As Healthy Harvest fulfills its mission to connect and educate in support of the local food system, there are many projects underway all across North Iowa. We are excited about North Iowa’s local food movement and invite you to get involved if you are not already. If you have a question or a connection you’d like to share, please contact us.

To sign up for our e-newsletter, click here.

Consumers: A Focus on Food Access 

Our focus has turned to planning the 2020 season to include more recipe demos at local markets and events, ‘local locavores’ kids classes, and an adult cooking class series in partnership with NIACC’s Lifelong Learning Institute. Our Local Food Guide 2020 will be released soon (the big reveal was supposed to be at The Gathering, but now it will be hitting our member’s mailboxes instead!)

We have also been building a new and growing recipe database that feature local products on our website. See a sample below of Duck Egg Pasta:

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups flour (00, All-Purpose, Bread, or Semolina)
  • 2 duck eggs*
  • 1 duck egg yolk*
  • pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS

On a clean surface, measure out and pour the flour into a mound. Make a deep well in the center, using your clean hands. Put eggs, egg yolk, and salt into the well. Use a fork to slowly integrate the flour into the egg and then knead the dough for about 10 minutes. The dough ball should feel smooth. Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Roll the dough onto a floured surface with a rolling pin and either cut with a knife or use a pasta machine. Cook in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes if using fresh. Alternatively, hang pasta to dry for storage.

(More can be found in our recipe database

As the regular growing season comes to end, Mallory is looking forward to the “off-season” to focus on planning out programing for 2020, including new cooking classes for kids and adults – so keep an eye out for those!

Producers: NI Local Food Connection Update

The “off-season” provides a time for planning, educating, and connecting in big ways. Our Winter connection programing has included Farm Finances support, a Farming the Web marketing workshop on Tues. March 17th, one-on-one social media consulting with expert Ash Bruxvoort, and partnered with PFI to promote their Beginning Farmer Retreat in December.

For the social networking, hosted a pizza party on March 6th at Cafe Mir in Fertile, to give our food and farm businesses some time to network over a delicious, locally sourced meal together. As we move towards Spring, we will set the schedule for our Summer Field Day series, and continue to work to provide our local food and farm businesses the chance to connect and grow their businesses, and our food system as whole.

For updates on this programing, join the North Iowa Local Food Connection group on Facebook.

Support in 2019 for the NI Local Food Connection program comes from a partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa’s USDA Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Grant.

 

Communities: The Gathering: Coming Together Around Local Food CANCELED for 3/14

In North Iowa, we have products available year-round, including: meat, eggs, honey, maple syrup, baked goods and more available! Unfortunately, we canceled ‘The Gathering: Coming Together Around Local Food’ for this Sat. March 14th – but instead, check out the event page for updates on how to buy local products and recordings of our workshop presentations!

We encourage you to consider reaching out to our Marketplace vendors to make purchases in support of these local businesses:
Albert Lea Seed, Apples on the Avenue, Blossom St Honey, Cerro Gordo County ISU Extension, Eagle Lake Gardens, Elderbridge Agency on Aging, Finer Honey Farms, Farmers Markets of North Iowa, Grand View Beef, Hazel Acres, Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, Honey and Ewe Farm, Iowa Farmers Union, Limestone Brewers, Mossycup Farms, Netzro SBC, North Iowa Fresh, LLC, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Purple Ribbon Beef, Red Rooster Ranch, Red Shed Gardens, Ruth Willier’s Home Baked, Sustainable Iowa Land Trust – SILT, The Thomas Farmstead, Twisted River Farm, and Wings & Things.

We extend our sincere thanks to the numerous committee volunteers who have been volunteering their time to shape up a fantastic event for this year. Sadly, we were not able to enjoy it together, but we look forward to a great 2021 event!

 

 

Regional Partnerships: The NI Food Coalition

Our Winter meeting will highlight updates from local farmers markets in North Iowa, and provide time for project team updates. Our Winter meeting will be held a Zoom Call – open to all who are interested in discussing current happenings for local food in North Iowa! Plus we’d LOVE to hear your local food updates and questions!

As many of you know, the Coalition is a great way to stay engaged in our local food system, including participating in our five priority project teams: Community Gardens, Farm to School, Farmers Market, Food Waste, and Market Development (formally Food Hub). See brief updates from our teams below.

Community Gardens Team – It’s the off-season for community gardens, but for those of you who are interested in starting one, we recommend checking out the USDA’s NRCS’s Community Garden Guide.

Farm to School Team – While the team waits in limbo awaiting the results of their USDA Farm to School Implementation grant application, several great things are happening! Mason City’s Lincoln Intermediate has been partnering with ISU Extension and Outreach – Cerro Gordo County to host a Green-Thumb club afternoon program where students explore their greenhouse, get their hands in some dirt, and learn about where their food comes from. Lincoln also recently participated in Food Waste sort in their cafeteria (thanks to the support of our local United Way of North Central Iowa). Plans for Summer Garden Clubs are in the works in Mason City, Sheffield, and Hampton.

Many more plans to come as the schools work to get their school gardens up and rolling this Spring. If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer on these gardens, we recommend reaching out to your local school district to learn more. If you’re interested in getting involved in our Farm to School Project Team efforts, contact Michelle Sackville, ISU Extension – Franklin County.

Farmers Market Team – It’s the off-season for outdoor farmers markets, but a group of vendors has had success hosting indoor Winter markets in partnership with Fat Hill Brewing in Mason City. The planning for the 2020 Market season is in the works, thanks to our volunteer farmers market Boards. We will be hosting a Farmers Market Workshop on Tues. March 31st open to all FM vendors AND market leaders (Board members, Managers, etc.) – it will be a great day filled with guest speakers from around the state. 

Two new programs you can look for at the markets in Mason City and Clear Lake will include a Double-Up Food Bucks pilot and ‘Curbside Market’ online ordering system. If you’re involved in a market that wants to collaborate with others and/or want to be connected into what’s happening, contact Marie to get involved this with this!

Market Development (Formally Food Hub)  Team – North Iowa Fresh has launched sign-ups for their Bounty Box Program (a weekly CSA or ‘Veggie Subscription program’ as Andrea calls it!).  They are looking to expand into Sheffield/Hampton and Forest City areas, as well as their current routes to Mason City, Clear Lake, Garner, Belmond, and Clarion, so get your order in to make sure your community on the drop-site list! Learn more on their website or reach out to Andrea Evelizer, Broker for North Iowa Fresh, LLC. Note: this ‘team’ is looking to expand into more of a general conversation around market development in North Iowa – so if you are interested – shoot us a note to info@healthyharvestni.com.

Food Waste Team  – Members of this team led a  food waste sort with Lincoln Intermediate in Mason City at beginning of March, so the students can visually witness and learn about their impact on the food system. Moving forward, there is lots of discussion about what can be done to expand the food donation that happened from the Clear Lake Farmers Market last season, as well as exploring efforts around gleaning in our North Iowa area. To get involved in these efforts, reach out to Sue Marshall, NetZro.

Producer Profile Highlight

The Thomas Farmstead is a beginning farm that sells pasture raised chickens, pork, and turkeys on their farm in Kensett, Iowa. Owners Aaron, Dana and their children work hard to bring quality products to their customers. Both The Thomases are active in the effort to build the local food system in North Iowa, with Dana being the current Board Chairperson of the Healthy Harvest of North Iowa and Aaron as an active participant of the NI Local Food Connection program.

We recently caught up with Aaron Thomas to get some insight into their operation, and what farming means to them. Read more about their farm…

 

Become a Member of Healthy Harvest of North Iowa

Like what you see here? Consider becoming a member of Healthy Harvest of North Iowa to ensure our work to connect and education in support of the local food system continues! Memberships start at just $50 a year, and come with some benefits and ways to stay connected to the action. Click here to learn more….