Healing From the Ground Up: Iowa Summit

Bridging agriculture, food systems, and healthcare from the ground up

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Bridging agriculture, food systems, and healthcare from the ground up 〰️

SECOND ANNUAL SUMMIT:
MARCH 4, 2027!

Register

Thank you to our sponsors!

Capital City Fruit

Iowa Environmental Council

Rodale Institute-Midwest Organic Center

Women, Food, and Agriculture Network

Healing from the Ground Up returns for its second year in Iowa, bringing together leaders across agriculture, the food system, healthcare, and public health to bridge the gaps between sustainable farming practices, clinical practice, and community nutrition. At this year’s summit, we'll move from WHY food systems matter for health to HOW we can work together to drive tangible change in the state.

Last year's inaugural gathering established a shared understanding of the critical - but often overlooked - links between soil health, nutrition, and human wellness. This year, we are moving from understanding to action. Attendees will engage with leading researchers and regional practitioners presenting the latest science and real-world case studies. The day-long program is explicitly designed to translate science into tangible outcomes- equipping attendees with implementable solutions they can deploy from their own distinct positions in Iowa's food and health landscape.

Tentative Agenda

8AM Breakfast/Check-in 

8:30 AM Keynote-Erin Martin (Founder & CEO, FreshRx Oklahoma, Co-Lead, Oklahoma Food Is Medicine Coalition, President, Tulsa Urban Ag Coalition)

9:30AM Panel: Iowa and Food is Medicine and Food is Health  

10:30-11AM Break/Snack

11AM Enhancing Nutrient Density in Food: Soil Health Connection 

12PM Lunch/Networking 

1PM Panel: Iowans Doing the Work 

2PM Harvesting Local Connections 

3PM Iowa Food System Coalition: Moving the Work Forward 

3:45PM Wrap-up 

4-5PM Networking (Optional) 

A hotel block has been reserved at Holiday Inn & Suites / Bien Venu Event Center. You can book by calling the hotel, 319-266-2600, or using the booking link: Healing From the Ground Up. We don’t want funds to be a barrier. Limited scholarships available, please reach out to jodie.huegerich@uni.edu if you need assistance.

Register

If you or your organization would be interested in sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to jodie.huegerich@uni.edu. Sponsorship deadline October 15, 2026. The first fifteen sponsors will receive one, six foot table to display information about their organization. 

the current state:

Healthcare delivery, food systems, and agriculture operate largely in isolation today, limiting our ability to address the upstream contributors to chronic disease and create sustainable food systems. Human health depends directly on food quality, which is determined by agricultural practices and planetary health throughout the food system from production to disposal. Consumers seek comprehensive guidance that goes beyond basic dietary recommendations – they want to understand preventive nutrition while making choices that are economically viable and culturally appropriate.

What to Expect:

The summit provides opportunities for engagement, learning, and development and will:

Bridge critical knowledge gaps

  • Enhance healthcare professionals’ knowledge about the food system and agriculture.

  • Build a shared understanding of how regenerative practices impact soil health and food quality.

  • Explore connections between soil health, nutrient density, and health outcomes.

Drive systems-level change among professional stakeholders

  • Develop collaborative frameworks for agriculture, food systems, and healthcare

  • Establish networks for continued learning and implementation.

  • Develop actionable strategies to implement in individual and collective work within communities.

Why it matters

By integrating our approach into agriculture, food systems, and healthcare, we can cultivate more resilient communities, improve public health outcomes, and build a more sustainable future for all.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be part of a transformative dialogue that could reshape our approach to health and sustainability from the ground up.

Who Should Attend

  • Healthcare providers

  • Healthcare administrators

  • Dietitians and nutritionists

  • Community health

  • Public health professionals

  • Policymakers

  • Researchers and educators in related fields

  • Food service directors and institutional buyers

  • Community leaders

  • Farmers and agricultural professionals

  • Health Insurance companies

  • Funders