Since 2018, the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement and Sustainable Food Systems Science (SFSS) have been collaborating to identify and create opportunities between farmers, processors, buyers, and consumers in the Indiana Uplands food system. These combined efforts are under the umbrella of the Food Systems Priority Program, a project led by O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs associate professor and interim director of the IU Food Institute (IUFI) James Farmer, the IUFI assistant director and SFSS community engagement director Jodee Smith, and SFSS research associate Claire Frohman.
Work and Accomplishments
The program has worked to improve the quality of campus food by participating in the Vice Provost's Real Food Task Force, created the Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference, and conducted a statewide survey of schools, universities, correctional facilities, and hospitals about their food budgets and past, current, and future local food purchasing interests.
The program is also tied to the Indiana Value Chain Network – where transactional and support partners along the food supply chain or value chain – increase connections between food producers and buyers based on values such as local, sustainable or Real food.
"Food systems and policies are constantly changing; suppliers and buyers are continuously working to realign values and logistics. Unlike other supply chains that rely on price, the food value chain is built on trust and strong communication that foster market channels and sales for regional food systems."
- Jodee Smith
The Indiana Value Chain Network brings together partners from the City of Bloomington, The Northwest Indiana Food Council, the Food and Growers Association, and Fischer Farms for weekly collaboration. Through these meetings, Fischer Farms has been able to expand their business in several ways including the building of a processing facility, product expansion through partnerships with new local producers, purchase of a refrigerated truck, and investment toward electronic order integration, all of which contributed to a significant increase in sales to the IU Bloomington campus
Institutional Buyer Survey
"The 218 buyer respondents from 718 institutions are responsible for purchasing up to $344 million in food each year ... By shifting purchasing to local, more sustainably grown foods, institutions can have a major impact on production agriculture in real time."
- Jodee Smith
Through the program, a Statewide Institutional Buyer Survey was conducted that looked into how institutional food budgets were being spent in the state. The survey is especially unique and impactful because the data have never before been collected in the state. The information will be utilized by the Indiana Grown for Schools Network and the Indiana Food Charter working group, and the collected survey results will be released in a finalized report in Fall 2022.
Complementary Programs
Through a complementary program—Orange County Farm to Health—the Lost River Market & Deli in Paoli, Indiana, has strengthened communications and increased sales from local growers. The establishment of this rural food value chain will build capacity for growers and Lost River to grow, aggregate, market, and distribute food to wholesale buyers such as K-12 schools and the IU campus.
Lost River Market also improved access to food safety trainings and best practices for Amish growers, working in partnership with Purdue Extension for on-site food safety training. These actions assist growers in complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act best practices as regulated by the State Department of Health Food Protection Program.
These intentional activities that boost value chain activities, increase best practices for food safety, and build trust between growers and buyers have resulted in a 300% increase of local food purchasing by Lost River and, in turn, an increase in locally grown and raised food sales to Orange County residents.
Published Works
The Food Systems project's work has been well-documented in various reports, stories, and presentations. One major report published jointly by the Center for Rural Engagement and IU Sustainable Food Systems Science is Indiana Uplands: Local Food, Local Good.
The report is the result of listening sessions held in each of the eleven Uplands counties and contains valuable data on each county's food strengths and weaknesses. The report was presented at the 2020 Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference.
"This report is intended to guide food system stakeholders to engage in the conversations, network building, innovation, and strategy development that will result in positive food system changes throughout the region."
- Jodee Smith
The Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference
Since 2020, the Center for Rural Engagement and IU Sustainable Food Systems Science have hosted the annual Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference. Through a series of sessions, attendees and presenters discuss strategies, accomplishments, and methods of improving and adding value to the Uplands food system.
The 2021 conference was hosted online due to the pandemic, but delivered daily lunch-hour sessions held over the course of three weeks discussing topics like creative adaptions due to the pandemic, community gardens, and the value chain of chocolate with a chocolate tasting sent by mail.
The conference presents an opportunity for stakeholders in the Uplands food systems to convene, share, discuss, and discover the information needed to continuously adapt and improve the networks and opportunities inherent to the region's food.
Save the date!
The virtual 2022 Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference is scheduled for January 24 - February 11, 2022.
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Webinar series
Check out the Indiana Uplands webinar series which explores different market models, online sales platforms, best practices for in-person operations, emergency food provision strategies, and more.