The Local Food and Farm Program is looking for a few good ideas that will help put more Iowa-grown products on dinner plates and more money in the pockets of Iowa farmers. The purpose of the program, established by the Iowa Legislature in 2011, is to increase the production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumption of local food in Iowa. The program also outlines the need to increase profitability and the number of jobs all along the local food chain.

The Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition is pleased to offer mini-grants to FFI 4-H Youth Teams in Allamakee, Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard or Winneshiek counties. FFI 4-H Youth Teams interested in starting or expanding the Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team (FFEST), in northeast Iowa are eligible to apply

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) was awarded the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Team Achievement Award at the 2012 Extension and Outreach Annual Conference in Ames on Oct. 25.

Upper Exploreland Regional Planning Commission is part of a local team of NE Iowa economic development, transportation, and employment specialists is conducting a survey about employment transportation in Northeast Iowa. The goal is to get a better understanding of current employment transportation options and needs.

Early bird registration for he Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference (MVAAC) is extended to November 15. The MVAAC will return for its 14th year on December 12-13, 2012 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This year's co hosts, River Country Resource, Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) and Wisconsin Farmers Union want to ensure as many people as possible can take advantage of the lower priced early bird registration.

The Great Lakes Expo is the premier tradeshow for fruit and vegetable growers, farmer marketers and greenhouse operators. This annual event held in Grand Rapids, Michigan gives food producers a chance to network with other producers, attend educational sessions and workshops, and attend a trade show with nearly 400 exhibitors in attendance. Windridge Implements, along with the NE Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative and the NE Iowa Food and Farm Coalition are giving sponsoring a chartered bus trip to the Great Lakes Expo on December 3-5.

The University of Northern Iowa's Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) is partnering with the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) to aid local school districts in promoting healthy foods.

The Initiative has always valued transparency, cooperation and the stories of its partners. In an effort to share more stories, and to distribute that responsibility to more people, we have launched a blog feature to our website.

Now another paved Iowa trail can make a solid argument, just in time for fall biking: Decorah's recently completed Trout Run Trail. The scenic loop around the northeast Iowa college town is less than half as long as the High Trestle or Iowa Great Lakes trails, but its 11 miles pack a long list of highlights that include public art, bluff vistas, riverside views and challenging switchbacks. It also runs past an often-visited trout hatchery and the famed nest of the Decorah eagles that millions have viewed on a live online camera.

High school students from six northeast Iowa school districts recently participated in a training coordinated by Iowa State University Extension at the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation Center. The training prepared students for their role as cross-age teachers in the Farm to School program which begins in September.