On August 27, 2009 I gave a presentation in a series at the Mustard Seed Market, Montrose, in a series of talks on local food systems.  Participants asked for a copy of the presentation, so here it is.  I hope this will help spread the word on the opportunities to build local economies with businesses that promote local food systems.

Ag-Bio Cluster Leadership Council: During September 2009, the Agriculture-Biosciences Cluster Leadership Council will convene its first meeting.  This group is chartered by the Fund for Our Economic Future (FFEF) to develop business opportunities within the agricultural and biosciences sector throughout the 16-county area of Northeast  Ohio.  To fulfill its purpose, the Leadership Council will establish an ongoing portfolio management process that enables Council members to solicit and field business cases, evaluate each one for likelihood of success and risk

The front page of the July 21st edition of the Columbus Dispatch announced "Schmidt's Restaurant rescues Oktoberfest" with the full article in the Metro section.  It brings to mind the fragility of local food systems in an urban setting and how difficult it is for them to establish and gain sustainability.  An annual food festival sponsored by an anchor institution, e.g., schools,

The July 6th edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer included two articles about urban farming.  The first one, "Cleveland's for-profit urban gardens are growing", focused on the profit potential for those in the Cleveland metropolitan area who already are or might consider getting into urban farming as a viable business opportunity.  The second, "Many say the timing is right for urban f

The attached article, Local & loving it is in today's USA Weekend.  The author, Natalie Ermann Russell, shares her recent "locavore" experiences planning a "local-only" family birthday celebration.  In the course of the narrative, she offers several links to sites with information about local foods and local economies.