Feed Iowa First

10/30/2026

Calling all Eastern Iowa farmers! 🌱

Feed Iowa First and local U.S. Department of Agriculture representatives are teaming up to host a Small-Scale Farmer Resource Fair on Saturday, November 14, from 9 AM–12 PM at the Linn County ISU Extension Office in Hiawatha.

Whether you're starting a small farm business, looking for funding, exploring land access, or interested in implementing conservation practices, this event is an opportunity to connect with organizations and learn about resources available to support your operation.

Representatives from FSA, NRCS, Sustainable Iowa Land Trust - SILT, Drake Law School, Rodale Institute, and The Xerces Society will share information about their services, answer questions, and be available for one-on-one conversations.

📍 Linn County ISU Extension Office
1770 E Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA 52233

📅 Saturday, November 14
⏰ 9 AM–12 PM

Light refreshments will be provided!

Interested in attending? RSVP using the link below:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=5zZb7e4BvE6GfuA8-g1GlwWd3TkV3Y1EkZunAV7gJtZUNlFKNU1CTjNHUjJaRU9FTTVSVzhPMUNKSS4u&route=shorturl

10/30/2026

A big thank you to the volunteers from Collins Aerospace who joined us at Wanatee Farm last night! 🌱

Our volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help with farm teardown as we begin preparing for the off-season. We appreciate their time, hard work, and willingness to lend a hand in supporting our work across the community.

Thank you, Collins Aerospace, for spending your evening with Feed Iowa First!

10/29/2026

🐈‍⬛🌱 In honor of National Cat Day, we wanted to take a moment to highlight our hardest-working ladies, Matt and Rosie! 🐾

These two have been spending time at the shop and are starting to explore a little more of their surroundings. We think their latest adventures deserve a little recognition! 💚

Happy National Cat Day from Feed Iowa First!

10/29/2026

🧄 Planting for the seasons ahead! 🌱

Our Distribution Specialist, Kelsie, spent today planting garlic at Wanatee Farm, helping lay the groundwork for future harvests. Every season brings new opportunities to grow nutrient-dense food for our community, and it starts with work like this!

Let’s Grow 🌱

10/27/2026

🎉 Big news at Feed Iowa First!

We’re excited to announce that Alora Kraus has officially been named our new Executive Director!

Alora previously served as our Equitable Land Access Program Director, helping emerging and historically underserved farmers access land and resources to grow their agricultural businesses.

With her background in sustainable resource management, food access, and community-based agriculture, Alora brings valuable experience to this new role. She’ll continue building on this work as she leads our efforts to support farmers, strengthen local food systems, and expand access to fresh, nutritious food across Eastern Iowa.

Please join us in congratulating Alora on this exciting new chapter! We’re looking forward to all that’s ahead. 💚

10/22/2026

We’re excited to announce our collaboration with Together We Achieve! We’ll be providing winter squash, grown by our partners at the Rodale Institute, for TWA’s Holiday Food Boxes. 🎃💚

This partnership is a great opportunity for us and our supporters to give back, strengthen community connections, and share the harvest during the winter season!

We encourage everyone to check out the links TWA has shared to learn more about their work and find ways to volunteer or show your support this season. Every contribution helps make a difference! 🤝✨

❤️ For some families, a holiday meal can make all the difference.

Together We Achieve’s holiday food boxes help local families put a special meal on the table and make time together a little easier during the holiday season.

You can help make that possible. Every donation helps us reach more families, and every volunteer helps bring our community together. ❤️

🍽️ Help provide holiday meals: https://bit.ly/TWAHoliday26

🤝 Want to volunteer? Find opportunities here: https://bit.ly/TWASpecialPrograms

Together, we can help more families feel supported this holiday season.

10/21/2026

🌱September Volunteer of the Month: Kyle Wissenberg🌱

We're excited to recognize Kyle Wissenberg as our September Volunteer of the Month!

Kyle has volunteered with Feed Iowa First for seven years and has made a lasting impact through his dedication, generosity, and steady support.

For the past three years, Kyle has served as the Site Ambassador for our EcoLips Urban Farm site through helping transform underutilized land into a thriving garden by planting, caring for, and harvesting produce that is shared with the community. His commitment and willingness to show up season after season has been truly appreciated.

This year, the EcoLips Urban Farm grew Bolero carrots, Kyle's favorite vegetable to grow! He shared, "They're so satisfying to pull out of the ground, and they smell so nice."

Beyond his contributions at the Urban Farm, Kyle is a familiar face at our Monday Shop Nights. His easygoing and grounded personality makes him someone everyone enjoys working with. We are thankful for the time, energy, and enthusiasm Kyle has shared with Feed Iowa First over the years.

Thank you Kyle, for seven years of support, dedication, and care. We appreciate everything you do and are excited to celebrate you as our Volunteer of the Month! 💚

10/19/2026

🌱 A big thank you to Sow Right Seeds for their generous donation of seeds! 💚

We’ve already started planting some of their varieties in our hoop house for the winter, and we’re excited to see what grows! We’re looking forward to using their vegetable seeds next season and planting beautiful flowers to brighten up the front of our building. 🌻🌼

Thank you, Sow Right Seeds, for helping us grow! 🌱💚

10/16/2026

🥫🌱 Feed Iowa First is partnering with Can Shed to help grow fresh food for our community through Redeem Feed!

Organize a can drive and donate your redemption earnings to support Feed Iowa First. 💚

Interested in participating, need materials, or have questions? Contact our Distribution Specialist, Kelsie Hernandez, at [email protected].

Collect. Redeem. Feed. 🍉

Music by: Bensound
License code: 7LTGSVVHIMUC89G5
Artist: : Lunar Years

10/15/2026

Natalie is happy about having....PUMPKINS!!!

Loving these cute pie pumpkins :)

Disclaimer: No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this video