Christmastime (and Events Season) Are Here
Winter is conference time in our region's farm and food sector
It’s Christmastime in the City
I attended an event in the Loop last night and since I already had my camera with me, I grabbed some shots of the holiday lights while making my way home.
The photo above, of Federal Plaza at Dearborn and Adams, juxtaposes the light-wrapped trees with Alexander Calder’s famed Flamingo public art work.
There are some more twinkly scenes below, after the news.
McHenry College Schedules DIY Marketing Lessons
If your farm or early-stage food business would benefit from marketing to a broad audience — but you’re so busy you think you don’t have time to do it — then you should consider attending one or both one-off classes being offered this winter at McHenry County College in suburban Crystal Lake.
Descriptions of the two targeted workshops, led by Bold Bison Communications and Consulting, are below.
Shout it from the Rooftops: DIY marketing made fun, efficient, and cost-effective
Saturday January 20, 2024
10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Room A229
$35 includes lunchMarketing your food or farm business is a lot like tending a garden: You know it needs regular time and attention, but the work can feel overwhelming. But just like gardening, when we break marketing down into smaller pieces, it starts to be more manageable and it’s not long before you see results.
In this workshop, we will unpack the basics of marketing and explore different low- and no-cost strategies including websites, social media, and email. Learn the latest trends in digital marketing and try out some of the simple yet professional tools you can use to market your business — including how to easily make your own website. Finally, we will spend time creating step-by-step marketing plans to help grow your business. Participants are encouraged to come with questions, so we can orient learning towards shared challenges.
Lights! Camera! Action!
Making the most of video to tell your storySaturday, February 10, 2024
10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Room A229
$35 includes lunchWe all know a great story when we hear one, but telling your own story can be a struggle, not to mention when doing it on camera. Yet with a little practice and a little know-how, these are skills we can all learn and use to market our businesses.
In this workshop, we will develop skills both for telling stories and for producing engaging short-form video content. We will first explore different storytelling techniques and practice strategies for sharing with different audiences. Next, we will take a deep dive into producing video content, offering tips on staging, directing, recording, lighting, and more. We will also share guidance on cost-effective equipment to help with video production.
Throughout the workshop, participants will have hands-on experience with equipment, and leave with new skills, tools, and insights for sharing their stories. Attendees need no prior knowledge to participate.
Four Major Farm and Food Conferences in Winter
Because farmers are most available to participants in conferences during the winter off-season, there always is a busy slate of such events. Here are four of the biggies that will take place in the first two months of 2024.
From Food to Flowers: Everything Local
January 17-19, Crowne Plaza hotel, Springfield, Illinois
From the producers:
This combined Illinois Food, Farmers Market and Specialty Crop Conference is a collaboration among the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Specialty Growers Association and Illinois Farmers Market Association to bring together more people than ever from across Illinois’ local food, specialty crop and farmers market supply chains. Available in both in-person and virtual formats, this unique gathering combines the best parts of the events previously known as the Illinois Specialty Crop Conference and the Live Local: Local Food and Farmers Market conference.
This one-of-a-kind event brings together farmers and agribusiness leaders from across the state with other partners throughout the Illinois local food supply chain. By more efficiently connecting the supply chain, more income is generated; fewer businesses handle the product in processing and transit; and the products are harvested and packaged at a fresher stage. These improvements benefit the local economies and food opportunities of communities across the state.
You asked, and we listened. Producers want to know more about getting the most from their farms. Local food interests and farmers markets want to work with excellent producers to promote our state’s local food systems. These efforts to build relationships don’t stop at the fencerow or market gate. So, we’ve found a way to connect the right people to enhance the robust Illinois local and specialty agriculture system.
What You Can Expect at the Conference:
Aside from the networking opportunities to develop and share new ideas, attendees of the From Food to Flowers: Everything Local Hybrid Conference will have the chance to:
Hear perspectives from general session keynote speakers who understand and champion the specialty and local food markets.
Engage in breakout tracks ranging from grower production practices and business development to farmers market management and community food systems.
Attend workshops on GAP certification, farm-to-school training, social media management and more.
Interact with vendors, associations and non-profits at the conference's trade show.
OGRAIN Conference
February 2-3, Monona Terrace, Madison, Wisconsin
From the producers:
The Annual OGRAIN Conference is an opportunity to learn from local organic grain growers, hear about the latest research, and connect with other organic, transitioning-to-organic, or inquisitive-about-organic grain growers and end-users.
As with last year, we are partnering with the Artisan Grain Collaborative to have specific sessions dedicated to food grade grain processing, handling, and cultivating. We are also excited to partner with Albert Lea Seed in planning this year’s conference!
Organic Grain Conference & Trade Show
February 7-8, I Hotel/Conference Center, Champaign, Illinois
From the producers:
Opportunities in Organics
Shifting markets… Changing consumer preferences… Increased input prices… Unpredictable weather… What’s next?
Every hurdle encountered offers an opportunity. Join us as we explore challenges and opportunities across the organic grain value chain.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Day 1 of the conference will feature presentation sessions, a plenary session, a half-day trade show, and will close with a mixer at Rigg’s Beer Company.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Day 2 of the conference will feature presentation sessions, roundtable discussions, a keynote address, and a full-day trade show. Day 2 will include a light breakfast, full lunch, and refreshments throughout the day.
Don’t miss 2024’s keynote: Bob Quinn — farmer, scientist, entrepreneur and leader in sustainable ag and renewable energy
Online registration opens Friday (December 15)
Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference
February 22-24, La Crosse Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin
From the producers:
The Marbleseed (formerly MOSES) Organic Farming Conference is widely known as the largest organic farming conference in the United States. Every year regenerative and organic farmers from a wide range of farm sizes, experiences, and backgrounds gather to learn the latest in organic farming methods, build community, and shape the future of the organic farming movement.
Whether you’re certified organic, using organic practices on your regenerative farm, or considering the switch to organic, you’ll find the people, partners, and skill-building opportunities to help your farm business thrive.
Marbleseed's Organic Farming Conference features inspiring speakers, educational workshops, Organic Universities, and farmer panels. The Marbleseed Conference offers knowledge for all experiences from organic and sustainable farmers, homesteaders, food policy advocates and more. Dozens of transformative, skill-building workshops and roundtables covering business management, soil health, and production are crafted to advance resilient organic farms and regenerative food systems.
KEYNOTE
“Waste is not Waste Until We Waste It”
We are thrilled to welcome Anna Hammond (Matriark Foods), Ben Hartman (Farmer and Author), and Jim Kleinschmit (Other Half Processing) as our 2024 keynote speakers.
From time, physical labor, to hides, and misshapen veggies, this year’s general session will focus on things we waste. The speakers have used imagination and entrepreneurship to reframe waste as an opportunity that benefits the planet and small-medium scale farms. Their stories show the ingenuity of problem-solving within human scale systems based on values of climate healing, work-life balance, and truly honoring the land, animals, and humans that make up our food and farming systems.
Bob’s World, and Welcome to It
These giant Christmas trumpet have for many year decorated the Macy’s department store — Chicago traditionalists still call it Marshall Field’s — on State Street.