Local Foods Summit scheduled for next week
USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will be a keynote speaker at the event.
Rachel Torbert
Published: Aug 16, 2012
Community colleges, universities, government agencies, non-profit groups and agriculture associations will once again gather at the Illinois Farm Bureau in Bloomington, Ill., to discuss the local foods system at the Local Food Connections and Technical Summit, to be held Aug. 20 at 9 a.m.
Attendees will hear directly from state and federal agencies, as well as experts in the industry, about a variety of topics, including regulatory compliance, procurement requirements and food safety. They also will receive guidance on sorting, grading and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables, cold chain management and establishment of farmer networks and innovation kitchens for processing, as well as preparing a new generation of Illinois fruit and vegetable farmers.
Speakers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) and many other state and national organizations and agencies will be on hand to speak the group and media representatives. Speakers include:
Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary, USDA
William Weissinger, Deputy Director, Chicago District, US FDA
Tiffany Carrington, Senior Program Specialist, USDA Food and Nutrition Services
Colleen Callahan, Illinois State Director, USDA Rural Development
Robert Flider, Director, IDOA
David Vaught, Director, IDCEO
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