A two-day event this week in Austin will call attention to the necessity of locally growing fresh fruits and vegetables.

The event, called Growing Acres, starts at 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday at Riverland Community College’s west campus. One-day tickets are $20, and two-day passes are $35. Student tickets are free, and passes include breakfast and lunch.

The first day of the conference will last until 4:30 p.m. and feature discussions on the Agriculture Utilization Research Institute, tax laws relating to niche markets, soil health and cover crops for growers and a question-and-answer session. Exhibits, resources, try-it tables and a conversation hub will be available. 

On Saturday, speakers will lead discussions on food licensing, exemptions and inclusions, identifying and overcoming obstacles to creating a local food economy and cottage food producer food safety training. Exhibits, resource tables and a conversation hub will be available through 2 p.m.

Keynote speakers Friday will be Cheryal Lee Hills of the Region Five Development Commission and Sprout Executive Director Arlene Jones. Kathy Zeman of the Minnesota Farmers Market Association will be the keynote speaker Saturday.

“It’s basically an event that’s for all kinds of people, all kinds of green people,” said Ellen Kehr, organization lead with the Blue Zones Project in Albert Lea. “It’s for distributors, restaurants, grocery stores, people who do home gardening.”

Kehr said despite the region’s agriculture-based economy, residents live in a food desert without sufficient access to fresh fruits and vegetables. There needs to be a healthy eating culture in the region that drives the demand for farmers and small niche growers to raise fresh food, she said.

Kehr said the event will bring people together to share best practices, promote the environment and a healthy eating culture.