BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota Local Foods Network invites those interested in South Dakota local food production, marketing or distributing to attend an upcoming listening session on Thursday, May 21 at 8:00 a.m. MDT; 9:00 a.m. CDT. In this uncertain time and change in the food supply chain, the network would like to provide a time for community members to share ideas, challenges and immediate sovereign needs.
The South Dakota Local Foods Network is a collaboration of partners that includes SDSU Extension, USDA Rural Development, the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association, Dakota Rural Action and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. The network seeks to support a dialogue on local foods among producers, growers, consumers, school nutrition programs, grocers, restaurants and resource providers to best address any COVID-19 pandemic impacts and needs.
Those interested are encouraged to join the listening session so that resource providers and network participants can learn and address what is needed to build a strong and sovereign local foods system in South Dakota. To join the session, contact SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist Kari O’Neill at kari.oneill@sdstate.edu or 605.690.8820 to receive the Zoom log-in information.
The network asks that participants take time to fill out a pre-session survey to prepare the conversation. The survey asks about barriers to local foods in South Dakota communities and how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced production, marketing and buying plans. The survey can be accessed at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
— SDSU Extension
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