Our Projects
Farm to Table for ALL
Local farmers feeding local people.
Help us purchase local foods directly from producers to fill community fridges and food pantries. In addition to direct purchases, we upcycle local farmers’ abundant or “ugly” produce by making soups and other convenient meals, maximizing the potential of all that is being grown in the area and minimizing food waste.
Our fund also support Iowa Food Cooperative members utilizing SNAP benefits by waiving member fees.
When we choose local food, we’re investing in our health, our communities, and our planet. It’s a win-win for every part of the system.
Cultivate Your Plate Events
At Cultivate, we believe that in order for small-scale producers to thrive, our community must see local and regenerative food production as a public issue that requires us to engage collectively.
However, “less than 2% of those actively employed in the U.S. participate directly in producing crops. As most of us now lack personal experience with farming, we also lack ways to understand what farming involves, who it involves, what is required to stay in business, and how it affects our environment and society as a whole. ” More specifically, “Farming practices that benefit the environment and society can be expensive for farmers, yet go unacknowledged and undercompensated by society” (Strategies for Expanding Thinking About Agriculture (2022), Reframing Farming and Food Narrative).
This is why Community Education & Personal Connections are at the core of our work. Cultivating a community of engaged food citizens not only creates more income for producers, but also deepens our investment in supporting infrastructure and policies which benefit small-scale, local producers.
We table events and host Cultivate Your Plate events of all sizes in order to spread the word about why supporting local producers is so important. Check out our past events here.
Do you have an idea for an event? Send us an email!
Convenient Pathways to Source Local Foods
Online Shopping Cart Software
One way we are working to improve markets that are efficient and profitable for producers is through online, year round sales of local food. We have developed an online shopping cart platform called Shop. Eat. Local. which is currently being piloted at the Iowa Food Cooperative.
The platform offers a unique way to access locally produced goods from a wide range of local producers on a bi-weekly basis. For producers, it offers a simple and efficient market and for members, all their products are brought to one location for a convenient all in one pick up or home/satellite site delivery. We are working to test and tweak this software so that it can soon be offered as a free software option for other local food markets.
Blender Bike Rentals
Add interactive fun to your next gathering while supporting local farms with our blender bike rentals! Smoothies, salsa and more options are available with this energizing and delicious activity.
Rental information coming soon!
