FW: March 27, Meet the Buyers event at Champaign County Farm Bureau
Wander, Michelle M
From: Haskins, Cynthia [mailto:CHas...@ilfb.org]
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 2:21 PM
To: Wander, Michelle (mwa...@uiuc.edu)
Subject: March 27, Meet the Buyers event at Champaign County Farm Bureau
Meet the Buyers Event
for Fruit and Vegetable Farmers
March 27
Champaign County Farm Bureau
Farmers wanting to meet regional fresh produce buyers are invited to attend a Meet the Buyers event scheduled for March 27, 2012 at the Champaign County Farm Bureau, 800 N. Country Fair Drive, Champaign, IL from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Buyers from Illinois will be in attendance to provide an overview of their organization and their procurement needs. Farmers will have the opportunity to meet with buyers one-on-one.
“We have a great line up of buyers attending such as Schnucks, Central Illinois Produce, Strawberry Fields, Common Ground, Feeding Illinois, Feeding America, Hendrick House, University of Illinois-Foodservice, and others,” states Cynthia Haskins, manager of business development and compliance, Illinois Farm Bureau. “We will also feature education sessions.”
The day will be kicked off by Steve Ayers and John Pike, Extension Educators for University of Illinois-Extension, presenting MarketReady, a training session focusing on the evolving commercial market opportunities for locally produced foods followed by a presentation covering Good Agriculture Practices (GAP). Another presentation will center on packing houses and food hubs by Todd Rusk, Associate Director, Energy and Sustainable Business Programs, Business Innovation Services, University of Illinois. Terra Brockman, Dave Bishop and Elaine Sebald, Steering Committee Members of The Edible Economy Project, will provide an update regarding a joint food hub project planned for central Illinois.
Champaign County Farm Bureau and University of Illinois-Extension are the hosts for the event. Other collaborators include county Farm Bureaus throughout central Illinois, Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Specialty Growers Association.
“The meeting is a great opportunity for farmers who are currently growing specialty crops and for those who are considering diversifying their current production to meet the demand for local food,” stated Brad Uken, manager, Champaign County Farm Bureau. “We are pleased to facilitate connections between buyers and farmers so that business relationships can be formed.”
Please RSVP directly to the Champaign County Farm Bureau, (217) 352-5235 by March 22nd. The event is free to farmers.
Cynthia L. Haskins
Manager, Business Development and Compliance
Illinois Farm Bureau
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701-2050
Phone: (309) 557-2155 office
Phone: (309) 530-9510 mobile