Dubuque Eats Well: Part of the Regional Food Systems Working Group - Working to create resilient local food systems in Dubuque, Deleware, and Jackson County

1. What is The Local Food Systems Working Group?

2. Dubuque Eats Well is one of 15 regional food groups
that make up the Regional Food Systems Working Group

3. The Regional Food Systems Working Group is a
statewide umbrella network for all Iowans working
to build a more resilient regional food system

4. RFSWG Mission
To conduct research, support education,
and facilitate partnerships to increase
investment & support of community-based,
economically sustainable, and
environmentally and socially responsible
food enterprises.

5. Regional Food Working Groups

6. What is a Resilient Regional Food System?

7. Three Resiliency factors:
• Economic
• Ecological
• Social

8. Economic Resilience
Emphasizes Ingenuity & Resourcefulness

9. Economic Resilience
The inherent and adaptive responses to disasters that enable
Iowans, farms and communities to avoid potential financial
losses.
• All sectors of the food system adequately support livelihoods of families
• Food system activities contribute to local and regional economic
development
• Equity: No one entity holds a disproportionate share of economic control
over food production, transformation, distribution, access or consumption

10. Ecological Resilience

11. Ecological Resilience
The capacity for natural resource renewal in a dynamic
environment providing an ecological buffer that protects food
systems from failing to mitigate problems.
Practices that support ecological resilience include:
• Inputs are used in ways that conserve, regenerate or enhance
natural resources (i.e., soil, water, air);
• Genetic biodiversity is preserved
• Renewable energy sources are used
• Wastes are limited and recycled.

12. Social Resilience

13. Social Resilience
A community’s ability to cope with distresses such as erratic
weather, economic shocks, and food contamination while
positively adjusting to change, risk and adversity.
Characteristics of social resilience within the food system include:
• Equitable distribution of resources to access food
• People working in the food system are treated fairly
• Foods are produced to benefit human health, are culturally acceptable, and
are economically accessible for all people
• The food system functions with regard for future generations

16. LFSWG
Scale:

17. How?
Focus Areas

18. Program Focus Areas
1. Coalition Building
2. Funding, Fundraising, Funder
Relationships
3. Local Food Promotion
4. Celebration Events, Agri‐tourism
5. Producer Training/Workshops
6. Local Food Sales to Institutions
7. Farm-to-School
8. Business development, Connector
role, Value Chain Facilitation

19. Focus Areas
Celebrations, Events,
Agri‐tourism
Coalition Building
Funding, Fundraising
& Funding Relationships
Local Food Promotion
Buy Fresh Buy Local
Producer Training
Workshops
Local Food Sales
to Institutions
Dubuque County
Farm-to-School
Business Development,
Connector Role,
Value Chain Facilitation
Health Equity &
Community Gardens

20. •What work have we done in these areas?
• Where do our current projects fit in?
• What are some future goals?

21. 1. Coalition Building
“Creating and managing a coalition brings expertise
and experience together to implement and monitor
food system activities”

22. 2. Funding and Funding Relationships
“Funding support for regional food system activities
is necessary and a constant challenge to acquire.
Some important steps regions can take to further
their plans include developing grant writing skills,
networking with funders, and creating the best
pitch for funding support.”

23. 3. Local Food Promotion
“An early focus in building a regional food system is to
increase awareness of the impact of local foods on the
social, economic, environmental, and public health of
communities. These promotional activities can be in
the form of simple educational activities, public events,
fundraisers, presentations, media campaigns and
more…”

24. Celebrations, Events, Agritourism
“Large, high‐exposure events draw a diverse
audience and also work to connect consumers
directly with their regional producers. Media
members often are attracted to these events.”

25. Producer Trainings, Workshops
“Producer‐focused regional trainings or workshops
provide valuable educational opportunities for the
region’s farmers/growers/producers. These trainings can
assist producers in growing their operations and
producing more fresh foods. Training topic areas may
include business processes, farming techniques, financial
management and capital building, and food safety
practices.”

26. Institutional Sales and Relationships
“A high‐level outcome of building the local food system is
making fresh, local foods available and more widely
accessible. Activities that further this goal include working
directly with purchasers (such as school food service directors
or chefs) to coordinate their relationships with producers.
These business deals are generally at wholesale volume and
prices. Coordination in several regions has become formally
organized and incorporated through business entities such as
food hubs”

27. Farm-to-school
“Farm to School programming includes working with school
leadership to provide seasonal, local foods from local farms,
classroom presentations with farm field trips, campus
education on local products, and support for school gardens.
Many regions are working to teach students about where their
food comes from, an encourage a greater appreciation and
appetite for fresh, healthy foods.”

28. Value-Chain facilitation, Business
Development
“…can range from a simple introduction to assistance in
negotiating price and delivery with the producer and
purchaser. Buyers may be from restaurants, schools,
universities, care facilities and hospitals.”