Register NOW for 2022 Local Food Forum & Expo

Location: Walb Union, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Date: Monday, September 12
Local Food Forum & Expo - 8 am to 4 pm
Local Food After Party, Expo, & Cooking Demos - 4 pm to 7 pm

All are welcome!

Connect with local farmers, food producers, chefs, educators, community leaders, advocates for community health and sustainability and local consumers & eaters as we come together to learn and share ideas to grow and connect our local food community.

Together, we will explore ways we can collaborate to build a resilient and equitable local food economy in both urban and rural communities across Northeast Indiana.

Join us for a full day of inspiring speakers, informative discussions, valuable networking across our region & our local food system and the best and most locally-sourced lunch in town.  

Stay for the Local Food After Party OR join the party after work from 4:00 - 7:00 pm to visit the Local Food Expo, watch cooking demos with local ingredients and enjoy locally-sourced foods, beverages, and a cash bar.

Event Registration

Registration pricing for the Local Food Forum & Expo this year is meant to meet each person where they are. We offer options to Give or Receive support with your registration selection. Please select the registration option that fits your circumstances  best.

Those who Sign Up to Volunteer to Help during TWO shifts a the Local Food Forum & Expo will receive FREE registration and our gratitude.

For full details & to register, visit the Local Food Forum & Expo Event Registration on Eventbrite by clicking the button below.

Be an Exhibitor at the Local Food Expo!

Register to be an Exhibitor at the 2022 Local Food Expo. Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with consumers, wholesale food buyers, farmers, artisan food & beverage producers and other local food enthusiasts! Register now to reserve a booth for your farm, business, or organization.

The Local Food Expo will only be open during select times from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and from 4-7 pm to allow Expo Exhibitors to participate in all Local Food Forum programming. See the event schedule for details.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to Purdue University rules, Local Food Expo Exhibitors are NOT allowed to sell any products during the Local Food Expo. However, Expo Exhibitors are welcome to sample products and share information on where products may be purchased.

Event Programming

KEYNOTE ROUNDTABLE:
The proposed new All In Allen Comprehensive Plan focuses on three themes of Equity, Community Health and Sustainability to shape Allen County’s future. 

In order to prioritize these themes, for the very first time, the Allen County comprehensive plan sets goals for creating a resilient and accessible local food system. This is huge, but now the intentional work and collaboration needed to achieve these goals must begin.

Our Keynote Roundtable guests will discuss these food system goals through the lens of community development, economic development, community health and environmental sustainability as together we examine the path forward for Allen County and our region.

Roundtable Moderator: Kristi Sturtz, President of Sturtz Public Management

Roundtable Guests:

  • Sherese Fortriede - Senior Planner, City of Fort Wayne

  • Pat Fahey - All In Allen Project Manager, Senior Planner, Allen County

  • Kelly Lundberg - Deputy Director, City of Fort Wayne Community Development

  • Sharon Tubbs - Director, HealthVisions Midwest of Fort Wayne

  • Jennifer Esterline - Executive Director, Whitley County Chamber of Commerce

  • John Mischler - Director of Agroecology, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center & Asst. Professor, Goshen College.


FOUR MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS:

  1. Increasing Workforce Diversity!
    Please join this interactive presentation on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics that will assist in answering questions and providing skills that will lead to an increase in workforce diversity.

    Speaker: Dr. MarTeze D. Hammonds (pronounced Mar-Tez) Ed.D. Chief Diversity Officer, Purdue Fort Wayne Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

  2. Accepting SNAP at your market: What are the challenges and benefits?
    Have you ever wondered if getting authorized to accept SNAP (food stamp) payments, or even WIC and Senior produce vouchers, would be worth the effort? Join this session to learn more about what it takes to accept these types of payments and how it can benefit your farmers market, farm stand, or CSA. You’ll hear from farmers who currently accept some of these payments, as well as learn about a new grant opportunity for farmers markets to start or expand SNAP Matching programs.

    Speakers: Mary Tyndall Food Insecurity and Nutrition Program Officer, St. Joseph Community Health Foundation
    Jered Blanchard Community Wellness Coordinator, Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program

  3. How to Create a Strong Brand that Resonates with Your Customers (Part 1)
    What makes your product, company, mission, etc. more appetizing than your competitors is based on what the consumer values. Is it price, ease of access, environmental stewardship, organic vs conventional, etc.? Understanding your target audiences’ motivating factors and what makes your offer unique, enables you to articulate relevant messages to each of them and helps you stand out in a competitive market.

    During the first breakout session, we will review the case study of a startup that needed a brand that would attract restaurants to their new platform, while also speaking to investors, distributors, and suppliers.

    We will review the startup’s:

    ● Competitors and what makes each unique and compelling

    ● Unique differences and why it is a better option over its competitors

    ● Resulting brand strategy and brand identity including: brand positioning statement and attributes, logo, color palette, voice, messaging, and photography.

    Plus, we will have a robust discussion along the way!

    Speakers: Brian Walters Founder, Creative Director, The WorkAround,
    Crystal Vann Wallstrom Founder, Strategist, The WorkAround

  4. Seed Selection for Future Generations
    The food we eat is integral to the culture we build and stories that we tell ourselves about our place and role in the world. What stories do the seeds you grow carry? When we save seeds we tend the continued cycle of their life and ours. Foy Spicer will share some of what she learned taking the Seed Seva class taught by Rowen White of Sierra Seed Company. This will include how integrating small scale seed stewarding and sharing leads to improved varieties for our specific part of the world. Also, how to select seeds that grow well in our changing climate and to preserve genetic diversity for future generations.

    Speaker: Foy Spicer Horticulturist


FOUR AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS:

  1. Food Access on Campus
    Join us for a walking tour to explore two unique projects on a college campus aimed at addressing food access issues right here at Purdue Fort Wayne. During this session we will meet at the International Ballroom, walk to the School of Education Urban Garden (located near Purdue Extension - Allen County), and then to The Pantry at Purdue Fort Wayne (located in Walb Student Union). Total walk is approximately 0.5 miles. Expect some areas of uneven terrain and some steep inclines/declines.

    Speakers: Eric Manor Wellness Director, Purdue University Fort Wayne Well-Being and Recreation,
    Dr. Julia Smith Clinical Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, Purdue University Fort Wayne School of Education

  2. Networking 101
    Much of the great work that happens in local foods is not so much about WHAT you know, but WHO you know and HOW you connect with them. Building and leveraging these mutually beneficial relationships expands your reach for business-sustaining resources. Learn from a panel of local experts on how to use networking to make the work you are doing more successful and impactful.

    Speakers: Jain Young Administrator and Project Manager, Heartland Communities, Inc.
    Justin Miller Farmer & Owner, BroxonBerry
    Camille Schuelke Greenhouse Farmer, Parkview Community Greenhouse and Learning Kitchen
    Joshua Cockram Owner-Operator, Josh’s Jungle/The Process

  3. How to Create a Strong Brand that Resonates with Your Customers (Part 2)
    What makes your product, company, mission, etc. more appetizing than your competitors is based on what the consumer values. Is it price, ease of access, environmental stewardship, organic vs conventional, etc.? Understanding your target audiences’ motivating factors and what makes your offer unique, enables you to articulate relevant messages to each of them and helps you stand out in a competitive market.

    In this second breakout session, we take what we learned in first breakout session and dive into YOUR company, product, or mission, by leading you through a series of exercises designed to help you identify your competitors, evaluate the reasons why your company is the better option, draft a value proposition statement, and select the style and approach for your brand identity.

    Our goal is for you to understand how the foundation of a brand is built, how it manifests itself visually and verbally, and help you draft a roadmap for your own business.

    Speakers: Brian Walters Founder, Creative Director, The WorkAround
    Crystal Vann Wallstrom Founder, Strategist, The WorkAround

  4. Farm to School in Indiana: Past, Present, and Future
    The Indiana Grown for Schools Network was born out of the 2018 USDA Farm to School Grant, reinvigorating the state level support and organization of farm to school programming here in Indiana. Through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing landscape of supply chains, school food, and more, the Indiana Grown for Schools Network has worked to bolster the state’s capacity for meaningful farm to school engagement across diverse stakeholder groups. In this session we will explore the past 4 years of work, the current state of affairs, and outline the future goals of the network.

    Speaker: Megan Paskey Community Food Systems Coordinator and Farm to School Coordinator, Indiana Department of Health


POSTER SESSION:
We encourage local students, organizations and community groups to share their work at our Poster Session during the Local Food Forum & Expo again this year. Participation in the Poster Session is FREE. Posters should highlight a project, program or research that is moving our region towards a more sustainable (environmentally, economically, and community-based) food future. Posters should be informative and educational, but not promotional. Your poster can stand on a table or be displayed on an easel, which will be provided. Apply to be a presenter during the Poster Session HERE.

Event Sponsorship

We are seeking generous businesses and organizations who are interested in sponsoring the the 2022 Local Food Forum & Expo with a Cash or In-kind donation of goods or services to support and make this event possible.

Harvest Sponsor - $2,000 - 8 guests
Field Sponsor - $1,000 - 6 guests
Row Sponsor - $500 = 4 guests
Seed Sponsor - $250 - 2 guests

All Event Sponsors receive a complimentary Exhibitor Table at the Local Food Expo, registrations to the Local Food Forum and After Party and other Sponsorship recognition before & during the event.

Contact Janet Katz at Janet@NEIfood.org or (260)241-2260 for more information and to offer your sponsorship support. Thank you!

Tentative Event Schedule

The 2022 Local Food Forum & Expo is held in the two ballrooms and other spaces in the Walb Union at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

8:00 AM: Registration, Conversation & Coffee 
8:45 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:15 AM: Keynote Roundtable with Q&A
10:30 AM: Indiana’s New Local Food Partnerships & Networks
11:15 AM: Morning Breakout Sessions
12:30 PM: Delicious Local Food Lunch with Discussion Tables 
1:30 PM: Visit Local Food Expo & Poster Session
2:45 PM: Afternoon Breakout Sessions
4:00 - 7:00 PM: Local Food Expo and After Party 

 
Janet Katz