The MSU Product Center Food-Ag-Bio received the First Place MarketMaker Innovation Award last week at the National Value-Added Agriculture Conference hosted by the University of Arkansas in Rogers, Ark., May 19‒21. The Farm Credit Council sponsors the award, which recognizes innovative uses of MarketMaker.
Tom Kalchik, associate director of the MSU Product Center, (left) accepts the First Place MarketMaker Innovation Award from Gary Matteson, vice president, Farm Credit Council at the National Value-Added Agriculture Conference hosted by University of Arkansas in Rogers, Arkansas, May 19‒21
MarketMaker is a national partnership of land-grant institutions and state departments of agriculture dedicated to the development of a comprehensive interactive database of food industry marketing and business data. It seeks to foster business relationships between producers and consumers of food industry products and services.
The Product Center promoted the use of MarketMaker to the Michigan Food Policy Council and local food banks. This led to a national partnership between MarketMaker and Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, which has partnered with many states across the country. The MarketMaker system streamlines the process of donating farmers’ surplus to those who need it.
Michigan State University Extension educator Tom Kalchik, associate director of the MSU Product Center Food-Ag-Bio, accepted the award on behalf of the Product Center.
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