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Wabash and Edwards counties recieve a boost in joining ‘locally grown’ bandwagon
Posted: Friday, Jun 06, 2008 - 03:29:44 pm EDT
Farmers’ markets being promoted
By LAURA EASTER - Register News Editor
As prices for food, goods and fuel continue to pull more greenbacks out of consumers’ wallets, the concept of purchasing locally grown foods is one beginning to take hold in Illinois.
And for a number of reasons.
The concept has the potential to lead to a number of results for rural communities: Consumers shopping closer to home can mean stronger financial support for local businesses and vendors while, at the same time, saving shoppers the cost of fuel required to head out-of-town to buy goods.
Then there’s another part of the trend that goes beyond simply shopping at home.
“It’s about consumers wanting better quality, a fresher product, and superior eating quality....” says Richard Knipe, University of Illinois Extension beef specialist.
In a nutshell, some think it’s not a bad idea to perhaps know where your food comes from.
While some Illinois livestock producers are working to build a niche by offering locally-produced meats to shoppers close to home, the idea of knowing how foods were grown stretches to the traditional summertime farmers’ market as well.
With the chance to hop onto the “locally grown” bandwagon, Wabash and Edwards counties just received a boost to help promote farmers’ markets, thanks to a $4,000 grant recently awarded for just that endeavor.
City of Mt. Carmel Economic Development Director Brandi Stennett told the Mt. Carmel City Council this week that a grant sought through University of Illinois Extension and Wabash County Farm Bureau has yielded $4,000 in funding to promote farmers’ markets in the two counties.
Acknowledging the growing popularity of “being green” at home and at work, Stennett agreed the grant opens a promotional window to farmers’ markets as they try to make their locally-, and sometimes organically-grown products known to potential consumers.
On the state level, the “locally grown” concept is certainly cropping up in terms of beef. A story written under contract to the Illinois Livestock Development group - described as “a coalition of farm organizations working to create conditions for growth in the livestock industry” - describes the “unique marketing opportunities” that are being created by shoppers’ interest in local foods.
“Illinois livestock producers continue to look for ways to grow and market their animals in ways that offer high-quality, safe, wholesome meat products to the end-user,” the story begins. “With consumers’ growing interest in knowing where and how their food is grown, the state’s livestock producers, and subsequently, local processing plants, may have found a unique niche market ripe for the picking.”
The piece uses as one example the efforts of Danville, Ill., entrepreneur Rick Leiding, whose marketing strategy includes collaboration with “three local processing plants to package beef and pork from local producers, and then markets the products in his store.”
“What we’re seeing is more evidence that there is a portion of the public who wants to know where their meat comes from,” Leiding says. “There are some people who will drive to me to buy good meat. Now we want to capitalize on the consumer’s need for local food.”
According to the story, prepared by freelance Demeter Group of Champaign, Ill., one study suggests some 69 percent of consumers consider the grocery store as their primary source for buying meat.
“But there is that growing movement of consumers’ desire to put a face on the producer of their food, according to Knipe. This desire is fueled by everything from food recalls to reducing carbon footprints and to food quality.”
Producers are paying attention to that consumer desire.
One Web site, “MarketMaker” (www.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/) gives local producers the chance through University of Illinois Extension to network with retailers and processors. A grant is reportedly allowing MarketMaker to take the state-based site and convert it into a national database.
Another grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture will reportedly help the Illinois Beef Association conduct a feasibility study and test a new beef brand, “Illinois Crown Beef,” to offer locally-raised products to Illinois consumers.
“There are consumers who want to see the person supplying their product,” said Maralee Johnson, executive director of the Illinois Beef Association. “By recruiting certified producers to participate in a program like this, we hope to capture value for producer(s) by supplying a consistent, locally supplied retail beef product.”
According to the University of Illinois New Bureau Web site (www.news.uiuc.edu/), the Illinois Crown Beef concept started as a customer survey in 2001. Knipe was there, along with U of I researcher Burt Swanson, and they began working on a “branded beef product” that would meet the needs and desires expressed by consumers in that survey (Grocery stores find security in locally produced beef, by Debra Levey Larson, Jan. 22, 2004).
“The local/regional movement has become more important to consumers...” said Eric Jensen, president of a Maine natural meats company, who spoke during a series of state meetings recently on the topic of locally-produced meat products.
“Safety and quality concerns for meat bring awareness of supporting farmers closer to home. Consumers want to know and trust their producers.”
Are the days is buying meats in bulk nearing an end? Will we someday return to the habit of visiting an orchard for our apples, rather than a box store? Will buying locally save consumers any money? Would shoppers receive a superior product?
Good quesions. The ideas are out there.
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