Policy Recommendations

Food Farms Deserve a Bigger Slice of the Pie

Year-Round Policy & Advocacy for a Healthier, More Resilient Iowa

Iowa’s food future isn’t decided in a single legislative session. Between January gavel-ins and summertime study committees, the Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) keeps the conversation alive. With more than 40 partner farms, food banks, public-health advocates, researchers, educators, rural grocers, and community organizers, we champion policies that let every Iowan eat well and make a living close to home.

Our Advocacy Lens

What We Push For & Why It Matters

Local procurement & institutional purchasing – Keeps food dollars circulating in Iowa and shortens supply chains so schools, hospitals, and food banks can buy directly from nearby farms.
Value-added production & small-scale processing – Sparks rural entrepreneurship, creates jobs, and puts new Iowa-made products on local shelves.
Nutrition incentives & healthy-food access – Boost SNAP buying power and fills plates with fresh, Iowa-grown fruits and veggies.
Rural grocery & kitchen infrastructure – Keeps the last grocery store in town alive, builds shared-use kitchens, and jump-starts main-street revitalization.
Equity & next-generation farming – Lowers barriers for beginning, BIPOC, veteran, and small-acreage farmers so Iowa agriculture reflects all Iowans.
Soil, water, & public-health safeguards – Rewards regenerative practices and holds polluters—and harmful pesticides—accountable.

Recent Wins

This year the coalition’s persistence paid off on several fronts. Lawmakers voted to lock the Choose Iowa Purchasing Pilot into permanent statute, a huge leap toward our long-term goal of a statewide $3 million per year local-food procurement fund. At the same time, our testimony and partner stories helped push rural-grocery development up the priority list, opening the door for new dollars and technical assistance that keep main-street stores alive. And when a sweeping pesticide-immunity bill threatened to strip farmworkers and neighbors of basic protections, our rapid-response network flooded inboxes and hearing rooms until the proposal was shelved. These wins prove that when farmers, food banks, health advocates, and consumers speak together, the Capitol listens—so we’re doubling down for the fights ahead.

Get Involved

Advocacy Resources: learn about the legislative timeline, find your legislators, and grab some advocacy tips
Sign up for Our Newsletter: action alerts & local food news straight to your inbox.
Share Your Story: Farmers, eaters, educators, grocers: your real-world examples move votes.
Join our monthly meeting. Email Tommy Hexter (thexter@iowafarmersunion.org) for an invitation.