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FamilyFarmed EXPO is a three day gathering of Chicago-area fans of locally grown and responsibly produced food and artisanal goods.

Thursday features our world-class Financing Farm to Fork conference connecting local food producers with potential investors.

Regional and national leaders present concrete ways to attract investment capital, loans, and grants to finance local and sustainable food businesses, farms, and NGOs

Thursday highlights include:
           • Opening Plenary Session
           • Three Workshop Sessions with Nine Choices
           • Closing Keynote speaker - Woody Tasch, Author of Slow Money

Friday features the Midwest’s leading local food trade show, our Meet the Buyers reception, an innovative Food Policy Summit, and the scrumptious Localicious Party to cap the day.

Saturday features cooking demos from celebrity chefs, educational seminars and an interactive Kids Corner. Over 140 exhibitors offer a wide selection of local food, gifts and useful information to help you eat locally and healthy year-round.

Enjoy the Midwest's Premier Local Food Event featuring family friendly workshops, cooking demos, and exhibit areas including a Community Supported Agriculture Sign-Up Pavilion, Growing Your Own Food Pavilion, Local Artisan Pavilion, and a Kids Corner. Over 140 exhibitors offer a wide selection of local food, gifts and lots of useful information that will help you eat healthy year-round, while supporting local, family-run businesses.

Local Foods Conference

Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (check-in and registration at 8:30 a.m.)

Event location: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, Illinois 61107

This conference was created to help you gain knowledge and develop a greater understanding of local food, from the farm to the table. Sessions will include topics related to growing, purchasing and preserving food. The event also includes a question & answer opportunity with Terra Brockman (founder of The Land Connection and author of The Seasons on Henry's Farm; www.terrabrockman.com), and local vendor booths.

$15 per person registration fee includes keynote speaker presentation, three break-out sessions, handout materials and light snacks featuring local foods; registration fee is $20 at the door.

Event Schedule

8:30 a.m. - Check-in and Registration
9 to 10 a.m. - Welcome and Keynote Speaker Terra Brockman
10:10 to 11 a.m. - Breakout Session I
11:10 to Noon - Breakout Session II
12:30 to 1:20 p.m. - Breakout Session III

Presented by U of I Extension-Winnebago County in partnership with Angelic Organics Learing Center (AOLC) and Winnebago County Office of Regional Planning & Economic Development

Register here or contact U of I Extension-Winnebago County office at 815-986-4357.

Teresa Santiago, Teresa’s Fruit & Herbs and Sunny Lane Berry Farm and Terra Brockman, The Land Connection

Teresa will conduct a tour of her aronia bushes and talk about how and why she expanded from a fresh-pick only business to one that also provides value-added products. We will also tour Teresa’s fruit and herb farm in Eureka, where she grows over 70 different kinds of fruit. Terra and Teresa will discuss the specific food rules Teresa had to navigate, and the barriers she overcame in order to provide value-added aronia products to consumers.

There is a fee of $30 per workshop for registrants who have not been enrolled in CIFB or are not members of the CI-CRAFT network. Click here to register or contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant (217-968-5512; cvnghgrn@illinois.edu).

“Is Entrepreneurial Farming For You?” covers resource assessment, goal setting, financial planning, and marketing options. Workshop participants have the opportunity to meet experienced sustainable farmers, other prospective farmers, and graduates of the 12-month farmer training program, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings (CIFB). They learn about different successful farm enterprises and have a chance to ask questions about the genesis and development of farm businesses.

All 2010 “Is Entrepreneurial Farming for You?” workshops will be held in University of Illinois Extension offices and will run from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. according to the following schedule: the Champaign County Unit Office on April 14 (801 Country Fair Drive, Champaign), the Sangamon County Office on June 7 (2501 North 8^th Street, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Bldg #30, Springfield), the Kankakee Unit Office on June 15 (1650 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais), and the Adams County Office on June 22 (330 South 36^th Street, Quincy).

“Is Entrepreneurial Farming for You?” workshops are facilitated by Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Extension Specialist for Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture, University of Illinois Extension, and Cathe Capel of The Land Connection. Registration for each workshop is $30 and includes a light supper. Click here to register or contact The Land Connection at 847-570-0701.

Learn how implements can contribute to satisfying, sustainable small-scale farming and help you achieve your goals. Marty and Kris will present information about the function and use of tractors and other implements including a bale mulcher, crop cart, tractor tiller, converted horse drawn cultivators, and a potato planter. They will show how to set up a small farm inexpensively using older style equipment while also being innovative with some of the newer stuff.

This hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to collect soil samples for soil testing, and how to measure simple soil quality indicators such as soil structure, water infiltration and soil penetration resistance. We will review soil test results and how to interpret findings, and also discuss how to use county soils maps developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), particularly when considering land for purchase or lease.

Learn about the production of certified organic beef and poultry. Jim and Mary will discuss how they started a management intensive grazing system and why they made the decision to be certified organic. They will also share how they market their products.

Learn more about how and why cover crops work and how you can build cover crops into your farming operation. Dave Bishop will share how cover crops are used extensively at PrairiErth Farm, both in row crop and vegetable production. Dr. Joel Gruver will discuss the benefits of cover crops and how to select the best cover crops for your farm. He will also share information about cover crop research at the Allison Farm as well as information about the Cover Crop Innovators group.

Learn about opportunities for purchasing and renting farmland. Dave and Harold will share information about various lease arrangements and will also discuss transitioning from conventional to organic.

* Asterisk denotes tours and workshops that are part of “Small Farms - A Renewed Opportunity,” a project jointly sponsored by: The Land Connection, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Illinois Extension, and Western Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society. Support for these programs provided by a grant from the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program.


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