Kristin Eggerling: Feb. 15-16 Conference in Marshall Promotes Locally-Grown Foods

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02/09/10 - Over the past year I’ve sat on the planning committee for the 3rd Home Grown Economy conference titled “Equipping You to Build Community Based Food Systems.” The purpose of the conference this year, as in other years, is to promote local foods, an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and to discuss the impact that it has on the economy. 

The conference begins on Monday, February 15 at Southwest State University in Marshall with a local food and wine reception with music, short films and clips about community-based food systems.  On Tuesday the conference will be broadcast at a number of college campuses in the 7th congressional district, including the University of Minnesota-Crookston, the University of Minnesota-Morris, Bemidji State University and Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls and will feature a keynote speech by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who will be attending in Marshall.

Kristin Eggerling

Presentations and discussions at the conference will include topics such as community-based food system development;  local governments that have made a commitment to supporting locally grown foods; marketing and overcoming the challenges to access local foods;  season extension practices, like high tunnels; farm to cafeteria efforts; and the impact that locally grown food has on public health. Food producers, CSA growers and members, institutional food purchasers, governmental officials, high tunnel producers, farmer’s market representatives, economists, academics, USDA Rural Development, environmentalists and economic developers are some of the speakers and participants.

Each site will host a separate interactive session in the afternoon that will focus on activities, ideas and potential actions specific to that area.

I have always found this conference to be inspiring and I’ve walked away knowing so much more about locally grown foods than I did before I arrived. One year I was ready to go home and build a greenhouse CSA even though I don’t even garden. I’d like to urge anyone who is interested to attend at the site nearest to you. I believe that while buying local isn’t a guarantee of sustainability, it is a piece to the puzzle in being good environmental stewards.

As in the past, Congressman Collin Peterson, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee is the conference sponsor in cooperation with University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities including:

• Southwest Minnesota State University
• Bemidji State University
• Minnesota State Community & Technical College
• University of Minnesota Crookston • University of Minnesota Morris
• University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development
Partnerships—Northwest, West Central and Central Regions
• University of Minnesota Research & Outreach Centers (SW & WC)
• Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)

For further information about the 2010 Home Grown Economy conference or to register go here. You won’t regret it. In the future I hope to report back on some of the local foods ideas and activities showcased at the conference.


Kristin Eggerling lives with her family in the far northwest corner of Minnesota in Hallock. She currently serves on a number of local, regional and state boards and works as a freelance writer.

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