Maryland’s Best Food & Beverage Expo Scheduled for January 24

Opportunity for Maryland Farmers, Seafood Producers and Food Processors to Connect with Buyers from Retailers, Restaurants, Schools & More

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture will host the Maryland’s Best Food & Beverage Expo Wednesday, January 24. The Maryland’s Best Expo provides an opportunity for Maryland farmers, seafood producers and processors to connect with buyers from grocery retailers, restaurants, schools, food distributors and other venues.

“Locally produced food and beverages continue to be a leading trend in both retail and food service sectors,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “The Maryland’s Best Expo is the premier event in Maryland where buyers from these industries can find all of the locally produced products that Maryland consumers prefer.”

In 2017, the event had more than 400 registrants, including produce farmers, artisan cheese and ice cream producers, beef and bison farmers, grocery store representatives, chefs, school nutrition directors, distributors, economic development officials, University of Maryland Extension and regional agricultural marketing officials.

This year the event will again be held in the “N” Room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Maryland growers, watermen, and processors will be charged an exhibitor’s fee of $25 to help offset costs of the event. There is no fee for buyers to attend.

You should attend this event if you are:

• A Maryland grower, watermen, seafood company or processor interested in finding new markets for your products
• A buyer from a grocery store, restaurant, hospital, school, or other venue looking to purchase Maryland grown or produced products
• A service provider in agriculture or local food (such as a county extension agent, food writer, etc.)

The types of local products that buyers will typically find at this meeting are:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meats (such as beef, turkey, and bison)
• Cheeses (both cow’s and goat’s milk)
• Seafood (such as crabmeat and oysters)
• Specialty products (including locally made ice cream, soups, flour, wine, beer and more)

For more information on the event—including registration—visit www.marylandsbest.net and select the 2016 Buyer-Grower Expo link. The Registration deadline to be included in the 2018 Directory is January 5, 2018.

For questions or help registering contact Stone Slade at (410) 841-5779 or stone.slade@maryland.gov

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