'Buy Local' program puts state at forefront of trend

Some experts are predicting that growth in local food sales will surpass sales of organic foods, which have grown 20 percent a year to nearly $17 billion in 2006.

In Dane County and around Wisconsin, farmers' markets and sales of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares are thriving. Madison alone is home to six farmers' markets and Wisconsin has nearly 200 spread throughout communities large and small.

The Madison-based health insurance company, Physicians Plus, offers a $200 discount for families who sign up for a CSA farm share, spurring more than 3,000 Dane County households to sign up for weekly boxes of farm fresh food.

But local food is not just confined to farmers' markets and direct farm sales. More schools are changing menus to include food from local farms; national chains, such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods, have recently announced plans to buy more locally produced food.

According to the Hartman Group, a marketing research group, local food "is one of the hottest cues of quality right now in the world of food. It is quickly overtaking organic for many consumers, both those interested in health as well as gourmet food experiences."

Definitions vary, but for most eaters local food means having a connection to the place and the farmer who raises their food. It is fresh, healthy, tasty food that is produced close to home.

Wisconsin is well positioned to be a leader in local food markets. The state's agriculture is still diverse, producing dairy, meat, grains, fruits and vegetables. But in some parts of the state, we lack processing, distribution and marketing expertise that are necessary to connect farmers and their products with local markets.

The good news is that the new state budget includes more than $600,000 over two years for the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will administer the program, which will provide much needed financial and technical assistance for farmers, communities, businesses and nonprofits to develop local food markets.

The program's goals include shifting 10 percent of Wisconsin's $20 billion annual food expenditures to locally produced food.

Among the program's supporters are the Wisconsin Grocers Association and Midwest Food Processors. Both trade groups have seen the writing on the grocery store shelf and it spells local.

The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program will meet the increasing consumer demand for high quality, locally produced food by providing critical resources necessary for Wisconsin to increase local food markets. And that's good for our economy and our health.

Jeanne Merrill is the associate policy director of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, a non-profit organization, based in East Troy. The Institute is devoted to developing an agriculture that can sustain the land and its resources.