The Des Moines Food Security Task Force was conceived in 2020 by Bold Iowa leaders Ed Fallon and Kathy Byrnes. The City Council voted unanimously to establish a task force with an initial focus on residents wanting to raise food at their homes. These are the stated goals of the first round of Task Force meetings:
- Work with City Manager to develop and promote urban agricultural practices.
- Research best practices related to urban agriculture in other urban areas, compare them to City practices, and make recommendations for ordinances based on those practices.
- Develop a resource guide on where to find tools, soil, compost, seeds, seedlings, laying hens, honey bees, and other urban agriculture equipment, supplies, and guidance
The culmination of the Task Force’s first six months work is the FEED DSM website. The Task Force will continue to meet and address additional challenges, including:
- Identify larger tracts of land in the City that can be permanently committed to farming.
- Increase public plantings of berries, fruit and nut trees, vegetables, and more throughout the city.
- Connect with famers in the greater Des Moines area to provide more food for local consumption.
As the FEED DSM website states, “The Des Moines Food Security Task Force was formed in response to increasing disruptions in our food supply and systems from climate chaos and, more recently, the Coronavirus pandemic. For the first phase of our efforts, we’re focusing on urban agriculture and local food production to help individuals raise food.”