Iowa State University Offers Tool to Link Southwest Iowa Farmers and Consumers

Southwest Iowa farmers and consumers have a new tool to help connect to each other through a free service offered by Iowa State University. The directory is available for southwest Iowa's small and mid-size farmers seeking to expand their markets and increase profitability. Consumers can search the website to find farmers in their area selling home-grown produce, meats, dairy and craft items. The Southwest Iowa Family Farms Directory was developed by the Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State. It can be accessed online. At the directory website farmers can set up an account and answer a short questionnaire to create a profile for their farm. They then can search the directory for information about other producers in their area, including information about products, transportation, processing and storage; marketing; and interest in cooperation with other farmers.