November 1, 2022

Welcome our new Local Foods Coordinator, Jamie!

Jamie Smidt Fowler started with Golden Hills last week and will be leading our Local Foods program. Her email address is jamie.fowler@goldenhillsrcd.org. Stay tuned for more information about Jamie.

Upcoming Golden Hills/SWIFFI News & Events

Thanks to Emily & Nathan with Brun Ko Farm for hosting last Friday's farmer meetup. You can find photos of the event here. 

We are currently planning additional farmer meetups and field days for 2022 and 2023. If you are interested in hosting or have suggestions for topics, presenters, or locations, please complete this form. 

If you have any events or news you'd like included in upcoming SWIFFI updates, please email me. You can also follow the SWIFFI Facebook page for updates.

• ISU Extension's high tunnel short course is designed to highlight production and management of several high tunnel crops along with information on economics and marketing aspects of high tunnel crop production.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa's Explore Farming Series is an online workshop series for those just getting started in farming, helping you discover what it would really take to start a farm business. Each session includes exercises to help you assess your skills and resources, and provide direction for next steps in building a farm business.
• In honor of National Bison Day (November 5), FACT is hosting a special Bison Basics webinar on November 3. Guest presenters from Tanka Fund will share basics when it comes to starting and operating a bison ranch.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing up to $200 million in assistance for specialty crop producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023. Join this November 3 webinar to learn about Food Safety Certification guidelines for specialty crop growers, as well as program and eligibility details for the FSA Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program to help offset some of the costs associated with food safety certification expenses.
• The Institute for Local Self Reliance's Community Composting 101 Online Certificate Course provides an overview of the importance of and science behind composting, and recommended best practices for implementing community composting programs.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa's Annual Conference will be January 19-21 in Ames.
• Sign up for info about Sycamore Ridge's Southwest Iowa Seed Swap here.

• Every year, Americans throw away 19% of vegetables and 14% of fruit they purchase. Storing your fruits and vegetables properly prevents throwing away dollars while keeping your refrigerator and kitchen stocked with delicious and nutrient-packed foods. This article has simple tips for longer lasting produce.
• Surveys Show Historic Increases in Farmland Values and Cash Rents. According to an article in the September edition of the Ag Decision Maker newsletter, a publication of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa cropland values rose 19.7% on average over the past year, from $7,810 per acre to $9,350 per acre. Pastureland is up 9.3%, now averaging $3,300 per acre.
• Milk & Honey in Harlan was featured in Food Day Omaha's article, Milk & Honey serves farm-to-table ingredients in small-town Iowa, supports local farming community.
• New ordinance in Pottawattamie County: residents can now own up to 12 chickens.
• Improving water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat while remaining productive and profitable is the focus of many conservation efforts in Iowa. Confidence in practice selection and management is essential for implementing conservation practices. This free publication, Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual, provides best management recommendations for farmers and landowners getting started with conservation and water quality practices by helping select and incorporate in-field and edge-of-field conservation practices most appropriate to the decision maker's land and preferences.
• The Iowa Local Foods Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) Program will buy local food from Iowa's producers for distribution to Iowans in under-resourced communities. FOR LOCAL PRODUCERS: Are you a producer in Iowa interested in selling your locally produced raw agricultural products or value-added products into the Iowa LFPA program? Submit this Producer Registration Form to receive more information on becoming an LFPA vendor. Products eligible for sale to the Iowa LFPA include: produce, grains, legumes, dairy, meat, mushrooms, eggs, honey, maple syrup, and value added products containing at least 51% locally produced raw product. Products must be produced within the state of Iowa or in the immediate bordering counties to be eligible for sale into LFPA.
• Sign up for the Iowa Beet Farm to School newsletter for all the latest news about Farm to School.
• Certified Regenerative by AGW offers a certification process for farms that improve soil health & water quality, grow healthy food, increase biodiversity, provide better treatment for workers and animals, and more.
• Did your specialty crop operation recently incur on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023? You may be eligible for financial assistance through USDA’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC). 

Funding Opportunities

• The Choose Iowa Marketing and Promotion Grant Program exists to identify, evaluate, and financially support programs and services that add value to agricultural products, enable new technologies, and support alternative marketing strategies. The submission deadline for applications is December 15, 2022.
• In 2022-23, Brighter Future Fund grants will be allocated to help farmers 1) Improve farm viability; 2) Access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland; or 3) Adopt regenerative agricultural practices. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. Apply by Nov. 15.
• The Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Fund, administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), was created in 2021. The fund provides financial assistance in the form of grants to businesses for projects relating to small-scale meat processing, licensed custom lockers and mobile slaughter units. For Fiscal Year 2023, the State of Iowa appropriated $1,000,000 to IEDA with direction to administer these funds for continuation of the program.

Contact: Lance Brisbois | Golden Hills RC&D | lance@goldenhillsrcd.org