By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

WILMINGTON, Ohio — Farmers know how to grow produce and get it to the local farmers’ market; with the upcoming Food Symposium at Wilmington College in Ohio, they can learn how to take the next step in expanding their business opportunities.

The second annual Food Symposium March 31 will feature the theme “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” and the daylong event will stress ways of improving access to safe and healthy food.

Keynote speaker at this year’s event will be Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the USDA. Merrigan, who was selected by TIME magazine in 2010 as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” will address agriculture policy and food safety.

According to Merrigan, “Know Your Farmer” is not a program, but a process. “There are no  buildings, no staff and no budget. Rather, it is a more efficient way of looking at current USDA programs to help out small and mid-size farmers,” she said. “By buying regional, more of the food dollar stays in the localities.”

The initiative supports local farmers with grants and loans, as well as raising awareness for the plight of the local operations.

“Has the initiative been effective? I think it’s a little too early to say that we’ve actually felt the impact of it yet,” Merrigan said. “Is it going as quickly as I’d like? I’m a bureaucrat. I’m pushing the wet noodle. It’s never as fast as I’d like, but we are seeing improvements.

“Some farmers have said the paperwork it takes to apply for those grants and loans is a burden, especially the small farms. I hear that concern loud and clear, and we’re trying to respond.”

The day’s activities will start at 1:30 p.m. with a presentation on “Redesigning Our Food System: Benefits and Challenges of Creating a Local Food Economy” by Ken Meter, president of Cross Roads Resource Center.

“We’ll be discussing things on a scale of millions of dollars,” Meter said. “This is not just a farmstand we’re talking about. There is a lot of economical potential at this gathering.”

He is a global leader in planning and evaluation for food systems initiatives. The Minnesota-based Crossroads Resource Center works with communities and their allies to foster democracy and local self-determination. It specializes in devising new tools communities can use to create a more sustainable future.

At 3 p.m. a panel will discuss “The Reality of Creating a Sustainable and Viable Local Food Economy: Views from the Home Front.” Rebecca Singer, vice president and director of agricultural programs with the Center for Innovative Food Technologies (CIFT), will serve as moderator of a panel comprised of a local food producer, a local food distributor and a chef from a local restaurant.
“We do have a lot of small food businesses and plants starting up in Ohio, so from that standpoint the farmer will have greater access,” Singer said. “But a lot of the challenges are affiliated with making the connections between the farmers, some of the restaurants and retailers.

“We won’t just be discussing the distribution of the product. We’ll be trying to make this an easier process to get the food to those locations.

“This one-day conference is designed to help those producers network. Many are good at growing produce and crops, but many haven’t looked at all the business opportunities that are presented by nature of an increased interest in local foods. This program will help educate them on what the opportunities are and then connect them to the resources to allow them to get into the mix of things,” Singer added.

Merrigan will speak at 7:30 p.m. She will highlight the efforts of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food effort and explore how agriculture policymakers are integral to issues ranging from climate change to national security.

All programs will be in the Hugh G. Heiland Theatre, located in the Oscar Boyd Cultural Arts Center. Exhibits by the CIFT and Wilmington College’s “Grow Food, Grow Hope” will complement the program. In addition, Wilmington faculty members will present a display highlighting courses in environmental sociology and rural sociology as part of the college’s academic offerings in sustainable agriculture.

This one-day event if free to the public. For more information, call 937-382-6661.