(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa program works to connect immigrant farmers with plots of land to farm. Emmaly Renshaw is executive director of Feed Iowa First, which was launched in Linn County. The three-year community farming program aims to remove barriers to farmers who are growing what are considered culturally-relevant foods.  “They’re individuals who want to produce for food access for both their families and their communities,” Renshaw says, “but they’re not necessarily looking at making their farming like a main income again.” Renshaw says in Iowa, crops like yuka, casava and hot peppers can be in low supply, or priced as luxury foods.

By sourcing immigrants from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with land, Feed Iowa First aims to make these crops more readily available. Renshaw says the program’s farmers are barely meeting demand.  “We were able to move about a thousand pounds of habanero in about three days,” she says, “and so for us that just helps us begin to understand how big these food gaps are.”

Even if immigrants come to Iowa with agricultural skills and experience, with farmland prices are a premium, she says it’s very difficult for them to get back into the field.