December 2004

Adopt-A-Family Renamed Local Foods Connection
Adopt-A-Family changed its name to Local Foods Connection in the spring of 2004 after a Board of Directors vote and input from many friends and businesses. The name change helps to clarify our mission.

Local Foods Connection seeks to connect needy families in our community with healthy and fresh locally produced foods. We champion small family farmers who use environmentally-friendly agricultural practices by purchasing their food products. We nourish and educate disadvantaged families by introducing them to the people who grow the vegetables, and raise the animals, we donate.

In addition, our organization encourages our member families to maintain their interest in locally-produced foods beyond the period of our involvement. Our hope is that the families will continue their interest in safe, tasty food, not only throughout the reminder of the year, but for the rest of their lives.

New web address: http://www.localfoodsconnection.org
New email address: Add this to your email address book so our next newsletter won't be filtered out of your inbox! - localfoodsconnection@yahoo.com
New mailing address: PO Box 2821 Iowa City, IA 52244
Phone Number: (319) 338-2010

Shelter House Children's Garden Project
The Shelter House in Iowa City provides shelter and supportive services for men, women, and children who are homeless in our community. One project, headed by awesome volunteer Brett Bymaster, involves the children of homeless, or recently relocated families, in fun and educational activities.

Brett and Local Foods Connection hooked up to find a healthy and safe spot for these kids to garden this past summer. Susan ZJ, of the ZJ Farm in Solon, provided a plot on her chemical-free farm for the children to design, plant, weed, and harvest their own garden.

The children grew carrots, radishes and flowers, along with seedlings of patty pan squash, melons and cherry tomatoes.

The plants and seeds were donated by Susan ZJ, Choice Earth CSA and Brett. Ben Franklin Crafts and Fired Up! donated supplies to create mosaic garden stepping stones.

In addition, the group spent a lot of time exploring the farm. They met all the animals, helped to milk a goat, played with kittens, fed grasses to pigs and played on the ZJ family trampoline.

We applaud Brett for his tremendous work and generosity, and thank the ZJ family for opening the their farm to the kids.

THANKS!!
Local Foods Connection is proud to publicly thank many of the individuals, families, businesses and groups that have made contributions during 2004.

Families and Individuals…
Antoine Bechara
Andrea & Kenneth Clinkenbeard
David C. Curry & Donna C. Friedman
Laura Dowd & Larry Parks
Karen Dinsmore
Diana Fern
Dina Janzen & Jim Rossen
James & Elizabeth Leach
Sondra & Robert Lewis
Polly & Armond Pagliai
Diana Paulina & Kevin Crowley
Randy Parks
Anne Rhomberg & Susan Johnson
Al & Betty Thomas
Rita & Robert Tomanek
Michelle Weckman

Businesses…

Financial Donations
Brandy's Vacuum & Sewing, Coralville
Everybody's Whole Food Stores, Fairfield
Iowa State Bank, Iowa City
General Mills, Iowa City
Koinonia Food Buying Club, Iowa City
Mid-States Hearing Aid Center, Iowa City
Natural Selections, Fairfield

Goods or Services Donations
10,000 Hours Show: city-wide exposure and awesome volunteers
American Pride Soy Products: organic tofu
Ben Franklin, Iowa City: garden stepping stone kit
Design Ranch/Chris Gnade, Iowa City: Alessi
Coco Dandy Egg Cooker
Fired Up! Iowa City: mosaics for stepping stones
Iowa State University, Life In Iowa Program:summer intern
Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition: discounted cookbooks
Mediacom, Cedar Rapids: six months family cable service
Ten Speed Press: cookbooks & nutrition books
Rodale Press: cookbooks

Non Profits…
Environmental Advocates
Iowa Foundation for Education, Environment and the Arts

Broken Heartland: The Rise of America’s Rural Ghetto
by Osha Gray Davidson review by Alison Baker

For many Americans the words “Midwest” and “Heartland” conjure up images of strong, proud farmers living wholesome lives amidst the vast fields of corn, soybeans and wheat. But contrary to this idyllic image is a life of poverty and isolation for many Midwestern farm families. By 1980, farming expenses skyrocketed to the point that the number of farmers had decreased by two-thirds, causing economic, environmental and psychological repercussions to rural communities. In Broken Heartland, freelance journalist Osha Gray Davidson examines the devastating impact the farm crisis has had on the people of “the land of milk and honey.”

Davidson begins in Mechanicsville, Iowa, where he spent three years while researching and writing Broken Heartland. Infused with interviews with farmers, social workers, government officials, and scholars, Broken Heartland takes the reader into a world of unknown suffering. Davidson recounts how the farm crisis developed into its present state and explains why the situation in the “rural ghetto” may be as grave as the problems of any inner-city slum. Daily hunger and threats of losing century-old family farms are only the tip of the iceberg for members of Midwestern rural communities. Davidson discovers that they also must face the crises of depopulation, soil erosion, deterioration of education, hate groups, and crippling debt. A main problem highlighted in Broken Heartland is the social disintegration farm families encounter due to cultural tendencies and geography. Often, the very real plight of rural ghettos is overlooked in favor of the more visible urban ghettos. In the 1996 edition of his book, Davidson discusses the growth of hate groups in the impoverished areas of the Midwest. In the final chapters, Davidson offers his solutions to the farm crisis and says that if the challenges are met, “…the Golden Age of rural American will lie not in our past—as our myths have it—but in our future.”

Bravely and empathetically, Davidson’s Broken Heartland paints a human face on the silent, unseen crisis ravaging America’s Heartland. Almost a decade after this compelling book was published, one is left wondering if Davidson’s dreams for the broken communities of the Midwest are any nearer to becoming reality.

Eighteen Families!!
Local Foods Connection enrolled eighteen families in its program this year! That is over three times the enrollment from 2003! In addition, we worked with five other families throughout the growing season. These families received unclaimed vegetables from the vacationing or absent clients of the farmers.