Ag summit plans focus on branding of commodities

Brand names aren't just for cars and clothes. Commodity foods like beef, fruit and even grain can profit from marketing monikers.

To teach farmers and ranchers how to get higher prices for their products, Churchill Economic Development Authority will host a Nevada Agricultural Summit, "Sustaining the Future of Nevada Producers," Dec. 1-2.

The summit, says Juliette Taylor, executive director of the development authority, is for farmers, ranchers, those wanting to get into the farmers markets circuit, those wanting to start up an agricultural enterprise, and people from government-funded agencies.

"Value added is where most producers will see the product profit," says Taylor. Beef, produce, squash, and cantaloupe are likely contenders. Fallon's Hearts of Gold melon festival is an example.

On Dec. 1, starting at 8 a.m., speakers will share Nevada Grown success stories about vineyards, beef, and teff, an Ethiopian grain. A dinner will feature foods grown in Nevada.

Native products are already featured at www.nevadagrown.com, a Web site built by the Nevada Grown program, funded by a grant from the Nevada State Legislature to help small farmers market their products.

Rick Lattin, owner of Lattin Farms and an employee of the Nevada Small Business Development Center, says the 30-something farms featured on the site can direct shoppers to pasture fed beef, organic apples, goat cheeses even a pumpkin patch to visit.

Keynote speaker of the summit will be J'Amy Owens, chief executive officer of Prescott Frost, an Illinois-based organic grass-pastured meat company. J'Amy Owens Group has done retail branding for Nike, Starbucks and Blockbuster.

"It's time we put the culture back in agriculture by creating environmentally and economically sustainable practices," says Owens. "To do this we must harness the hearts and minds of the conscientious consumer who will happily spend money on the highest quality food." She calls that a shift from commodity to a desired luxury.

The Dec. 2 session of the summit will bring together working groups to come up with the next steps.

Registration is $75. Location: Western Nevada Community College on Campus Way in Fallon.