The Emerging Ag Markets (EAM) Team supports entrepreneurs who produce high quality food products for distribution to local and regional markets.
In 2006 we developed a Directory of Local Food Initiatives in Wisconsin, and we helped organize the state's first Local Food Summit on January 4-5, 2007 in Stevens Point.
One of the major issues raised at the Summit was the need to address challenges related to distribution. The "supply chain" for moving food from farms to consumers is complex and in many ways not oriented toward local distribution. In 2007 we will explore partnerships in the public and private sectors to help address this issue.
Here's a short piece that focuses primarily on the restaurant market:
Three Tiers of Food Distribution
And here is a theoretical model of how state-wide distribution of local farm products could be developed:
Distribution Model |
| of note... |
| The first-ever Wisconsin Local Food Summit was held January 4-5, 2007 in Stevens Point. Over 200 people attended. The Summit celebrated the diverse array of local food initiatives underway in Wisconsin. |
| The 2008 Local Foods Summit will be held in conjuntion with the Annnual Value-Added Conference in Eau Claire January 24-25, 2008. |
| Currently, advocates for local food system development are circulating a proposal for a state program called Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin. Please revisit this website for updates on these intiatives. For more on the latest proposal, contact Jeanne Merrill at 608-256-1859 or Amy Bruner at 608-224-5017. |
| Web-based Resources: Jane Hansen of Price County Extension put together this compilation of web-based resources that may be helpful in developing local food markets in Wisconsin. |
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