Today was a milestone for local foods, Marshalltown Community College, and Linda.
It was the ribbon cutting for the new ag incubator building adjacent to the college and serving the farmers renting some of the land on the adjacent 140 acres of certified organic land. Participating in the ribbon cutting are Linda, Rep Latham, Sue Martin Executive Director of the Martha Ellen Tye Foundation, and Conrad DeJardin, Community College Board of directors.
Our congressman, Tom Latham spoke – he was able to help secure some funding for a portion of the building through the Small Business Administration.
Here’s a shot of the front of the building.
Inside is an office, place for vegetable washing, storage, and coolers. This is just the first part of a vision put forth by Linda seven years ago to help small entrepreneurial farmers, learn, produce, and market foods. Next? An incubator kitchen so producers can legally process foods and test recipes before going to a larger food processing facility.
Dr Linda Barnes Speaks at Ribbon Cutting
Iowa Valley Board of Directors Vice President Yvonne Mallory Speaks at Ribbon Cutting
Congressional Representative Tom Latham Speaks at Ribbon Cutting