Midwest Value Added Conference

1
Midwest Value Added Conference

• Bringing Profit Back to the Farm
• Presenter Heather Amundson
• River Country Resource Conservation and
  Development Council, Inc.

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Planning Committee

• Farmer
• UW Center for Cooperatives
• WI Dept of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection
• WI Technical College System
• Wisconsin Farmers Union
• UW Center for Integrated Ag. Systems
• River Country RCD Council, Inc.

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Conference details

• 5th year in the running
• Held 2 days
• Focused on farms of all sizes
• Emphasizes marketing strategies and business
  options to improve the bottom line

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Farmer Advisory Panel

• Diverse/randomly selected group of individuals in
  the Midwest
• Meet in May
• What do we learn?
• -session ideas
• -promotion ideas

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Main Focus Areas Everything

• Marketing
• What are others doing
• Cooperatives
• Rules and regulations
• What to do to get started
• Farm Bill updates
• Unique Opportunities

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General Session Dept of Ag. Reps.
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Highlights

• Youth Panel
• Humor from the Country Jerry Apps
• Being a good neighbor!
• Its your turn.
• Tradeshow

8
Reception

• Features local foods and products
• Provides opportunity to see what others are doing
• Networking opportunity

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Evaluations

• 200 Individuals Attended
• 45 Evaluations Returned
• Program overall usefulness 4.11 out of 5
• 4 states represented

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Comments

• Excellent Speakers and Good info!
• Real Eye Opener
• I felt this was one of the best conferences I
  have ever attended.
• Great topics!

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6th Annual Conference

• January 30-31, 2004
• Incorporating suggestions from this years
  conference
• Create theme days
• Continue to feature value added products

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To get on our mailing list
Contact me at Heather Amundson 1304 N. Hillcrest
Pkwy, Suite B Altoona, WI 54720 Phone
715-834-9672 Fax [phone] Email
heather.amundson_at_wi.usda.gov