Growing Local Produce Is Getting Easier In Cedar Rapids

More people in Cedar Rapids will be able to try their hand at growing fresh food.

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According to KCRG, Feed Iowa First has signed a lease with Linn County Conservation to farm 17 acres of land as part of the Equitable Land Access Program or ELA.

The ELA program is one that connects people with a background in agriculture with land in the area- all while removing barriers that may exist.

The new plot of land in Cedar Rapids is located near Wanattee Creek Road and Cottage Grove Parkway southeast.

The project is made possible with the help of Frontier Co-OP which gave $250,000.

According to KCRG, those that are farming the land will be able to use it to produce their own food and sell it to help support their families.

Feed Iowa First told KCRG that they expect those produce to go further than just its immediate support to families.

“When you have the opportunity for more land you can generate more produce which means a lot of excess,” Carter Oswood of Feed Iowa First told KCRG.

That excess food- its going to be donated to food pantries in the area and those in need.

This year, the group will prep the land so they can begin farming on it next year.

The lease on the land if currently 20 years.

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