Business Investors Showcase

Slow Money Wisconsin and LION to host 2013 Business and Investors Showcase

Slow Money Wisconsin and LION  (Local Investment Opportunities Network) will host the 2013 Business and Investor Showcase featuring local food and fiber businesses on Friday, April 26 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Road in Madison.

Hosted by Tera Johnson, founder of tera’s whey, Jim Gage, president of Town and Country Resource Conservation and Development, and Rebecca Ryan, director of Next Generation Consulting, the event is designed to spark conversations and connections among sustainable food and farming entrepreneurs, investors, intermediaries, food activists and members of the public who are interested in supporting the local food system.

The 2013 Showcase includes 10-minute presentations from a juried selection of nine local, sustainable food and fiber businesses, including:

•                Judy Tholen, JRS Country Acres, delivering 100% Wisconsin produced cage free vegetarian fed brown eggs to grocery stores, restaurants and institutions within 200 mile of Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

•                Adrian Reif, Ōm Boys Food Movement (OBFM), manufacturing and selling a line of fresh, home-style nut butters and a line of uniquely nutrient-dense, raw, sprouted, and gluten free cereal-granolas.

•                Bill Anderson, Crème de la Coulée, offering French “esoteric” soft-ripened artisan cheeses made with raw milk from Wisconsin organic dairies.

•                Rufus Haucke, Just Local Foods, an aggregating, processing, marketing and distribution hub located in the Food Enterprise Center in Viroqua, WI, sourcing from over 100 family run farms located throughout the state of Wisconsin. 
Walter Harvey, Taste of Soul  Foods Innovation Kitchen, a start-up food processing operation that will manufacture a line of small batch preserves, condiments and dry rubs, and will manufacture products for food entrepreneurs looking to outsource preparation, packaging and labeling of private recipes.

•                Jacy Eckerman and Heidi Speight, Yum Tum, LLC, offering freshly frozen baby food produced from local organic produce.

•                Gilbert Williams, Lonesome Stone Milling, a local flour mill and a seed cleaning operation, offering wholesale local stone-ground flour to bakeries as well as product mixes for home use.

•                Ellen Barnard, Food Enterprise and Economic Development Kitchen (FEED), a food business incubator and community kitchen facility that will feature 5 commercial kitchens, and food-service training programs for unemployed youth and adults.

•                Bartlett Durand, Black Earth Meats, processor and distributor of sustainably raised meats (beef, pork, lamb, goat) One of the only USDA inspected, certified organic, certified humane processing facilities in the country offering

Ten minute presentations will be followed by Q&A with the entrepreneur and individual and small group interaction time is built into the day.

Brian Bengry, of Conscious Capital, will also present the case for building an investment portfolio that includes local investment.

If you are a local food activist, an impact investor, a sustainable business entrepreneur, a program officer, or an individual interested in line-of-sight investments, the Showcase is an opportunity to participate in what Entrepreneur.com called “one of the top five trends in finance” and Rodale called “one of the top ten trends in organics.” Tickets to the Showcase include a locally sourced breakfast and lunch, and are $30 for general public and $15 for students at http://tinyurl.com/slowshowcase or call (888) 406-7969.

Join Showcase presenters, nurture capitalists, investment advisors and university students for pre-event networking reception on Thursday, April 25 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Brocach Irish Pub, Capitol Square, Madison. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students.

Sponsored by: Slow Money Wisconsin, LION, Town and Country RC&D, Incredible Edibles Investment Club, Kailo Fund, and Sustainable, Edible, Economic Development (S.E.E.D.), with the support of the Wisconsin School of Business.

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Slow Money Wisconsin supports efforts toward creating a resilient, sustainable economy by increasing our investments in small-scale, sustainable food and farming enterprises in the region. www.slowmoneywisconsin.org

 

LION (Local Investment Opportunities Network) connects local investors in the Madison, Wisconsin area with local business owners who need capital. For businesses, LION is an alternative to banks or other commercial lenders. For investors, LION is a way to see where your money is going, and who it is helping. It enables you to invest in what you know and can see, in the local businesses that make Madison and Dane County the unique place it is. http://lioninvestiment.com

National Good Food Network Webinar on Local Meats Processing: Successes and Innovations

Thursday, April 18
3:30 – 5:00pm ET
(12:30 – 2:00pm Pacific)

Free! Register Now

Local meat and poultry can’t get to market without a processor, but processors are pulled in many directions: Farmers would like more processing options, the kind of processing needed depends on the market the regulations are complex regulations, and even with premium-priced meats, the profit margins are slim.
So how can local meat processing survive … and even thrive? Lauren Gwin and Arion Thiboumery, co-founders and co-coordinators of the national Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, will share the results of their research on this topic, featuring innovations and lessons learned from successful processors around the country.
We’ll also hear from several regional support efforts to improve access to local processing: Kathleen Harris, of the Northeast Livestock Processing Service Company; Casey McKissick, of NC Choices and the Carolina Meat Conference; and Chelsea Bardot Lewis, of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Vermont Meat Processing Task Force.
The full research report will be released the day of the webinar – be among the first to ask your questions of the investigators!

 

Presenter

Lauren Gwin

Oregon State University, NMPAN

Presenter

Chelsea Bardot Lewis

Vermont Agency of Agriculture
Presenter

Arion Thiboumery 

Lorentz Meats, NMPAN

Presenter

Casey McKissick

NC Choices, Carolina Meat Institute

Presenter

Kathleen Harris

Northeast Livestock Processing Service Company

 

 

Midwest Aronia Growers Conference

From Dale Secher, Carandale Farm, Vice President Midwest Aronia Association

Another year has come and gone and we are only days away from the 3rd annual Midwest Aronia Association conference.  I hope that those of you who are actively involved and/or are thinking about getting involved with aronia, have been checking the website, <www.midwestaronia.org>.  The conference is at the same location:  Holiday Inn Northwest, 4800 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines, IA, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 4, 5, & 6.

 
The best way to keep informed about the exciting new progress being made, is to join the MAA for an annual fee of $75.00 that will entitle you to members only information on the website.  You will also receive quarterly newsletter with much information.  If you have already made plans to attend the conference, I will be looking forward to seeing you there.  If it works into your schedule, it is not too late to participate.  Log onto the website for details.
 
FYI, one of the reasons why I have neglected to keep you informed about MAA activities through this listserv has been my pre-occupation with an exciting new project that could ultimately transform how we grow and market little known fruit crops such as aronia.  Working with a grant from the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, and in cooperation with the Center for  Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) at UW-Madison, we are providing input for a new website.  The website, which will be hosted by UW-Madison, is due to be launched in June.  It will be about the potential for promoting a sustainable integrated cropping system incorporating uncommon perennial fruit crops including, and perhaps featuring aronia.
 
The website will summarize information and observations about more than 50 perennial fruiting species and provide some incite on how these might be grown, harvested, processed and marketed in an integrated manner using the principles of economics of scale and ecological symbiosis for a more sustainable food supply and marketing system.
 
This has become a larger and more time consuming project than anticipated and a major distraction from other ongoing activities, but it could be a major opportunity for aronia growers to add value and reduce risk.
 


Inspire(d)

At more than a few meetings in the region, we’ve heard people talk about the need for a unified Driftless identity, a way of communicating the high quality of life  and the Region’s unique cultural identity. It looks like folks in Decorah are taking the lead.

We like what we see in Inspire(d) Driftless magazine, subtitled “Positive News form the Driftless Region”. Based out of Decorah, the magazine’s summer issue has an emphasis on the food and farming scene west of the Mississippi. It has a beautiful calendar, features local artists and recreation highs.

They are looking for contributing writers from Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Wisconsin or south of Decorah. I think they aspire to serve the four state region so, whaddaya say? Lets help them out! Contact editor Aryn Henning Nichols with a writign sample or commit to advertising your business or event in their pages.

You can like them on Facebook at Inspire(d)Media and visit their web site at theinspiredmeda.com. They distribute the magazine free or you can subscribe for $25. Wouldn’t it be nice to see this magazine available free throughout the region?

Specialty Pork forum – update

August 2012, CIAS convened a meeting of people passionate about specialty pork. Specialty-finished, heritage breed pork is much-sought-after, especially by restauranteurs interested in an authentic, innovative and sustainable menu item. Heirloom breeds, unique finishes, and artisanal processing are coming together to give consumers a taste of regional flavor. In the Upper Midwest prok finished with hazelnuts, chestnuts, acorns, and apples provide that regional flavor. This one-day forum, co-hosted by Rooted Spoon Kitchen Table,  brought together farmers, processors, restaurants and vendors to discuss regional pork. They shared their expertise and experiences, and discussed next steps toward developing a regional supply chain for local pork.

More than 30 stakeholders from around southern Wisconsin gathered in Viroqua for a forum on the region’s nascent specialty pork sector. Some pasture-based hog farmers have begun finishing their animals with specialty products to alter the flavor and distinguish their products to consumers. CIAS recognized that this could be a new niche for small- and medium-scale pasture-based operations in the state, and so we convened a forum to discuss its potential. We posed the question of whether a marketing program akin to “Wisconsin Specialty Pork” could serve participants along the pastured pork value chain. With farmers, processors, vendors, and representatives from CIAS in the room, the group held a lively one-day discussion on issues facing the growth of a specialty pork economy.

We first heard from growers Jeannie Herold (Hazel Valley Farm) and Mark Osterberg (Hawk’s Cry Farm) on the value they’ve found in hazelnut-finished hogs. Both Herold and Osterberg began their operations with hazelnuts before incorporating hogs. Without the necessary industrial facilities available, they have found that pigs are the next-best way to process their hazelnut crop. Herold sells her pork directly to consumers, and she reports that her customers appreciate the rich flavor the meat takes from the nuts.

Next Christopher Pax (Black Earth Meats), Scott Buer (Bolzano Artisan Meats), and Tim Blokhuis (Pete’s Meats) presented on the state of specialty pork from the processor’s perspective. During a break, Caitlin Henning (MSc candidate in Agroecology) discussed her fieldwork on denominations of origin for specialty pork in Spain and how lessons from that country could help farmers and vendors in Wisconsin market specialty pork as a terroir product.

For the final panel discussion, Jeremy Johnson (Willy Street Grocery Cooperative), Nik Novak (Together Farms), and Talish Barrow (Graze Restaurant) talked with the group about marketing challenges and opportunities for specialty-finished pork. While the panelists haven’t yet observed consumer demand for specialty finishing, their businesses have responded to consumer interest in local and pasture-raised pork. Barrow proposed that specialty finishing could be another niche for farmers and vendors with the right amount of consumer education.

Most farmers attending the event were curious about whether specialty finishing could work for their operations. Surveys completed during the event indicate that there is interest in both specialty finishing and product aggregation to take advantage of larger markets and niche consumers.

Another note – if you are on FaceBook, check out the Black Pork site. Lovely photos! https://www.facebook.com/BlackPorks

black pork

Meeting participants:

Last Name First Name Affiliation/Organization
Armbrust Matt Organic Processing Institute
Barrow Talish Graze Restaurant
Bernardoni Bob Roller Coaster Farm
Blokhuis Tim Pete’s Meats
Buer Scott Bolzano Artisan Meats
Doherty Charlotte Roller Coaster Farm
Fabos Steve April’s Garden
Fox Dan Fox Heritage Foods
Fox Art Fox Heritage Foods
Goetzman Sandra Fair Wind Farm
Goetzman Tom Fair Wind Farm
Henning Caitlin UW-Agroecology
Herold Jeannie Hazel Valley Farm
Hoch Harry Hoch Orchard and Gardens
Holmstrom Deanne Holmstrom’s Grassy Acres
Holstrom Jamie Holmstrom’s Grassy Acres
Hunter Jonny Underground Food Collective
Johnson Jeremy WSGC
Johnstone-Buer Christin Bolzano Artisan Meats
Keeley Keefe UW-Agroecology
Mabe Nick Hoch Orchard and Gardens
McCann Nick Iowa State Univerisity
Moths Jessi CIAS
Novak Nik Together Farms
Osterhaus Max Hawks Cry
Osterhaus Mark Hawk’s Cry Farm
Pax Christopher Black Earth Meats
Prusia April April’s Garden
Schneider Stephanie Together Farms
Schriefer Gene Iowa County UWEX
Solberg Dan prospective farmer
Toepper Lorin Madison College
Williams Brady CIAS
Wong Kristina Hawks Cry
Wright Carla Organic Processing Institute

Networking Across the Supply Chain – LaCrosse 2/20-21/2013

100 regional food supply chain entrepreneurs are gathering in LaCrosse this week to shape a public R&D agenda for getting local food to market in a way that is economically viable, socially just and environmentally sound.

Visit this link to see the agenda, speaker bios and a list of organizations attending.

http://www.cias.wisloraxc.edu/networking-across-the-supply-chain-transportation-innovations-in-local-and-regional-food-systems/

Can’t join us? A proceedings will be published later this year.

 

Networking Across the Supply Chain: Transportation Innovations in Local and Regional Food Systems

Join us to set a research and business development agenda for transporting local food in the Upper Midwest. More than 20million people live in our region and most are dependent on a brittle national and global food system. Business leaders from the local food movement will discuss issues central to moving local food regionally.

February 20-21, LaCrosse, WI

To learn more about this free event and register on-line, go to: http://www.cias.wisc.edu/networking-across-the-supply-chain-transportation-innovations-in-local-and-regional-food-systems/Driftless

Meeting sponsors

This Project is supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 12-25-A-5639 between the Agricultural Marketing Service/USDA and the Center for Integrated Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

FRAN– The Food Resource and Agribusiness Network  is a network of agribusinesses working together to improve the competitive advantage of businesses and the economy of the Seven Rivers region. FRAN is a geographic concentration of similar companies that share common technology, markets, suppliers or workforce skills in Western Wisconsin, Eastern Minnesota and Northeast Iowa. FRAN is providing a platform to address common opportunities and synergies that exist among regional food processing and agribusiness companies. The region has over 85 food processing manufacturers, a nationally renowned organic farming industry, 12,000 farms and 1.7 million acres in agriculture assessed lands provides great opportunities for joint ventures between suppliers, manufacturers, transporters, retailers and consumers.

USDA-Agriculture Marketing Service– Transportation and Marketing Program economists and marketing specialists at USDA Agricultural Marketing Service facilitate the development of local and regional food systems through research and analysis of agricultural transportation issues, food aggregation facilities, farmers markets, and other direct-to-consumer marketing, as well as assessment of wholesale markets and facility design.  This Program area of USDA-AMS also manages the USDA Farmers Market in Washington, DC.

For more information on agricultural transportation, please visit:  www.ams.usda.gov/AgTransportation

For more information on marketing services, please visit: www.ams.usda.gov/WholesaleandFarmersMarkets

UW-Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) is a research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. CIAS was created in 1989 to build UW sustainable agriculture research programs that respond to farmer and citizen need and involve them in setting research agendas. The goal of work at CIAS is to learn how particular integrated farming systems can contribute to environmental, economic, social, and intergenerational sustainability.

 

4th Annual Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference

March 1-2, Eau Claire

Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin hazelnut growers plan to convene this spring to share information on growing, processing and selling hazelnuts. Researchers from Ontario, New Jersey, Minnesota and Wisconsin will share their work on propogating commercial nuts from hybrid and native hazelnut stock, and various ways growers are marketing their crops.

For more information and to register, go to:

http://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/assets/files/2013%20Hazelnut%20Conference%20Brochure.pdf

hazelnut

 

 

Building the Base of Your CSA: Legal Best Practices, Including Member, Volunteer, and Intern Agreements Webinar

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012 from 6:00-7:30pm, Central
Location: Online
Do you have a CSA program or are you planning to start one? Would you like guidance on how legal documents can help you achieve your CSA goals?
Farmers are invited to attend a webinar December 18th at 6pm (Central) to learn about the legal aspects of running a CSA and gain strategies for crafting a CSA member agreement to improve customer satisfaction and retention. This webinar will also discuss how to create meaningful volunteer opportunities with worker share or volunteer agreements, while also identifying potential legal risks. We will discuss setting up a CSA business, hiring interns and apprentices, and overall risk management strategies to build a CSA that can thrive.
CSA farmers, educators, and advocates are invited to attend. The legal principles discussed will be relevant to CSA farmers nationwide, although Wisconsin and Illinois examples will be emphasized for state-specific discussions.
Please register for this webinar at www.farmcommons.org.
For individuals that cannot attend the December 18th event, the webinar is also being offered on December 10th at 6:00pm Central. Please email Rachel@farmcommons.org to sign up for December 10th.
After registering you will receive more information about how to log into the webinar. We are excited to use the University of Illinois’ user-friendly and interactive webinar presentation resources. It will be accessible for those on dial-up. Phone support will be available if you have any trouble accessing the presentation.

—

Rachel Armstrong
Executive Director- Farm Commons, Inc.
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign