Northeast Iowa Local Food Directories Available

The Northeast Iowa Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter announces the 2012 Local Food Directory is now available. The directory has been connecting consumers with direct marketing farmers for six years. Buying local products from farmers is good for you, your family, your community and the environment.

This year’s directories were printed in a unique partnership with Inspire(d) magazine, a local publication based out of Decorah, Iowa. Inspire(d) covers positive news in the Driftless Region – Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin and can be picked up for free at more than 100 locations across the region. Directories are also available online at www.iowafreshfood.com – click on Finding Local Food.

The Northeast Iowa Buy Fresh Buy Local Chapter is part of the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm (NIFF) Coalition and the Food & Fitness Initiative (FFI). Together, they are working to create community environments that support access to fresh, locally-grown food. More information about these programs can be found at www.iowafoodandfitness.org.

The Buy Fresh – Buy Local guide for the Dubuque region is in production and should be available shortly.

2012 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day

2012 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day

July 23, 2012, 8:30am – 3:00pm
ISU Horticulture Research Station (near Gilbert, IA)

A field day highlighting Iowa State University fruit and vegetable research is planned for July 23 at the ISU Horticulture Research Station near Gilbert. Organizers say the field day will be of interest to commercial producers, small-scale growers, master gardeners and home gardeners.

The field day will feature research-based information on a variety of topics including biochar, apple root stocks and training systems, organic production, and high-tunnel fruit and vegetable production. It is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving vegetable and fruit producers ample information to enhance their skills and diversify gardens and acreages.

During the afternoon session a panel of growers, researchers, agriculture professionals and extension personnel will discuss current and future needs of the fruit and vegetable industry in Iowa. Also showcased will be a student-run vegetable enterprise geared towards developing entrepreneurial and business skills. The Department of Horticulture and Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture will partner with the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association to sponsor the event.

“We firmly believe that strong grower-researcher collaboration is needed to address ongoing issues and challenges, and develop new ideas for fruit and vegetable research in Iowa,” said Ajay Nair, extension vegetable specialist.

The $25 field day registration fee includes lunch, refreshment breaks and abstracts of ongoing research projects. Online registration is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/hort Early registration for the field day is $25 through midnight, July 16. Late registration or at the gate will be $35. To assist with meal and facility planning, advance registration is greatly appreciated.

Contact: Ajay Nair, Horticulture, (515) 294-7080.

Workshop: Planning for Profit: Marketing and Financial Management for New Farmers

Workshop: Planning for Profit: Marketing and Financial Management for New Farmers

July 23rd, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Winneshiek County Extension & Outreach Office
325 Washington Street, Suite B, Decorah, IA 52101

As with any small business, starting a farm requires thoughtful goal setting and a good grasp on basic financial management and marketing. This workshop will help beginning farmers to:

  • Clarify overall goals for starting a farm
  • Set specific short, medium and long term household income goals for the farm
  • Understand basic accounting concepts and practices
  • Explore strategies for marketing and selling farm products through Community Supported Agriculture, farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants, and wholesale channels.

Contact : Teresa Wiemerslage
563-794-0599
wiemer@iastate.edu
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/winneshiek/page/events?programID=193264

Register online!

New retail and small business specialist (ISU Extension)

From Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach:

Ron Prescott wants Iowans to know that Iowa State is a great source of research on retail trade. As the new retail and small business specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, Prescott is building relationships with Iowa communities and their small businesses. Anyone interested in receiving assistance in interpreting and using retail trade analysis data can contact Prescott at 515-294-5862 or rprescot@iastate.edu .
 
Prescott also will be working with the Community Vitality Center on the creation of food hubs. He will be developing and then implementing a model in which locally grown food is packaged and distributed to larger markets without sacrificing quality.

Regional Foods Coordinator job

From Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach:

Regional Foods Coordinator applications due June 29th
Be sure to spread the word about the part-time Regional Foods Coordinator job we have open at Dubuque County ISU Extension & Outreach.  For the complete job description please visit:

From the EcoApple team at CIAS:

EcoApple Scouting Workshop Series: June 26, 28, 29

Exciting news!

The IPM Institute, CIAS, and Threshold IPM will be putting on a series of hands-on scouting workshops in late June at three orchards around Wisconsin. The workshops are designed to teach participants specific scouting techniques for primary pests, secondary pests, and beneficials and learn how to apply those techniques in making critical orchard management decisions.

Workshop dates and locations (all will be held from 12:30-6pm):

Tuesday, June 26 — LaCrescent, MN (managed full-organic)

Thursday, June 28 — Poynette, WI (managed half-organic/half-conventional)

Friday, June 29 – Gibbsville, WI (near Sheboygan) (managed full-conventional)

The workshops are coming up soon, so please get your registration fee in as soon as you can.
See the full brochure with registration instructions here.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendance will NOT be allowed without pre-registration! No drop-ins!

Webinar: Grass-Based Beef: The Business Case

National Good Food Network Webinar

Grass-Based Beef:
The Business Case

Thursday, June 21
3:30 – 4:45pm ET

Free! Register Now

The Wallace Center has been conducting research into supply chain and policy constraints in the grass-fed beef industry, particularly related to production. It is clear that the domestic production of pastured beef is significantly lower than the domestic demand.

This webinar will make the business case for grass based beef production, including grass fed and finished beef. We will focus on the techniques that have the potential for enhanced profitability, such as the importance of pasture management, animal genetics, aggregation, use of existing infrastructure and brand development in establishing a sustainable grass-fed business. A case study on the Wisconsin Grassfed Beef Cooperative, which we feel is highly replicable, will be featured and discussed.

The Wallace Center and the leaders of this webinar are working with partners in the Upper Midwest to pilot strategies that will increase production, keep vulnerable acres in pasture, inform producers and land owners about market opportunities and provide tools that will aid transition to pasture-based production. Learn how you can be part of these pilots, or start or participate in one in your own region.

Reserve your spot – click here

Presenter

Allen Williams

Livestock Management Consultants, LLC

Moderator

Warren King

Wellspring Management, LLC

Presenter

Greg Nowicki

Wisconsin Grass-Fed Beef Cooperative

 

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f6e853d37c1ed4db967a79125&id=ddc8abe307&e=d383c0d70a

Driftless region group on LinkedIn

There is a new group on LinkedIn for Driftless innovators entitled ” Upper Mississippi Valley Rural Partners”.

This group grew out of a convening of upper midwest rural partners organized by Partners for Rural America and the USDA, hosted by Wisconsin Rural Partners, to connect the region to a common vision. We want a place to stay connected, connect with others of similar mind and keep the momentum of our convening moving forward. This group is a way to share information about cross-state collaborations that are occurring throughout the region. The region is larger than the Driftless – it includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Please consider joining this group!

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Upper-Mississippi-Valley-Rural-Partners-3020144

Organic fruit growers: pls weigh in

Organic fruit growers:

The Organic Tree Fruit Association invites you to complete our 2012 Grower Survey. Thank you for your consideration and for sharing with your members and networks.

OTFA is a professional association dedicated to serving the interests of organic tree fruit growers and advancing the organic tree fruit industry through education, research, and advocacy.

      You can access the link here:

2012 OTFA Grower Survey

This survey is part of an Organic Tree Fruit Association (OTFA) Specialty Crop Block Grant award received through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Your feedback helps OTFA learn about the needs, challenges, and opportunities Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers face and help us better address, respond to, and serve the needs your needs, plan future educational events and seminars and identify potential collaborators in on-farm research projects.
info@organictreefruit.org

www.organictreefruit.org