News

Hannah Hansen has joined the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team as a food safety extension specialist. Hansen began her role in early May of this year and has over a decade of food safety and quality assurance experience.

Producers who are raising small ruminants can gain valuable insights and practical knowledge by participating in the 2025 Small Ruminant Webinar Series. This educational series takes place on the fourth Thursday of each month through April and features expert speakers from the field.

Many small food processing businesses start in their operators’ home-based kitchens. For those wishing to expand beyond their home, the next step may be to utilize a shared-use kitchen facility. Small food processing businesses can learn about shared-use kitchens during an upcoming workshop at Iowa State University.

Iowa Learning Farms will host a series of monarch and pollinator habitat workshops in February and March. Farmers, landowners and urban residents are welcome to attend these free workshops that include a complimentary meal.

The Iowa Tourism Office and Choose Iowa have partnered with the Iowa Restaurant Association to launch a seasonal farm-to-table dinner series, celebrating the connection between Iowa’s agricultural diversity and its culinary talent.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging Iowans to celebrate Iowa Local Food Day on Wednesday, September 25. Initiated in 2018 by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Local Food Day is held annually on the fourth Wednesday in September.

Iowans can learn more about the dairy industry and experience modern dairy farming methods as the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team celebrates National Dairy Month in June.

Agritourism can be a fun and rewarding experience for Iowa landowners. With some careful planning and foresight, agritourism can provide supplemental revenue to a farm or become its main source of revenue.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encouraged Iowa horticulture food crop producers to participate in a statewide industry survey aimed at capturing fresh data on the diversity, growth and economic impact of horticultural food crop production in our state. This is the first Iowa survey of its kind in nearly a decade.

With fewer people growing up on farms, agritourism can be an excellent way for farm visitors to connect with where their food comes from and with Iowa’s agricultural heritage. While inviting visitors to the farm is a valuable experience for both farmers and the public, some risks are associated with the practice.