Download - Discover the flavors of the tri states
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