Most people buy food without really thinking about its journey. Like that piece of salmon jerky in a convenience store. Who caught the fish? Where did the fisherman get the ice for the fish? Who filleted it? Who smoked it? Who sold the ingredients in the brine? Who made the machine to package and label it? How was it transported to the convenience store?
Photographer Scott Moon
Bernie Karl of Chena Hot Springs Resort describes how his company harnesses geothermal energy near Fairbanks for a number of uses, including power for the facilityÕs greenhouses, during a presentation at Global Food Alaska 2007 on Wednesday, June 13, 2007, in Soldotna. (Morris News Service-Alaska)
|
All those steps and more in bringing products to market were highlighted last week at a very different kind of trade show in Soldotna.
"This is not a typical trade show. This is a completely different animal," said Robin Richardson, member manager of Global Food Collaborative LLC, one of the sponsors of the event.
Rather than consumers buying small amounts of a product as with other trade shows, Richardson said the purpose of the event was to get those involved with Alaska's supply chain of food, beverage and bio-products to connect, communicate and collaborate with each other.
"We don't have vendors looking to sell salsa. Our vendors are looking to find a buyer that wants to use their salsa as a base ingredient in a recipe. They're looking for a buyer to form a long-term, sustainable business relationship with," she said. The event brought together roughly 320 vendors and buyers, some small, local family-owned business, others huge, multinational entities. While the fishing industry was heavily represented, it was not necessarily intended to be the main focus.
Rick Roeske, program manager for Kenai Wild Cook Inlet Salmon Brand which helped sponsor the event, said having so many varied, but interrelated entities under one roof served as a valuable opportunity to learn from each other and collaborate on ways to maximize generating sustainable business and economic developments from Alaska's bounty.
"People Outside are kind of removed from the food source, but this gives national and international buyers a chance to visit Alaska, sit down and ask questions about the process from harvest to market. And, with it being closed to the public, sellers and buyers can in a non-stress environment discuss what is done, negotiate prices and strike deals," he said.
Valerie Malanaphy, also with Kenai Wild, said that the invitation-only event was a concept that not everyone grasped, but many people got it right away and said, "count me in."
"The buyers' attitude was, 'what took you so long?'" she said.
According to Malanaphy most of the exhibitors were people in the Alaska food supply chain: the producers, harvesters, wholesalers, distributors, packers, financers and shippers. Most of the conference attendees, she said, were buyers and people looking to do business within that supply chain.
King crabs sit in ice at The Crab BrokerÕs display Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at the Global Food Alaska conference and trade show at the Soldotna Sports Center. (Morris News Service-Alaska)
|
"We brought Alaska here," she said, "and they all came in to connect with them."
While Homer businesses were few at the show, the locals who participated were enthusiastic about the conference.
"It was stupendous," said Bill Fry, owner of Bear Creek Winery. "There were big businesses and small businesses, and lots of discussion about obstacles and how to overcome them." For example, he said, Taco Loco, which makes tortillas at a plant in Anchorage, goes through 10,000 or 20,000 pounds of flour a day, which all has to be shipped up from Outside.
"Nobody here makes flour, and somebody needs to be looking into that," he said.
Another issue that Fry said needed attention was the food supply that Alaska has on hand. He was surprised to learn that if Alaska were cut off from Outside food supplies in the event of a disaster, there is only about a two-day supply of food in the pipeline.
"We used to grow more of our own food 30 or 40, even 50 years ago than we do now," he said.
Fry said he considered the show a success for his business from a networking perspective, since it gave him exposure on a much greater level, as well as provided contacts with people around the state who might be interested in supplying some of the berries Bear Creek uses in its wine.
"Not everybody even knows there's a winery here," he commented, "and we're the biggest in the state."
Fry said one of the drawbacks was the timing of the event, which took place during most people's busiest season. "It was hard for me to get free," he said. "I'd like to see it happen either earlier or later."
Fred West prepares a quesadilla with his companyÕs Eagle RockÕs Taste of Alaska Wild Alaskan Salmon Sausage Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at the Global Food Alaska conference and trade show in Soldotna. ÒToday was our launch,Ó West said of the Kasilof-made product. ÒWe signed a contract today for national distribution. WeÕre really happy.Ó (Morris News Service-Alaska)
|
Also, he said the cost, at $750 for a booth, seemed a bit pricey for a small business. Fry said Bear Creek traded wine for a private dinner for the vendors, which included Gov. Sarah Palin, for booth space. "I'm not sure I would have done it otherwise," he said.
Rick Roeske said based on the success of the event, he was hoping it would become a regular occurrence. "We'd like to do this every two years," Roeske said.
