Welcome to our new newsletter format. 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’ve redesigned our newsletter around our core partner groups to help you better understand all the pieces and how they fit together. 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.
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Consumers: Recipe Demonstrations and Kids Cooking Classes at Local Farmers Markets
The Wellmark Foundation and HEALTH for Life made it possible for Healthy Harvest to purchase a “Charlie Cart” unit and related supplies that transform any space into a kitchen. By the end of this growing season, we will have hosted twenty-two demonstrations and hands-on cooking class pilots scheduled with various community partners.
Farmers Markets have seen the benefit of recipe demonstrations that encourage customers to taste recipes that use seasonal market products, then take those recipes to shop the market and prepare those dishes at home. Vendors appreciate their product being highlighted in new and creative ways, and farmers market leaders are excited about the possibilities that such programing opens for their markets.
Cooking classes are being hosted with three different target audiences: kids ages 7-12, participants of Cerro Gordo Department of Public Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), and general community members. The kids classes are an extension of the program pilot from 2017 where we have partnered with Sally Pressly of the Decker House Bed and Breakfast in Mason City to host a monthly class allowing young chefs to explore the kitchen and learn the process of going from farm to table by shopping the farmers market then preparing healthy meals. Cerro Gordo County’s DPP program classes will put their lessons into practice by preparing diabetic-friendly meals, enhancing their experience and supporting their exploration of healthy eating. Finally, in Hampton, we are partnering with Franklin General Hospital’s Dietitian Megan Conlon and La Luz Hispana’s Aimee Hanson to host adult cooking classes focusing on various themes of healthy eating, such as “heart healthy cooking”. The classes are free and open to the public, with the last one being offer Tuesday, September 25th at 5pm at La Luz. Each of these classes provide an impactful experience by supplying recipes and empowering attendees to exercise their skills in their own kitchen.
We are excited by the future opportunities that the Charlie Cart presents, continuing to sharing the importance of local food sourcing and healthy eating with new audiences in North Iowa, including our new and continued efforts with Farm to School, farmers markets, and community development. In 2019, we hope to expand this programing and unroll a fee-for-service rental of the Charlie Cart with various community partners and businesses.
Producers: Summer Field Day Series
North Iowa Local Food Connections program is a partnership of Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, local food and farm businesses, supported by USDA Rural Development, Corporate Farmer and Albert Lea Seed. This network of local farm and food businesses and friends builds relationships, collaborates, learns together, and creates connections that build business and productive communities.
This past summer, the Connections program has hosted a series of Field Days, highlighting local food and farm businesses across North Iowa. Each event is free and open to the public, offering education as well as time for visiting and enjoying food and drink samplings after each tour. This series of events provides an excellent opportunity for everyone from farmers to eaters. Attendees get a behind the scenes peak at what makes these North Iowa entrepreneurs and the impressive connections they make throughout the local food system. The schedule has included visits to:
May – Fieldhouse Restaurant in Clear Lake where we witnessed the kitchen in action, discussed local purchasing options, and learned the background of Fieldhouse and their community impact. The evening was topped off with a delicious bruschetta sampling.
June – The Thomas Farmstead in Kensett where we toured the farm to learn about their production practices for vegetable, chicken, and pork on a small-scale farm.
July – Fat Hill Brewing in Mason City where Brewer Jake taught us about the ingredients that go into beer, how beer is made and how their used grain is utilized by a local farmer for his sheep – including samples!
August – Twisted River Farm in Mitchell highlighted Steve and Marcy Strasheim’s ability to bridge the urban-rural divide in their budding urban garden, exploring the tools & techniques they use to grow micro- and salad greens.
We have two more field days to go this season:
Sunday, Sept. 23, 2:00-4:30pm featuring North Iowa Fresh & One Vision in Clear Lake will highlight our local food hub operations from the packing table to the corporate table. This trip will start at Furleigh Farms and travel to the aggregation center at One Vision.
Soon to be announced: an October date at Taste. by Uncs Cheesecakes in Osage.
The Connections program has successfully been building business relationships between producers, buyers, and consumers all season. Numerous business owners have shared their appreciation for the relationships built and strengthened, and the positive impact it has had on their bottom-line. We look forward to continuing to build this program into 2019 and beyond.
Communities: Agri-tourism Events are Coming!
Nothing celebrates the height of the season quite like gathering with community members to showcase local businesses serving local products. This season we are working with several communities to host Farm to Fork Dinner events, including Wright County, Mitchell County, and Franklin County.
In our first year partnering in Wright County, a passionate group of community representatives has formed to craft “A Meal on Main” that will be hosted on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. An inspiring outpouring of support from seven downtown restaurants and food businesses, the evening will highlight locally raised/grown products prepared by each business in a harmonious menu, complimented by an expanded farmers market that celebrates all that Wright County has to offer. There are still a few tickets available, so get them before their gone! Special thanks to partners from the Clarion Chamber & Development, Fuel, Grounded, Purple Ribbon Beef, Grand View Beef, S.A.M.’s Photography, Cardinal Prairie Farm, Iowa Specialty Hospital, Timbukbru, Hagie Manufacturing, and the Wright County Community Foundation for their support of this event.
Mitchell County is back with their annual Farm to Fork Dinner on Thursday, September 13th. This year, the event will be hosted on the Brumm Dairy Farm in Staceyville, with a theme and discussion around today’s dairy industry and what it means to be one of the last dairy farms in North Iowa. The evening will start with happy hour and appetizers at Taste. by Uncs Cheesecakes in Osage, with a special presentation and tasting by Osage’s new Brewery, Limestone Brewers. Tickets went quickly to this sold-out event, but the group is already planning their 2019 event! Special thanks to partners from the Brumm Dairy Farm, Taste, Limestone Brewers, ISU Extension – Mitchell Co., the Cedar Valley Seminary, Twisted River Farm, Steve’s Sweet Corn, Osage Chamber of Commerce, the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors, and more!
Last, but not least, we have a redesigned farm to fork event happening in Hampton on Tuesday, September 18th. The unique partnership between H-D CAL High School’s ProStart culinary program, Main Street Hampton, and the Rustic Brew will host a dinner featuring a dinner planned and prepared by local culinary students using local products.The students test recipes, help with the marketing, and prepare and serve a quality meal for their community members, complemented by live local music. Tickets are $20 and are on sale at the Center One office in Hampton.
We are so proud of the partnership and creativity that each community has taken in developing their events, and for the impact their dedication has on the larger conversation in the local food system. We hope to see you at one of the events – or reach out to us if your community is interested in planning your own!
Regional Partnerships: The NI Food Coalition
The North Iowa Local Food Coalition serves as a broad-based effort to help identify and connect relationships, technical, business, and communication assets of local and regional food system development that improves the health, economic, and environmental sustainability of producers and communities in North Iowa. We hope our next quarterly meeting on October 14th is on your calendar. Recent news from our project teams include:
Community Gardens Field Day hosted July 12th
The North Iowa Food Coalition hosted a Summer Field Day to explore two community garden sites in Mason City, including a conversation with attendees about their impact on the health and engagement of a community. The Field Day was held Thursday, July 12th starting at the Cerro Gordo County Extension Office.
This event was hosted by the Community Gardens Coalition Project Team within the North Iowa Food Coalition, co-chaired by John Sjolinder of ISU Extension and Outreach – Cerro Gordo County and Angela Determan of Healthy-Mason City. “With two community gardens offered with 60 plots available, Mason City is literally growing well-being. Gardeners have grown nearly 30,000 pounds of produce since 2014. Approximately thirty-three percent donated some of their produce to friends, family, co-workers, our local food bank or community kitchen” said Determan.
While eating wisely impacts our health, the social aspect of gardening is as important. Chrystina Davis has gardened at the community gardens since 2015. Davis shared, “We enjoy it. It’s a big family event for us. We come out here together and hang out. It’s teaching my children how to garden and have family time, too. That’s important to me.”
Thank you to all who joined us at this event – especially on a warm Summer day! Did you know more than ten North Iowa communities support community gardens? These gardens are a great way to build community and improve access to healthy food and activity. If you are considering starting a community garden, let us know and we’ll get you connected with some area leaders and resources.
USDA Farm to School Planning Grant awarded
We are excited to announce that our Farm to School coalition project team was awarded a one-year Farm to School Planning Grant from the USDA. The grant brings nutritious, local foods into schools and creates new economic opportunities for local farmers. Our grant objectives include bringing together producers, school administrators and staff, and stakeholders to create an action plan for local food procurement in schools.
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health, West Fork Schools, Mason City Schools, CAL/Hampton-Dumont Schools, ISU Extension & Outreach – Cerro Gordo County, North Iowa Fresh, and Healthy Harvest of North Iowa will all partner to carry out the project.
There are two main priority areas of the project: education and procurement, with a project team for each. The Education Team will focus nutrition education pilots in classroom and the school gardens, including evaluation of how to better utilize existing school greenhouses and garden beds. The Procurement Team will explore local sourcing in the cafeteria with taste tests and pilot purchases. Both teams welcome interested partners and community members to join them in their efforts.
Additionally, ISU Extension – Franklin County was awarded a part-time AmeriCorps member position that is slated to partner with the schools to build relationships and support the development of programing that utilizes school gardens and greenhouses. This is a part-time position that is currently accepting applications.
If you’d like to get involved in either of the Farm to School planning teams, reach out to Katelyn Nicholson at Cerro Gordo County Public Health (knicholson@cghealth.com) or Marie (marie@healthyharvestni.com). For the School Gardens AmeriCorps role in Franklin County, contact Michelle Sackville, Director of ISU Extension – Franklin County, at sackvill@iastate.edu.
National Farmers Market Week was successfully celebrated
The markets that participate in our Farmers Markets Coalition Project Team joined markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 5-11. Activities were coordinated at six local markets including: Osage Farmers Market, Sheffield Farmers Market, Hampton Farmers Market, Forest City Farmers Market, the North Iowa Farmers Market in Mason City, and Clear Lake Farmers Market. Featured events included fresh salsa samples made in the blender bike sponsored by Wayne’s Ski & Cycle, recipe demonstrations, and special kids activities. These activities will compliment regular market offerings, as well as additional activities that are planned at each market. These celebrations were made possible thanks to generous support of a Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation grant.
As demand for local food continues to grow, so too have the opportunities for America’s farmers to market fresh food directly to the consumer. According to statistics recently released by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), farmers markets and farm stands account for roughly $2 billion of the $3 billion that Americans spend annually on farm-direct products. This revenue, in turn, supports the livelihoods of more than 165,000 mostly small and mid-sized farms and ranches.
Farmers Markets have been in North Iowa for over thirty years offering a wide variety of locally produced products, including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, eggs, meat, jams and jellies, flowers and more. In recent seasons, local markets have been increasing in popularity thanks to national health trends of understanding where one’s food comes from and increased support for local producers, a valuable economic boost for the region.
“Attending market gives customers the control over knowing where their food comes from, and how it was raised” says Marie Boyd, Special Project Manager for Healthy Harvest of North Iowa. “Farmers markets give folks the opportunity to strong relationships with their farmers and others who support local and family businesses.”
Local markets allow customers to converse with farmers, explore new ways to use local produce, and build community. Many markets have vendors that accept multiple payment methods including credit and debit cards, SNAP/EBT, WIC, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and more, breaking down some of the barriers often assumed to be present at markets.
“Farmers markets play a vital role not just in generating real income for farmers, but in forming a healthy, prosperous food systems,” says Jen Cheek, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “By providing the opportunity for farmers to connect directly with consumers, markets serve as education centers. Vendors are teaching customers about agriculture and sharing recipes and new foods with their neighbors. Markets are making people and communities stronger and healthier.“
To see a full schedule of local farmers markets, visit: healthyharvestni.com/find-farmers-markets
North Iowa Fresh – our local Food Hub successfully launches their Bounty Box program
This season, our local food hub North Iowa Fresh (NIF), based in Clear Lake, is piloting a work-site food box program (the Bounty Box) as a new way for businesses to promote wellness at the workplace. “If a person is eating healthier, healthcare costs are less, and you have a healthier employee” says Andrea Evelsizer, Broken and Manager of NIF. “It gives them opportunity to experience local foods.”
NIF is partnering with One Vision in Clear Lake to make the program possible. One Vision, formerly Opportunity Village, received a grant for the project from the Local Food Promotion Program of the USDA. Kelly Gerdes from Cerro Gordo County Public Health and Angie Determan at Healthy-Mason City helped identify potential businesses for the program based on strong wellness programs.
The following business have endorsed this program. As of September, their employees are a little more than half way through this season’s 22 weekly deliveries. Deliveries of fresh produce and locally baked bread (from Crumbs Bakeshop – Clear Lake) are made direct to their offices and make a great addition to workplace wellness: Clear Lake Tel, Clear Lake – Stellar Industries – Garner, Metalcraft – Mason City, Clear Lake Bank and Trust – Clear Lake, One Vision – Clear Lake, Henkel Construction – Mason City, Bergland and Cram – Mason City, and Cerro Gordo County Public Health and Court House. Simply Nourished in Clear Lake (18 N 3rd St, east of city park) also hosts a pick-up site for individual households at their store.
Current share options include: 5- week Fall Bounty Trial Shares for $34/week, with weekly deliveries September 12-October 9; Bread Add-On is available for $6/week; And Thanksgiving ($85) and Winter ($100) Add-On Shares to keep your feast local into the fall and winter seasons! Watch their 1-minute promo VIDEO to learn more.
Information and sample weekly notes are available at: northiowafresh.localfoodmarketplace.com. If you or your work-site would like more information about joining this program, please contact NIF Broker, Andrea Evelszier.
Producer Profile Highlight
Few things say “Iowa” as well as fresh sweet corn on a Summer evening. Steve’s Sweet Corn and Produce on Hwy 9 in Osage offers sweet corn and other seasonal vegetables at their roadside stand and is a regular vendor at multiple farmers markets in North Iowa. Owners Steve and Beth Rachut are key players in the local food system, participating in forward-thinking conversations, contributing to the planning of agritourism events (like the Mitchell Co. Farm to Fork Dinner), and being leaders in ag organizations. In fact, Beth was recently elected President of the Mitchell Co. Farm Bureau Board. Read more about their farm…
