DU QUOIN - Fresh ingredients and fresh ideas could be a recipe for success for area agribusinesses when this year's Du Quoin State Fair rolls into town.
Chef Dylan Lipe will help bring a taste of "Southern Hospitality" to the fair's air-conditioned Expo Hall with a series of cooking demonstrations using local produce, meats and wines. The cooking shows, which begin Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 5, are a way for Southern Illinois farmers, ranchers and vintners to raise awareness of their products to a potential audience of tens of thou-sands.
"All we're trying to do is be a facility to give people information on these products ... and give them a chance to taste them," Lipe said.
For the cost of providing products to cook at the shows, local agribusinesses can be a part of up to eight events. Representatives from those featured local businesses will be available for question-and-answer sessions. There will also be information available about those businesses at a sponsors' booth.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 23. Contact Lipe at 618-542-1515 or at chefdylanlipe@chefmail.com for more information.
"Southern Hospitality" is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Agriculture, through the Du Quoin State Fair, and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Entrepreneurship and Business Development Unit.
Robyn Laur Russell, director of the SIUC Entrepreneurship Center, said her group saw a natural partnership with "Southern Hospitality" even if farmers aren't the first people who come to mind when thinking of entrepreneurs.
"All those people (local growers and producers) are really businesses and our programs here work with them in a variety of ways," Russell said. "We help with training, business plans and making connections with other businesses. We do compliment things where we see a fit. It's just like every other niche that we deal with."
Russell said she could see this partnership moving forward in the future.
"We have applications out there right now to get people involved," Russell said. "Hopefully after we do it this year we'll get more people to get involved next year."
Attendance to the cooking shows is free. Daily shows will start at 6 p.m., with noon shows Aug. 28 and 29 and 1 p.m. shows Sept. 4 and 5.
For more information on the SIUC Entrepreneurship Center, call 618-453-3805 or visit www.growsi.com.
618-351-5074
8/08/2010
Taste of ‘Southern Hospitality’ headed to Du Quoin State Fair
via thesouthern.com
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