Closing the gap between Iowa’s farmers and consumers

June 1, 2026 | Bethany Baratta

As Mark Jackson pulled his planter through the field to seed his 52nd crop near Rose Hill, Lydia Zerby and other volunteers were in Ames, helping youngsters scoop cereals, soy nuts and other ingredients to simulate a feed ration. With a snack mix now in tow, families gained a better understanding about how farmers work with nutritionists to create the perfect combination of soybeans and corn — like those grown on Jackson’s farm — and vitamins and minerals to feed their growing pigs.

It’s this relatable approach to agriculture that has delivered on the Iowa Food & Family Project’s mission set 15 years ago.

“The Iowa Food & Family Project was created specifically to close the gap between people who grow food and the people who buy and eat it,” says Zerby, Iowa FFP lead and consumer insights and engagement manager for the Iowa Soybean Association.

Though headquartered out of the ISA office, the impetus for creating the project wasn’t about touting one agricultural product over another but instead building trust and awareness of modern agriculture.

“In Iowa, 85% of the land is dedicated to farming, but less than 5% farm,” Zerby says. “We see that as an opportunity to bring those connections together and talk about how important farming and agriculture are to Iowa’s economy and our quality of life.”

Iowa FFP is funded by the soybean, pork, beef, egg, corn, turkey and dairy checkoffs, and non-checkoff resources. Zerby also partners with more than 30 food, farming and healthy living organizations which support its mission.

 

It’s because of this support that Iowa FFP can be front and center with its consumer audience year-round,  
even when farmers are working in the fields and in the barns.

Iowa FFP takes root

Aaron Putze, current ISA chief officer of strategy and brand management, planted the seed for Iowa FFP, but it was the ISA Board of Directors who nourished the initial idea, believing in a mission that has grown now for 15 years.

It was an out-of-the-box idea, recalls Brian Kemp, then an ISA director (and future ISA president).

“We were used to looking at projects that increased supply, like breeding programs, or one that were marketing-focused, like soy candles or biodiesel, but this Iowa Food & Family Project was visionary,” Kemp says. “We all kind of knew that we needed to connect better with our customer, the consumer, and this was a really good way to do that.”

Putting a face to farming was also central to its mission.

“The board recognized the need to show the personal side of agriculture — the family, the farm — not just the man in the field planting and harvesting, but the family unit that help make it a personal story,” adds Jackson, then an ISA director (and future ISA president).

In 2017, Jackson was the author of Iowa FFP’s Farm Life Journal, a monthly blog detailing life on the farm. There, he talked about visits from the grandkids, swapping tires on machinery, cover crops, their use of technology, the family’s farm dog, and gardening, to name a few topics of conversation.

“Gardening and farming are cut from the same cloth, and for many of us it’s been a lifelong seasonal passion,” he wrote in a March 2017 journal. “The average farmer essentially gets one try per year to grow their crop (it’s often said that if you’re lucky as a farmer, you get 40 attempts during your farming career). And despite the many challenges of modern agriculture, our eternal optimism motivates those 40 tries.”

Nine years later, Jackson realizes the importance of connecting with consumers — maybe now more than ever before.

“When my grandfather farmed every third person was a farmer. Flash forward 75 years and now it’s one out of 100 making a living farming in the U.S.,” Jackson says. “That’s how quickly agriculture has evolved. So, we need to help our urban neighbors understand how and why we do the things we do.”

Seeing is believing

Cristen Clark discovered Iowa FFP during its first year. The sixth-generation farmer created her own blog, Food & Swine, and was invited to take part in a bloggers’ tour, hosted by Iowa FFP. Since then, this award-winning baker and cook has played an integral role in connecting and creating seasonal recipes, featured in Iowa FFP’s Fresh Pickings magazine. She collaborated with Iowa FFP to create a cookbook and later met loyal readers at a signing event during the Iowa State Fair. Held in the South Atrium of the Varied Industries Building, the Iowa FFP exhibit attracts thousands of fairgoers each year.

“Connecting with people through food but still getting to talk about the farm is one of my favorite things to do,” says Clark, who grows soybeans and corn and raises pigs near Runnells. “So, signing the cookbook and visiting with those who stopped by was like gifting recipes that mean a lot to my family; I remember that fondly.”

Beyond the headlines

Iowa FFP’s quarterly Fresh Pickings magazine, social media channels and monthly e-newsletter reinforce messages shared in classrooms and at consumer-facing events, like the Iowa State Fair, trivia nights, influencer tours, Iowa State University Block and Bridle’s Animal Learning Day, RAGBRAI and more.

Zerby and the team dive into meatier topics like seed oils, biofuels, GMOs and conservation.

“We take some of those topics that can be big and confusing and present them in a really palatable way that makes people feel comfortable,” Clark says. “It gets people coming back to get more information.”

Through giveaways and thought-provoking content, Zerby also invites audiences to participate in the conversation.

“We encourage two-way conversations by inviting dialogue between consumers and farmers to help address misconceptions and increase transparency,” she says.

That’s an understated advantage of having this coordinated, dedicated approach in Iowa, serving both farmers and consumers, says Kemp, who farms near Sibley.

“Human nature is if we don’t have knowledge of something, we kind of fill in the blank for ourselves. And sometimes the information that we use to do that is not accurate,” he says. “It helps to actually make that connection.”

What’s in a name? 

There’s power in its name, says Dave Struthers, an ISA director and member of the Iowa FFP’s advisory committee.

“Just the name of it — the Iowa Food & Family Project. We all eat food, and we all have a family of some sort, so we’re all connected,” Struthers says. He’s hosted tours of his livestock and grain farm near Collins in coordination with Iowa FFP.

“So, whether you’re a farmer or an insurance salesman or a writer for the Iowa Soybean Review, you still are a consumer and you still have a connection to food and your family,” he says. “We want to help people make good choices with their food, give them ideas of what family things they can do in Iowa, and keep people connected to Iowa’s roots in agriculture.”

Through its various channels, Iowa FFP connects its readers and followers not only to crop and livestock farmers, but points of interest, upcoming celebrations and events, local restaurants, and other Iowa-centric experiences.

“For some people, whether they grew up on a farm or they have fond memories of a farm, there’s some nostalgia, and that’s interwoven into all the stories,” Clark says. “And I think when people pick up Fresh Pickings magazine or see our social media posts or see us at the Iowa State Fair, they feel that nostalgia, and it makes them happy.”

Building trust

Fifteen years after its creation, there are reasons to be excited about the future of agriculture, thanks to Iowa FFP’s efforts.

Results from Iowa FFP’s most recent Consumer Pulse Survey point to improved farming practices, stronger communities and high-quality products as key reasons for positive views of Iowa agriculture.

“They also admire farmers’ resilience and adaptability amid economic and environmental challenges,” Zerby says. “Overall, there’s a growing sense of pride in Iowa agriculture’s role in feeding the nation and supporting the economy, leading to a more positive view of the industry.”

Meet Iowa FFP Lead Lydia Zerby

Lydia monitors and communicates issues pertaining to the soybean industry and their relationship to consumers’ quality of life while identifying and acting on opportunities to make these topics relevant to non-farm audiences. She oversees ISA's ag awareness portfolio that includes the Iowa Food & Family Project and the Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation.

Celebrate Iowa all year long

Fresh Pickings magazine is a celebration of the food, farms and families that make Iowa such a special place to call home. Through every quarterly issue, readers are invited to discover how their food is grown and raised across the state, while getting to know the dedicated farmers who make it all possible — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Survey says...

Iowa Food & Family Project surveyed 991 Iowa consumers in its annual Consumer Pulse Survey. Here are the latest results:

• 72% of consumers are familiar with Iowa farming practices, techniques and ag processes.
• 76% of consumers believe farmers produce safe, quality foods.
• 58% of consumers are confident about the future of ag market conditions in Iowa.
• 74% of consumers trust farmers are raising healthy animals with care.

Written by Bethany Baratta.

---

Back