Linn County event brings together food producers, consumers with goal of creating a more resilient local food system

CEDAR RAPIDS — After graduating college, Michelle Kenyon moved to Iowa, a state she’d visited when she was growing up in Missouri.

A self-described “Iowa transplant,” Kenyon said her decision to stay in Iowa was because of all the fresh food the state had to offer, although marriage and children were a factor too.

“This was where I got to experience true culinary artistry and learn a deeper understanding of how good food begins way before it gets to our plates,” Kenyon said.

Kenyon is executive director for Field to Family, a nonprofit food hub that sources local foods within 100 miles of Johnson County for wholesale partners and households in the region.

Working in the nonprofit food sector, Kenyon said she’s become acquainted with the many positive elements to the state’s current food system, but there are areas that need work to become more resilient.

“The resiliency component of this is so essential and so relevant to our experience in this region. In the past five years, we have seen global disruptions (and) shocks that have affected our food system,” Kenyon said. “Having a more resilient food system adds that extra layer to adjust and recover from changing conditions.”

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Kenyon’s talk about “Powering a Resilient Food System with Food Hubs” was one of five sessions offered at Linn County’s annual food symposium event “Growing Connections” on Friday.

The event, which was hosted by the Linn County Food Systems Council at ISU Extension & Outreach in Hiawatha, brought together producers, consumers, experts and Linn County residents for a day of learning about the region’s food system.

Emmaly Renshaw, senior program director for Iowa Valley RC&D based in Amana, spearheaded the event, which is in its second year.

Renshaw said the purpose is to bolster conversations between producers and consumers and to teach residents the “nuts and bolts” of how Iowa’s food system works.

“We always forget that farmers don't only have to know how to farm but they also need to know how to market their product,” she said.

There’s ‘more curiosity about how our food system will be changing’

In addition to Kenyon’s session on Iowa food hubs, three other sessions were offered, including one about how to start a small food processing business at home, another about grant funding opportunities for locally-grown food and beverages, and one on how to become a local food vendor.

The symposium also offered a session for attendees to receive a certification to sell at Iowa farmers markets.

Alfred Matiyabo farms hot peppers in Johnson County to make hot sauce. He was interested in attending the event to receive one of the vendor training certificates through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

“I need the certification because I want to try the farmers markets this year to have more than one avenue to sell,” he said.

Matiyabo, who lives in Tiffin, sells both hot sauces and dry seasonings made from the peppers he grows.

Renshaw said that Matiyabo was one of 80 people registered for the event, exceeding their initial goal of about 65 attendees.

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The event was created two years ago, after Renshaw and other members of the Food Systems Council in Linn County fielded questions during the pandemic from residents about local food options. She said these questions have started popping up again as the federal government has announced tariffs on some imports.

“When you think of where our food comes from, a lot of it is grown on the West Coast for fruits and vegetables, but a lot is imported from Mexico,” Renshaw said. “So, we're starting to see more curiosity about how our food system will be changing. And with these events, we believe that we can build not only relationships, but also food resiliency as we start to build and connect our local farmers to our local businesses.”

Drew Erickson, chair of the Food Systems Council in Linn County, moved to Iowa a few years ago with his family to learn how to grow grains and to work with beef cattle.

“I had goals of becoming a chef, but at some point I realized that good food starts on a farm,” said Erickson, who also is farm manager for the Rodale Institute Midwest Organic Center, a nonprofit in Linn County. “This is a passion that shaped my career.”

To have a resilient food system, Erickson said it is important to keep money local, by supporting local farms, restaurants, suppliers and beyond.

“We live in a state where cancer rates are on the rise, biodiversity is in decline and rural towns have seen better days,” Erickson said. “If you care about healthy food, clean soil, being able to swim in our rivers (and) a thriving local economy, then join us in continuing to advance this local food system.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com