Food Hubs? Building a Market for Local Food

This week, we explore the innovative world of Iowa’s food hubs—those central engines that aggregate, coordinate, and distribute locally grown food to schools, hospitals, retailers, and consumers. Iowa's Hub to Hub network, galvanized by federally funded programs like Local Food for Schools (LFS) and Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA), streamlined the journey from farm to table. Now federal funding has been cut— but customers continue to benefit from the network, buying local, vetted products they can’t get at the grocery store.

In this episode, the Iowa Food System Coalition discusses how these hubs work together—rather than competing—to create a reliable supply chain. And why support from the ground up—from consumers and institutions to state programs like Choose Iowa Purchasing—is essential now that federal funding has ended.

Featured Voices

• Tommy Hexter, Owner of Grinnell Farm to Table

• Karen Davis, General Manager of the Iowa Food Cooperative

• Victoria Harris

Key Episode Insights

• How federal funding like LFS and LFPA helped fuel the growth of our food hubs and the formation of the hub-to-hub network

• Why Iowa’s network is a unique collaborative of Iowa’s food hubs, coordinating routes and pooling resources to maximize efficiency

• What are the challenges ahead as federal funding has ceased, and the potential role of a state-backed Choose Iowa Purchasing Program to bridge the gap

• What you can do to help

Take Action Now

1. Contact Legislators Tell them: Invest $3 million in Choose Iowa to replace lost federal funds and strengthen Iowa’s local food economy.

   1. Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee (J)

      Senate Members

      • Senate Approps Chair Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink

      • Tom Shipley (R, District 9), Chair

      • Annette Sweeney (R, District 27), Vice Chair

      • Art Staed (D, District 40), Ranking Member

      • Mike Zimmer (D, District 35)

      • Dan Zumbach (R, District 34)

      House Members

      • House Approps Chair Rep. Gary Mohr

      • Norlin G. Mommsen (R, District 70), Chair

      • Helena Hayes (R, District 88), Vice Chair

      • Sami Scheetz (D, District 78), Ranking Member

      • Sean Bagniewski (D, District 35)

      • Chad Behn (R, District 48)

      • J.D. Scholten (D, District 1)

      • Craig Steven Williams (R, District 11)

      • Devon Wood (R, District 17)

      • Derek Wulf (R, District 76)

   2. Call Governor Reynolds: (515) 281-5211 | Contact Form

      1. Tell her to support investment of $3 million in Choose Iowa to replace lost federal funds and strengthen Iowa’s local food economy.
         

2. Engage with Your Local Institutions

   • Ask schools, hospitals, and grocery stores about their food sourcing practices and advocate for local purchasing.

3. Find a hub near you and plan to make local food purchasing part of your everyday.

Resources & Links

• Iowa Food Hub Directory

• Iowa Food Systems Coalition

We Want to Hear From You: How do you support local food in your community? Share your stories and tips on buying local, and we may feature your insights in upcoming episodes. Email us your experiences and ideas!

• communications@iowafoodsystemcoalition.org