By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The trend toward locally grown produce and agritourism continues, and a seminar geared toward marketing those and sparking new ideas is set for Nov. 19 at the Fort Wayne Marriott.

The workshop is called New Food for Thought, with the theme “Get Local, Get Thinking, Get Started, Get Better.” The one-day event is sponsored by the Indiana Farm Bureau (IFB), the Indiana Cooperative Development Center and Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, and is being held just before IFB’s state convention Nov. 19-21 in Fort Wayne.

One reason behind the seminar is the concern that many farmers have a hard time bringing their kids back to be involved on the farm.

“Many farmers I spoke with expressed this as one of their biggest concerns,” said IFB policy intern Brittany Kelsay, who helped coordinate the workshop along with Tiffany Obrecht, IFB policy specialist. “So, we want to expose them to some new ideas that will expand opportunities that can be found on the farm, increasing the likelihood of kids coming back home.

“Also, many farmers are struggling right now with the economy and are looking for additional ways to supplement their income. This conference will provide them with ways they can do that.”

Presenters include Amy Kelsay of Kelsay Dairy Farm in Whiteland, Ruth Ann Tuttle and Mike Roney from Tuttle Orchards in Greenfield, Jeanne Hansen from Moo Roo Dairy in Iowa, Deb Trocha from Indiana Cooperative Development Center and Adam Moody from Moody Meats, a retail meat operation in Zionsville.

Registration and continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m., with the first session at 9 a.m. Attendees can choose from four different tracks during the morning:

“Get Local,” in which participants can learn gardening basics, how to find locally grown foods, how to cook with local foods – from a chef – and about inexpensive, educational and entertaining local getaway vacations.

“Get Thinking,” with sessions geared toward specialty crops, agritourism and other ideas to increase profit from an existing operation; hear panelists share their stories of how they add value.
“Get Started” will help participants get started in the right direction with sessions on creating a business plan, basic marketing strategies and ag law.

“Get Better” is for entrepreneurs with an established business who want to find new markets, work with farms nearby to create a destination for visitors and use social media to reach a new audience. Local foods will be served for lunch, followed by a session on marketing and networking with speakers and local producers, or a bus tour to St. Joe Christmas Tree Farm in Fort Wayne and Tis the Season in Columbia City.

Activities wrap up at about 4:30 p.m. The cost for the event is $35 for IFB members and $70 for non-members and covers the cost of materials and a luncheon. The registration deadline is Nov. 6. More information is available at www.newfoodforthought.com and contains pages for both producers and consumers with information and videos on farmers’ markets, local food, agritourism, marketing, agriculture terms, organic farming, animal welfare and agricultural misconceptions.

To learn more about the IFB state convention, see related article and visit www.infarmbureau.org