"THE HOME GROWN ECONOMY"

Foods from Local Farms as an Economic Development Tool

Monday, April 2, 2007

University of Minnesota, Morris Campus

Student Center

AGENDA

8:00 – 9:00 Registration

9:00 – 9:30 Welcome & Introductions –

Michael Sparby, Project Development Director, Agricultural

Utilization Research Institute - MC

Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, University of Minnesota,

Morris Campus

Congressman Collin Peterson, Chair

U.S. House Agriculture Committee

9:30 – 10:15 Economic Realities of the Regions

Kenneth A. Meter MPA, President of Crossroads Resource Center

10:15 – 10:30 Break

10:30 – 11:15 Woodbury County Experience – Organic Agriculture

as Economic Development

Robert Marqusee, Director of Rural Economic Development for Woodbury County, Iowa

11:15 – 11:45 Community Supported Agriculture - Farm to Consumer Business Model

Dorothy Rosemeier (Moderator)

Executive Director, West Central Regional

Sustainable Development Partnership

Carol Ford, Owner of Garden Goddess Produce

Ruth Ann Karty, Counselor

SW Small Business Development Center

11:45 – 12:45 Locally Grown Foods Lunch & Exhibits Open

(Sponsored by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture – MISA)

12:45 – 1:15 New Value Chain Panel – Keeping Value Added Dollars Local

Terry VanDerPol (Moderator)

Program Organizer, 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

1:15 – 1:45 Consumer Attitudes Towards Local Foods

Robert P. King – Professor and Department Head of

Applied Economics, University of Minnesota

1:45 – 2:00 Break

2:00 – 2:45 Institutional and Retail Demand Creates Rural Opportunities

Sandy Olson - Loy (Moderator),

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University

Of Minnesota, Morris

Jim Ennis, Midwest Program Director

Midwest Food Alliance

Don Kulick, District Manager

Sodexho Campus Services

Jim VanDerPol, Pastures A Plenty Farm & Company

2:45 – 3:30 Market Opportunities for Agriculture of the Middle

Fred Kirschenmann, Philosopher

Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture,

Iowa State University

3:30 Closing Remarks

3:30 – 4:30 Exhibits Remain Open and Refreshments Served