“Buy Local” Initiative Brings “Dough” to Rural Communities

Knowing where food comes from and how it is grown is becoming increasingly important for many U.S. consumers. Connecting consumers with local producers is one goal of the Healthy Harvest of North Iowa’s “Buy Fresh. Buy Local.” initiative.

Local food initiatives help fuel stronger communities. Each dollar spent on locally grown food keeps dollars circulating through the community, which can have a big impact on rural communities. The average Iowa family spends $137.90 weekly on food. Residents in the Iowa counties of Franklin and Wright spend $69 million annually on food.

“If we could capture 10% of the food dollars in Franklin and Wright counties, that means $6.9 million would be reinvested in our local communities! Even a 1% market share would be significant,” said Jan Libbey, coordinator for Healthy Harvest of North Iowa.