Lexington, Kentucky
February 21, 2007
An innovative new web-based system
will soon connect Kentucky agricultural businesses, farmers and
markets in a unique way to benefit consumers and producers
alike.
Called MarketMaker, the system features a mapping function and
census data on locales and will enable buyers and sellers of
food products to find each other quicker and easier. Sellers can
use this interactive tool to identify potential markets and find
processors and other businesses they need to profitably move
their products to the market. Access to the Web site is free and
open to the public from any computer connected to the Internet.
“MarketMaker is already working in three states, and we’re
excited it’s now available to our Kentucky agricultural
producers and food-related businesses,” said Steve Isaacs,
Cooperative Extension assistant director for community and
economic development for the
University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture.
The program comes to Kentucky through the collaborative efforts
of the UK College of Agriculture, the Kentucky Department of
Agriculture, the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, and
Allied Food Marketers.
“Each partner has played a crucial role in launching MarketMaker
Kentucky,” said Michael Judge, executive director of the Office
of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion at the Kentucky
Department of Agriculture. “We’ve all added so many different
pieces – farmer, processor, market lists, online resources –
that we can’t tell where the lines are drawn and that truly
indicates a strong multi-partner collaboration.”
MarketMaker was recently demonstrated to Kentucky’s Cooperative
Extension agents at their statewide conference in early
February. Other presentations are scheduled for the Community
Farm Alliance annual meeting, Ohio River Valley Farm Marketing
Conference, KDA’s Farmer’s Market Summits and the Growing
Kentucky II symposium in March at UK.
Kentucky is only the fourth state to become part of this
national program developed by University of Illinois Extension.
For a closer view, visit Kentucky MarketMaker at
www.marketmakerky.com.
If you’d like more information contact UK Food Systems
Initiative coordinator Bob Perry at
kymarketmaker@uky.edu,
or call Perry at 859-257-8890.
UK College of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission,
reaches across the commonwealth with teaching, research and
extension to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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