SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS: Leopold Center and ISU Extension help increase demand and capacity for local foods

Teresa Wiemerslage, ISU Extension program coordinator (’96 MS plant pathology), visits with Brian Nordschow (left) of Prairieview Vineyard and Bob Raymond of Village Creek Farm at a recent food safety workshop.

It’s like a delicious cycle.

Local growers increase production of fruits and vegetables; consumers appreciate the improved availability and ask for more; growers expand to meet increased demand.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative is driving such a cycle in their region by bringing together growers, community members and Iowa State Extension staff who work together to increase access to locally produced foods.

The coalition from northeast Iowa was selected as the first pilot goup by the Leo-pold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Regional Food System Working Group in 2006.

The Working Group is a network of 16 autonomous groups covering the state of Iowa that support local food system efforts.

“Each group determines what is important for their region, and the Center assists them with strategic planning and organization,” says Craig Chase, interim program leader of the Leopold Center’s Marketing and Food Systems Initiative.

The creation of Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative’s plan brought their group to the national stage and caught the attention of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which designated Northeast Iowa as one of nine communities to become models of change.

The foundation provided funding to create a multi-year plan for Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties to grow their local food infrastructure.  The initiative addresses policies, practices and systems that support healthy communities and provide affordable food. It works with regulatory agencies to mini-mize barriers to local food purchases from both sides, and it leverages funding and expertise to serve its mission.

Bob Raymond operates a small market garden and farm stand near Lansing. The initiative provided training to prepare farmers for on-farm food safety audits. Raymond is one of 13 producers who passed a U.S. Department of Agriculture Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit.

“They offered the unique opportunity to get a GAP audit performed at no cost, with just a small cost for two days of intensive food safety training. It was won-derful. About 13 of us went through and passed,” Raymond says. “If we want to be involved in selling food to the public we’re going to have to develop our GAPs. Coaching and training are part of that—I’m encouraged and condent we can get through the obstacles to get through the GAP if we combine ISU Extension and the Initiative.”

Success breeds success.

Efforts of the Initiative have increased the growing season in the region as growers set up more greenhouse space in response to increased consumer demand. The increased availability of off-season produce in the area has led schools, care centers and private consumers to realize they can purchase local produce for nearly nine months out of the year.

“By tracking food sales from just four to fiveproducers, our region saw an increase of more than $1.2 million in increased local food sales last year, bringing local food sales to more than $1.7 million last year,” says Brenda Ranum, regional extension education director.

The cycle continues.

Click here for Ranum’s autumn harvest chowder recipe, Wiemerslage’s cheesy pasta with summer veggies recipe, and Raymond’s leek and potato soup.

TALKING TURKEY FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS

Gretta Irwin, of the Iowa Turkey Federation, and Mike Persia, poultry nutritionist, share an Iowa State Fair favorite. Marketing turkey at the fair is one way they work together to support the federation.

This year Iowa turkey farmers are on track to raise a record 10.5 million birds. Overall, Iowa is ninth in turkey production and fifth in pocessing nationwide.

Iowa State University has been a partner with the industry from the beginning, according to Gretta Irwin, Iowa Turkey Federation executive director and home economist.

In 1941, W.R. Whitfield, an Iowa State poultry extension faculty member, wrote an article titled “WHY ORGANIZE? Growers Benefit by Goup Action” in a publication of the Iowa Turkey Growers’ Association, the precursor of the Iowa Turkey Federation which was founded in 1948.

Several Iowa State faculty members currently do turkey research and actively interact with the federation and its members.

Darrell Trampel, Iowa State University Extension poultry veterinarian, provides educational presentations, diagnostic ser-vices, influenza suveillance and applied research for turkey farmers throughout the Midwest.

Mike Persia, assistant professor in animal science, works with the feed industry and farmers on nutrition related questions. Persia is the ofcial Iowa State University liaison to the Iowa Turkey Federation.  Persia joined the faculty two years ago specializing in poultry nutrition. He says the close relationship between Iowa State, the federation and its members helped seal his decision to accept the position.

Since starting his work, Persia has been impressed by the talent and dedication displayed by turkey farmers.

“Having people here to talk to and ask how they are doing things keeps my research program up-to-date. The industry is moving very quickly, responding to input costs and adapting new technology to deal with day-to-day demands,” he says.

Irwin says Persia’s nutrition work is helping farmers. “Feed is the number one cost in raising turkeys, so managing feed costs is essential for profitability. Feed also plays a major role in keeping the turkeys healthy. You have to have safe and nutritious feed to raise healthy turkeys.”

The relationship built during Iowa State’s long-time involvement goes beyond research and extension.

“We bring a lot of students to turkey farms, exposing them to how farmers care for their turkeys,” Persia says. “I  think we’ve worked very effectively together to promote an understanding of poultry production in our students.”

Irwin agrees attracting future members of the turkey industry is a benefit of collaborating. In this way the long-lived partnership between Iowa State University and the Iowa Turkey Federation is sustaining its future.

http://www.iowaturkey.com/

Click here for a few of Irwin’s favorite turkey recipes Southwest turkey salad and grilled turkey tenderloin.

ARE HOOPS GOOD HOMES FOR BIOMASS?

Matt Darr, agricultural and biosystems engineer, (right) talks with Kyle Althoff (left) and Feng Han from DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol

Iowa State scientists have teamed with a company planning to build a biomass ethanol plant to research how to keep the material in the best condition before
it is processed.

“The research we’re conducting is focused on understanding how the quality of biomass is influenced by harvesting and storage systems.  Enhancing the quality of feedstock improves the conversion economics and final product quality,” says Matt Darr, assistant professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol (DDCE) is evaluating the construction of an ethanol plant in Story County or Webster County.  The plant will use biomass, such as corn stover, instead of corn grain to ferment into ethanol.

Storing biomass is a common practice, but research is lacking on how well it is preserved during storage. Darr’s research, which is sponsored by DDCE, is evaluating mjust that.

Biomass quality is impacted both by the cleanliness of feedstock when harvested and by biological processes that take place during storage.

“You can’t produce ethanol from soil,” Darr says. “Any soil collected during corn stover harvest adds to the overall cost of the delivered product and it increases the byproduct handling requirements of the biorefinery.  Plus, in some conversion processes the added soil will actually decrease the conversion efficiency which is a significant economic factor.”

Deterioration during storage can also induce negative economic and biomass quality factors.

“It’s like leaving a loaf of bread on the counter for nine months,” Darr says.  “If the biomass molds or deteriorates not only are you losing money because you’re losing feedstock or material, but the physical properties and chemical properties change during storage.”

DDCE discovered Iowa State’s capabilities in this area through its participation in the Biobased Industry Center, according to Kyle Althoff, the company’s director of feedstock development.  The center was founded in 2008 to use the resources of interdisciplinary research and education programs to address critical business, infrastructure, supply chain and policy issues facing the growing biobased economy.

“The objective of DDCE’s work with Iowa State is to analyze the economic factors impacting the supply of corn stover to a future commercial cellulosic ethanol plant,” Althoff says.  Three hoop structures, open on the ends, have been built and are being used to store bales of stover in addition to several outdoor stacks of stover bales covered with plastic tarps.  The structures are located at the BioCentury Research Farm, which is devoted to researching the production, harvest, storage, transportation and processing of biomass materials.

Most of the material was harvested in central Iowa on privately owned farms that were contracted with DDCE.  After the storage research, the biomass material will be shipped to DDCE’s demonstrationscale plant where it will be evaluated for its ability to be converted to ethanol.

FOR PLANTPEDDLERS ENTREPRENEURSHIP RUNS IN THE FAMILY

The Gooder family has been peddling plants in Creso, Iowa, since just days after Rachel and Mike exchanged wedding vows more than 30 years ago. Daughter Abby and son John are finding their own ways to carry on the family business.

For Mike and Rachel Gooder “value added” has been second nature for more than 30 years.

The owners of Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa, purchased the greenhouse just a month after Mike (’80 horticulture) graduated from Iowa State University and a few days after they exchanged wedding vows. It didn’t take them long to start adding value and addressing new markets in wholesale.  They added a new division to their local greenhouse, Plantpeddler Wholesale, providing weekly truck service to a regional market.

“We realized pretty early on that we’d have to keep diversifying our business and looking for new opportunities to add value to what we were producing,” says Rachel.

By 2000, Plantpeddler had gone global. Rachel (’79 horticulture) and Mike partnered with Dummen, a German company, to produce Hiemalis Begonias for the North American market.  Through that initial partnership, another division was added.  Plantpeddler Young Plants imports cuttings from around the world for value-added processing by rooting and starting them prior to shipping to other greenhouses and markets throughout the United States. The young-plant production and distribution happens year-round at the facilities, serving more than 2,500 customers worldwide.

The addition of the different divisions allowed the staff to grow to 12 full-time, 22 part-time and 12 seasonal employees, making it a significant employer in Howard County.

Within recent years, the Gooders found renewed energy and enthusiasm in the production of local foods in their greenhouse.

“A few years ago, we had a startling revelation,” says Mike. “Iowa, for all its wonderful corn and soybean production, is a net importer of food products. That’s not right.”

To the Gooders, it was clear Iowa needed more local food production. They researched varieties and learned a lot about greenhouse production.

“The idea is not only to produce local food for the area, but to balance the seasonality of the product lines and divisions we have here,” says Rachel.  “We have established relationships with our outlets.  We can both benefit through our providing them a food product in addition to the ornamental lines.”

Plantpeddler replaced 30,000 poinsettia plants with a trial of three acres of vegetables to determine the best varieties for greenhouse production. The operation began marketing under the name Stone Creek Farms.  “We decided to focus on lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers,” says Rachel.  The produce fills the greenhouse during slower months, keeping staff employed and facilities utilized, adding overall value to the operation.

“Mike and Rachel Gooder are marketers,” says Ray Hansen, director of ISU Extension’s Value Added Agriculture Program. “They know that just the desire to produce local food is not enough. There has to be a market for it and one at which they can make a profit.”

Hansen has worked with the Gooder family through the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Working Group, which Mike  is active in.

Mike also assists with several horticulture committees at Iowa State, providing insight on the industry.  He has had an advisory role in the recent construction of the greenhouses on campus.  The Gooders also offer internships for Iowa State students at Plantpeddler.

In addition, Mike and Rachel are active in the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, working to bring local foods to communities.

Next generation of Gooders carry on startup spirit

Gooder’s son John is a sophomore at Iowa State majoring in horticulture.  He helped make the recent transition from poinsettias to produce. “It was a lot of trial and error,” John says.  “We learned a lot the first three years.”  John plans to work for PlantPeddler this summer and eventually join the family business.

Daughter Abby, a senior in agricultural business at Iowa State, has embraced value-added agriculture, too. Last year she led a team in the Ag Innovation and mValue Creation Competition sponsored mby the college’s Agricultural Entrepreneurship mInitiative. Abby’s product uses corncobs for horticultural purposes.  Her team placed first in the competition.

“I was pleased to win the contest,” says Gooder, “but the really exciting part was the encouragement from the panelists afterward.  They told me that if our calculations and market estimates were accurate, then I should be really excited about pursuing the opportunity.”

A summer internship at Creative Composites in Ankeny solidified Abby’s desire to turn her concept into a reality. The biocomposite industry is assisting Abby in research and development of the product, and the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative is helping Abby develop a formal business plan.

Given the value already added to their operation, it’s no wonder the Gooders hope for a bright future in local foods. “We like the idea of supporting the local foods movement and getting young people involved in gardening and their health,” says Rachel. “Naturally, we’d like to help our own children to grow and transition into the business, as well.”