Local Food Purchase Policy: Woodbury, IA
Woodbury County, Iowa, developed this ordinance that requires the County to purchase locally produced organic food when its departments serve food in the usual course of business. The ordinance covers the purchasing behavior of the County Jail, Work Release Center, and Juvenile Detention Center.
The ordinance contains the following components:
- Definitions: “locally produced food”, “organic food,” “food service contractor” and “single-point of contact broker” (farming cooperative)
- Policies to address the non-availability of a local organic option
- Policies to determine item cost
- Policies regarding recipes and food quality
- Reporting requirements
- Organic certification and transitional farm products
This document provides a good example of a county’s efforts to use its public procurement policies to increase the market for locally-grown organic food. The language is clear, and provides a useful overview of the issues involved in developing a local food system. This ordinance will be useful for local staff and stakeholders in rural and urban communities alike, as many more developed areas are working to promote local growers and increase access to healthy foods. 5 pages.
