Northeast Iowa RC&D, in partnership with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, has been hosting website building workshops for local food producers and farmers across Iowa.
Attendees receive one-on-one, hands-on training on how to create a simple, affordable, and easy-to-maintain website using Google Sites. Placing your farm or business on the web is a practical and fun way to reach out to new and existing consumers. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a workable website and will receive follow-up technical support through Northeast Iowa RC&D. This opportunity is offered as part of a competitive grant project in the Leopold Center’s Marketing and Food Systems Initiative.
Is this workshop for me?
If you are comfortable using the internet, checking email, and using a word processor such as Microsoft Word, you will be comfortable with the technical level of this workshop. If not, please feel more than welcome to bring along someone who is.
Each participant will build a unique website using Google Sites. In the last two years, Google has made the process of building and maintaining a website easy, flexible, and virtually free.
What does a Google Site look like?
- Given Gardens (Design by Nathan and Sarah Wicks)
- J and J Produce (Designed by Jon & Janet Halverson)
- Winneshiek Farmer’s Market (Designed by Steve McCargar, Winneshiek Farmer’s Market Director)
- Wilson Pastured Poultry (Designed by Ron Killain)
Other (Non-workshop) Examples
- Leytze’s Corner Bed & Bath (Designed and built by Brad Crawford of Northeast Iowa RC&D)
- Grass Run Farm (Designed and built by Kristine Jepsen of Grass Run Farm)
- River Root Farm (Designed and built by Mike Bollinger & Katie Prochaska of River Root Farm)
You will notice the site looks professional, there are no distracting ads, and each site nicely reflects the personality of the individual farm or business.
When and where will workshops be held?
Workshops are planned at 3 or more locations across Iowa. The first workshop, co-sponsored by the Luther College Environmental Studies Department, occurred in Decorah on Tuesday, June 29th and Thursday, July 8th, from 4:30-8:00. The second workshop occurred July 14 & 21 in Creston, Iowa. The third workshop, co-sponsored by Iowa Valley RC&D, will take place at the Iowa City Library on September 13th and 23rd, from 5:30-8:30 pm. Please inquire for information on future workshops.
What does all of this cost?
We understand cost has a significant influence on whether you decide to come to the workshop and/or build a website. The workshop is free, thanks to a generous grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Space is limited, however, so pre-registration is required.
Website Related Costs:
| Task | Cost to you through grant | vs. Typical Cost |
| Website Design/Development | Your time (+ free professional help) | $300-1000 |
| Updates and Support | Easy to do yourself (+ free professional email/phone support through the end of 2010) | $50-500/year |
| Website Hosting | Free (provided by Google) | $75-120/year |
| Domain Name Registration (e.g., northeastiowarcd.org) | $10/year | $10/year |
| Grand Total | $10/year | A Significant Investment |
What to bring (Essential):
- Photos! (Good photos are key. Bring them on a flash drive, CD, or other digital format.) If you don’t have any, try asking a friend with a digital camera to take a few. Photos will make or break a website.
- A name for your farm/business (This will likely be the title of your web site)
- Written content to get started with: Information about you, your products, your process. What do you produce? Where can consumers purchase your products? Do you offer a CSA share? What about your farm or business would consumers like to learn more about? How did you get started? Do you have recipes to share?
Interested?
To register for this free workshop, or if you have questions, please contact Brad Crawford at Northeast Iowa RC&D.
Email: brad@northeastiowarcd.org Phone: 563.864.7112
