The Cultivate Iowa Campaign promotes the benefits of food gardening and produce donation to create a sustainable future and healthier communities in Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
A new program launching this month seeks to ensure that all Iowans have regular access to safe and nutritious food.
The Cultivate Iowa campaign, which debuts April 19, is an initiative of the Iowa Food Systems Council’s Food Access and Health Work Group, with funding provided by The Wellmark Foundation.
I especially like the campaign’s goals that encourage low-income Iowans to think about growing produce as a way to save money and eat healthy food, and to encourage gardeners to donate some of their harvest to a local food pantry.
While there is no formal connection to Blue Zones or Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, the group’s Angie Tagtow tells me that engaged partners exist across all three.
Here is more about the campaign and this month’s event:
Food Access & Health Work Group
Spring Gathering & Cultivate Iowa Campaign Debut
Iowa Arboretum 1875 Peach Avenue, Madrid, IA
Date: 04/19/2013
Time: 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
9:00 am Registration & Networking
9:30 am Welcome
12:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm FAHWG Partner Exchange
3:30 pm Adjourn
Join fellow FAHWG colleagues to celebrate the launch of the Cultivate Iowa Campaign. The Cultivate Iowa Campaign promotes the benefits of food gardening and produce donation to create a sustainable future and healthier communities in Iowa. The campaign is designed to:
- Encourage low-resource Iowans to think about food gardening as a way to save money and have healthy and great tasting food, and
- Encourage Iowa gardeners to grow, harvest or glean extra produce this season and donate the fresh harvest to a local food pantry or community-based organization.
The FAHWG Spring Gathering will offer an exciting opportunity for FAHWG partners to learn more about the campaign development, tools for implementing the campaigns and access to an innovative website equipped with resources and materials you can use in your settings.
Free campaign materials and garden seeds will be provided to all FAHWG partners who attend. Awesome garden-related door prizes will be drawn throughout the day.
FAHWG partners are encouraged to bring materials, handouts or small displays to showcase their activities.
Lunch will be provided. Registration is required to guarantee lunch and to ensure the availability of campaign materials. An agenda will be available prior to the gathering.
Information: Iowa Food Systems Council
P.O. Box 112, Elkhart, IA 50073
Phone: (515) 423-0660
Email: IowaFoodSystemsCouncil@gmail.com
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