Explores the concept that all community members may participate in localizing their agriculture systems by making conscious, informed decisions to buy agriculture products from local sources, or not; advancing local agriculture as a way to reclaim responsibility and accountability for health, community well-being, economic stability, and ecological sustainability; and, providing resources for local agriculture to be acculturated and embedded within the community

1. Achieving 100% Participation in
Local Agriculture Systems
March 2009

2. USDA-Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
• First phase: “Regional Partnerships for Innovation” section
– Project Period: 2 to 3 years
– Budget: Federal funds in the range of $1 million to $2 million per project
– Purpose: To form broad-based partnerships (universities, local governments, financial
stakeholders, end-user industries, manufacturers, community organizations, etc.) that
provide the local or regional infrastructure needed to fully exploit future technology
commercialization and adoption
– Description: “…there often remains a gap in organizational and networking resources
resulting in a lack of “support networks” that encourage regional economic development.”
• Only one awarded: $1.1M in matching funds = $2.2 M
• Started with the Ohio Local Food Systems Collaborative (OLFSC)
which evolved into http://localfoodsystems.org
• Our goal is widespread participation through multiple projects
in three states: OH, PA, and MI
• We are leveraging the network by engaging as many other
players as possible: IL, Mid-Atlantic, MN, IA…

4. Ohio State Univ., Michigan State
Employment
Univ., Pennsylvania Association
Income for Sustainable Agriculture, John
Gross Metropolitan Product Deere, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture…
Productivity
Regional Networks & Leaders
Research
Education
USDA SCRI Project Pilot Projects
Social Network Facilitation
$2.2 million including match
Local Food Systems
Renewable Energy
Distributed Manufacturing
Local & Regional Economy
Global Economy
Business Growth & Attraction

5. What Constitutes “Local”?
• The least distance agricultural output travels
between the point of production and the
point of consumption
• Mileage is a useful construct to compare
alternative delivery pathways: local, regional,
global
• Meet local needs as much as possible, first,
then export surplus

6. Economic Growth Projections: 2008-2025
2x 2x
ly
esponsib “Opportunity Space”
Act R quences for Regional and Local
al to
Ind ividu nd Conse Economies
er o f the munity, a
The Pow Self, Com
rd
1x
towa 1x
s to Deliver
The Power of Busines
Price
Variety, Quality, and Global
Regional
Local
2010 2015 2020 2025

7. The Size of the “Local Ag” Pot Is Prompting
Players to Get in the Game
2x 2x What would be
the impact on
Regional and Local
Economies if half
of the money
spent per day per
person for food
was purchased
1x 1x from local /
regional sources?
$10 / person / day is spent for food in the U.S.
15% or $1.50 is spent for local / regional food
75% spent on globally-sourced food ($6.40) leaves
Global
the community / region and is not reinvested there
Regional
Local
2010 2015 2020 2025

8. Why Would the Global Economy Allow This?
• To grow, the global economy needs a steady flow of creativity
and innovation which requires investment and freedom for
participants to envision, consider alternatives, learn from
experience, and adapt to changing conditions
• People who are thirsty, hungry, sick, and without shelter aren’t
creative or innovative, they are dying and desperate and have
nothing to lose—and nothing to contribute
• Left unchecked, the global economy renders people dependent
on others to provide life’s essentials through agriculture—and
vulnerable to the second point
• Investment by the global economy to support local and regional
economies assures a sustainable platform upon which people
live, work, contribute, develop, and enjoy—and the first point!

10. Characteristics of a Global Food System
Packaging Retail
Consumers
Producers
Hub
and
Spoke
Processing Preparation

11. Characteristics of a Local Food System
• Fresh / Ripe / Ready-to-Eat
• Tasty / Looks Appealing
• Healthy / Nutritious
• Organic / Chemical Free
• Short Travel Distances /
Packaging Retail
Reduced Carbon Footprint
• Traceability / Food Safety
Consumers
Producers
10 10 • Efficient Conversion
Miles Miles • Effective in Local Market
100 Miles • Easy to Find and Buy
• Convenient to Use
Preparatio • Comparable Value
Processing
n • Available Information
• Local Brand / Place Value
• Zero / Low Emissions
• ‘Prosumer’ Orientation
• Community Currencies
• Builds Community /
Instills a Sense of Place

12. What Is “Agriculture”?
• Food
• Feed
• Fuel
• Fiber
• Forestry
• Floriculture
• “Farmaceuticals”

13. What Are “Systems”?
• Complete Value Chain • Spiral-Out Sourcing
– Production – Aggregation / Consolidation
– Processing – Logistics / Distribution
– Preparation – Packaging / Traceability
– Retail – Inspection / Regulation
– Consumption
• Critical Inputs • Horizontal Integration
– Land & Water – Community-centric
– Information – Leveraged business plans
– Skilled Labor – Widespread participation
– Equipment Systems
– Finance
– Insurance

14. Conquering the “Last Mile” of Local Food Systems
• An Air Car You Could See in 2
• Driven: Shai Agassi's Audacio
Asset • Factory-in-a-Box
Utilization
• Cheese on Wheels
Packaging Retail
• Have Knife, Will Travel: A Slau
Consumers
Producers
Just-in-Time • Mobile Berry and Vegetable Q
Inventory
• Totally Mobile Kitchen
Preparatio • Mobile Processing Unit
Processing
n
Production
Control

15. What is “100% Participation”?
In a given community, every person…
• Makes conscious, informed decisions to buy
agriculture products from local sources, or not
• Advances local agriculture as a way to reclaim
responsibility and accountability for health,
community well-being, economic stability, and
ecological sustainability
• Provides resources for local agriculture to be
acculturated and embedded within the community

16. 100% Participation in Local Agriculture Systems
Value Chain
Own & Operate
Contributions
Invest
Volunteer
Public Service Direct, e.g., CSAs
Hold Office In-Store
Political Purchasing
Involvement Preferences
Vote & Lobby Status Farmers Market
Quo
Search & Lurk 1 Health
Join & Post Lifestyle
2
Convene & Lead Aspirations
3
Level of
Community Participation
Personal
Engagement Motivation

17. Efficiency Improvement and Waste Reduction
within a Local Agriculture System Value Chain
Production Processing Preparation Retail Consumption Is There a Play for You?
MarketMaker
Virtual Buy / Sell Transactions within a Complex Market Food Alliance
Multi-Agent Systems / Trading Bots / Avatars Buy Fresh / Buy Local
(Regional Partnerships for Innovation)
Internet Access / Mobile Phone Connectivity Local Harvest
USDA-SCRI: RPI-PA
(Regional Partnerships for Innovation)
USDA-SCRI: RPI-OH
Logistics and Operations Optimization Zero Emissions Systems
Inventory / Scheduling / Containerization / Transportation “Factory in a Field”
Traceability / Ant Path / Traveling Salesman / Spiral / Corridors – Bus Stops Carbon Footprint Management
USDA-SCRI: CAP-UIUC
(Coordinated Agricultural Projects)
Decision Support Systems
Autonomous Equipment Systems
Portfolio Diversification and Expansion Modular Equipment Systems
GIS Data Layers / Scenarios for Urban – Periurban – Rural Applications Gantry Equipment Systems
Agricultural Business Growth / Leveraged Human Competence Robotic Sensing Programs
USDA-SCRI: CAP-UIUC “Farm of the Future”
(Coordinated Agricultural Projects)
Open Communications
Active Collaboration
Accountability of Agriculture Collective Leadership
Triple Bottom Line: Natural / Business / Social Ecosystems Community Responsibility
Agriculture Is the Integrative Agent for a Local Community / Trust and Verify Social Networking
Leveraged Resources

18. Efficiency Improvement and Waste Reduction
within a Local Agriculture System Value Chain
Production Processing Preparation Retail Consumption Is There a Play for You?
MarketMaker
Virtual Buy / Sell Transactions within a Complex Market Food Alliance
Multi-Agent Systems / Trading Bots / Avatars Buy Fresh / Buy Local
(Regional Partnerships for Innovation)
Internet Access / Mobile Phone Connectivity Local Harvest
USDA-SCRI: RPI-PA
(Regional Partnerships for Innovation)
USDA-SCRI: RPI-OH
Logistics and Operations Optimization Zero Emissions Systems
Inventory / Scheduling / Containerization / Transportation “Factory in a Field”
Traceability / Ant Path / Traveling Salesman / Spiral / Corridors – Bus Stops Carbon Footprint Management
USDA-SCRI: CAP-UIUC
(Coordinated Agricultural Projects)
Decision Support Systems
Autonomous Equipment Systems
Portfolio Diversification and Expansion Modular Equipment Systems
GIS Data Layers / Scenarios for Urban – Periurban – Rural Applications Gantry Equipment Systems
Agricultural Business Growth / Leveraged Human Competence Robotic Sensing Programs
USDA-SCRI: CAP-UIUC “Farm of the Future”
(Coordinated Agricultural Projects)
Open Communications
Active Collaboration
Accountability of Agriculture Collective Leadership
Triple Bottom Line: Natural / Business / Social Ecosystems Community Responsibility
Agriculture Is the Integrative Agent for a Local Community / Trust and Verify Social Networking
Leveraged Resources

19. Actors, Roles, and Scripts…
Players, Views, and Stories…
Agents, Rules, and Transactions
Production Processing Preparation Retail Consumption
Aggregation / Consolidation
Logistics & Distribution
Inspection & Regulation
Utilizing Land & Water
Supplying Inputs
Financing
Insuring

20. Actors, Roles, and Scripts…
Players, Views, and Stories…
Agents, Rules, and Transactions
Production Processing Preparation Retail Consumption
Sysco Global Wal-Mart
Aggregation / Consolidation
Logistics & Distribution Furmano’s Regional Goodness Greeness
Inspection & Regulation Buy Fresh Buy Local Door-to-Door Organics
Local
Utilizing Land & Water PeaPod MarketMaker Local Harvest
Supplying Inputs Food Alliance Fresh Fork Market
Financing Central Illinois Produce
Insuring
C.H. Robinson ConAgra
Reinventing the Wheel, Overinvestment, Inefficiency, High Maintenance Costs…
UNSUSTAINABLE!

21. A Complex Competitive Landscape Filled with
Diverse Stakeholders Who Need…
Production Processing Preparation Retail Consumption
Sysco
Aggregation / Consolidation
Managed Access Wal-Mart
Global
to
Furmano’s Regional Goodness Greeness
Logistics & Distribution
Linked Databases
Inspection & Regulation Buy Fresh Buy Local via a
Door-to-Door Organics
Local
Utilizing Land & Water
Common
PeaPod
Open Source Architecture
MarketMaker Local Harvest
that uses
Supplying Inputs Food Alliance Fresh Fork Market
Standardized Interfaces
Financing which Central Illinois Produce
enable players to develop
Insuring Specialized Applications
C.H. Robinson ConAgra
in response to their unique circumstances

22. Double-Edged Swords?
• Nostalgia
– Local agriculture today is
NOT the way it was, now
• Cooperatives
– Vertical vis-à-vis Horizontal Integration
• Economies of scale vis-a-vs economies of scope
• Making a Living from Local Agriculture
– Full-time or part-time
– Economic justification or social subsidization

23. What Does This Mean for Your Community?
• MarketMaker?
• Corridors / Bus Stops?
• Portfolio Diversification?
• Others?