Congressman Collin Peterson -- Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2008
CONTACT: 
Allison Myhre/218-731-1657

Peterson Sponsoring Second Home Grown Economy Conference

( WASHINGTON , DC ) – After a successful local foods conference in 2007 in Morris , Minnesota , Congressman Collin Peterson announced today that he will sponsor another conference on the topic.  The Home Grown Economy 2008 -  Connecting Local Foods and Economic Opportunity, will be held at the University of Minnesota Crookston campus on March 30th and 31st.

“My goal in sponsoring this conference again is 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. 

The Home Grown Economy conference will kick off on Sunday, March 30, at the University of Minnesota Crookston ’s Kiehle Auditorium with a local food and wine sampler showcase.  The showcase will be followed by Congressman Peterson’s presentation and an array of short films and clips about local foods and their importance to the economy.

The full conference will be held on Monday, March 31, at the University of Minnesota , Crookston campus, and is being held in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Crookston , the Northwest and West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, the University of Minnesota Extension Service , and the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA). 

The conference will include speakers addressing issues such as growth in local food economies, retail sales of local foods, and public policy matters, and will offer a showcase of exhibitors related to local foods and economic development.

 “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. “I’m pleased that the House version of the Farm Bill includes the establishment of a new subcommittee to focus on organic food production and Farm Bill programs to help organic and local producers. “

For more information about the Home Grown Economy conference, or to register, go to www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu

-30-