Field to Family’s Food Hub has reached its one year milestone, completing its first full year procuring locally grown produce for wholesale customers in Johnson County and beyond.
We owe the hub’s success to farmers’ commitment to producing high-quality food with sustainable practices; our customers’ desire to serve healthy, local food; and the deep commitment of our supporters. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the City of Iowa City and many other community advisors have been vital partners in addressing the need to build and maintain a local food system that enhances our community’s economic, environmental and community health.
“Community support for this program has allowed us to significantly increase access to local foods in our region, at institutions where many of our community members eat everyday,” said Michelle Kenyon, Director of Field to Family. “As demand for locally sourced food grows alongside the need for greater food security, our work becomes increasingly essential.”
The Food Hub is a program of Field to Family that expands access to local foods by purchasing, aggregating, storing, marketing and delivering fresh, safe, locally-grown food to regional institutions.
In its first year of operation, the hub connected 23 small-scale farmers with 30 institutional buyers and local businesses. These mutually-beneficial transactions put healthy, sustainably-grown produce on local tables while providing another market to help small producers sustain and grow their businesses.
Participating farmers and customers recognize that every person deserves access to fresh produce and healthy options, no matter where they live, work or eat. University students and schoolchildren, as well as food pantry patrons, hospital patients, nursing home residents and restaurant diners have enjoyed local produce from the hub.
The Iowa City Community School District, a partner of Field to Family for over a decade, was the hub’s biggest client in its first year. Community investment in the hub allowed Field to Family to increase and meet the district’s demand for locally-procured products in the 2019-2020 school year. Students enjoying “Local for Lunch” gained not only peak nutritional value from products like apples, yogurt and zucchini, but a more personal connection with Iowa food and farmers.
In recent months, Field to Family pivoted its programming to adapt and address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April and May, we addressed a sudden and immediate produce shortage at food pantries by reassigning funding for our Farm Stand program to provide locally-source fresh foods. In addition, we began a partnership with the City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department to offer direct-to-consumer sales via an Online Farmers Market. The hub’s infrastructure, online sales platform and expertise have greatly aided the new program’s ability to safely support vendors and customers during this challenging time.
As the growing season ramps up and customer demand swells with the start of the school year, restaurant reopenings and produce-packed summer menus, Field to Family looks forward to deepening its partnerships with producers and purchasers alike.
“Our customers share our commitment to investing in local farmers and serving up the freshest seasonal products Iowa has to offer,” said Giselle Bruskewitz, Field to Family’s Food Hub Manager. “We are so excited for another year of growth and partnership, to continue to strengthen our local food system and to celebrate the hard work our producers do everyday to care for their workers, our environment and our community.”
Thank you again to all who have supported the hub in its first year and who will continue to encourage its success in 2020 and beyond.
FARMER PARTNERS
All Seasons Harvest
Anything But Green Gardens
Bountiful Harvest CSA
Bringman Family Farms
Buffalo Ridge Orchard
Country View Dairy
Echollective Farm
Flint Ridge Organic Produce
Friendly Farm
Garden Oasis Farm LLC
Green Share CSA
Grimm Family Farm
Grinnell Heritage Farm
Iowa Grown Market
Kirkwood Sun Country Produce
Northern Ridge Farm
Organic Greens LLC
Rainbow Roots Farm
Red Earth Gardens
Salt Fork Farms
Stout’s Market
Trowel & Error Farm
Wilson’s Orchard