Cedar Valley Regional Food & Farm Network

Fall Garden Symposium Black Hawk County
2024-11-02 09:00 - 15:30 UTC
The annual event is Saturday, Nov 2 from 9am to 3:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waterloo (1301 Kimball Ave). The $40 per person fee includes a light breakfast, coffee, a catered lunch, and all programs. You must pre-register by emailing seilers@iastate.edu or call (319) 234-6811.
Speakers:

Jill Weber: Human Sciences Specialist, Food and Health – Cooking with Herbs

Aaron Steil: Statewide Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist at Iowa State University
Editors from Garden Gate Magazine
Josh Spece from In The Country Grden and Gifts
Seed Historian Sara Straate from Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah

Linking your Food Story to the Bigger Picture with Beth Hoffman (Virtual Workshop)
2024-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Join us for this impactful virtual workshop led by journalist, farmer, and author Beth Hoffman, on behalf of the Iowa Food System Coalition. In this workshop, Beth will show you how to be a more impactful storyteller by linking your personal story to the broader issues within our food system. The workshop will consist of instruction, writing time, and discussion, so bring along a notebook and pen! Registration Required(Free for HHNI/Grow. Eat. Play. Members | $20 for non-members). See below.
Beth Hoffman has written about food and agriculture for much of her adult life and was a faculty member in the Media Studies at the University of San Francisco. She and her husband John moved in 2019 from San Francisco to rural Iowa where they farm John’s family’s 570 acres, also known as Whippoorwill Creek Farm. She wrote the book Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America about their journey, and makes regular updates on her Substack, In the Dirt. The couple raises pasture-raised beef, goats, and vegetables, and also forage for mushrooms.
Registration (Free for Grow. Eat. Play. Members | $20 for non-members).

Small Business Social Media Marketing with Amanda Severson (Virtual Workshop)
2025-01-17 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
So you have the social media accounts set up, but now what? Posting on social media can be an overwhelming and time consuming addition to the already full plate of a small business owner. What platforms should you be on? How often should you post? What do you post? Join Amanda with Grand View Beef as she answers these questions and more during this presentation that will help you align your social media strategy with your business goals.
About the Instructor
Amanda owns Grand View Beef with her husband, Knute, in Clarion. She has a BA in strategic communication from Washington State University and 10+ years of marketing experience. Since its inception in 2017, Amanda has grown the Grand View Beef customer base from one farmer’s market to now more than 1,000 annual customers across the nation. She serves as the ‘voice’ for the Grand View Beef Instagram (@grandviewbeef) where she shares daily to an audience of more than 41,000 followers.

Local Food Producer/Buyer Networking Event
2025-01-22 08:30 - 10:30 UTC | Diamond Event Center, 5307 Caraway Ln., Cedar Falls, IA, 50613, United States
Free but registration required by January 15th.
REGISTER: https://forms.gle/x7oAbUgARahvrvbD8
This annual event gives buyers and producers the opportunity to meet in person to make connections and learn about products available. Every buyer talks to every producer during the event.
If you have questions, please contact Jodie at jodie.huegerich@uni.edu.

Farmers Market Workshop
2025-01-25 09:00 - 13:30 UTC | Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial Street, Waterloo, IA, 50701, United States
FREE but registration required by January 15, 2025. A light lunch will be provided.
REGISTER: https://forms.gle/P23RzanPWiTEbjDo7
This is an opportunity for experienced vendors and new vendors to network with each other and gain knowledge about farmers markets in the Cedar Valley region. Topics with guest speakers will include the Cottage Law, SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, Veggie Vouchers, FMNP, marketing, vendor booth set up, and more.
If you have questions, please contact Jodie at jodie.huegerich@uni.edu.

Farm to Fork Dinner
2025-02-05 17:30 - 20:00 UTC
This event brings together members of our community to share a table, a story, and a meal, while supporting our local food system. This incredible meal will be prepared by local chefs utilizing local ingredients.
The event will be held at Diamond Events Center (5307 Caraway Ln, Cedar Falls).
The speaker this year is Daquan Campbell, We Arose.
Tickets are required for this event. You can find more information about ticket options and prices on our blog.
2025 Farm to Fork Dinner

CVRFFN Meeting
2025-02-19 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Northeast Iowa Food Bank, 1605 Lafayette St., Waterloo, Iowa, 50703
Topic: Nutrition Assistance Programs
AGENDA
Introductions
Brief overview of Nutrition Assistance Programs
Panel and Q & A with a farmer, a SNAP/EBT recipient, and more
Creating Connections

Organizations can share updates
Ask for collaborators w/ upcoming events
Bring a business card for networking!

Cedar Valley Regional Food & Farm Network is a coalition of individuals, food and farm businesses, the UNI Local Food Program, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, Black Hawk County Health Department, and other community organizations & leaders working together to positively impact the local food system.

Getting Started with eCommerce (Virtual Workshop)
2025-02-21 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Ready to take your farm or food business online but not sure where to start? Setting up eCommerce can feel daunting, but it’s an incredible opportunity to grow your reach and meet customers where they are—online. In this session, Mallory DeVries will walk you through choosing the best platform for your business, understanding if you’re ready for online sales, and making eCommerce work for you. Whether you’re completely new to selling online or looking for guidance on how to improve, this class will give you the confidence to get started. See registration below.

About the Instructor
Mallory DeVries is a local poultry farmer and owner of TinyPlot Communications, a marketing consulting firm that specializes in making complex topics easy to understand for mission-driven organizations. She works with Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, farmers across Northeast Iowa, and the Iowa Food System Coalition. With a background in corporate web design and a degree in graphic design, Mallory brings both technical expertise and years of experience as a food system practitioner to her work, empowering local producers to grow their businesses online.

WUFM Spring Breakout Pre-Season Market
2025-03-01 10:00 - 14:00 UTC | Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial Street, Waterloo, IA, 50701, United States
Get ready for a taste of spring at the Waterloo Urban Farmers Market’s 3rd
Annual Spring Breakout Pre-Season Market on Saturday, March 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM
to 2:00 PM at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. This free, family-friendly event will feature
over 25 local vendors offering an incredible selection of handmade and homegrown goods.
Shoppers can browse and purchase fresh-baked pies, breads, desserts, home-canned goods,
honey, eggs, arts and crafts, home decor, jewelry, apparel, and more. There will also be face
painting for kids and a wide array of specialty items from local makers and entrepreneurs.
Drinks will be available for purchase.
In addition to the market, attendees can participate in an online silent auction benefiting the
Waterloo Urban Farmers Market’s mission to support local small businesses and provide the
community with access to fresh, healthy, locally sourced foods. The auction’s theme is “Cedar
Valley Experiences,” offering unique local adventures and activities for bidders to enjoy.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to support local vendors, discover handcrafted goods, and
welcome the spring season with the Waterloo Urban Farmers Market!
For more details, visit our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/
1DhBgs1yeN

Urban Gardening in Waterloo
2025-03-02 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-03-02 15:00 - 16:30 UTC | Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial Street, Waterloo, IA, 50701, United States
Topics for this workshop include: Planning & preparation for the growing season, pest management, and small space gardening tips & tricks. Presentations will be translated to Spanish, Burmese, and French. Light snacks provided. This is a free event. There will be two back-to-back sessions of the same presentation offered on Sunday March 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM in the Town Hall room at the Waterloo Center for the Arts 225 Commercial St, Waterloo, IA 50701.
Find this event on the SWCD Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BlackHawkSWCD1

Seed Starting Workshop - Waterloo
2025-03-15 09:00 - 11:00 UTC, 2025-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Iowa State Extension & Outreach Black Hawk County Public Health, 3420 University Avenue, Waterloo, Iowa
The workshops will be held in Conference Room A at the Extension office at 3420 University Avenue in Waterloo. Starting soil and seeds will be provided, some containers will be available, but attendees are asked to bring np more than 24 small pots or 2 starting trays. The starters will go home with the attendees.
This workshop is free, but space is limited. Anyone interested is asked to pre-register for only one class by calling (319) 234-6811 or emailing seilers@iastate.edu.

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshops
2025-03-20 17:00 - 18:00 UTC | Waverly Orchard, 3rd St SW and 7th Ave SW, Waverly, Iowa, 50677
Learn the proper fruit tree pruning techniques and then help prune the Waverly Community Sharing Orchard. No registration required, free to attend.
Instructor: Patrick O’Malley (319) 337-2145

Seed Starting and Your Garden- Denver
2025-03-22 09:30 - 10:30 UTC | Denver Public Library, 100 Washington St., Denver, Iowa, 50622
Learn how to start seeds and manage your home garden. Materials provided.

Contact Ron Lenth (319) 882-4275

Black Hawk SWCD's Award Banquet & 80th Anniversary Celebration
2025-03-27 17:00 - 20:30 UTC | Diamond Event Center, 5307 Caraway Ln., Cedar Falls, IA, 50613, United States
Join us Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Diamond Event Center in the Western Home Communities as we celebrate the Black Hawk SWCD’s legacy of conservation. In 2025, the Black Hawk SWCD will commemorate 80 years of service to the county in their mission to protect the land, soil, and water. The 2025 Conservation Awards will be presented to recipients followed by keynote speaker.

Ticket price $20 each – meal choice of chicken, beef, or vegetarian. Contact Jenna at jenna.curran@ia.nacdnet.net for more information or to purchase tickets in person.
NOTE: When purchasing tickets online, the ticket price includes a $1.00 fee for the transaction.

Better Conversations: Engaging Eaters with Taste & Nutrition
2025-03-28 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Better Conversations: Engaging Eaters with Taste & Nutrition with Jenn Pope, RD (Virtual Workshop)

To equip farmers, food producers, and market vendors with practical tools to engage customers more effectively, learn how to answer common questions like “What would I even do with this?” by focusing on taste, simple preparation tips, and nutritional benefits. This class will also help you craft better social media posts that highlight your products and connect with customers. Whether you’re at the farmers market or online, you’ll gain strategies to boost engagement and build stronger customer relationships. Class will be held via Zoom. Registration required (see below).
About Jenn
Jenn Pope, Registered Dietitian, has been taking a food-first approach for over 3 years, helping clients use whole foods as the foundation of their nutrition journey. With a degree from Iowa State University and a Master’s in Nutrition Diagnostics, Jenn combines her extensive knowledge with practical, realistic strategies for healthy eating.
Her passion for nutrition began in high school, where she experienced firsthand how food impacted her athletic performance. Today, she uses that passion to make nutrition approachable, focusing on taste and simplicity through Roots Nutrition Counseling in Mason City. Jenn loves working in her garden, cooking up new recipes, and finding ways to make healthy food taste great. She’s excited to share her expertise with you!

Seed Starting and Your Garden- Waverly
2025-03-29 09:30 - 10:30 UTC | Waverly Public Library, 1500 W. Bremer, Waverly, Iowa, 50677

Empty Bowls (Northeast Iowa Food Bank)
2025-04-04 18:00 - 21:00 UTC
There are still some tickets available for Empty Bowls! Check out the press release for more information: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/…/67d1ae04c757b24988…

To purchase tickets, visit neifb.org.

See you April 4th!

#neifb #everymealeverydayeveryone #emptybowls2025 #emptybowls

Iowa Eats Festival
2025-04-05
The Iowa Eats Food & Drink Festival is a one-day celebration of Iowa food and drink. Get ready for the ultimate Iowa foodie experience!

The Iowa Eats Food & Drink Festival is bringing you a full menu of excitement on April 5! Join us for live cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes led by top local chefs.

Don’t miss your chance to savor, sip, and learn! Tickets are on sale now – grab yours today and be part of this delicious journey!

Best Practices for Food Entrepreneurs Workshop
2025-05-07 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Winneshiek County Extension and Outreach, 2316 Sweet Parkway Road, Decorah, IA, United States
Join Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for an educational workshop designed with food entrepreneurs in mind. What you’ll learn:

Understand the guidelines, food safety,
and the science supporting the
guidelines for home food entrepreneurs.
Practice and use the testing equipment
required for home food entrepreneurs
and be able to complete batch records.
Generate appropriate food labels for
foods sold from their homes.
Be equipped to adopt food safety best
practices for consistent, high-quality
products in their home food business.

Registration costs $85.
Register at: Best Practices
Contact Jill Weber, Health and Human Sciences Educator, for more information at jrweber@iastate.edu or call (319)234-6811.

Best Practices for Food Entrepreneurs Workshop
2025-05-08 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | Iowa State Extension & Outreach Black Hawk County Public Health, 3420 University Avenue, Waterloo, Iowa

Best Practices for Food Entrepreneurs Workshop
2025-05-12 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Fayette County Extension office, 218 S Main Street, Fayette, IA, United States

CVRFFN Meeting
2025-05-14 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Northeast Iowa Food Bank, 1605 Lafayette St., Waterloo, Iowa, 50703
Topic: How to Find Local Food in the Cedar Valley Region
You will hear from Hansen’s Dairy, We Arose, and other farmers markets.
Plus, learn more about Grow.Eat.Play and how it can help you find local foods. The 2025 Cedar Valley Local Food Guide will be available!
Cedar Valley Regional Food & Farm Network is a coalition of individuals, food and farm businesses, the UNI Local Food Program, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, Black Hawk County Health Department, and other community organizations & leaders working together to positively impact the local food system.

Sourdough Workshop
2025-05-21 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Oneota Coop Kitchen, 312 W. Water Street, Decorah, IA, United States
Learn how to make your own sourdough bread with ISU Extension at this Sourdough Workshop!
What you’ll learn:

Take Home Your Own Starter- to
continue your baking at home.
Mix, Stretch, and Fold a Mini Loaf- learn
the essential techniques for creating
the perfect loaf of bread and take home
a mini loaf to ferment and bake.
Taste and Explore- sample a batch of
fermented focaccia and discover the
use of sourdough discard and an active
starter.

Cost is $50.
Register at go.iastate.edu/U79SGU
Contact Jill Weber, Health and Human Sciences Educator, at jrweber@iastate.edu or call (319)234-6811 for more information.

Sourdough Workshop
2025-06-03 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Fayette County Extension office, 218 S Main Street, Fayette, IA, United States

Fermentation Workshop
2025-06-05 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Oneota Coop Kitchen, 312 W. Water Street, Decorah, IA, United States
Join Iowa State Extension and Outreach for a Fermentation Workshop!
What you’ll learn:

Explore the rich history and significance
of fermented vegetables.
Uncover the amazing health benefits of
fermented foods and why they are great
for gut health.
Get practical tips for avoiding common
fermentation problems.
Leave with the skills and confidence to
start fermenting your own delicious jar of
kimchi at home!

Cost is $50.
Register at go.iastate.edu/U79SGU
Contact Jill Weber, Health and Human Sciences Educator, at jrweber@iastate.edu or call (319)234-6811 for more information.

Fermentation Workshop
2025-06-25 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Fayette County Extension office, 218 S Main Street, Fayette, IA, United States

Sourdough Workshop
2025-07-01 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | St. Patrick Church, 705 Main Street, Cedar Falls, United States

Fermentation Workshop
2025-07-08 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | St. Patrick Church, 705 Main Street, Cedar Falls, United States
