Our Stories

Capturing and telling the stories of the Initiative are important for reflection, impact and evaluation.  Here are some of the stories of our work.

Postville residents learn how to make healthy meals in a hurry
The Food and Fitness Initiative teamed up with Iowa State University Extension to host two meal education classes. The classes focused on preparing quick, healthy meals, food safety and the importance of family mealtime. Read more.

Producers learn about greenhouse production on local tours
June brought both hot and cool weather to Northeast Iowa. This summer month also gave producers the opportunity to tour four local greenhouses.  Read more.

The Story of the NE IA Food & Farm Coalition
The NIFF Coalition became the first pilot community selected in 2006 by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture's Regional Food System Working Group. Their initial three goals were to provide an opportunity for existing and new producers to diversify, to explore development of regional processing and storage facilities to add value to all agricultural products in the area, and to increase the consumption and sale of locally grown crops.  Read more.

Youth attend Boston Conference
Nine Northeast Iowa residents, including five high school youth, attended a youth planning retreat for Food & Fitness in Boston, Mass.  The conference was organized by the Youth Engagement Associates with the WK Kellogg Foundation to allow five of the nine Food & Fitness community cooperatives the opportunity for cross-site learning.  Read more.