Food Policy Council
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“The Johnson County Historic Poor Farm provides a public space for connecting to the land and local history through inclusive community-led opportunities,” said Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz, farm project manager. She spoke at last night’s Johnson County Food Policy Council public forum where the poor farm was a featured topic. This was my first forum as a… Read more
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To prepare for my first meeting as a member of the Johnson County Food Policy Council, I read council recommendations for the Uniform Development Ordinance. There were two things: Ag-Exemption should be available for local farmers with less than 40 acres. Agritourism enterprises need zoning regulations that allow for innovation and creativity on farms in… Read more
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I had a chance to introduce myself to a new group of people last night, so I thought I would share it here before the paper goes into the shredder. Here’s what I said to the Johnson County Food Policy Council last night: I am: Native Iowan living west of Solon. Ten years since retiring… Read more
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Eight years ago I attended a local food summit in Iowa City with more than 80 people. It was an event designed to connect local meat and vegetable growers with customers. Among the speakers was Andy Dunham of Grinnell Heritage Farm. He spoke about the challenges of scaling his carrot production to meet consumer demand… Read more
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On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Johnson County Supervisors appointed me to fill a vacancy on the Food Policy Council. There were eight applications for the position according to county records. Supervisor Janelle Rettig made the motion to approve, with Supervisor Lisa Green-Douglass seconding. All five supervisors voted for my appointment. I accepted and look forward… Read more
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