Organic Farming as Economic Development

For the last two days, the Fairfield community has had the pleasure of hosting Rob Marqusee, Director, Woodbury County Rural Economic Development. Woodbury County is on the western border of Iowa and includes Sioux City. On June 28, 2005,

Woodbury County, Iowa became the first county in the United States to enact a policy to refund 100% of real property taxes for five years to any farmer transitioning from conventional to organic farming practices. This program was a seed planted by county government to promote agricultural diversification for Woodbury County’s rural communities and support small sustainable farms, increased income to farmers, local and regional food system development, educational opportunities, rural entrepreneurship, a sense of community and newly empowered farmers.

The tax rebate program is funded from a 1% local option sales tax that is used to support economic development. $50,000 a year is earmarked for the organic farming conversion program. What is powerful about Woodbury County’s approach is how they have driven market demand for these products such that neighboring counties such as Cherokee are getting on board with the concept. County supervisors have mandated that public institutions like jail purchase as much local organic food as possible. An organic soybean oil processor is setting up with an appetite for 70,000 acres of soybeans. The nearby Omaha, Nebraska Whole Foods store has a huge appetite for local organic foods. This "driving the market" economic gardening approach is estimated to recapture $20 million per year that would have otherwise been exported out the community. The local community college has gotten on board and has started offering organic farming classes and has a 15 acre teaching plot. It is a really good example of how to recapture the local economy.

Rob said he was really fascinated by the number of year round organic green houses, community supported agriculture in the Fairfield Area and how much the ‘Buy Fresh, Buy Local’ campaign has been endorsed by local grocery stores, restaurants and institutions to support the local organic dairy and farmers. Fairfield has had 4 new restaurants open in the last 2 months -10% increase. Maharishi University of Management was able to recruit a top food service director, who had previously worked at University of California, because of MUM’s 100% organic policy. MUM’s enrollment is up 49% over last year, partly due to college students seeking a healthier college lifestyle. Several interns from the "Big Green Summer" a sustainable living workshop have decided to relocate here.

We’ve adopted the name of one of our local rivers for the name of our virtual regional incubator for Food-Preneurs. It is called the Skunk River Works. We’ll be hosting a boot camp for Food-Preneurs in early November. More on that later.

Rob’s contact information is:

Rob Marqusee, Director

Woodbury County Rural Economic Development, Sioux City, IA 51101

Tel. 712-279-6609, CELL: 712.389.2049

[email protected]

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Burt Chojnowski

BrainBelt

[email protected]

641-919-2163

415-329-2163/fax

(This was a post on the Economic Gardening listserve. If you’re interested in participating in discussions and gatherings that discuss innovative economic development, you can subscribe here: http://littletongov.org/bia/economicgardening/econdev.asp Russ)