A new study, “Mapping the Minnesota Food Industry,” by Ken Meter of the Crossroads Resource Center, Minneapolis, concludes that an emerging cluster of food businesses drives economic change by building trust with their commercial partners. Author Ken Meter said, “The most successful firms are creating new ways of doing business, not only providing higher quality foods. They do this by building relationships of trust with both suppliers and customers.” Meter’s study was based on a thorough financial review of Minnesota’s food industry, combined with interviews of area farmers, processors, retailers, and distributors.

*CONTACT* Margaret Hart, Communications Coordinator, 651.201.6131,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Farmers, buyers and curious consumers are encouraged to save the date for the annual Minnesota Organic Conference. Scheduled January 15-16 in St. Cloud, the conference will feature sessions on topics ranging from growing organic foods and enterprise planning to human nutrition.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture organizers expect 500 people to attend the event. Keynote speakers will be agricultural journalist Alan Guebert, whose “Farm and Food” opinion column is syndicated in more than 70 rural and farm publications, and Angie Tagtow, a registere dietician who helps audiences connect the dots between healthy soils, healthy foods, and healthy people.

The conference will also offer more than 35 breakout sessions for crop,
livestock, fruit and vegetable growers. A concurrent trade show will
feature seed companies, machinery dealers, fertilizer suppliers, grain
and dairy buyers, certifying agencies, and educational displays.

Watch the conference web site or call 651-201-6012 for
information about attending the conference or exhibiting at the trade
show.

www.youtube.com/mnagriculture
www.twitter.com/mnagriculture
www.mda.state.mn.us/facebook

By Carolyn Dimitri, and Lydia Oberholtzer, USDA Economic Research Service

Organic foods now occupy prominent shelf space in the produce and dairy aisles of most mainstream U.S. food retailers. The marketing boom has pushed retail sales of organic foods up to $21.1 billion in 2008 from $3.6 billion in 1997. U.S. organic-industry growth is evident in an expanding number of retailers selling a wider variety of foods, the development of private-label product lines by many supermarkets, and the widespread introduction of new products. A broader range of consumers has been buying more varieties of organic food. Organic handlers, who purchase products from farmers and often supply them to retailers, sell more organic products to conventional retailers and club stores than ever before. Only one segment has not kept pace—organic farms have struggled at times to produce sufficient supply to keep up with the rapid growth in demand, leading to periodic shortages of organic products.

Download the report at: http://ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB58/