Now in its fourth year, the Local Food Connection brings together local food producers and buyers to make business connections and share information about building and maintaining strong sustainable food networks.

The annual Local Food Connection – Linking Farmers, Fishers and Food Buyers will be held on Monday, February 1, 2010, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lane Community College (LCC) in Eugene, Oregon. The event is presented by Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development, and sponsored by EWEB, Oregon Tilth and LCC.

Keynote speaker Ann Wright will discuss the new USDA program, “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.” This initiative, backed by $65 million in funding, will help develop local and regional food systems and spur economic opportunities. Wright is the USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

Workshop topics include an introduction to Food Hub (food-hub.org), a new online marketing tool that connects food producers to buyers year-round; understanding food certifications; energy efficiency and renewable energy systems for food producers and businesses; growing and selling beans and grains; food safety; running an efficient business (“lean enterprise”); the latest on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); social media marketing; success stories from buyer and seller pairs, and more. There will also be a hands-on butchering demonstration.

Networking opportunities are another popular feature of the Local Food Connection. After the 2009 conference, attendees estimated that the new business relationships they made resulted in increased revenues of more than $385,000.

The $20 registration fee includes lunch featuring locally grown products provided by local farmers and fishers and prepared by local chefs. Space is limited, so register early at http://www.cascadepacific .org.

For more information, call Kelly at (541) 341-4663 x 217 or e-mail kelly.hoell@goodcompany.com.