Tim Woods: Agricultural Economics and Food Prices

Read an article by Greg Field that features an interview with Professor Tim Woods, Agricultural Economics department at the University of Kentucky, to get some insights on current events in the food industry and to learn how to save money on groceries

Professor Tim Woods on Agricultural Economics and Food Prices

.

UK Beef Bash 2012

Beef Bash 2012 will be held on September 27th at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton. This will be the third Beef Bash as a biennial event. Attendance has been steady at about 500 people at the two previous events and we expect another good year.

Follow the link for more info:
UK Beef Bash 2012

Know Your Farmer Know Your Food - Compass

Check out KYF Compass!

learn about how USDA supports local and regional food economies; see examples of producers, businesses and communities putting these resources to work; and explore the map to find out what's happening near you. Use the tools and get involved!

Follow the link to learn more: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=KYF_COMPASS

KYF Compass - Home | USDA

www.usda.gov

KYF Compass - Home

Good Foods Market & Café

Good Foods Market & Café is a natural foods retail grocery store. It is a cooperative, which means it is owned by and serves its members. Good Foods has a vast amount of organic, natural, and local products available for sale year round. Good Foods strives to support Kentucky farmers of all sizes, and they were able to purchase $996,000 of local products in 2011 alone! Good Foods believes in supporting a sustainable local food economy and they provide a market for local producers to do just that. To learn more just follow the link below to watch an interview with Anne Hopkins, the Manager of Good Foods Market & Café!

 Good Foods Market & Cafe Video

Check out the Good Foods Market & Cafe website:

 Good Foods Market & Cafe Website

Jefferson County Public Schools - Nutrition Services

JCPS serves 60,000 students for lunch and 30,000 for breakfast daily and they have made the initiative to support their local farmers. JCPS has been participating in the Farm to School program for 3 years now and they have partnered with many different Kentucky farmers to grow produce for them. They have created new recipes, like zucchini muffins, to feature produce grown from local farms on the school lunch menu year round. This initiative has enabled JCPS to support local farmers while providing the community’s youth with nutritious locally grown food. To learn more just follow the link below to watch an interview with Martha Dysart, the Manager of JCPS Nutrition Service Center!

JCPS Video

Check out the JCPS Nutrition Service Center website:
JCPS Nutrition Service Center 

The Bristol Bar & Grille

The Bristol Bar & Grille in Louisville, KY is a great example of the restaurant industry taking the initiative to support local farmers. The Bristol has been in business since 1977 and currently has 5 restaurant locations. They have had a long history of working with local farmers and are currently working closely with the Farm to Table program to keep that history alive today. The Farm to Table program has been a key ingredient to increasing the availability of local products to the Bristol Bar & Grille.  In 2011 the Bristol committed to putting a Kentucky Proud Feature of the Day on their menu, which features a dish made primarily with local ingredients daily. In addition to the Kentucky Proud Feature of the Day the Bristol also offers 4 other menu items that represent local farms and their products on a regular basis. To learn more just follow the link below to watch an interview with T.J. Oakley, the G.M. of Bristol Bar & Grille Downtown!

Bristol Bar & Grille Video 

Also check out the Bristol Bar & Grille website: 

Bristol Bar & Grille Website

Grasshoppers Distribution

Grasshoppers Distribution is a wholesale food distribution business in Louisville, KY that purchases products from over 70 farmers in Kentucky and Southern Indiana; they were able to purchase around $550,000 worth of products from local farmers in 2011 alone! They purchase local produce, meats, cheeses, breads, and more from local producers and distribute these products to local consumers, restaurants, and growing institutional markets. Grasshoppers Distribution provides a reliable market that guarantees local farmers a certain amount of business each year through continuous planning and support. They are dedicated to supporting local farmers and to connecting consumers with local foods. To learn more just follow the link below to watch an interview with Ellen McGeeney, the President of Grasshoppers Distribution!

 Grasshoppers Distribution Video

Check out the Grasshoppers website:

Grasshoppers Distribution