Crookston hosts local food conference

Fresh produce
Organic vegetables are displayed. The Home Grown Economy conference hopes to help local farmers develop new avenues for their products.
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Home Grown Economy conference, which opens today in Crookston, brings various groups together to talk about ways to better market locally grown food.

Linda Kingery, Executive Director of the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, said with food prices rising, there's growing interest among consumers in where their food comes from.

Gardens of Eagan organic farm
Martin and Atina Diffley own the "Gardens of Eagan." The Home Grown Economy conference aims to help local farmers better market their produce.
MPR Photo/Mark Zdechlik

"The Kellogg Foundation has set out a goal that grocery stores would handle about ten percent of their sales as local food within the decade," said Kingery. "Ten percent might seem like a pretty small amount, but when those dollars stay in the local economy and go back to farmers in the region, it has a pretty significant effect on the economic vitality of the community."

The conference is sponsored by Minnesota DFL Congressman Collin Peterson.

It begins with a local wine and food tasting event this evening.

The conference continues Monday with sessions on developing markets for locally grown food.

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