Agricultural Marketing Service USDA (AMS) provides leadership and financial support to the AgSummit planning committee to host this national effort that highlights public and private innovations in direct to consumer markets. AMS delivers national leadership to several programs which will be highlighted throughout the summit including Farmers Market Promotion and Local Food Promotion programs; Local Food Economics; and Local Food Resource Mapping Project.

Food Distribution Research Society (FDRS) is the only body of scholars and practitioners in the United States dedicated to the study, monitoring, and sharing of knowledge about the dramatic changes that are taking place in the global food system.

The FDRS meets today’s challenges across the food value chain by annually hosting a conference to share and discuss the latest research and industry findings, publishing the Journal of Food Distribution Research. The journal (JFDR) has been published since 1969 and is the principal academic product and outlet for research dissemination. The annual meeting provides the opportunity for exchange of ideas among practitioners, researchers, and government agencies. FDRS also produces a quarterly newsletter that promotes the society and gives updates on society activities.

Farm Credit is a presenting sponsor providing leadership and financial support to host the AgSummit. For more than 100 years, Farm Credit supports rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services, today and tomorrow. In all 50 states and Puerto Rico, Farm Credit supports infrastructure providers and farmers by helping to keep American agriculture competitive in global markets and our rural communities viable and thriving.

Our 73 independent Farm Credit institutions are governed by the customers they serve. Together, we support more than 500,000 farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, rural infrastructure providers and rural homebuyers. Farm Credit loans help U.S. agricultural producers feed the world, rural businesses grow and rural families thrive.

Since 1916, Illinois Farm Bureau has provided education and information to help farmers, while supporting legislation and lobbying efforts about agricultural issues. 

Founded by farmers as the Illinois Agricultural Association, one of the first activities of the new organization was to bring soil and crop specialists to each county to supply farmers with the latest agricultural research information and recommendations. More than 100 years later, IFB continues to carry out its mission: To improve the economic well-being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life.

Today, IFB has a total membership of nearly 400,000, which includes 78,000 voting members. IFB creates value for those members by building and maintaining relationships with key policy stakeholders at each level of government. It offers opportunities for current and future generations of farmers to learn, lead and network with one another. And its partnerships with numerous companies and organizations also provide opportunities for additional discounts and benefits for members. 

MarketMaker (https://foodmarketmaker.com/ ).  MarketMaker and the Global Food Agricultural Network, MarketMaker is a national network of states that connect farmers and fishermen with food retailers, grocery stores, processors, caterers, chefs, and consumers. It is an ever-growing partnership of Land Grant Universities, Departments of Agriculture, and food and agricultural organizations investing in a coordinated effort to build a virtual infrastructure that brings healthier, fresher, and more flavorful food to the average consumer. MarketMaker was created at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004 and is licensed to Global Food and Ag Network, LLC. MarketMaker is hosted and maintained by Global Food and Ag Network, LLC, and is guided by an advisory board made up of representatives from among participating partner states.

As a land grant institution, the mission of the Division of Agriculture is to strengthen agriculture, communities and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. The Division serves diverse agricultural sectors, with a wide range of plant and animal enterprises throughout Arkansas as well as national and international collaborations and engagements. The Division provides support to aid Arkansas national leadership in the production of major commodities including rice, broilers, cotton, catfish, turkeys, soybeans, feed grains, beef and timber, as well as locally important enterprises such as hay, fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops.

Iowa State University’s Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC – https://www.agmrc.org/ ) The mission of Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) is to provide independent producers and processors with critical information needed to build successful value-added agricultural enterprises through the www.agmrc.org electronic resource information website. Resources and events provided through the efforts of AgMRC are also intended to support independent producers and processors that are submitting Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG). AgMRC strives to serve a national value-added agriculture audience through its web platform and relationship with other land-grant universities and other technical assistance providers from across the country.

Human Behavior Lab – Revealing the Emotional Brain (tamu.edu)

The Human Behavior Laboratory at Texas A&M University works to answer small and large questions about how economic incentives, context and emotions influence human behavior. The laboratory combines the latest research in behavioral and neuroeconomics with cutting-edge technology to measure neurophysiological responses to unveil the causes, motivations and emotional responses that drive human decisions.