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Tag: Local Foods

The History of Local Foods

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
roadside stand
Photo: canva.com

The term local foods has gained a lot of popularity recently with the consumer demand of buying foods from local farmers and ranchers. But this concept is not new and dates back at least 100 years.

Roadside stands and farmers markets have stood the test of time in their popularity. Passers-by simply stop and purchase fresh produce or other items. From simple roadside signs of products for sale, to established buildings with tables or shelves, this form of sales still functions today.

When the mail service expanded to rural communities in the early 1900s, the ability to ship items from the producer to consumer opened the channels of commerce without other merchants or private shipping companies. This was the beginning of the farm-to-table or farm-to-city initiative.

Learn the history at https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/localfoods/

 

Local Meat Marketing Workshops

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

As demand grows for local meat, poultry, and eggs, Kansas producers have an opportunity to expand into new markets and grow their customer base.

The Kansas Local Meat Marketing Workshops will help small scale meat, poultry, and egg producers capitalize on this moment. Attend to learn key marketing strategies, best practices, and regulations from the experts, including fellow producers. KDA’s Weights and Measures program will also offer free sales scale certification with paid registration.

Three locations and registration options are:

February 3, 2023 – Wichita, KS

February 23, 2023 – Olathe, KS

March 3, 2023 – Parsons, KS

Cost: $20 per attendee, which includes a local foods lunch. Each workshop will cover the same content and will be held from 10AM-3PM.

The workshops are hosted by the Local Foods Transdisciplinary Team at Kansas State University. It is generously sponsored by the Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, Walton’s, Kansas Farmers Union, Frontier Farm Credit and the Kansas Rural Center.

For questions about these workshops or to become a sponsor, please contact Erica Blair at elblair@ksu.edu.

Local Meat Marketing

Kansas Local Food Purchase Assistance Program

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
eggs
Photo: USDA ARS

The Kansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications from producers to participate in the Kansas Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program. The Kansas LFPA Program will strengthen the state’s local food system by providing expanded wholesale market access to Kansas’ food producers and increasing access to locally sourced food in rural and urban counties impacted by food insecurity.

KDA was awarded a $2,500,000 cooperative agreement under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Funds will be used to purchase and distribute Kansas grown and processed foods to underserved communities and families across Kansas through the state’s existing distribution network of food banks.

Kansas producers are encouraged to apply to participate in order to sell their products to the food banks serving the state. Products eligible for sale under the program include produce, dairy, meat, eggs, honey, and processed foods. Products must be grown or processed local to Kansas to be eligible for sale under the program.

Applications due by 5:00pm CST on February 15, 2023. Contact Brittney Grother at Brittney.Grother@ks.gov or 785-564-6797.

 

Selling Food Direct to the Consumer

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Farmers markets are one avenue of selling food and other products to consumers. But there are other paths that go directly to the consumer.

However that happens, we can help! Our publication, Food Safety for Kansas Farmers Market Vendors: Regulations and Best Practices, is a comprehensive guide for many types of foods. This publication is updated at least yearly to stay on top of the latest guidance.

Get started on the right foot! This will help assure your consumers you care about safety and the best product quality.

To help you start a food business, the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab at K-State Research and Extension can help!

 

Local Foods Resources

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Where can you shop for local foods or other items? How can you sell your foods locally?

A team of K-State Research and Extension agents and specialists have started this resource to help direct you to the right place to start. From gardening, to meats, to food preservation, and more, these resources can guide Kansans to grow, buy and sell safely produced, quality foods.

Check out these resources at www.rrc.k-state.edu/localfoods/index.html. More will be added soon, including how-to-videos for those just getting started!

 

Reference to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation. Paid for by Kansas State University