FAPC supports Made in Oklahoma Month
By Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager
(Stillwater, Okla. –April 12, 2012) April is Made in Oklahoma Month, and Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center is helping to support local food companies.
The FAPC offers businesses, producers and entrepreneurs access to expertise in business and technical disciplines in order to stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing Oklahoma.
“Made in Oklahoma Month is a great way to remind Oklahomans to support their local food products,” Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist. “When you buy local products, you are putting money back into the state—keeping the products, jobs and money in Oklahoma, which is the main priority of the FAPC.”
The FAPC has worked with University Dining Services for the past three years to provide more locally made and grown food on campus and promote Made in Oklahoma companies.
The focus is to promote more Made in Oklahoma companies, offer their products into campus dining locations and catering services, and introduce the companies and products to OSU students, faculty and staff.
“The FAPC works and is in contact with Made in Oklahoma companies on a daily basis and helps local companies enter the market,” Graves said. “It just seemed like a logical fit for the FAPC and University Dining Services to work together. It is a great opportunity for both OSU and Made in Oklahoma companies.”
In addition, the FAPC just recently partnered with University Dining Services and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition to support Made in Oklahoma Day at OSU on April 10.
Oklahoma companies representing the Made in Oklahoma Coalition distributed complimentary samples of products, including meat, desserts, beverages and condiments.
Yeon-Ho Shin, University Dining Services graduate student and one of the organizers of the MIO Day at OSU, said the event was well received by OSU students, faculty and staff.
“We have intensively introduced students to various Made in Oklahoma products for the past few years and received positive reactions from students,” Shin said. “We will continue to promote and offer great MIO products so that we can increase students’ awareness on local food products.”
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Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating. The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer.
