Peterson
to Sponsor Economic Conference
(WASHINGTON
,
DC
) – In an effort to address and explore how local foods can be an economic
development engine for rural communities, Congressman Collin Peterson announced
today that he is sponsoring a conference called The
Home Grown Economy: Foods from Local Farms as an Economic Development Tool.
“We’re
seeing a demand for more locally grown foods available in grocery stores, and
also for consumption in restaurants, schools and hospitals,” Peterson said.
“There are opportunities to keep our local economy strong by using farmers to
supply their neighbors with food directly.
“Localized
supply chains, or new value chains, can provide opportunities for profit for
rural entrepreneurs and main street businesses that want to participate in
processing and distribution of food. My goal in sponsoring this conference
is to provide an opportunity to learn about and explore how these new value
chains can become an economic development engine for our communities.”
The
conference will be held on February 26, at the
University
of
Minnesota
, Morris, and is being held in conjunction with the
University
of
Minnesota
, the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, Northwest and West Central
Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, U of M Morris, U of M Extension
Service, and the West Central Research and Outreach
Center.
For
more information about the conference, or to register, go to www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu
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