December 2018
Sean Park, Manager of the Value-Added Sustainable Development Center, presented two sessions at the 2018 Live Local conference sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau. This conference held on November 5-7 in Bloomington, IL was dedicated to Local and Regional Food producers, distributors, retailers, and supporters.
The Live Local conference helped farmers learn how to increase profits, develop a sustainable business and grow market demand to build long-lasting family farms.
The three-day conference provided an opportunity for networking among local farmers, local organizations and local businesses as they build the needed infrastructure for a long-lasting marketplace for farmers in Illinois.
Park presented sessions on The Cooperative Model and on Finding Financing for New Food Start-ups. The Value-Added Sustainable Development Center supports new start-ups and existing local food businesses through our extensive technical assistance.