Does Your Cedar Falls Business Buy Fresh, Buy Local? Read This!

by University of Northern Iowa Relations

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Center for Energy & Environmental Education is accepting new members for the UNI chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local (BFBL) for 2012. The deadline to secure a spot in this local food directory is Monday, March 19.

Membership includes the use of marketing tools to help local food growers and processors sell to local consumers, restaurants, grocery stores and institutions. This entitles farmers and vendors to networking and training opportunities, use of the BFBL logo, contact information published in the directory and marketing assistance. Retailers and institutions participating in the program will receive weekly notifications of local food available, use of BFBL marketing materials and personal assistance locating food.

In 2011, Buy Fresh, Buy Local worked with 30 institutional food buyers in the Cedar Valley who purchased more than $2 million of locally grown products from food and farm businesses.

The UNI chapter of the BFBL campaign was launched in the greater Cedar Falls/Waterloo area in 2003 as a collaboration between UNI, Practical Farmers of Iowa and Food Routes Network. It serves Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Grundy and Tama counties.

Fees range from $30 to $100, depending on the type of organization and level of membership. Forms for membership can be downloaded at www.niffp.org. For more information, contact Andrea Geary, local food program manager, at 319-273-7883 or andrea.geary@uni.edu.