Sponsorship is now open for Global Food Alaska 2009 through April 30, 2008.   Once again to be held on the Kenai Peninsula, the 2009 event will ratchet up the event to generate even more in business to participants.   Remember, we are inviting decision makers who want to strategically work with other decision makers to influence more and better business across the entire supply chain of Alaska food, beverage and bio products, as well as flat out conduct the business of buying and selling.

Readers may remember a couple of articles in this newsletter about the business of food over the past year, authored by Marion Owen of Kodiak. What follows is a short profile with links to her business and products. Kodiak may not be the international business hub of Hong Kong or Dubai, but through her own broadcast radio show, blog, newsletter and catalog, she conducts her business, PlanTea, Inc. worldwide.  Now she seeks to collaborate with others on sustainable local food sources in Alaska.

Phyllis Buzzini of Alaska Silk Pie Company started her specialty desserts in Anchorage over 20 years ago. Her markets quickly grew into national gift catalogs and gourmet food retailers across the country driving her to relocate her production in Seattle. It was with great pleasure that we learned at Global Food Alaska 2007 that Phyllis was collaborating with Will and Vanessa McDonald of the Confectioner’s Studio to once again offer the famous Alaska Silk Pie's to Alaska's loyal customers.

Did you know that Denali BioTechnologies operates a state-of-the art drying facility on the Kenai Peninsula, designed to dry plant or marine products?    Alaska's foods industry can now be supported with the science and manufacturing of high-value products that support better health and nutrition.

Eagle Rock's Taste Of Alaska - Wild Alaskan Salmon Sausage was a hot item debuted at the Global Food Alaska 2007 Show. So what differentiates this product from others?

Beyond the fun, great food, site visits, educational programs and collaboration between supply chain partners, we needed a solid metric.    What was the true financial impact to our companies?  The initial survey of event participants estimated nearly $2,000,000 of new business as a result of GFA 2007.   We were pleased to learn that these results reflected transactions for the smallest through largest companies participating.  A follow up survey will occur in November for a final tally, but we're thrilled! Thank you again to our sponsors for helping make this happen.

For those unable to attend and continue to ask about the event?  It is challenging to provide a 5 minute recap, but we have provided highlights of the event at this link,

We thought you'd appreciate the photo above of Ruby Hollembaek's (Interior Game Ranch) daughter, Leslie, with the famed Crab Captains and crew comparing notes on operating a Bison Ranch in Delta, Alaska with harvesting Crab nearly 1000 miles away in the Bering Sea.  The connections were unbelievable!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Anchorage, AK – May 3, 2007
 
 
GLOBAL FOOD ALASKA - 2007
Semi-Finalists Announced For Leadership Recognition
 
Organizers of Global Food Alaska – 2007 are pleased to announce the 9 semi-finalists for this year’s Recognition of Achievement Award.   The finalists in each category will be announced at a special awards dinner on June 13, 2007 at Global Food Alaska – 2007.  

The Recognition of Achievement Award acknowledges and profiles the efforts of those who have persevered to build a sustainable and competitive business from Alaska’s food, beverage or bio products.  The award recognizes leadership by those who have succeeded or beat the odds in making commercial success of Alaska’s bounty and made a positive difference.   Nominees were sought out who created a successful business through the application of commitment, dedication, hard work, ingenuity and innovation while meeting Alaska’s challenges of remoteness, geography, weather, technical know how, limited population base and infrastructure.
Semi-finalists were selected in the three following categories.

Grower/Harvester/Direct-Marketer:  An individual, who has demonstrated leadership that grows, harvests or markets Alaska food, beverage or bio products.
 
§         Kevin Sidelinger - Sea Farms of Alaska
§         Bruce Gore - Triad Fisheries
§         Ben VanderWeele - VanderWeele Farms
 
Manufacturer/Processor:  An individual who has demonstrated leadership that processes or manufactures Alaska food, beverage or bio products.
 
§         Geoff Larson - Alaskan Brewing Company
§         Scott Haines - Denali BioTechnologies
§         Chuck Bundrant - Trident Seafoods
 
Market Development:   An individual that played a significant role in pulling Alaska food, beverage or bio products into the local, national or international market-place.
 
§         Ralph Carney - Alaska Chip Company
§         Rob Baer - Alaska Spirit
§         Dr. Maureen McKenzie - Yukon BioSciences
 
More information on the conference, tradeshow and awards dinner can be located at www.globalfoodalaska2007.com
This year’s awards review committee members were Ruby Hollembaek, Chair (Interior Game Ranch), Susannah Morgan (Food Bank of Alaska), Jeff Jones (Alaska Journal of Commerce), Greg Obeso (Lynden International) and William Quantick (West Coast Paper).

About Global Food Alaska – 2007  

Event Website Address:  www.globalfoodalaska2007.com

A two day conference and tradeshow.  Designed to welcome commercial and institutional buyers, investors and supply chain partners to meet Alaska's commercial harvesters and producers, of food and bio products. The biennial event highlights the diversity of Alaska’s industry and encourages participants to work across industry sectors horizontally and vertically to leverage resources and reduce costs.

Event objectives:

• Set the stage to think bigger maximizing Alaska’s bounty – water, land and location. A demonstration of the bigger picture – living off of our bounty.

• Bring together the collective knowledge of local and national and international experts.

• Recognize leaders who have succeeded or beat the odds – in making commercial success of Alaska’s bounty. Recognize and feature Alaskan leaders who succeeded to develop globally competitive businesses – doing the nearly impossible.

• Reduce the isolation of segmented areas of interest. Identify and maximize common ground. Bring together the leaders in seafood, water, by-products, biodiesel, nutraceuticals, produce, meats and value added and profile common ground in terms of markets, infrastructure and supply chain and encourage collaborative pilot partnerships to support better and stronger business.

• Introduce new products and services that support stronger and more efficient supply chains in and from Alaska to maintain and enhance competitive products.

• Identify common barriers and focus areas of work to combat those barriers for this industry.

• Bring buyers, market and investors to Alaska. Provide highlighted destinations of interest to see how and where product is produced and create a greater understanding and relationship with harvesters and food producing regions not otherwise accessed.

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The following is a letter that was originally submitted to Seafood Business in response to an article on sourcing Barents Sea crab. There is a lot of dialog recently on sustainable seafood recently and Eric Donaldson offers his opinion on sustainable seafood and sustainable business.

Marion Owen

Marion presents her 5-point plan on a food policy for Alaska.  As presented at Global Food Alaska - June 11th, 2007.

Marion Owen is a master gardener, photographer, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author. She was recently honored with a Women of Distinction award by Soroptimist International of the Americas. After eight years at sea as a seaman and merchant marine officer, Marion found a home in 1984 in Kodiak, Alaska. Switching her focus to the land, Marion became a master gardener and garden writer. In addition to hands-on garden experience, Marion co-authored Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul, which spent three months on the New York Times bestseller list.