With great excitement, we invite you to join us at the first-ever Tri-State Farm & Food Conference to be held in Huntington, West Virginia on Saturday, November 6, 2010.  A release on the conference is below.

Registration information and detailed workshop information can be found at: http://smallfarmcenter.ext.wvu.edu/events/Farmfoodconference.

This conference was born from the desire to revolutionize the foodshed, or food system, within the region surrounding Huntington, WV:  Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.  We welcome you to become a part of this effort!

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Farmers and community members within a 50 mile radius of Huntington, WV will gather at The Douglass Center (1448 10^th Avenue) to study ways to connect farmers, chefs, processors, and consumers in the $1.2 billion food industry of the tri-state region on November 6, 2010. The conference offers a variety of topics to engage all individuals within the region’s foodshed—including the everyday consumer.

“Even before the Jamie Oliver Revolution visited Huntington, the people of this community were addressing this opportunity. The chance to fuse agriculture and consumers in an attempt to capture $1.2 billion is simply the beginning for this region. The opportunities for this community and communities across the U.S. are real,” stated Tom McConnell, WVU Extension Service Small Farm Center Director.

Conference topics include areas of interest such as fruit and vegetables, value adding, food security, animal care/production, economic development and farm to institution. Farmers, residents of the region, and all those who are interested are invited to attend the event for a $20.00 registration fee. Breakfast, lunch, and break snacks will be provided and sourced from local tri-state farmers.

“The tri-state aspect of the conference is important because the impact that this community has on neighboring counties in Kentucky and Ohio truly comes full circle. These areas must work together to build this food system. Without an open dialogue and discussion started, we can’t expect change,” stated Gail Patton, Unlimited Future, Inc. Executive Director.

The conference is being hosted by the WVU Extension Service Small Farm Center in co-operation with Unlimited Future and Ebenezer Medical Outreach, as well as, staff from WV State University, Kentucky State, and Ohio State Extension. The Cooperative Extension Service is located in every county in W.Va. and serves as a source of research-based knowledge to the people of the state. Unlimited Future is a Huntington non-profit business development center offering support and advisors to participating businesses.

“We are excited to offer this vital training experience in the tri-state region.  Our presenters are experts from both production and academia.  Everyone attending will take home important information to make them better able to prosper in the tri-state foodshed,” stated Tom McConnell.

For program details, registration forms or any additional information, please visit the WV Small Farm Center web site athttp://smallfarmcenter.ext.wvu.edu/events/farmfoodconference. Additional questions may be directed to Tom McConnell or Carrie See at 304-293-2642 or [email protected].