Local food producers, institutional food buyers meet to grow a new industry

Published: February 24, 2010

CLEMSON — Farmers of specialty crops and institutional food buyers are invited to a two-day meeting at Clemson University to discuss challenges, solutions and policies related to marketing specialty crops to institutional food services.

The meeting is part of an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s specialty crops research initiative. It will feature panel discussions and opportunities for dialogue between a diverse group of stakeholders.

The meeting is on Friday and Saturday at the Clemson House at the university. Registration is free, and meals are included.

Focus group meetings were held recently with producers and institutional food buyers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Through these meetings, the major challenges to marketing products from small, specialty crops producers to institutional food services were identified. Now, the challenges are recognized and policy and research recommendations must be made. This meeting will enable participants to explore potential solutions to overcome barriers in marketing specialty crops.

Organizers are Kathryn Boys of Clemson’s department of applied economics and statistics and Beth Kunkel of the food science and human nutrition department, both in the College of Agriculture, Forestry & Life Sciences. Students are also participating in this project through the Creative Inquiry research experience.

To register for the meeting and for additional information visit the website: http://www.clemson.edu/public/ciecd/focus_areas/agribusiness/programs/marketmaker/foodconf_resources/index.html.

For more information, contact Boys, kboys@clemson.edu, (656-4345) or Kunkel, bkunkel@clemson.edu, (656-5690).

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