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Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

3 days ago

Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
An increasing number of customers are bringing animals with them when they visit farm markets, pick your own farms, or agritainment activities. Animals can pose a food safety risk to produce, introduce disease to farm animals, frighten or upset farm animals, employees and other market customers and farm visitors. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) governs what you are legally allowed to do in regards to customers with service animals visiting your market or on your farm. These resources cover the specifics of the ADA, animals that are not protected by the ADA regulations, and how to reduce potential risk on your farm from outside animals. foodsafetyclearinghouse.org/resources/regulations-impacting-farms-about-service-comfort-and-emoti... ... See MoreSee Less

Regulations impacting farms about service, comfort, and emotional support animals | Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse

foodsafetyclearinghouse.org

Added by Meredith Melendez • Last updated February 11, 2020 Author: Meredith Melendez Type: Tools & Calculators, Fact Sheets, Poster Topic: General (PSR), Produce Safety Rule (PSR), Worker Health, H...
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Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

5 days ago

Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
Check out this podcast episode from Small Farms & Acreage Living - Iowa State University Extension to hear about fruit production possibilities for small acreages!smallfarmsustainability.libsyn.com/fruit-production-on-small-acreages?tdest_id=282052 ... See MoreSee Less

smallfarmsustainability's podcast: Fruit Production on Small Acreages

smallfarmsustainability.libsyn.com

In this episode I visit with Suzanne Slack, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Fruit Crop Specialist! Today we're talking about fruit production possibilities for small acreages.
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Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association

1 week ago

Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
If you produce organic specialty crops be sure to check out this podcast episode! ... See MoreSee Less

smallfarmsustainability's podcast: FSA Support Programs for Organic Production

smallfarmsustainability.libsyn.com

In this episode Amanda Weigel, Agriculture Program Specialist with the Iowa Farm Service Agency reviews the two organic programs (OCCSP & OTECP) the FSA is currently accepting applications on!
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Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Associationlogo

Growing Together Volunteers Donated 91,000-plus Pounds of Fruits and Vegetables

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers AssociationDecember 22, 2021

A pandemic and severe drought challenged fruit and vegetable growers across the state in 2021, but volunteers with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach rose to the occasion.

As part of the Growing Together Mini-Grant project, 33 Iowa counties grew 91,772 pounds of fruits and vegetables that were donated to 119 food pantries and distribution sites – equal to more than 275,000 servings.

“Despite a drought and a pandemic, the volunteers were still able to plant and harvest more than 91,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables. This fresh produce is directly benefitting Iowans with low-income in both rural and urban Iowa communities,” said Katie Sorrell, extension education specialist and project director for Growing Together.

Mini-grants are traditionally supported by SNAP-Ed funds. This year, however, the grants were funded by an $85,000 gift from Amerigroup, and an additional $36,285 from local community donations. The Amerigroup gift allows the SNAP-Ed funds that would have been spent this year, to be rolled over into 2022.

“We were thankful for the generosity of Amerigroup and local community donors and their support of donation gardens across Iowa,” Sorrell said.

Some 267 Master Gardener volunteers contributed to this year’s Growing Together projects, along with the help of more than 700 community members who were not Master Gardener volunteers. The projects also received the support of 442 youth.

“The Growing Together donation gardens are a great partnership for the Iowa Master Gardeners, because Master Gardeners get a better understanding of food insecurity in Iowa and how they can help battle food insecurity in their communities,” said Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener program coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach.

The gardens distribute nutrition education materials and also provide a way for Iowans to taste test foods they might have never tried before. That was the case for one Calhoun County food pantry client.

“I was not willing to purchase eggplant in the store because I was afraid it would be a waste of money if I did not like it,” the person said. “Getting to try it through the donation garden let me know that I do like it, and it will not be a waste of money. Thanks for growing a variety of foods for people to try.”

For more information about the donation gardens, contact Katie Sorrell at 515-644-6817 or ksorrell@iastate.edu.

Authors: 
Katie Sorrell
Policy, Systems and Environmental Change Coordinator
ksorrell@iastate.edu

Alicia Herzog
Master Gardener Program Coordinator
515-294-3627
aherzog@iastate.edu

–Iowa State University Extension & Outreach

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