Local Food Connection

Now in its fourth year, the Local Food Connection brings together local food producers and buyers to make business connections and share information about building and maintaining strong sustainable food networks.   After the 2009 conference, attendees estimated that the new business relationships they made resulted in increased revenues of more than $385,000.

The 2010 Local Food Connection – Linking Farmers, Fishers and Food Buyers was held on February 1 at Lane Community College (LCC) in Eugene, Oregon.  The event was presented by Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development, and sponsored by EWEB, Oregon Tilth and LCC.  

Keynote speaker Ann Wright presented the USDA's new "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program. Wright is the USDA's Deputy Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. The wide array of workshops included an introduction to Food Hub (food-hub.org), a new on-line tool developed by Ecotrust to connect food producers with buyers year-round.

Started in 2007, the Local Food Connection provides opportunities for local farmers, ranchers and fishers to sell their goods directly to urban food buyers.
These buyers represent school districts, higher education institutions, hospitals, restaurants, grocery stores, wholesalers and distributors in the Willamette Valley and central coast.

At the 2009 annual Local Food Connection, keynote speaker David Lively, Marketing Director of Organically Grown Company, described the process of one local company going through start-up, growth and business changes on their way to becoming the distributing powerhouse they are today.  Ten informational workshops were held on a wide range of topics related to growing and buying local food and attendees estimated that they made nearly 200 business contacts.

Attendees continued to estimate that these new business relationships would result in new revenues of between $142,500-$385,000! This is a conference you can't afford to miss.

For more information...

Contact Kelly Hoell, coordinator of the Local Food Connection.