Bioregionalism in Iowa

1
Bioregionalism in Iowa

• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
  Stewardship

2
Iowans Export and Import Food

• Iowans produced 10.8 Billion in crops and
  livestock in 2002
• Led the nation in production of pork, corn,
  soybeans, and eggs
• 3.2 Billion exported
• Iowans spend 8 billion a year on food.
• 80 comes from beyond Iowa's borders.
• Iowans therefore spend over 6 billion to import
  food into the state

3
Iowa is losing small farms

• 215,000 Iowa farms in 1940
• 95,000 farms by 2000
• 1,500 farms lost in 2001
• Iowa produced vegetables on 52,915 acres of land
  in 1929
• Now, only 12,495 acres

4
More Iowa Farms?

• If Iowa farmers would produce and process even 4
  billion of the food currently imported,
• we could create 80,000 new farms selling fruits,
  vegetables, meats, milk, honey, jams and a huge
  range of processed foods.
• That averages out to a gross income of 50,000
  per farm and 800 new farms per Iowa county.

Ed Fallon, IA State legislator