Buy Local Event

EXPIRED BULLETIN

Event: May 15, 10AM-3PM, Daniels Sentry East and West, Janesville

BUYING LOCAL: SUPPORTING JOBS, BUILDING OUR ECONOMY

It’s never been easier – here’s how.

The demand for local food is greater than it’s ever been, and it’s not just a “feel good” issue: there are solid economic impacts from supporting our local food producers. According to the federal government, Rock County spends $225 million each year on groceries. Imagine the impact if we met the state's goal of spending 10% of that on Wisconsin food products.

Seventy cents of every dollar spent locally stays local; compare that with only .40 cents of every $1.00 spent on non-local products staying in a community. Just by buying local foods, Rock County grocery shoppers would keep almost $7 million in the state's economy that would otherwise disappear. If every county followed Rock's lead, nearly $240 million would remain to circulate in Wisconsin’s economy.

To tap into this strong market potential and increase the local sales of local products to boost our overall regional economy, Thrive has partnered with the Wisconsin Grocers’ Association, the Wisconsin Department of Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the UW Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC) on the WGA’s Grocers Buy Local project. This innovative project connects producers, distributors and grocers under the state’s Something Special from WisconsinTM brand, making it easy for consumers to find and support local products.

Working with four stores around the region to promote these local products in day-long sampling events, Thrive and partners are introducing customers to the great taste and wide range of local foods, with the goal of increasing everyone’s bottom line, from producer to grocer. This Saturday May 15 from 10am-3pm we’re working with both Daniels Sentry stores in Janesville—two of our four pilot stores—for two simultaneous day-long sampling events.

“Our farm has been in the family since 1844, when Whilden Hughes first came to Janesville from Michigan,” said Willie (Whilden) Hughes VI. “Committing to support local business the way Daniels Sentry has gives the local economy the strength and diversity it needs to thrive.” Today, the Hughes’ farm has over 1,000 acres, which include production of the successful Blue Farm chips, which will be sampled at the event.

Featured vendors sampling their products include:
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Berres Brothers Coffee
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Blue Farm Chips
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Emils Pizza
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Koops Mustard
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Klement’s (Westside store only)
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Bucky Badger (L&L Foods)
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Louie's Specialty Foods
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Mac Farlane Pheasant (demo at Janesville East only)
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Racine Danish Kringles
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Schoep's ice cream
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Shullsburg Creamery cheeses
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Stump's Olives

Just these companies alone employ an estimated 950 full and part-time employees.
Also on hand to promote the event is this year’s Alice in Dairyland, Cheryl O’Brien. Cheryl will be at the east side store (2822 East Milwaukee Street) at 9am and the Westside store (2501 West Court Street) at 10:30am. Cheryl will be available for interviews at or prior to the event, as will Greg Lawless, Director of Agriculture Initiatives for Thrive and staffer for the Agriculture Innovation Center.
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Contact: Jennifer Smith, Communications, Thrive [608-443-1961 or jsmith@thrivehere.org]