Upcoming presentation at FamilyFarmed Expo, March 17: 'Building Urban Social Enterprises.'

I am honored to be joining a panel presentation at the next FamilyFarmed Expo in Chicago on March 17.

I'll be making a presentation under the heading, 'Building Urban Social Enterprises'.

My focus will be on exploring new urban/rural partnerships built around small scale, collaborative food processing networks.

The FamilyFarmed Expo is called 'The Midwest's Premier Good Food Event'. I'm grateful for the invitation and look forward to discussing our emerging 3-facility food processing and distribution alliance in South and Southwest Wisconsin.

Our panel is on Thursday, March 17 which "..features our world-class 'Financing Farm to Fork' conference supporting the local food movement by encouraging investment in farm and food production, processing, and distribution businesses."

"Confirmed speakers include Gary Hirshberg, Founder and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, Will Allen, Farmer and CEO of Growing Power, Michael Bashaw, Midwest President Whole Foods Market, Open Table Founder Chuck Templeton, Financier Andy Whitman, University of Chicago's Linda Darragh, FamilyFarmed.org President Jim Slama, Fresh Taste Director Karen Lehman, and many more."

The FamilyFarmed Expo is Co-sponsored by the Chicago Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

Please join us if you can. Links below.

Thanks for the invitation to present at this year's FamilyFarmed Expo.

Looks like a great opportunity to learn new stories and tell a few.



FamilyFarmed Expo home page.

Financing Farm To Fork Conference, Thursday March 17 at the FamilyFarmed Expo.

Chicago Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

The University of Chicago Alumni Association was a 20-plus year, much beloved customer (and friend!) of our first business, Banner Graphics. Through that time the alumni offices were in the Robie House, a beautiful, landmark Frank Lloyd Wright designed home, now part of the campus.

Join us. Heart of the Farm. Women in agriculture. January 28. Iowa County, WI

I'm looking forward to a presentation this Friday with our regional 'Heart of the Farm', women in agriculture conference.

I'm very grateful for the invitation and look forward to meeting new entrepreneurs and making new friends. We'll be focusing on opportunities for growing their farm enterprises in the Iowa County area, and beyond.

I've said it many times. This is the Renaissance age of entrepreneurship and it's just beginning. The opportunities in food and agriculture play a leading role.

This should be fun. Hope to see you there!


You can learn more by calling the UW Extension office for Iowa County, 608 930 9850. A really great resource!

Heart of the Farm program, UW Extension.

Iowa County Area Economic Development. Come Grow With Us

Photo courtesy of UW Extension

Celebrating food entrepreneurs and Kitchen Partners!

As the Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen blossoms, our new Kitchen Partner program is also emerging.

This week a Madison TV station did a nice piece that highlighted a few of the many different paths there are to utilizing the Innovation Kitchen opportunity.

The piece featured our first 3 Innovation Kitchen Partners, Sue Brunett of Flavor Fling, Matt D'Amour of Inside Out Wellness, and The Warricks, Janet and John and Jack, founders of the confectioner Cocomand. (TV naturals, all!) Many other Kitchen Partners are emerging from fun, unexpected directions.

Here's some quotes from the piece (links below):

"The Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen in Mineral Point is giving entrepreneurs and small businesses a chance to succeed by providing the facilities and resources needed to get off the ground."

Sue: "This facility will allow us to do a lot of collection and processing of food as it emerges from the garden, and then allow us to use it year-round in a product, as a stable product on the shelf."

Matt: "In order to get it into a licensed retail shop, you have to have certain certifications and all the requirements that must be met. That's when I started to look for a place to produce it out of."

Janet: "They buy so much here, sugar, large quantities. Purchasing through them, we can get it at a much better price."

I loved the way this piece opened: "For those who have a 'one of a kind recipe' in the kitchen, turning that special dish into a business is not an easy journey. But one professional kitchen is helping upstart businesses get their feet in the door."

Welcome to our first three Kitchen Partners!

And to everyone else, welcome to the Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen!

We're organizing ways to bring new Kitchen Partners into this opportunity.

Join us!



The Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen in Mineral Point is giving entrepreneurs and small businesses a chance to succeed. WISC TV 3, Madison, WI

Print and video of this story on Channel3000.com

The Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen

Kiva update

I knew of KIVA.org but not the details until my friends Larry and Carol gave me a gift certificate which translated into funds to lend to micro entrepreneurs worldwide through KIVA.

Kiva connects people through lending to alleviate poverty.

What a rewarding journey that gift has provided ever since. This post is my current KIVA report.

Overall, Kiva.org. As of December 25, 2009, Kiva has distributed $110,671,610 in loans from 631,345 lenders. A total of 157,207 loans have been funded. The average loan size is $401.66. Its current repayment rate is 98.13%

My first post about Kiva and my microloans in December of 2007.

Check out the results!

Existing /past loans:

Chantal Dolou. Lomé, Togo. 100% repaid!

Allahverdy Kuliyev. Absheron Region, Azerbaijan 100% repaid!

Srey Touch Nuon Group. Chheu Teal Phluos Village, Cambodia. 41% repaid. Right on target.

Josefina Aurora Castro Barrenechea. Cochabamba, Bolivia. 24% repaid. Right on target.

New loan:
Canal De Bendicion 6 Group. La Romana, Dominican Republic. $1,550 loan request. Now fully funded.

This is all funded from a $100 gift from friends.

KIVA.org home page. Check it out!