Rep. Collin Peterson sets third Home Grown Economy Conference

After two successful local foods conferences in 2007 and 2008, Congressman Collin Peterson announced today that he will sponsor another conference on the topic.

The Home Grown Economy 2010 – Equipping You to Build Community Based Food Systems, will be conducted at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall on Feb 15 and 16, 2010.

“My goal in sponsoring this conference again is to continue to explore ways in which local foods can become an economic development engine for farmers, rural communities and development organizations, and how we can all work together to meet growing market demands,” Peterson said.

To improve access for constituents across the 7th Congressional District, interactive video sessions will be offeredon Tuesday, Feb. 16 at the following campuses:
• University of Minnesota, Crookston,
• University of Minnesota, Morris,
• Bemidji State University, and
• Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls.

USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has been invited to provide the keynote address. Ken Meter of Crossroads Research Center will present his insights on how food networks thrive and strengthen local economies.

Panel presenters will provide information about what is happening at the local level and each regional site will be afforded an opportunity to discuss how they can expand upon their local community based food system.

“In my role as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I’ve emphasized the importance of the growing markets for organic, locally grown and sustainable agriculture as exciting new opportunities in agriculture,” Peterson said.

For further details, visit Peterson’s Web site at http://collinpeterson.house.gov.