by Nancy Smith, Secretary, Farm To Family
Last September, the Healthy Planet magazine and Sappington Farmers Market joined forces to present the first Food and Farmer’s Expo. Farmers and other food producers, as well as some garden-related vendors and nonprofits joined forces to present an overview of local food to over 1,500 attendees in six hours. In addition to sampling, taking orders for future deliveries and answering questions, many of the vendors also chose to sell their products direct to the public at the Expo.
Some of the many vendors who exhibited and sold their farm foods were: Todd Geisert Farms, Shepherd’s Ridge Farms, Reisner Ranch, Mama’s Edamame and Heritage Acres. Dogtown Pizza, Berhanu Enterprises, Princess Delights, Three Buddeez, Purley’s Wholesome Health Cookies, Traveling Tea, Kakao and other area businesses were sampling and selling a selection of their great local products. Slow Food St. Louis and Missouri Organic Association represented food and farm-related nonprofit organizations. Maplewood/Richmond Heights school district’s HELP program was well represented by Chef Robert and some of his student helpers. They prepared and sampled a variety of delicious dishes prepared by the students using local farm foods.
This year, calls are already coming in asking to resesrve booth space. Todd Geisert, a local pasture-raised pork producer states, “I’m still getting orders from folks I met at the Expo last year”. Many other vendors are calling to reserve the same space they had last year, or to expand their space for this year’s event.
University of Missouri Extension had a strong presence at last year’s Expo and hopes to participate even more this year. Some of their representatives taught a class on home canning. They also calibrated pressure canners free of charge for Expo attendees.
Other classes by well-known area speakers helped to draw a large crowd. This year, even more exciting classes are being planned. Many respected speakers have recognized this event as an opportunity to build a bridge between the farming community and consumers in the St. Louis area.
This year’s Farm and Food Expo will be held at the Webster Recreational Complex at Elm and I-44 on September 18, from 10 am to 4 pm. If you are a farmer or producer/retailer of local food, this event is an excellent opportunity to tell your story and sell your products. Please e-mail Nancy Smith of Farm to Family at nancysmith3@windstream.net or JB Lester of The Healthy Planet at JBL44@aol.com for more information. Or call 314-962-7748.
The Healthy Planet does not endorse any information contained in articles, advertisements or directory listings and we suggest consulting a health care professional before beginning any therapy or medical treatment.