Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Food Banks were created to reclaim food that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to people in need. That ideal is still at the heart of a significant percentage of the food we obtain and distribute. However, produce remains inaccessible to those on a tight grocery budget. That's why we utilize our garden to assist in giving our clients nutritious choices. Our community garden provides the people we serve with healthy food grown in their community.

Production
All produce is distributed to clients on-site through the Cedar Valley Food Pantry, but none of this is possible without an army of volunteers! We welcome master gardeners, gardening clubs, youth groups, corporate groups, student clubs, church groups and all other organizations to volunteer at our community garden.
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Conservation
‍Our community garden utilizes organic growing practices to create a habitat designed to attract butterflies, bees and other beneficial species. Garden debris and food waste are composted to provide a nutrient rich soil amendment for production while diverting waste from landfills.
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Education
We provide educational activities on-site through the Summer Feeding program by engaging children in the food cycle and growing process. Children are then able to take the food they harvest in the garden into our on-site kitchen to prepare a nutritious food item.

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Monarch Club

Nadia Patel, a junior at Cedar Falls High School and head of the Monarch Club, a student organization, has been committed to finding ways to increase the declining Monarch butterfly population.

Aided by the City Parks team, Nadia made it her mission to create more pollinator-friendly habitats across the city through strategically located milkweed plantings.

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"We started at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank's vegetable garden," Nadia said. "Milkweeds were strategically planted in this garden to provide Monarchs with a nurturing environment. We are thrilled to share that in a delightful coincidence, this year the food bank witnessed a remarkable increase in the garden's produce yielding over 12,000 pounds harvested or 10,000 meals!"

‍Read More Here!

Learn more about the Monarch Club!