Chicago Food Show Attracts an International Audience

FRANKFORT (May 28, 2019) — Three Kentucky Proud members exhibited their products to a national and international audience at the 2019 American Food Fair in Chicago this month with help from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA).

“The mission of the KDA’s marketing office is to help Kentucky family farmers and agribusinesses find markets for their products,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “In the process, we work to raise farm income in Kentucky. We are pleased to help Kentucky businesses exhibit their products to a global audience.”

The Kentucky Proud members at the restaurant show were:

• The Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the Frankfort-based trade organization of Kentucky’s world-famous bourbon industry with 37 member companies;
• Freedom Run Farm of Shelbyville, a producer of lamb meat from the Katahdin heritage breed; and
• Kentucky Bad Dog Jelly of Georgetown, a maker of 16 flavors of pepper jelly.

The KDA paid for booth space for the three participants with Kentucky Proud funds from a grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Participants were chosen on the basis of direct-to-farm impact of their products in an application process open to all Kentucky Proud members.

The American Food Fair was May 18-21 in Chicago’s McCormick Place. It ran concurrently with the National Restaurant Show, which attracts more than 60,000 attendees from across the country and around the world.

The American Food Fair gives food makers the opportunity to meet with buyers from around the world, network with other producers, and learn about the latest trends and innovations in the food industry. The event is a partnership of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the National Restaurant Association. To find out more, go to nasda.org/trade-shows/2019-american-food-fair.