2025 Iowa Hunger Summit
The Iowa Hunger Summit is a free, public event held annually, bringing together hundreds of food security leaders from across our state. Participants include representatives from community organizations, businesses, government agencies, social services, faith-based communities, academic institutions and other groups that lead or participate in projects to eradicate hunger.
Farm & Food Celebration 2025
This bi-annual event, hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition, features farm tours, local eats, and celebrates Iowa's food systems. The Farm & Food Celebration will be hosted every other year, alternating with the Community Food Systems + Farm to School and Early Care Conference. The purpose of this bi-annual event is to provide space for engagement and networking in the off-year.
Iowa Kids Garden Day
Hosted by the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition, this event serves as an annual opportunity to celebrate Farm to School & Early Care across Iowa- and in the garden!
Healthiest State Conference
Designed for HR professionals, wellness coordinators, and organizational leaders, the conference offers educational opportunities to advance workplace and community well-being.
Iowa Eats Festival
Iowa Eats Food & Drink Festival is a one-day celebration of Iowa food and drink! It is the first and only event in Eastern Iowa to feature all Iowa food and drink products, chefs, artisans and agriculture-related products. Proceeds from the event benefit Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
2025 Public Health Conference of Iowa
The 2025 Public Health Conference of Iowa will be held on April 1-2, 2025 at the Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines.
From Policy to Plate: Unpacking the LFPA in Johnson County
The 10th annual Johnson County Food Policy Council public forum is rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Iowa Conservatory, 123 N Linn St, Iowa City. The forum will be from 9 to 11 a.m., with doors opening to the public at 8:30 a.m.
This year’s forum, “From Policy to Plate: Unpacking the LFPA in Johnson County,” explores how state-level investments in local food can lead to a more equitable, resilient, and community-based food system. The forum will begin with an explanation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) at the federal and state levels, followed by a discussion from a panel of guest speakers on how the LFPA has impacted their work in Johnson County. There will also be opportunities for attendees to engage in break-out discussions with panelists.
The goal of the forum is to build support for the LFPA and motivate advocacy around local, state, and federal food policy. Additionally, the council hopes to gather input on community needs for advocacy training and updated information on food policy.
The event is free and open to the public. Kindred Coffee will provide breakfast and coffee to attendees. Registration information and additional details are available on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/share/12JuzAGsXYG/ and Johnson County’s website at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/localfoods.
The Johnson County Food Policy Council was created in 2012 by the Board of Supervisors to provide guidance on food and agriculture issues. The council is charged with providing annual recommendations on how to improve our local food system, holding public forums to obtain feedback on food system issues, and educating County residents on the value of supporting a strong community-based food system.
Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) Conference
Mark your calendars for the popular annual PFI Conference!
Conference highlights include:
A Saturday keynote by Eric Lee-Mäder, the co-founder and principal at Northwest Meadowscapes. Eric will highlight success stories of conservation farming that sometimes blur the lines between nature and agriculture, and which provide us with clues to what a multi-century vision of Iowa farming could look like.
Session topics that span the agricultural spectrum, including conventional and organic field crops, soil health, pasture-based livestock, crop-livestock systems, fruit and vegetable production, precision conservation, on-farm habitat, landowner resources, farmland access, pest and weed management, farm business basics and more.
A full track of Spanish-language sessions.
An evening of storytelling by PFI farmers sharing skillfully narrated true stories.
Presentation of PFI’s 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award.
Three optional pre-conference short courses: “Charting the Steps of Farm Succession”; “Strawberry Production in Iowa”; and “Extending the Rotation: Finding an Effective Third Crop.” All courses begin Thursday, Jan. 9 in the afternoon and end the morning of Friday, Jan. 10 before the conference starts.
Midwest Meat Summit
Happening just ahead of Practical Farmers of Iowa's Annual Conference, the inaugural Midwest Meat Summit brings together every part of the meat supply chain to learn, network and build community.
Iowa Farmers of Color Conference
The Iowa Farmers of Color will host the 2024 Iowa Farmers of Color Conference on Nov. 16 in Des Moines, Iowa. This gathering is an invaluable opportunity for farmers of color from all enterprises throughout the Midwest. The day will include opportunities to network and connect, enterprise and business planning sessions, chances to learn about programs from service providers and a keynote address from Denise Greer Jameson.
Fall Harvest Gathering for Women in Sustainable Agriculture
WFAN is a community for food growers and land stewards who have been historically excluded from access to education, infrastructure, and support networks in agriculture. Together, we can share the connections and encouragement needed to be effective practitioners and supporters of sustainable agriculture.
Southwest Iowa Local Foods Summit
Join CFRA at the Southwest Iowa Local Foods Summit featuring educational sessions from regional speakers, businesses along Malvern’s Main Street, a farm tour, locally sourced food, and networking opportunities.
Meat Processor Business Lifecycle Workshop
Learn the business aspects of local meat processing through our Meat Processor Business Lifecycle Workshop. This workshop focuses on strategies for various stages of business development, including purchase of an existing business, growing the business, and preparing to exit the business.
Great Apple Crunch
Join the Great Apple Crunch to celebrate Iowa farmers, healthy kids, and strong communities this October. Participating in the Crunch is simple: buy, serve, and Crunch into locally grown apples!
Since 2014, we have highlighted National Farm to School Month and our local farmers with MILLIONS of Crunches across the region. Register your Crunch today to add to the Crunch count, get the scoop on purchasing and serving local apples, and get the Crunch Guide. Schools, ECE sites, hospitals, colleges, groups, and families are invited to Crunch to reach our goal of 1 MILLION CRUNCHES!
Noon on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 is the official Crunch date, but we welcome your Crunch any time this October. No event is too small to register! If your Crunch is not hosted by a school or organization, skip any questions that don't apply to you.
Questions?
Teresa Wiemerslage, Food System Specialist
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
563-794-0599
wiemer@iastate.edu
Rooted Carrot Co-Op's Fall Food Fest
The 2024 Fall Food Fest will be held on Iowa Local Food Day, Wednesday, September 25 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Cedar Falls Community Center, adjacent to the Cedar Falls Public Library.
ISU Local Food Festival
Join the 2,500+ students, faculty, and staff in attendance for this free event, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm on ISU Central Campus. The Iowa State University Local Food Festival is an annual celebration of local food and healthy living.
Industrial Farm Animal Production, The Environment, and Public Health Conference
Hosted by the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement with an Introduction from Senator Tom Harkin (retired). in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
The rapid concentration of farm animal production into factory farms makes meat, dairy, and eggs plentiful and cheap, but this type of agriculture comes at a great cost to human health, communities, and the environment. A new book by Johns Hopkins University Press, Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health, brings together public health and other experts to examine some of the most critical topics related to industrial farm animal production. This conference, convened in Des Moines, Iowa - the capital of the state with the greatest density of confined animal feeding operations, will highlight critically important information from the book and provide a forum for expert perspectives on growing threats to public health that are too often overlooked. Registration Required.
Iowa Local Food Day
October is National Farm to School Month and celebrations occur all month throughout the state. The Iowa Farm to School & Early Care Network designated the 4th Wednesday of September as Iowa Local Food Day to kick-off the celebration!.
Iowa Farmers Union Day at the Iowa State Fair
Iowa Farmers Union Day at the Iowa State Fair is a day dedicated to the organization and its mission to educate Iowans about independent family farms.
Community Food System & Farm to School & Early Care Coalition
Conference - Visit bit.ly/cfs-f2sec-conference or Email Bre Miller at millerb@iastate.edu
*Eligible for equity compensation stipend.