By Graham Sandersfeld and Kathleen Delate
Urban agriculture is a viable farming system for Iowans. That message was clear during the 24th Annual Iowa Organic Conference. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Organic Ag Program hosted the event Nov. 25 in Iowa City.
“Many of the 205 conference attendees came away with a deeper appreciation for the work and community spirit imbued in the urban ag farmers who shared their stories,” said Kathleen Delate, Iowa State professor and extension organic ag specialist.
The farmers are cooperating with ISU Extension and Outreach’s new Growing Urban Agriculture in Iowa project. The effort will address several issues relevant to urban farming and gardening: alleviating hunger, increasing sustainability, job skills training, food safety, community building and youth involvement.
In a presentation on land access and local foods purchasing assistance, Emmaly Renshaw, a partner in the project, discussed the positive impacts of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan. The LFPA has bolstered urban agriculture by expanding opportunities for emerging farmers. Participating growers highlighted the low-risk opportunity the LFPA provided to explore wholesale markets, the value of having a consistent demand and increased profits. Renshaw shared the latest numbers from the LFPA Progress Report and personal success stories from her involvement with multiple LFPA participants, like the Global Food Project and Field to Family in Iowa City. Renshaw noted that LFPA will expire after April 2025 unless new funding is secured, and she and other presenters encouraged the attendees to contact their representatives to advocate for continuing LFPA.
Ilsa DeWald, Johnson County Local Food and Farm manager, expanded on this topic, sharing the Iowa Food System Coalition’s legislative priorities: renewing LFPA, enhancing Double-Up Food Bucks and lobbying for additional funding of a local food purchase pilot program within the Choose Iowa program.
During the Q&A portion of the session, attendees and speakers reflected on the rising hunger rates affecting Iowans at large and the task ahead for Iowa food hubs and food banks.
The urban agriculture session featured DaQuan Campbell, of We Arose Co-op in Waterloo, and Q. Richardson, ISU Extension and Outreach regional director in Black Hawk County. Black Hawk is a pilot county in the Growing Urban Agriculture project, and the speakers highlighted the unique position of Waterloo’s community in supporting urban ag.
Campbell stated that the mission of We Arose Co-op is to increase community food access. We Arose strikes a balance between community and local foods advocacy while remaining a for-profit organization. They were able to install a high tunnel on their property thanks to NRCS EQIP funding and are continuing to work with their local NRCS office on installing new irrigation systems.
Q. Richardson shared his enthusiasm to have an enterprising farmer like Campbell in the Black Hawk County region. The speakers and attendees discussed the importance of passing on knowledge about urban agriculture and sustainable growing practices to the next generation via community engagement with urban youth. Richardson shared his intention to employ student interns at urban farms and community gardens in the Waterloo area as part of the project. Session attendees were treated to an open conversation about Campbell’s business plan, including how he met the challenges of land and water access, soil testing on a former residential site, gathering community support, and marketing We Arose.
In the final session on growing and marketing specialty crops, attendees received exclusive tips and advice from Growing Urban Agriculture project partner Jason Grimm, of Grow: Johnson County, a specialty crop seller to several types of customers. Based on this experience, he shared considerations for several producer scenarios, including the pros and cons of different marketing strategies and distribution options. For example, restaurants typically require frequent deliveries but can pay higher prices per unit. Selling to grocers is great for developing a brand and moving large volumes of product, but grocers’ quality standards necessitate a market for seconds. Grimm advocates for long-term planning, diversification and doing your own local market research like referencing the LFPA Pricing Guidelines available through the IDALS Local Food for Schools website.
Hannah Scates Kettler, of Minerva’s Meadow, presented her journey over the last four years as she continues to grow and sell flowers on her acreage in Colo. Kettler shared success stories about incorporating integrated pest management and seeking technical assistance from the Farm Service Agency and USDA. As a grower of hundreds of niche flower varieties, documenting all the species grown and their locations within the plot can be a challenge – especially since some flowers are interplanted, Kettler said.
Shaffer Ridgeway, a farmer-cooperator with the ISU Urban Ag project, concluded the session by sharing how his farm, Southern Goods in Waterloo, formed from what was originally a soil health and testing demonstration with the USDA-NRCS. He enjoys involving his children on the farm and encourages them to pick a crop to maintain and sell, to give them early hands-on experience. Ridgeway has learned to grow with a systems approach and grow food that he is passionate about. He is seeking to obtain organic certification for Southern Goods through the USDA-TOPP project, which Ridgeway identified as both a strategic marketing asset and a sustainable conservation practice.
Source : iastate.edu