2012 FFI Annual Report Available

The annual report covering their third year of work is now available from the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative (FFI).  This new 27-page publication showcases the wide variety of work done in the Initiative's strategies for policy and system change in schools, early childhood settings, community active living environments and the local food system.  

The report marks the end of three years of work sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  WKKF invests in community-driven projects across the country that work to change policies and systems to make the healthy choice the easy choice.  Kellogg's investment in northeast Iowa started in 2008 when it was selected as one of nine sites selected to be a Food & Fitness community, with a two-year planning grant of $650,000.  A three-year implementation grant of $1.2 million followed.  

WKKF announced earlier this year they are investing four more years in northeast Iowa.  The extended funding phase will focus on long-term sustainability for the citizens in the six rural counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek.  

Guided by a Regional Leadership Council of local community members, FFI is grounded and supported by the staff of four core partner organizations: ISU Extension and Outreach, Luther College, Northeast Iowa Community College and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission.

Our work as been grounded in the principle that we can do more by working together.  2012 has been a great year.

•    18 school districts are tackling school wellness with assistance from AmeriCorps and FoodCorps service members.
•    240 youth leaders are creating change in their schools as part of FFI 4-H youth teams.
•    1 in 4 students are walking or biking to school--up 4% from last year.
•    Schools purchased over $14,400 of food from local farmers.
•    Local food sales increased $1.5 million from the year before to reach $3.6 million.
•    46 jobs have been created in the past three years as a result our food systems work.
•    29 new local food producers/food enterprises were created in the past three years.

Copies of the FFI's Year 3 annual report are available by calling (563) 794-0599 or you can click on sections of the report here:
2012 Project Narrative report
Evaluation Summary
Active Living Report

The Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative has brought people in Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties together to make our region a place where every day, all people have access to healthy, locally grown foods and abundant opportunities for physical activity in the places where we live, learn, work and play.