USDA Local Foods, Local Places ProgramTHE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: USDA Local Foods, Local Places Program
DATE: July 15, 2014
Dubuque
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AI -America City
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2007 • 2012 • 2013
Sustainable Community Coordinator Cori Burbach recommends City Council approval
of a letter of intent to apply for the USDA Local Foods, Local Places technical
assistance program.
The Local Foods, Local Places program is a new technical assistance program created
by the USDA, with assistance from other federal agencies. Its intent is to help
communities bolster their local foods systems, particularly providing economic
opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs, while increasing access to healthy foods
for at -risk populations and investing in the revitalization of downtowns.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Sustainable Community Coordinator
THE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Cori Burbach, Sustainable Community Coordinator
DATE: July 15, 2014
SUBJECT: USDA Local Foods, Local Places Program
Dubuque
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a -America City
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2007 • 2012 • 2013
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to request City Council approval of the attached letter of intent to apply for the USDA Local
Foods, Local Places technical assistance program.
BACKGROUND
The Local Foods, Local Places program is a new technical assistance program created by he USDA with assistance from
other federal agencies. Its intent is to help communities bolster their local foods systems, particularly providing economic
opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs, while increasing access to healthy foods for at -risk populations and investing
in the revitalization of downtowns. Since establishing Healthy Local Foods as one of the Sustainable Dubuque principles,
many private, public, and citizen partners have already come together to increase opportunities for producers and consumers
in Dubuque.
DISCUSSION
The partners listed in the attached letter met to discuss opportunities that would benefit from USDAtechnical assistance.
There is much excitement about the potential to expand the amount of foods produced locally, the opportunity to complete
workforce training in this sector, and the potential for a community kitchen. What is lacking is a feasibility study and strategic
plan that lays out a path forward for partners to take to make these visions a reality. This is the request contained in the
attached LOl, submitted on behalf of all then partners listed.
PROJECT COST - BUDGET IMPACT
This is a technical assistance program. There are no grant funds available, nor local match required.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I respectfully request City Council approval of the attached letter of intent.
THE CITY OF
DUB
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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All -America City
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2007 • 2012 •2013
City Manager's Office
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001-4805
Office (563) 589-4110
Fax (563) 589-4149
TTY (563) 690-6678
ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org
www. cityofdubuque.org
July 15, 2014
RE: Dubuque, Iowa Local Foods, Local Places application
Dear Mr. Fendley,
On behalf of the Dubuque County Iowa State Extension and the partners listed below, it
is my pleasure to submit this letter expressing interest in the new Local Foods, Local
Places program.
In 2008, a community task force identified Healthy Local Foods as one of the twelve
principles in the Sustainable Dubuque plan, a plan that integrates Economic Prosperity,
Environmental Integrity, and Social/Cultural Vibrancy. In 2011, Dubuque County Iowa
State Extension hired a fulltime Regional Foods Coordinator, and in 2013, issued East
Central Iowa's first local food system plan. In the same time, the Dubuque Food Co-op
opened thanks to a grassroots effort, eight community gardens were launched, summer
and winter farmers markets expanded, as did the number of producers, the training
provided for those producers, and the consumer base. Partners such as Crescent
Community Health Center, the Multicultural Family Center, and local food pantries have
begun teaching healthy eating habits and incorporating local foods into their meals.
All of these have been measured successes for the Healthy Local Foods scene in the
tri-state (Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois) area. There is community energy and a number
of un- or underutilized assets that are ripe to help Dubuque rise to the next level. With
the USDA's technical assistance, the partners described below would complete a
feasibility study and strategic plan to identify the economic opportunities to expand
institutional and individual consumer buying of local foods, especially in our downtown
and at -risk communities, the needs of producers if they are going to be able to increase
production to meet this increased demand, and the development of job training
programs that will be needed to meet the increased workforce demand in this system.
A. Food hub feasibility study. With the opening of the Dubuque Food Co-op and
the work of the Regional Foods Coordinator, there is an increasingly
significant interest in purchasing from local producers. The partners propose
conducting a feasibility study to determine the most effective model for the tri-
state area, which may include a food hub or community kitchen model to
support small-scale processing, aggregation, and distribution needs.
B. Producer needs assessment. Anecdotally, we know that in order to serve this
growing demand, there is a need for more producers in all areas. An
assessment would assist in identifying opportunities for new and existing
producers, including urban agriculture, to meet demand.
C. Workforce development strategic plan. Along with the above-described
expansion will come a number of opportunities for job creation. Multiple
partners have the capability to provide job training for new farmers and
entrepreneurs, small farm laborers, and restaurant and institutional buyers
who need assistance purchasing and preparing these healthy local foods.
Dubuque has a strong history of public -private -citizen partnerships. A number of
partners currently collaborate to expand the availability of healthy local foods and focus
investment on our downtown core, and stand ready to work together on this exciting
opportunity:
• Dubuque County Iowa State Extension: The Regional Foods Coordinator will
leverage Extension's staff, and connection to local producers and consumers,
coordinating this effort.
• Dubuque Main Street: As the manager of the oldest running Iowa farmers market
and a key player in the development of the downtown and at -risk Washington
Neighborhood, DMS will coordinate outreach to farmers, consumers, and
restaurants.
• Northeast Iowa Community College: Committed to creating and implementing
workforce development training as identified through this process.
• City of Dubuque: The City's sustainability and economic development
departments are committed to facilitate this process, providing technical and
policy support.
• Dubuque Food Co-op: Since its opening in early 2013, the Co-op has been
approached by numerous institutions and restaurants. This technical assistance
would help identify the potential role of the Co-op as a large-scale food hub.
• Dubuque Rescue Mission: The DRM, a homeless men's shelter, started the first
community garden in Dubuque and is committed to developing life skills training
for its residents and using the healthy foods when providing meals to the public.
• Washington Neighborhood Development Corporation: The Washington
Neighborhood is one of the city's most historic, walkable neighborhoods. It also
is one of the community's most low-income neighborhoods. Partners including
the WNDC, the Crescent Community Health Center, and HEART are working to
bring local foods to this neighborhood through outreach and urban ag. An
additional potential partner in this effort includes the Friends of St. Mary's group,
who is currently exploring whether an abandoned Catholic Church campus could
be reimagined into a community kitchen and training center.
In addition to the partners listed above, many other partners, including local producers,
are committed to expanding access to healthy local foods for all, but particularly for our
most at -risk residents. As the need for skilled labor on farms continues to grow and the
demand for institutional buying increases, we look forward to this opportunity to work
with our partners at USDA and others to develop a strategic plan to meet the economic
needs of the local food system in the tri-state area.
Sincerely,
Cori urbach
Sustainability Community Coordinator