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Friday February 6, 2004
1:30-6:00 p.m.
Grinnell United Church of Christ 4th and Broad
Street, Grinnell, Iowa
From Farms to Market: Paving the Way for
Safe, Sustaining Food
Join us for an afternoon of exploring new developments, connections, and
resources to get great food from the farm to the market.
On Farm Food Safety and Handling | Jason Ellis
Hotel Restaurant and Institute Management and Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture
Come find out about what you can do to enhance safe food handing on the
farm.
A Conversation with Iowa's State Food Inspector | Robert Haxton
Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals
Put a face on Iowa's rules and regulations. Come meet Bob and find out
what is involved in food safety and handling when establishing a food processing
facility. Make these issues work to your benefit - know the process, the
people, and the possibilities.
Meat Lockers | Bill Dayton
Dayton Meat Products, Malcolm, Iowa
Bill will share his experience working with local meat lockers. There are
many issues to be aware of in this ever-changing rule environment.
Putting it all Together | Tom Lacina
President, Wildwood Harvest Foods, Inc.
Tom will share his real-world experience in setting up a processing
facility.
Saturday February 7, 2004
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Grinnell High School, 1333 Sunset Street
7:45 am Registration
9:00 am Welcome and skit
9:30 am Keynote Robert Wolf
The morning keynote speaker is Iowa author Robert Wolf, executive director of the
Free River Press, a nationally known non-profit educational corporation that
gives everyday Americans a public voice. Its mission is to provide a platform
from which they may document the rapidly changing nature of our society, as well
as help envision their community’s future. Robert’s books include
“American Mosaic: Prose and Poetry by Everyday Folk” and his newest book
“The Triumph of Technique: the Industrialization of Agriculture and the
Destruction of Rural America" both published by Oxford University Press.
Wolf directs seminars and regional economic development projects for the Free
River Press.
10:15 am GALFA Presentation
10:30 am Break
11:00 am Workshop 1
Noon Potluck Lunch and visit display area
Is there a better way to enjoy food and people than to sit down with friends and
family and honor a locally grown meal? Our Potluck lunch tradition
requires that each person bring a dish to share that will feed six people.
We provide the plates, utensil and drinks. at past conferences, this meal has
been a real joy for all who attend. Also, Jean-Marie (Jeannie) Chenette, a
harpist and Lecturer in Music at Grinnell College, will play for us. Her
fee will be donated to the Compass Plant CSA to be used for a low-income family
CSA membership.
1:30 pm INCA Annual Meeting.
2:00 pm Workshop 2
3:15 pm Workshop 3
4:15 pm Tom Lacina, President Wildwood Foods
Tom Lacina grew up on a family farm north of Grinnell, Iowa where he lives today
with his wife and two children. After receiving his law degree and masters
in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa, he practiced law in
Grinnell and farmed. In 1988 he founded an on-farm tofu facility called
Midwest Harvest and in 200, he merged the company with Wildwood Natural Foods,
forming the present company called Wildwood Harvest Foods, Inc. where he and his
wife, Alesia, work. In his free time, he enjoys music, serving on the
Grinnell area Arts Council and serving on the Governor's Iowa Food Policy
Council.
5:00 pm Closing
Saturday Workshop 1 | 11:00 am
Local Food, Powerful Ingredients * State Representative Joe Bolkcom, Iowa City, Mayor Ed Malloy, Fairfield
Wendell Berry said it well, “Eating is a political act” .The local foods movement is rooted in a desire to reclaim control over our lives. Food is an extremely powerful ingredient for this work. How can we keep the local food movement connected to the bigger picture issue of revitalizing our communities? Join Joe and Ed for a lively discussion of what’s working, where the needs are and what you can do in your community.
Can it! * Susan Klein, Master Preservationist, Iowa State University Extension
It’s the high garden season and you’ve got vegetables and fruit coming out your ears. What to do? How about canning it! Join Susan for a discussion of the principles of canning fruits and vegetables safely at home using boiling water bath and pressure cooking. See Susan’s session on drying and freezing in Workshop 2 at 1:45 p.m.
Growing Food and Profit: Innovative Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners * Gina Lloyd, Guthrie County Extension, Carol Richardson Smith, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, Deb Carter, Hidden Acres Ranch, Coon Rapids, Jan Libbey, Iowa Network for Community Agriculture
Need new growers? Yes is the answer! The Iowa Network for Community Agriculture’s commitment to new growers has produced Growing Food & Profit Project – an approach to using innovative strategies that are working. Come hear from program partners and participants. This session will highlight the dynamics at work in the Growing Food & Profit Project – how they are working and why we think they are so effective. This is a project that can work in your community!
Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants * Mike Sucik, State Soil Scientist, USDA-NRCS, Chris Murray, Nutrient Management Specialist,
USDA-NRCS
Manage manure to capture its maximum benefits and use it to build your soil
quality.
Think Marketing First * Gary Huber, Senior Program Officer, Practical Farmers of Iowa
As demand for local and specialty foods grows, so too does the need for savvy skills. The local food movement has turned producer’s strategies upside down. Before deciding upon what to grow, specialty farmers must first be asking themselves “How will I market what I grow?” Join Gary for a thorough discussion about marketing strategies and resources for the small farm business.
Saturday Workshop 2 | 2:00 pm
Maximize Great Food All Year * Kamal Hammouda, Owner, Phoenix Café, Grinnell
Come discover how experience, creativity, and passion mix local foods into your cooking all year. Kamal will discuss and demonstrate how to maximize using local foods year round.
Dry it, Freeze it…Enjoy it Year Round * Susan Klein, Master Preservationist, Iowa State University Extension
It’s the high garden season and you’ve got vegetables and fruit coming out your ears. What to do? How about drying or freezing! Join Susan for a discussion of the principles of drying and freezing fruits and vegetables safely at home for optimal quality and nutrition. See Susan’s session on canning in Workshop 1 at 11:00 a.m.
Buy Fresh, Buy Local: A Campaign Making Waves * Kamyar Enshayan, UNI Adjunct Instructor and Director of the Black Hawk County Local Foods Project
The “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign has a full season of experience to share. Explore lessons learned, effective strategies, and accomplishments. What are the keys to success for getting the local food message across and to whom do those messages need to be directed? Want to grown local food support in your community? Hear about this dynamic program!
Putting Bugs in Their Place * Kathleen Delate, Organic Specialist, Iowa State University, John Kennicker, Extension Crop Specialist, Iowa State University
There are thousands more insects in the world than humans. Some you want, some you don’t. Make sure you have the skills to put bugs in their place on your farm!
Journey to Building a Successful CSA * Tracy Kuehl, Evergreen Farm, Davenport
Angela Tedesco, Turtle Farm, Johnston
What are the strategies, resources, and decision points to building a successful CSA? Is this model for you? Hear from two farmers. Tracy manages an intimate, newer CSA along with a full-time off-farm job. Angela has developed her CSA into a large membership along with a pick-your-own fruit and on-farm retail outlet over the past
eight years.
Saturday Workshop 3 | 3:15 pm
Local Foods: Even for in-between Snacks *
Join an experienced chef to put a delicious, nutritious spread of afternoon snacks together…all out of local ingredients.
Eating Locally in Iowa…all year: Can it be done? * Jay Wagner, Freelance
Writer
Join Jay for stories from his family’s experience of taking this challenge to heart in 2003. Jay has covered agriculture from many angles in Iowa. Come for a fun and lively discussion about lessons learned and insights gained from serving up local food all year.
Nutrition at Our Schools * Susan Roberts, Nutritionist, Health Concepts Nutrition, Carol Voss, Iowa Department of Health, 5 a Day Campaign Coordinator
McKinstry Elementary Representative, Waterloo
Waterloo’s McKinstry Elementary served as one of the Fruit & Vegetable Pilot schools in Iowa changing its eating habits in favor of higher nutrition. Come join a discussion about this experience, Iowa’s 5-A-Day Campaign resources, and why nutrition at our schools is such a critical issue.
Making Labor Save You Labor * Steve Langerud, Intern Coordinator, Grinnell
College
Need a hand? Who doesn’t on a busy farm, but where are the workers and what are the strategies for developing these workers to benefit both the farm and the farm workers themselves? This session will focus on strategies for hiring and managing part-time labor on farms.
Marketing Options: What’s Right for Me? * Stacey Brown, Produce Manager, Wheatsfield Grocer,Ames, Connie Lawrence, Natural Prairie Chevre, Woodward
Diversifying markets is an effective marketing strategy, but which markets, and how much of each of them. Stacey will provide insights as a natural foods grocery produce manager. Connie will share experience marketing goat cheese products through direct and restaurant markets.
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