Support the F.A.I.R. Farm Deal for Iowa — I Support Local Food for Iowa Schools!
The Iowa Legislature, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), and the next Secretary of Agriculture
Iowa grows more food than almost any state in the country — yet Iowans import over 90% of the food we eat, and too much of the $13 billion we spend on food every year leaves our state. For decades, agricultural policy has focused narrowly on commodity crops, exports, and global trade. That focus hasn't brought lasting prosperity to rural Iowa — population has declined in 70 of our 99 counties even as farm consolidation has grown.
We believe it's time for a change. We believe Iowa farmers deserve more markets. Iowa families deserve access to healthy, local food. Iowa communities deserve to keep more food dollars close to home. And if we're serious about cleaner water, Iowa farmers deserve more profitable options for the land.
We are calling on our elected leaders to treat food systems as essential infrastructure — just like roads, bridges, and broadband — and to start where it matters most: our schools.
Add your voice. Stand with Iowa’s land, water, and people!
Sponsored by
To:
The Iowa Legislature, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), and the next Secretary of Agriculture
From:
[Your Name]
It's time to invest in Local Foods from Iowa Farms to help grow our state's economy, make sure that Iowa's children have access to fresh, local foods, and our farmers have access to local markets to sell food grown in Iowa.
We are calling on our elected leaders to treat food systems as essential infrastructure — just like roads, bridges, and broadband — and to start where it matters most: our schools.
We, the undersigned Iowans, call on state leadership to:
1. Invest $10 million annually in Iowa's Local Food and Farm Program Fund, using existing agriculture and water quality dollars to support local food production, processing, marketing, certification, purchasing, and farm business development.
2. Build the "missing middle" of Iowa's local food supply chain — food hubs, storage, processing, delivery, equipment, and school kitchen upgrades — so Iowa-grown food can actually reach school cafeterias and other local buyers.
3. Train the next generation of Iowa food and farm leaders by strengthening pathways through schools, FFA, 4-H, and community colleges for young Iowans to build careers in food production, processing, distribution, and farm business.
4. Modernize regulations so Iowa producers can meet certification, food safety, and procurement requirements needed to sell not just to schools, but to hospitals, nursing homes, food banks, child care centers, senior living facilities, grocery stores, and restaurants.
5. Protect Iowa food farmers from pesticide drift through stronger enforcement, faster claim reviews, and penalties that reflect the real cost of the harm caused.
6. Advocate for schools to use existing USDA food dollars for locally sourced food, creating an optional pathway for minimally processed, Iowa-grown purchases without shifting costs to state and local budgets.
7. Give beginning and next-generation food farmers real certainty by broadening the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program, and supporting long-term leases, long-term purchasing contracts, land transition models, and first-farm down payment assistance.
Sincerely,
[Add Your Name]