SYCAMORE – Farmers wanting to meet regional fresh produce buyers are invited to attend a Meet the Buyers event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at DeKalb County Farm Bureau. Buyers will provide an overview of their organization and their procurement needs. Farmers will have the opportunity to meet with buyers one-on-one. 

“We have a very full day planned. We have grocery buyers, foodservice distributors, an organization that makes direct-to-consumer deliveries, another organization that prepares meals for schools and a state procurement department attending,”  said Cynthia Haskins, manager of business development and compliance at the Illinois Farm Bureau.

The University of Illinois Extension will present introductory information about MarketReady and Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs). MarketReady is a program designed to teach best commercial business practices between growers and retail markets. GAPs are recommendations that can help improve the quality and safety of produce.