D i s c o v e r t h e F l a v o r s o f t h e T r i - S t a t e s

Rural Economic Development for the Tri-State Region of

Northwest IL, Northeast IA and Southwest WI

Discover the Tri-States of Northwest Illinois, Southwest Wisconsin & Northeast Iowa• Located in Driftless Area of the

Midwest• Major crops include; corn,

soybeans, alfalfa, cattle and hogs

• Part of the Upper Mississippi River Valley Viticultural Area – the world’s largest designated appellation

• Part of the Mississippi Flyway, bringing birds north in the spring & south in the autumn

• Major industries are agriculture and tourism

Discover the FlavorsHistory

• Launched in 2010 as a comprehensive agritourism education and economic development program for Jo Daviess County, IL

• Program developed using NO government funds

• Strong acceptance from businesses and farmers

• Developed an inclusive Strategic Plan

• Provides an experiential getaway for the visitor

Discover the Flavors Today

• Represents farm enterprises and providers in 20 counties from NW IL, SW WI and NE IA

• The online farmers market adds new vendors weekly

• The website DiscoverTheTriStates.com ranks on Google for over 200 keywords

• Program is promoted through local Farm Bureaus, Convention & Visitor Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce

Discover the Flavors Serving 3 Main Purposes

• Educates– Educates consumers about modern

agriculture– Educates farmers on what

consumers expect from their food and from their experiences.

• Connects Consumers with Local Farmers– Builds engagement & opens lines-

of-communication

• Promotes Regional Rural Economic Development on the Global Digital Stage

• Also provides countless ancillary benefits; from event & attraction promotion, to tactile participation in the rural lifestyle.

Discover the Flavors OnlineFarmersMarket.org

• The region’s first digital farmers market

• Free listing for all providers who participate in physical farmers markets

• Links consumer directly to provider through phone, email and/or website

• Site organized into familiar categories similar to a traditional farmers market

• Makes locally grown food more accessible to residents whose schedules don’t coincide with market hours

Discover the Flavors Reinvents Rural Economic Development Programs

• Forms an engagement platf orm for farmers to connect with residents and visitors from metropolitan areas

• Introduces the rural lifestyle to companies and families looking for change

• Uti lizes rural broadband to grow sales tax revenues and reduce dependency on property tax revenue

• Creates income diversity for farmers and communiti es

Discover the Flavors What’s Next

• Growth and expansion continues

• Building a new, virtual farmers market platform in IL to be introduced in 2013

• Researching the expansion of Discover the Flavors as a national network of regional agritourism & digital farmers market initiatives

• Expanding the educational resources for farmers and consumers

Discover the Flavors DIY

• Assessment– Community Asset Evaluati on,

Identi fy Opportuniti es for Growth, P lanning & Zoning, Embrace Chal lenges, Identi fy Stakeholders , Research Funding Opti ons

• Strategy Development– Develop Business P lan, Host

Leadership Retreat , Execute Ins ight Survey, Create Strategic Marketi ng Plan, P lan Informati onal Conference, Secure Funding

• Implementati on– Construct Informati on Shar ing

Plan between Agr icu lture & Stakeholders , Execute Marketi ng Plan Components

• Evaluati on– Measure Results , Rate &

Analyze Program Components, Value Program, Provide an Emoti onal Analysis of the Program

• Refresh & Repeat – Not a One-Time Economic

Development F ix

Discover the Flavors Contact Us

Dorian DickinsonGreat River Creati ve, LLC

dorian@greatrivercreati ve.com312.235.6560