Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan (right) talks with EcoTrust/FoodHub's Amanda Oborne (center), after she spoke about food infrastructure, while at the White House, in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 5, 2012. Food-Hub is emerging as incredible online platform to connect producers and buyers across the Northwest. Through Food-hub, producers can find ways to access new markets, and buyers can find local producers that meet their needs.  Food-Hub is also using innovative web platforms and data to facilitate these relationships.  Food-Hub received funds from a Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG) program. The program promotes sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs through provision of training and technical assistance for business development, entrepreneurs, and economic development officials and to assist with economic development planning. The Know your Farmer COMPASS twitter event that was a virtual conversation, which continues the National Conversation on Local and Regional Food projects and how they offer economic opportunities to local farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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