Iowa City Completes Historic Poor Farm Restoration
The 160-acre site will expand family plots and add a new commercial kitchen to support local food security efforts.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Organic Food
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Johnson County is finishing a decade-long restoration of the 160-acre Historic Poor Farm, which includes opening a new commercial kitchen for local producers. The site remains a hub for food security in Iowa City, supplying thousands of pounds of produce to community partners annually.
Why it matters
By repurposing historic agricultural land, this project improves local food access and creates farming opportunities for residents who lack their own property. It addresses generational gaps in agriculture by providing land, training, and infrastructure to new farmers in an industry where the average practitioner is 57 years old.
The Grow: Johnson County program reports an annual production of 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of food, which is currently distributed to 12 partner agencies. The full impact of the project's expansion remains under investigation as the site prepares for an increase from 106 to 132 family plots.
The players
Grow: Johnson County
An agricultural program that manages 160 acres of land to provide produce to food pantries and daycares.
The Global Food Project
A community initiative that provides land access and agricultural resources to immigrant and refugee farmers.
The details
The site utilizes a newly installed cistern system to collect and store rainwater, ensuring a reliable water supply for the expanding network of family plots. The Global Food Project manages these plots, specifically providing land and support for immigrant and refugee farmers who would otherwise lack access to agricultural space. Beyond land access, the program provides technical farming training and apprenticeships to help bolster the local food system.
Timeline
1855: The original poor farm began its initial operations.
2015: The Grow: Johnson County program was created.
2026: The ten-year restoration plan concludes.
Next spring: The fellowship program for farmers will restart.
Health Landscape
This project represents a significant shift in land use, transitioning a historic site into a vital community asset for local food production. It follows the structural growth pattern established by the 2015 creation of the Grow: Johnson County program.
Residents can benefit from the increased availability of locally grown produce supplied to partner food pantries and daycares. Those interested in local agriculture or food access can monitor the site's new programming to see how it might support their own nutritional resources or farming goals.
The takeaway
The restoration of the Historic Poor Farm highlights the role that community-supported agriculture plays in improving regional food security. Residents can look for future opportunities to engage with the site, such as the upcoming fellowship program, to learn about sustainable farming practices.
What happens next
The farm plans to reinstate a fellowship program for beginning farmers by next spring, and the Global Food Project will launch a new community-supported agriculture box program.
Further reading
Learn more about local food security efforts at the Organic Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Iowan.
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