Dane County s Local Food Economic Development Initiatives: Collaboration and Regional Partnerships Wisconsin Local Food Summit January 26, 2012 Olivia Parry, Sr. Economic Development Specialist, Dane County Planning & Development Laura Witzling, IFM Coordinator, Dane County UWEX
1. Background 2. Institutional Food Market Coalition 3. So. WI Food Hub Feasibility Study 4. Wisconsin Local Food Expo
Background - Dane Co Leadership Dane County local food purchase policy Two state-certified AEAs Exclusive ag zoning Dane County Food Council Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) ordinance Small lot ag zoning district
Background - Local Food is Economic Development
Background - Local Food is Economic Development
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/wisag/
Background - National Trends US produce industry - rev up 12% in 2010 from 2007 Organic produce - industry to grow 13% in 2012 9 of 10 fine dining operators - local demand to grow in next decade Sources: US Census Bureau 2010; Weise, 2010; National Rest Association
IFM Background Understanding Buyers Regional Examples You Can Be Involved Q&A
IFM - Background Purpose To develop new markets for Dane County and regional growers and local food businesses in order to increase local food sales and create jobs.
IFM - Background Coalition Partners Dane County UW-Extension Dane County Planning & Development Dept. Buyers Sellers Institutional buyers - private & public sector Auctions, produce growers, local foods businesses Distributors Organizational Partners Food system professionals and organizations DATCP
IFM - Background 2010 Program Results $1.5M wholesale local food sales Increased local food sales resulted in 29 jobs Farm: 4 FT, 5 PT Value Added Food: 2 FT, 2 PT Distributor: 2 FT, 3 PT Institution: 2 FT, 9 PT Promoted 55 Wisconsin farms and local food bus.
IFM Background - Activities Wisconsin Local Food Expo Local Food Means Business IFM Annual Meeting IFM Local Food Sales Meeting Produce auction tours IFM Website - www.ifmwi.org Fact sheets IFM Local Sourcing E-News IFM Member List IFM Newsletter
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Titles Include Food Service Director Director of Restaurant Operations Food Purchasing Director Nutrition Services Director Executive Chef
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Universities Hospitals Nursing homes Correctional facilitates Retirement communities Private corporations K-12 schools Hotels
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Why Local? Supporting the local economy High quality, fresh product Supporting family farms Fulfil sustainability goals Consumer demand Direction from upper management
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Why Local?
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Why NOT Local? Not interested Don t know where to start Lack of time to learn how to buy local Time consuming to establish new protocols Don t have supervisor or staff support Not in contracts / RFP
IFM - Understanding Inst. Buyers Why NOT Local? Lack of staff ability to prep and process local Lack of staff time to prep and process local Lack of storage space Concerns about reliable supply for local produce Concerns about timely delivery Increased costs
IFM - Ways to Source Local Directly from a farm Primary vendor Specialty distributor So. WI Food Hub Produce auction Grower co-op or an LLC Farmer s market On-site gardens
IFM - Regional Network Example 1: Renaissance Farm IFM Cooking Class Wholesaler Expo New customers Distributor
IFM - Regional Network Example 1: Local Food Cooking Class
IFM - Regional Network Example 2: Tri-County Produce Auction Institutions and distributors come to IFM s auction tour and produce sales meeting Institutions Distributors Grocery
IFM - Regional Network Example 2: Tri-County Produce Auction
IFM Regional Network Example 2: Tri-County Produce Auction
IFM - Regional Network Example 3: Neesvig s
IFM - You Can Be Involved IFM Annual Meeting - May 2012 Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Sept 2012 IFM Website IFM Membership Outreach
Q&A
So. WI Food Hub Feasibility Study
So. WI Food Hub Feasibility Study Why a food hub? Partners Timeline Study Next steps How to start a food hub Q&A
Why a Food Hub? Economic stimulus Jobs - 6FT, 16PT New markets for local growers Increased farmer income Dane Co. and WI local food brand Environmental impact Improved health
Why a Food Hub? New Markets for Local Growers Source: So. WI Food Hub Feasibility Study
Why a Food Hub? Dane Co and WI Local Food Brand
Why a Food Hub? Environmental Impact Produce distributed from Dane Co - 150 miles to largest customer base Average produce - 1,500 miles travelled A trip from the Food Hub would reduce carbon emissions by 6,000 lbs/load (5mpg and 22.2 lbs CO2 per diesel gallon) Source: So. WI Food Hub Feasibility Study
Food Hub Partners Project Team: Olivia Parry, Dane Co Planning & Development Kathy Nyquist, New Venture Advisors LLC Carrie Edgar, Dane County UW Extension Jim Slama, FamilyFarmed.org
Food Hub Partners Advisory Board Grant Abert, Slow Money Amber Bennett, Badgerland Financial Bob Bloomer, Chicago Public Schools Leah Caplan, Metcalfe's Market Mike Daniels, USDA Rural Development Mark Daughtry, Collaborate Energy Ventures LLC Teresa Engel, WI DATCP Lois Federman, WI DATCP Michael Gay, City of Madison Robert and Barbara Golden, Golden Produce Diane Hesselbein, Dane County Board of Supervisors
Food Hub Partners Advisory Board cont d Anna Maenner, WI Fresh Market vegetables Growers Association Anne Reynolds, UW Center for Cooperatives Bob Scaman, Goodness Greenness Joie Schoonover, UW-Madison housing Brandon Scholz, WI Grocers Association Rick Terrien, Iowa Co Economic Development Corp. Joe Valadez, Whole Foods Todd Violante, Dane County Planning & Development Jim Welsh, Natural Heritage Land Trust Phyllis Wilhelm, Madison Gas & Electric
Food Hub Timeline Feb: Grower outreach March to May: Collected survey data April: Advisory Board reviewed survey results May: Issued RFI to Dane County sites June: Drafted report Sept: Published report
Food Hub Study Buyer Survey - Outreach
Food Hub Study Buyer Survey - Results 85 respondents Demand for local 800,000 lbs per week $18 to 28 million for local produce in 2012 Collected data on crops most desired
Food Hub Study Grower Survey - Outreach 2011 So. WI Fresh Produce Workshop WI Fresh Fruit & Veg Conference Midwest Value Added Conference Local Food Summit WI Fresh Market Veg Growers Association Apple Growers Association Berry Growers Association WI State Farmer DATCP UW Extension & Dane Co UW Extension
Food Hub Study Grower Survey - Results 240 respondents 104 responses used 1,000 acres available 700 acres amongst most interested growers Price is #1 concern
Food Hub Study Grower Survey - Results cont d 46 respondents (non-used surveys) interested in diversifying their farm Revenue - $5K to $10K per acre for veg crops vs. $950 for commodity Source: National Ag Statistics Service
Food Hub Study Business Model Options Grower cooperative Private corporation Non-profit
Food - Next Steps Issue RFI for owner operator Identify owner operator Identify business plan consultant Farmers, Wisconsin Farmers Union, UW Center for Cooperatives, USDA Rural Dev. complete business plan Decision - GO or NO GO? Fundraising Identify facility Launch in Sept 2012
Q&A
Wisconsin Local Food Expo Dane County s IFM and DATCP s DATCP s Something Special from Wisconsin Purpose Regional Networking Evaluation
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Purpose Bring together local food businesses, buyers, and distributors to share information and start relationships. Make local food sales!
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Regional Networking
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Regional Networking Buyers: 19 people from 15 companies; 6 counties Distributors: 8 people from 5 companies; 5 counties
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Regional Networking Local Food Businesses: 47 people from 29 companies; 15 counties
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Evaluation Networking Scores Rank 5 4 3 2 1 0 Morning open house Dates Session Afternoon open house Buyer Distirbutor Local food business
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Evaluation Overall score: 3.9 78% said will return in 2012 Average number of connections: 3.5 Large volume sales to date: seven
Wisconsin Local Food Expo - Evaluation The benefit was in meeting other exhibitors such as myself. The date sessions were of no use to me. The speed dating was a great way to start folks talking.
Wisconsin Local Food Expo Evaluation I helped provide info to a local grower who would like to in the future participate in the direct diversion process We started using Langlade springs water from this meeting trying to get our PV to carry additional lines of their products also. It's about staying in front of buyers, this is a process to land these accounts.
Q&A
Thank You Olivia Parry Dane County Sr. Economic Development Specialist Dane County Planning & Development Dept. (608) 266-4270, parry@countyofdane.com Laura Witzling, IFM Coordinator Dane County UWEX (608) 224-3710, witzling@countyofdane.com www.dane-econdev.org / www.ifmwi.org