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North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) and The Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability (FARRMS) will host Taste & Talk: Growing Markets Summit & Local Food Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Minot.
The free event brings together local producers, grocers, food service professionals, and community partners to strengthen the regional food supply chain. Registration is required and will close Nov. 12. Register at farrms.org under the Events tab.
The day begins with the Growing Markets Summit from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Brick + Mortar District, 400 E. Central Ave., Suite 301. Sessions will cover wholesale preparedness, food hub models, marketing local foods to grocers, producer success stories and collaborative strategies that support local businesses to thrive in the regional food system.
Keynote speaker Rebecca Frimmer of Good Roots will present on "Is Wholesale Right For Me? Pricing, Margins & Economics Behind the Opportunity."
Later in the day, she will lead a discussion, "Financial Foundations for Wholesale: Making the Numbers Work." Local food producers and buyers will have a chance to engage in this and other roundtable conversations for peer learning.
The summit will also feature a grocer panel, "Local on the Shelves: What Grocers Have Learned," to share grocer experiences procuring local foods and the retail customer response.
North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association will hold its annual meeting following the summit from 4-5:30 p.m. at Brick + Mortar District, Suite 201.
In the evening, the Local Food Showcase moves to The Spot at 6 2nd St. NE in Minot, with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. and a farm-to-fork supper at 6:30 p.m. The menu features ingredients from Beagle Hill Permaculture Farm, Hilltop Farm, Legendary Greens, Dakota Angus, Cows and Co. Creamery and other local farms and ranches. Guests will connect with producers, grocers, and partners to build stronger regional food systems. “Strong local food systems are built on relationships," said Stephanie Blumhagen, FARRMS executive director. "Taste & Talk puts growers, grocers and buyers in the same room, first to learn together and then to share a meal made from what our region produces."
This event is made possible with support from a Bush Foundation grant for the North Central Region Rural Grocery & Local Food Hub Initiative.
The North Central Regional Grocery and Food Hub Initiative is a multi-year effort to strengthen rural food access, reducing reliance on distant supply chains and supporting small businesses while keeping dollars circulating in rural communities.
The initiative is being facilitated by NDAREC Rural Development Center in combination with the Rural Development Finance Corp. and North Dakota Rural Electric Cooperatives Foundation. A Bush Foundation grant is supporting project planning and implementation costs.