Join us for community conversations featuring farmers, advocates, and food system disrupters who will help us make connections to the broader food system. Let’s explore this together!

The last Saturday of each month, November-April at 11am.

Funding support for the Food For Thought Series is provided by Dubuque County Food Policy Council and Sustainable Dubuque.

Saturday, April 30, 2022 – Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT)

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust: SILT is an organization dedicated to protecting the future of farming in Iowa while promoting sustainable agriculture. Did you know that Iowa exports nearly 90% of the food products grown in the state? What if we grew food in a way that improved the quality of our soil, made land accessible to young up-and-coming farmers, and put food on the tables of our neighbors? Our final Food For Thought presentation of the season will be with Suzan Erem, SILT’s Community Engagement Specialist, to learn about their Circle Our Cities campaign, which has a goal of surrounding 10 Iowa cities with 10 permanent table food farms in 10 years.

Saturday, March 26, 2022 – Food Insecurity in Iowa

Food Insecurity in Iowa: An equitable food system means that everybody has access to fresh, nutritious, culturally appropriate foods, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, many Iowans experience “food insecurity,” meaning they do not have regular, reliable access to food. This month, Courtney Long, Food Systems Program Manager for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will share with us what is happening at the state-wide level to address food access, and what we can do at a locally to help our most vulnerable populations get the fresh healthy food we all need.

Saturday, February 26, 2022 – Culturally Appropriate Foods

Saturday, January 29, 2022 –  Tips & Tricks for starting a farmers’ market

Saturday, December 18, 2021 – Buying Local on a Large Scale

How can you source healthy local foods from small-scale or specialized farms when you have to feed hundreds of people per day? Large institutions have an opportunity to dramatically shift the way food is procured in a regional food system. Join Clarke University’s Director of Dining Services Miles Breed as he shares his insights for putting locally-grown food on the menu in his cafeteria. Whitney Sanger of Project Rooted will share how her organization’s Farm To School Coordinator is working to educate our youngest eaters about the importance of healthy local foods.

Project Rooted will also host a Holiday Food Drive. If you’re able, while shopping at market, buy a little something extra to share with local families in need. Drop off your purchased items at the Project Rooted booth and they will create and distribute meal kits, complete with fun recipes and educational materials.

Saturday, November 27, 2021 – Women in Ag: Female Farmer Perspectives

What comes to mind when you picture a farmer? Odds are you imagine an older white man driving a tractor through rows of corn. This may be true to a degree, but we know this is not representative of the Ag industry as a whole. For our November Speaker Series, we welcome Andie Donnan of Sandhill Farm and April Prusia of Dorothy’s Range who will join us to talk about their farm operations, and their experiences as women in the field.

Check back or follow us on social media for January’s speaker. Upcoming topics include – Healthy Food and Kids in School; Food Security and Sovereignty; Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, and more!