1. Worked on updating LFC’s “Name and Contact Information” database as well as our e-newsletter listserv. LFC has a couple thousand people to keep track of. Our e-newsletter list contains only of these 600 addresses. We invited 42 more people today.

2. Made a request for kitchenwares donation from Trudeau Corporation. Trudeau has been very generous to LFC in the past, donating to us such items as: mixing bowl, spatulas, over-the-sink strainers and trivets. Check out their products here:

Trudeau Kitchen Gadgets

LFC updates the inventory of its kitchenware store in the spring, in preparation for the upcoming season. Our clients can purchase kitchen items with points they earn by participating in our educational activities. If our store is well-stocked at the beginning of the season, our clients have more incentives for completing projects.

3. Met with volunteer Natalia to discuss LFC’s Facebook page. Natalia has taken over administration of our facebook page and it doing a great job. Check it out and add LFC as your friend! In addition, Natalia is planning a music concert fundraiser for LFC. She hopes to host it sometime in late April. Our Facebook friends will be the first to know the details! Thanks for all your dedicated work Natalia.

4. Prepared paperwork for filing.

5. Called client OK to say hi. OK has had a tumultuous winter, with two deaths in her close family.

6. Spoke with a potential new Client Buddy volunteer and set-up a time for her to come into the office on Sunday. LFC has recruited most of the office volunteers we can manage for the semester.

7. Contacted Eco-Iowa City about contributing to the cost of printing the 2010 “Guide to CSAs Serving Iowa City.” LFC hopes to publish that directory soon.

1. Announced the date and time of the upcoming Iowa City CSA Fair to our partner farmers. We have not sent out an official press release yet. Double-checked our list of CSA farmers who might be interested in attending. The list includes:

• Abbe Hills Farm, Mount Vernon
• Ebersole Cattle Company, South Central
• Echollective, Mechanicsville
• Gooseberry Hill Produce, Iowa City
• Grass Run Farm, Dorchester
• Grinnell Heritage Farm, Grinnell
• Heritage Breed Meats, Strawberry Point
• Hue Hill Farm, Iowa City
• Life is Sweet
• Local Harvest CSA, Solon
• Oak Hill Acres, Atalissa
• Plan B Farm, North English
• Red Cedar Farm, Cedar Rapids
• Simone’s Plain & Simple, Wellman

2. Read an article on how to prepare for a meeting with an investment advisor. Wrote out a draft of an investment plan for LFC.

3. Dana volunteered in the office.

4. Continued transcribing notes from client binders.

1. Looked over calendar for February to review upcoming activities. These include, but are not limited to:

• Give a presentation to a nutrition class at the University of Iowa
• Take a volunteer to ZJ Farm
• Meet with a financial advisor at the University of Iowa Community Credit Union to discuss investment options
• Complete poster text and press release for the April Iowa City CSA Fair
• Prepare text for “Guide to CSAs Serving Iowa City”
• Attend an AM Rotary meeting to accept a recent donation
• Set-up an appointment to visit Clipper Windpower, to accept a recent donation
• Consider attending the Polk County Soil & Water Conservation Backyard Conservation Workshop on Feb 27

2. Contacted the Iowa City Recycling Center to ask if LFC could be a recipient organization in their “Rummage in the Ramp” sale.

Rummage in the Ramp is an annual City-sponsored effort that began in 2007 in order to keep tons of reusable items out of the landfill and get it to those who need it when the lease changeover occurs annually at the end of July.  Environmental and human services non-profit groups provide the labor and split the profits.  Donations are tax-deductible and most items are priced at $1, $5, $10 and $20.

Learn more about it here: Rummage in the Ramp

3. Continued conversation with the faculty member who teaches the Art & Ecology class at the University of Iowa. In this class, upper-division and graduate students explore environmental themes in their work. Structured as a collaborative, creative research group, the Art & Ecology course explores artistic responses to the environment and related social issues. The students examine key themes in environmental discourse in the first half of the semester, paying particular attention to how artists have engaged them. Then they will choose the themes for the course based on preliminary presentations and an extensive bibliography of written texts and art work. Recently, the class became a capstone projects course for the university’s sustainability certificate program.

4. Sent client FH the updated kitchenware inventory list.

5. Contacted edible Iowa River Valley magazine and the Iowa City Parks & Recreation Dept to ask if they would like to cosponsor the April Iowa City CSA Fair.

1. Contacted the Iowa City AM Rotary to inquire about details of the grant recently awarded to LFC and about related requirements. LFC was awarded a $1,500 “Community Grant.” We did not apply for this grant. Their members nominated organizations that they thought were doing especially well at meeting the basic human needs of the community.

2. Continued discussion with Matthew 25 Ministry Hub in Cedar Rapids about their enrollment in Local Foods Connection this year. The focus of Matthew 25’s work after the 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids turned to helping their community rebuild. You can learn more about their passionate work here:

Matthew 25 Website

3. Cleaned office.

4. Worked on a draft of the text for the poster and press release of the upcoming Iowa City CSA Fair.

1. VISTA Bethany worked in the office.

2. Asked the New Pioneer Food Co-Op if they would be interested in designing and printing the poster for this year’s Iowa City CSA Fair. They have created a gorgeous poster for the Fair for the past three years.

3. Updated LFC’s list of publicity venues which we use to promote our events. We updated this list as part of the planning for the upcoming Iowa City CSA Fair, as well as for the release of the cookbook which the UI Art & Ecology Class is creating and will release in May.

4. Read and edited the HACAP grant proposal written by the UI Art & Ecology Class. The grant is a request for funds to print the cookbook.

5. Prepared deposit logs and wrote thank you cards.

6. Completed LFC’s registration for the upcoming Prairie Preview event organized by the Johnson County Heritage Trust.

Prepare to be enchanted at the Johnson County Heritage Trust’s 27th annual Prairie Preview, to be held Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at Parkview Evangelical Free Church, 15 Foster Rd., Iowa City, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Writer and photographer Bill Witt will present “Enchantment by Prairie,” weaving together visions of our natural prairies, both past and present, through his beautiful photographs and thoughtful prose.

The Prairie Preview also includes information and displays from local environmental organizations and agencies.  Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m. for registration and to view the exhibits, with Witt’s presentation at 7:30. Refreshments will be provided following his presentation.

Learn more about the event here:

2010 Prairie Preview

7. Called the Iowa City Recreation Department to see if the Social Hall was available on the afternoon of Saturday, April 10 for the CSA fair. It was!

1. Spoke with client NK about the points she has earned by participating in our educational activities last year and which she can use to purchase kitchen equipment in LFC’s small store.

2. Spoke with a member of the University of Iowa sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi about volunteering opportunities. Followed up by sending her information about farm work days.

3. Made bank deposit from last week’s donations.

4. Called the Iowa State Department of Revenue on behalf of Sunlight’s Rhapsody. This is a business founded by Laura through which she sells note cards featuring photographs she takes on farms. The business needs to pay sales tax on last year’s card sales (it is a ‘yearly’ filer). 15% of Laura’s profits goes to LFC.

5. Called WDG Communications to ask about the publishing and printing of LFC’s in-development Produce Pocket Guides. WDG puts out the “Paddler’s Guide: Iowa River Valley Water Trail,” a pocket guide the format of which interests us. The Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development office puts out this guide, which can be purchased via their online store:

Iowa Valley RC&D Online Store

6. Attended the University of Iowa lecture: Media, Space and Race: The Case of the “Southeast Side” of Iowa City. The discussion was quite lively.

Media, Space and Race Lecture

1. Responded to an inquiry about which, if any CSA farms accept EBTs. EBTs are the new, electronic version of food stamps. Farmers can accept EBTs, but the process is a little more complicated than it was for the paper coupons, because the farmers need to rent a credit card swipe machine. Oak Hill Acres accepts EBTs for their CSA program and Echollective is in the process of applying to the state for accepting EBTs.

2. Responded to the announcement from Clipper Windpower which stated that they have a $140 donation for LFC! Clipper Windpower allows their employees to participate in “Casual Fridays,” during which they can wear jeans if they make a donation to a local nonprofit. The company chooses one nonprofit to be the recipient of the funds each week. This donation is their second to LFC in the past few months! You can learn more about them here:

Clipper Windpower Website

3. Continued discussion with Matthew 25 Ministry Hub in Cedar Rapids about their enrollment in Local Foods Connection this year. The focus of Matthew 25’s work after the 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids turned to helping their community rebuild. You can learn more about their passionate work here:

Matthew 25 Website

4. Called HACAP to ask questions about their Community Development Grants.

Poverty is a complex human condition, which in many respects lingers outside traditional market economics. Poverty creates barriers for human progress, restricting individual opportunity. Its impacts need to be addressed locally for maximized results. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP) is one of eighteen Iowa community action agencies (CAAs), providing flexible and adaptive programs and services that work toward removing those barriers to self-sufficiency while maintaining a person’s dignity. HACAP provides service in six counties (Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington).

The “Community Development Grant Request can be found here:

HACAP Forms Webpage

1. Cleaned office. Prepared paperwork for filing. Updated document “Master List of Hanging Files.”

2. Dana D. volunteered.

3. Continued transcribing notes and testimonials from client binders to use for blog entries and updated brochure.

4. Contacted 2009 worker Tim about W-2 Forms.

5. Contacted potential new volunteer Ramsey to set-up a meeting time.

6. Met with Brian of Plan B Farm. They are a new CSA farm located in North English. You can learn more about them here:

Plan B Farm

7. Updated LFC’s kitchenware inventory to include recent purchases we made at Kitchen Experts in Coralridge Mall, including kitchen scissors and salad spinners.

1. Responded to a request made by the administrator of LFC’s Facebook page, Natalie, to help her update the site. This will be a continuing process.

2. Continued conversation with the faculty member who teaches the Art & Ecology class at the University of Iowa. In this class, upper-division and graduate students explore environmental themes in their work. Structured as a collaborative, creative research group, the Art & Ecology course explores artistic responses to the environment and related social issues. The students examine key themes in environmental discourse in the first half of the semester, paying particular attention to how artists have engaged them. Then they will choose the themes for the course based on preliminary presentations and an extensive bibliography of written texts and art work. Recently, the class became a capstone projects course for the university’s sustainability certificate program.

-Sent Sarah lots of information and resources to follow-up with topics and questions brought-up during our class presentation yesterday.

3. Made appt. to introduce Farmer Susan to an enthusiastic LFC farm volunteer who wants to work on farms even during the winter!

4. Continued work with some of our volunteer dietitians. LFC offers its clients education on such topics as nutrition and farming, in addition to providing them with food from local farms. As part of this educational program, we prepare 10 to 20 Food Facts Sheets every year. These fact sheets contain information on individual produce items, such as broccoli and okra, as well as larger health topics, such as “warming foods and cooling foods.” Each of these pamphlets is either reviewed by, or written by, a registered dietitian. We mail these pamphlets to our clients along with a quiz. Our clients complete the quizzes and earn points towards the purchase of kitchenware. Our volunteer dietitians have begun work on this years’ Food Facts Sheets.

5. Called Senators Harkin and Grassley to ask them to support the Growing Safe Food Act (S 2758). Providing training and technical assistance to farmers engaged in on farm processing is essential to good economic development and safe, local and healthy food. (Laura made the call speaking as herself, not on behalf of LFC. But I think this is an important issue for you to learn about!)

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) supports S 2758 as opposed to S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act. The NSAC fears that S 510 will cause too great of a regulatory burden on small farmers, especially those using organic farming methods. Learn more about their concerns here (look under “Whats New”):

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Website

1. Continued preparing for, and gave, a 1 and 1/2 hour presentation at the Art & Ecology class which I have mentioned many times in the blog recently.

2. Gave project updates to the UI Donate Design class. Our first requests are for the class to make updates to the projects created during previous semesters – including to our client educational Activity Book and to the Produce Pocket Guide.

3. VISTA Bethany worked in the office.

4. Followed up with SCNO-Iowa, a student-run consulting group offering free services to community non profit organization. We met the president of the Iowa chapter at the UI Volunteer Fair. You can learn more about the organization here:

Students Consulting for Non Profits

5. Followed up with the Johnson County branch of Children of Promise, a group that provides positive role models for children of incarcerated parents. We met one of the staff members at the UI Volunteer Fair. They are interested in participating in farm work days. Here is a short KCRG story about them:

http://www.kcrg.com/care/events/28246419.html