Expo Looks to Assist Local Food Growers

By Susan Erler, The Times, Munster, Ind.

Jan. 4–Northwest Indiana-grown fruits and vegetables could someday be headed to markets beyond the roadside farm stand.

A March event planned by Purdue University agriculture educators will bring local food growers together with resources for better marketing their wares.

“It’s part trade show workshop and part networking event,” said Brad Clinehens, economic and community development educator with the Lake County Purdue Extension office.

The day-long expo, the first of its kind in Northwest Indiana, is designed to bolster the visibility of region-grown products, as nationwide consumer demand for organic and locally grown foods is on the rise.

Butch Zandstra, who grows vegetables and flowers for family owned Zandstra Farms in Highland, said he saw demand spike about two years ago.

“Now it’s becoming more like a trend,” Zandstra said.

The long-term goal of the March 13 expo is “to build more of a local foods movement, as other regions of the country have done,” said Kristina Parker, economic and community development extension educator for Porter County.

Consumer demand is not the only economic factor driving the move, Parker said.

“An economic reality of this region is that farmland prices are going up,” Parker said. “Those involved in sustainable farming have to re-adjust their crops and do more strategic marketing of the kind of products they have.”

A unified marketing effort of locally grown foods is something other states have already done, Clinehens said.

One result in Indiana could be a section in grocery markets dedicated to “Hoosier grown” foods, he said.

In Indiana, “there’s been a lot of individual efforts going on, but nothing that’s jointly organized,” Clinehens said.

“Initially we want to get people to network and connect what resources are available,” he said.

“The thing about Northwest Indiana is it’s in an area convenient to both Chicago and Indianapolis,” Clinehens said. “There are people who will pay a high premium for certain goods, but people don’t know the right steps to get it to them.”

IF YOU GO

What: Local foods expo

When: March 13 Where: Porter County Expo Center

Further information not yet available

VEGETABLE GROWERS SCHOOL

Plans for the Local Foods Expo will be part of a discussion today at the Illiana Vegetable Growers School, sponsored by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

The school, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Teibel’s Restaurant in Schererville, is designed for anyone interested in vegetable production.

Participants should register at the door. A $22 registration fee includes program handouts and a luncheon.

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