Local Food and Economic Development

As locally produced food has become increasingly popular among consumers, it has become increasingly popular as an economic and community development tool as well. On May 15th, 2009, the UW-Extension Emerging Agricultural Markets (EAM) Team held an in-service highlighting the ways in which local food is making a big impact in Wisconsin communities and offering insights about how to support similar projects in communities around the state. Attendees included representatives from UW-Extension, UW-Madison, Regional Economic Development groups, private business consultants, DATCP, and Wisconsin farms.

Examining Economic Development and Measuring Impact; Andrew Dane (Link to PowerPoint presentation)

An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism, Laura Brown (Link to PowerPoint presentation)

Featured speakers included:

Rick Terrien, Executive Director, Iowa County Area Economic Development Corporation
“Local food as an economic development tool”

Rick is a lifelong entrepreneur and inventor, currently working as the Executive Director of the Iowa County (WI) Area Economic Development Corporation. As a small business person working from Wisconsin, Rick's businesses have created customers on sixcontinents. His work has won the Wisconsin Governor's Small Business New Product of the Year twice, and he has received nine US and foreign patents. In 2005 the National Society of Professional Engineers awarded Rick their Small Business New Product of the Year for the entire United States. Rick is an enthusiastic proponent of Wisconsin entrepreneurship.

Laura Brown, CommunityDevelopment Educator, Crawford County UW Cooperative Extension
“Integrating local food into community economic development programs in the Crawford County area”

Laura Brown will present the Food and Culture Tourism Study,three multi-county surveys conducted in collaboration with Gary Green at the Center for Community & Economic Development and local non-profit organizations. Conducted in 2008, the study assessed the existing and potential economic impact for regional food tourismthrough surveys oflocal foods producers, retailers, and tourists atfour area festivals.The results of these studies were presented at the 2009 Governor's Conference on Tourism and the Crawford County Tourism Council. Laura will discuss how local foods efforts, including this study, are being integrated into community economic development programs in the Crawford County area.

Mark Olson, Renaissance Farm, Spring Green, WI
“A value-added approach to pricing, marketing, advertising and branding”

Family-owned since 1985, Renaissance Farm, Inc., is an award-winning artisanal food producer located in Spring Green, Wisconsin. At Renaissance Farm, Mark farms naturally and makes herb-based specialty food products that are perennial favorites at the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison. In addition, during the fall of 2008, Mark developed a line of ready to eat frozen dinners featuring locally grown ingredients. These meals are currently available in Sentry Metcalfe’s in Madison and are likely to be appearing in grocery stores nationally in the very near future.