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 The Expo’s food offerings will include fresh meat products,
pizza, sauces, homemade jellies and jams, ice cream, and gourmet
seasonings all produced, packaged or processed in Illinois. There
will also be non-food items, such as soy candles and
agricultural-based soaps and lotions on display and available for
purchase. A complete list of participating vendors can be found on
the Expo website,
https://www.agr.state.il.us/ marketing/expo/.
Illinois agriculture is more than the crops you see in the fields.
Illinois ranks first in the nation for food processing sales ($186
billion), and it is one of our state’s top manufacturing activities.
The 2,372 food processing companies in Illinois supports more than
71,000 jobs.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing,
Promotion and Grants aims to assist small to medium size Illinois
agri-businesses enter the marketplace. This includes everything
grocery store introductions, export assistance, as well as branding
and marketing campaigns like the Buy Illinois Challenge.
 “The Buy Illinois Challenge is a great tool to generate consumer and
business awareness of Illinois-made products,” said Ag Director
Raymond Poe. “Thanks to the popularity of the Illinois Products
Expo, farmers markets, farm-to-plate initiatives and the emergence
of Illinois products in local grocery stores, it has never been
easier for Illinois residents to purchase products that have been
produced, processed, packaged or manufactured in Illinois.”
The Buy Illinois Challenge asks Illinois households to dedicate $10
of their existing weekly budget to the purchase of Illinois
products. If each of the 4.7 million Illinois households dedicated
just $10 per week to buy Illinois products, we would generate an
additional $47 million for the Illinois economy each week. This
simple act would provide a tremendous boost to local Illinois
agribusinesses, but also our state economy. To find an agribusiness
near you, or learn more about the Buy Illinois Challenge, visit our
website at https://www.agr.state.il.us/marketing/ilprod/.
The Illinois Products Expo will be open on Saturday, March 4th from
10:00am-5:00pm and Sunday, March 5th from 10:00am-3:00pm in the Orr
Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Admission is $5 per
person. Children 10 and younger will be admitted free of charge.
While food sampling will be free, the beverage tastings are offered
at a small cost. Five dollars will get you five tastings and your
own wine glass to take home.
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Here are a few of the participating vendors scheduled to attend the
2017 Illinois Products Expo:
- Butch’s Pizza (Morton, IL)
- Country Lights Soy Candles (Leland, IL)
- Creekstone Kettle Works (Raymond, IL)
- Crowridge Farm Ice Cream (Elliott, IL)
- Golden Prairie Popcorn (Nokomis, IL)
- Engrained Brewing Company (Springfield, IL.)
- Eastside Café Pizza (Warrenville, IL)
- Four Score and Seven Ribs Ago BBQ (Chatham, IL)
- Illinois Pork Producers Association (Springfield, IL)
- Hapburgers Signature Seasonings (Orland Park, IL)
- Grandma Cooky (Paxton, IL)
- Jimmy B’s Super Salsa (Springfield, IL)
- Lil Buddies BBQ (Wayne City, IL)
- Jones Boys Market (Ashland, IL)
- J.D. Mullen’s Dressings (Palestine, IL)
- Randolph Packing Co. (Streamwood, IL)
- Reinneck Ranch (Mascoutah, IL)
- Oakland Noodle Company (Oakland, IL)
- Meatsmack (Plainfield, IL)
- Cousins Dog Biscuit Company (Urbana, IL)
- Serious Lip Balm (Springfield, IL)
- Sasse’s Apiary (Chestnut, IL)
- Uncle Joe’s Sauces (Ina, IL)
- Homestead Bakery (Arthur, IL)
- Two Fat Guys Gourmet Sauces (McHenry, IL)
- Toohill Seed & Beef Services (Clinton, IL)
- Zillion’s Chili (Springfield, IL)
- Turasky Meats (Springfield, IL)
More Illinois food companies are expected to join this
growing list in the days leading up to the Expo. If an Illinois
food company would like to learn more about participating in the
Illinois Products Expo or any of the other programs offered by
the Illinois Department of Agriculture, they can contact the
Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing,
Promotion and Grants at (217) 782-2581.
[Illinois Department of Agriculture]
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