The Home Grown Economy Conference at UMM

Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)
Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
University of Minnesota Extension Service
West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
West Central Research & Outreach Center

In an effort to address and explore how local foods can be an economic development engine for rural communities, Congressman Collin Peterson sponsored a conference called "The Home Grown Economy: Foods from Local Farms as an Economic Development Tool" at UMM on April 2, 2007. "We're seeing a demand for more locally grown foods available in grocery stores, and also for consumption in restaurants, schools and hospitals," Peterson told reporters. "There are opportunities to keep our local economy strong by using farmers to supply their neighbors."

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The conversation continues through the Home Grown Economy Blog.

West Central Tribune article (pdf file)

Documents
Collin Peterson's letter of welcome and thanks
Conference brochure (PDF file, Requires Acrobat, not Preview)
Schedule
Biographies of keynote speakers
Biographies of presenters
Contact info for speakers and presenters
Contact info for exhibitors

Presentations (videos require Real Player; a clickable icon may appear on your desktop)

"Welcome & Introductions"-Michael Sparby, Project Development Director, AURI; Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, University of Minnesota, Morris and Congressman Collin Peterson, Chair U.S. House Agriculture Committee.         Video of Rep. Peterson's welcome "Economic Realities of the Region"-Ken Meter, MPA, Crossroads Resource Center.        PDF file         Video "Woodbury County Experience: Organic Agriculture as Economic Development"-Robert Marqusee, Director, Rural Economic Development for Woodbury County, Iowa.         PDF file           Video "Consumer Attitudes towards Local Foods"-Robert P. King, Professor and Department Head of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota.         PDF file         Video "Institutional and Retail Demand Creates Rural Opportunities"-Jim Ennis, Midwest Food Alliance; Don Kulick, District Manager, Sodexho Campus Services; Jim VanDerPol, Pastures A Plenty Farm & Company; Sandy Olson-Loy, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Minnesota, Morris (Moderator).     Ennis PDF file     Olson-Loy PDF file     'Local Foods go to College' PDF file     Video "Market Opportunities for Agriculture of the Middle"-Frederick L. Kirschenmann, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.         PDF file         Video "100% Grass-Fed Beef"-Todd Churchill, Thousand Hills Cattle Company.         Protocol        Recommendations "Community Supported Agriculture"-Dorothy Rosemeier, Carol Ford and Ruth Ann Karty.         Video "New Value Chain Panel:Keeping Value Added Dollars Local"-Terry VanDerPol, Moderator, Program Organizer for Land Stewardship Project; Dan Struxness, Co-owner of Double D Natural Meats; Todd Churchill, Owner of Thousand Hills Cattle Company; Jessi Gurr, Manager of Pomme de Terre Foods Coop.         Video

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