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National Food MarketMaker recently added Colorado, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., to their growing online network on the National Food MarketMaker website. MarketMaker now includes 12 participating states plus Washington, D.C. The national website located at MarketMaker is a portal to all of the participating states. "The site was created in 2004 by University of Illinois Extension with the intention of building an electronic infrastructure that would more easily connect food-producing farmers with economically viable new markets," said U of I Extension marketing specialist Darlene Knipe. "It's currently one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry-related data in the country. And all the information can be mapped and queried by the user." MarketMaker represents a valuable marketing tool and resource for us to share with the food system community, and Colorado is very excited to finally make it available in our state," said Dawn Thilmany of Colorado State University. "Colorado State University and the Colorado Department of Agriculture will continue to seek effective marketing opportunities for our food industry through MarketMaker and future innovations." MarketMaker comes to South Carolina through a cooperative effort between Clemson University Public Service Activities, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. "This online tool will help the state's agriculture and seafood industries reach new markets and help consumers find just what they are looking for," said Dave Lamie, Extension specialist at the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development. Washington, D. C. became a member of the National MarketMaker network with cooperation from the University of the District of Columbia. Calvin Lewis, Washington, D.C., MarketMaker principal investigator and research associate stated, "The nation's capital is land-locked and lacks sufficient space to support farming; however, D.C. MarketMaker has provided an Internet resource that significantly expands access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for the District of Columbia. This promotes good nutrition and a healthier diet for our citizens." MarketMaker is hosted and maintained by University of Illinois Extension and is guided by an advisory board made up of representatives from among participating partner states. There is no charge associated with having a business listed on the site or to search the site for information. For more information about MarketMaker, contact Darlene Knipe (309-792-2500; dknipe@illinois.edu). by Editor, theCity1.com |
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