Are you an agricultural professional or technical service provider seeking answers for your farmer and landowner clients about raising livestock regeneratively for profit?

Join the Embarras Grazing Partnership for a 2 part series examining value chains and profitability potential of pasture-based livestock production!

Part 1: Value Chains
Tuesday, April 19, 11:00am – 12:30pm (Central Time)

In part 1, we will discuss value chains for pasture-based livestock. A value chain includes all of the steps and processes that take our livestock from pasture to plate. Hear from Assistant Director of the IU Food Institute, Jodee Smith, on the top ways for producers to develop or join a market based food system that best serves the community and where their business fits in. We’ll also get a grazier’s first-hand account from Joseph Fischer of Fischer Farms discussing their operation and how they have found their place in the value chain.

Part 2: Marketing and Profitability
Thursday, April 21, 11:00am – 12:30pm (Central Time)

In part 2, we’ll dig into the revenue potential of pasture-based livestock. Jim Munsch, certified organic beef grazing farmer, will discuss a variety of marketing strategies for selling direct to consumers as well as options for moving beyond the direct to consumer market. We’ll also talk about opportunities for diversifying your product offerings. We will again be joined by Joseph Fischer of Fischer Farms to discuss how they have made their grass-fed operation profitable and share some of the marketing strategies that have been successful. 

CEUs Available!

Are you a certified crop advisor? Each session has been approved for 1.5 CEUs in Sustainability Specialty.

Meet the Speakers

	Jodee Smith, Assistant Director, IU Food Institute Jodee has been active in research, education, and outreach in the Indiana Food System for ten years in multiple capacities including farming, extension, research and implementation projects. She leads the Indiana Value Chain Network and Food Council Network and utilizes an asset-based approach to support community-led initiatives that build more equitable and robust local and regional food systems. In addition to bridging student engagement with communities and active food systems efforts across Indiana, Jodee works to build academic collaborations and partnerships across campus to support students in a wide-range of majors who are interested and passionate about food systems.
	Jim Munsch Jim, a certified organic beef grazing farmer, is involved in a variety of organic and sustainable agricultural activities and is a frequent speaker at farm conferences on making data-driven decisions for pricing and profitability. He consults with many organic vegetable and beef farms, to analyze their operations so growers can make more informed financial decisions.
	Joseph Fischer, Fischer Farms Joseph is the sixth generation and Sales Manager for Fischer Farms. The Fischer Family raises natural beef on their farm which they sell along with pork, turkey, eggs, produce and other natural local products to their customers across the Midwest. Joseph is responsible for customer and distributor relationship management as well as new business development. All Fischer Farms products adhere to their brand principles of Premium, Natural, Local, Fresh, and Sustainable.

Refund Policy
If you are no longer able to attend and need to cancel your registration, please contact us at 217-840-2128.

• Cancellations made up until two weeks prior to the event will receive a full refund minus a $5 processing fee
• Cancellations made up until one week prior to the event will receive a 50% refund
• Cancellations made the week of the event are not eligible for a refund

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC21-202. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Embarras Grazing Partnership is a collaboration of The Land Connection, the Pasture Project, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Soy bean Association, and the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Special thanks to The Land Connection sponsors!

SOIL BUILDER

HARVESTER