Field to Family’s Food Hub program increased farm-to-school procurement 54% in 2020, connecting more students with more local food in an extremely challenging year.
The Food Hub expands access to local foods by purchasing, aggregating, storing and delivering fresh, locally-grown food to southeast Iowa institutions, including schools. The Iowa City nonprofit attributes the growth largely to diversification of its product mix, as well as increased funding for Farm to School procurement locally and statewide.
“Due to the current pandemic, farmers are facing changing markets, while students and families face heightened rates of food insecurity,” said Field to Family director Michelle Kenyon. “Increasing farm-to-school procurement helps heal both groups at once.”
This year to date, the hub has sold and brokered $43,411-worth of local food from 12 farmers to six PK-12 districts, private schools and early care centers. That’s over 42,000 pounds of local food on the lunch menu! Local dairy, a recent addition to the product line, was a top seller among schools.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors provides annual funding to support Field to Family’s wholesale local food procurement. The City of Iowa City supported the hub’s 2020 procurement work as well.
In addition, Field to Family and several of its farmer partners received funding for equipment and supplies through a new CARES Act farm-to-school grant program from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Five of the hub’s school customers, including three new additions, received IDALS grants to purchase more local produce and protein this fall.