The Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition
Mission: Increase access to locally-grown food and food education for children and families by building cross-sector partnerships to advance programs and policies in schools, early care settings, and the food system.
Vision: Farm to school and early care programs in Iowa are rooted in just and strong local and regional food systems, ensuring the health and wellness of all children and families, the strength of family farms, and the resilience of our communities.
Racial Equity Vision: We envision the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition as a leader in the state on racial equity, where our work and network challenges the status quo and structural racism. We will build a culture of diversity. Connecting across sectors, our coalition will comprise people from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds and will represent all Iowans. Power and statewide decision-making will be equitably distributed and led by the communities most impacted by racial inequities.
Racial Equity Action Statement: We acknowledge systems of oppression and inequity in food systems and education. We commit to engaging in culturally responsive and reflective practices that combat racism, ensuring that racial equity is at the center of our work. We commit to:
Integrating racial equity across our Coalition’s work,
Building community power to create equity in food systems and education,
Addressing the systems that drive inequity in food systems and education in Iowa by dismantling racism,
Together with communities, creating a long-term racial equity plan with actionable goals and measurable outcomes, centering lived experience as knowledge.
Learn More Here: For additional context about racial inequity in Iowa’s food system, check out these resources:
Racial Equity Reflection Tool, IF2SEC Coalition: The coalition’s racial equity working group developed this racial equity assessment to guide coalition members in equitable decision making. We intend for it to serve as a succinct and effective resource that can be applied to all types of decision making (ex: program and project planning, policy development, structural considerations, etc.).
Inequities in the Food System, ISU Extension FFED
Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Bias Resources, Growing Minds
Our Core Values
Coalition Structure and Goals
Reporting and Evaluation
The statewide Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition supports and upholds the following values:
Education: We value the voice and leadership of youth and educators; we support a comprehensive sequence of nutrition and food literacy from birth through 12th grade.
Equity: We acknowledge and understand historical systems of oppression and inequity that exist in food systems and education; we support culturally responsive and reflective resources and practices.
Access: We support policies and programs that increase equitable access to and awareness of local food, food education, and all farm to school and early care initiatives.
Transparency: We value authentic and respectful communication and feedback with partners and community members; we maintain clear, coordinated communication systems with partners and communities about who we are and what we work to accomplish.
Relationships and Collaboration: We center opportunities to build meaningful relationships with communities and stakeholders, developing shared understanding, language, and goals.
Respect: We identify diversity as strength; we acknowledge and celebrate that we come together with personal experience, perspective, culture, and community.
The Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition brings together a dedicated group of farm to school and early care stakeholders who collaboratively work toward shared goals. Horizontal leadership within the coalition embeds sustainability, cross-organizational partnership, and statewide reach into the coalition’s structure.
Our co-chairs coordinate general support, facilitate meetings and lead evaluation of the coalition activities and projects. Three strategy teams, composed of coalition members and coordinated by representatives from several state agencies and organizations, bring the coalition’s goals to life by providing focused space for work on key issues and projects. Strategy teams meet monthly and the coalition meets bi-monthly.
The initiatives of the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition serve a broad statewide network of stakeholders - schools, early care sites, local farmers and food hubs, nonprofits, and community organizations - and generate movement around growing support for farm to school and early care in Iowa.
Join the Coalition!
We want to continue to grow a diverse and committed coalition to work in support of kids and communities in Iowa. New partners make that possible! If you are interested in joining the coalition, please review the following orientation steps and instructions.
Orientation Instructions
After watching the video, email F2SEC@gmail.com: the Coalition co-chairs will set-up a meeting with you to answer questions, walk through expectations of coalition membership, and can clarify the current priorities and needs of the coalition.
Annual Reports
Members of the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition track and share consistent data related to the projects, programs, purchase of local foods, and progress of farm to school and early care initiatives across Iowa on an annual basis. The information and stories are analyzed and compiled in the coalition’s Annual Report, linked below.
Iowa Local Food Day Impact Reports
Iowa Local Food Day, 2019
Iowa Local Food Day, 2020
Iowa Local Food Day, 2021
Iowa Local Food Day, 2022
Iowa Local Food Day, 2023
Great Apple Crunch, 2022
Great Apple Crunch, 2023
Impacts of the Local Produce and Protein Program on the Iowa Food Hub Managers Working Group, 2020
