UW-Madison: Conference Look at Role of Value-Added Agriculture in Economic Development

MADISON – Economic development experts will gather in Madison on Wednesday, July 19,
to look at how enterprising rural communities can use value-added agriculture
initiatives and other strategies to create new economic opportunities.

They’ll attend a conference called Partnerships For Wisconsin’s Future:
Entrepreneurial Rural Communities and Value-Added Agriculture, presented by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

The conference, part of the CALS Public Issues Forum series, will look at examples
of how rural communities are successfully adapting to change and at how value-added
agricultural initiatives can be used as economic development tools.

The presenters will include Cornelia Flora, director of the North Central Regional
Center for Rural Development at Iowa State University, and David Freshwater,
professor in the rural studies program at the University of Kentucky. They will set
the stage for local experts to talk about their experiences with local food,
forestry and agricultural-processing initiatives.

The event will be held at the UW-Madison Fluno Center for Executive Education, 601
University Ave. A $35 fee will include the cost of breaks, lunch and materials.
Conference registration is limited to 100 attendees. Those interested can register
online at http://www.peopleware.net/2723 or call CALS conference services at (608)
262-1672.

A copy of the conference brochure is posted online at
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/downloads/2006IssuesForum.pdf.