter and recipes.
Delivery: Share picked up at the farm.
Cost: Contact farm. Payment by season, month, week allowed.
Other attractions: Newly built pond, antiques, fall decorations, Indian corn, gourds, straw bales, hayrack rides, and picnics. Special fall/Halloween activities designed with families and children aged preschool to third grade in mind. Pumpkin Festival every October. Accept school, church, birthday parties, special groups, & bus tours.

Scattergood Friends School Farm
Mark Quee (319) 643-7631
1951 Delta Ave. farm@scattergood.org
West Branch, IA 52358

Farm General Info: The CSA is a program of Scattergood Friends School (a small, Quaker boarding school serving a diverse population of 60 students in grades 9-12). Includes 6 acres in IDALS-certified organic vegetable production. A cow-calf beef herd and a small flock of sheep on 35 acres of pasture; a few feeder pigs; honeybees; a laying chicken flock as well as a few turkeys. 35 acres more in restored prairie.

Share Season: 23 weeks May-October.
CSA since 2004.
Size: Standard: family of four with a mixed diet.
Half: 1-2 people.
Contents: Salad greens, root vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, zucchini, asparagus, peas, beans, potatoes, garlic, onions, cabbages and more. Strawberries.
Delivery: At the farm; or a central distribution point in Iowa City.
Cost: Call farm. Reduced cost shares offered.

Farms Not Running a CSA in 2008

• Friendly Farms
• Squier Squash & Donnelly Farms
• Choice Earth

Sponsors of Guide & CSA Fair

Local Foods Connection
localfoodsconnection@yahoo.com (319) 338-2010
www.localfoodsconnection.org

Local Foods Connection purchases produce, bread, eggs, meat and other products from local earth-friendly farms and donates these goods to families who cannot afford such nutritious, tasty and fresh food. We provide opportunities for families to visit a farm and to learn healthy cooking methods. With your support, we assist families in need of a helping hand, strengthen our local foods network and empower the farmers who live and work just outside of your neighborhood.

New Pioneer Co-operative
Fresh Food Market
22 S. Van Buren St. 1101 2nd St.
Iowa City, IA 52240 Coralville, IA 52241
(319) 338-9441 (319) 358-5513
Open Daily 7AM – 11PM Open Daily 7AM – 10PM
www.newpi.com

New Pioneer Food Co-op is a full-service grocer offering a huge selection of natural products, from delectable deli favorites to hand-crafted hearth breads and pastries. We specialize in bringing locally-grown items from Iowa family farms to your table. Bring home the fresh flavor of Iowa-raised eggs, meats, and artisan cheeses from your member owned Co-op!

Our produce department features a wide array of locally and regionally-grown favorites from farmers you know and trust. Since 1971, New Pioneer has been a cooperatively owned business fully serving the needs of our member-owners.

We emphasize high quality, fair prices, and product information. We are an environmentally and socially responsible member of the community we serve.

Edible Iowa River Valley
Edible Iowa River Valley (319) 400-2526
22 Riverview Drive NE info@edibleiowa.com
Iowa City, IA 52240
www.edibleiowa.com

Edible Iowa River Valley is a seasonal magazine celebrating the local food and food artisans of Central/Eastern Iowa, from the bluffs of Decorah to the Des Moines metro area, to Mississippi river towns to the fertile farms and fields in between. With stunning photography and rich content, Edible Iowa River Valley showcases the family farmers, chefs, food artisans, farmers’ market vendors and other food-related businesses for their dedication to using the highest quality, seasonal, locally grown products. Edible Iowa River Valley is locally owned and operated, and is a fabulous regional guide for local foods. EIRV is a proud member of Edible Communities, which has won the International Association of Culinary Professional’s Award of Excellence.

Edible Iowa River Valley is available for free at points of distribution in Eastern and Central Iowa. It is published quarterly, with each a new issue each season. Please check our website at www.edibleiowa.com for a complete list of distribution points, as well as ways to subscribe in order not to miss a mouthwatering issue.

Typical Iowa CSA Crops and Harvest Times

May
Asparagus, Greens & Lettuces, Radishes, Rhubarb, Spring Garlic, Turnips

June
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Green Onions, Greens & Lettuces, Kohlrabi, New Potatoes, Peas, Radishes, Strawberries, Turnips

July
Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Garlic, Greens, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini

August
Beans, Beets, Carrots, Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Greens, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Zucchini

September
Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Eggplant, Garlic, Greens & Lettuces, Leeks, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash, Zucchini

October
Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Greens & Lettuces, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash

New Volunteer and Sponsor of the Week! March 23, 2008

Thank you to our volunteer and sponsor of the week (maybe “of the month” at this point?).  We couldn’t do what we do without you!

Volunteer of the Week: Johnny Kohls. Johnny has volunteered for LFC for several months, working in the office, on a farm, and preparing for special events.

Sponsor of the Week: Bachmeier Interiors made their first donation to LFC this year. Thank you Katherine Bachmeier!