Annual Expo showcases products grown and made in Illinois
‘Taste of Illinois Agriculture’ March 2-3 at Illinois Products Expo includes Logan County vendors

 

[March 02, 2019] 

From pizza and hot sauce to skin care and bird seed, several new exhibitors will be among the more than 50 Illinois food companies, wineries, and agricultural associations taking part in the 21st annual Illinois Products Expo this weekend, March 2 and 3, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

“The Illinois Products Expo has grown and expanded each year to become a premier showcase of what Illinois companies have to offer,” said John M. Sullivan, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “Illinois ag is more than rows of corn and soybeans in the fields – it’s also about the thousands of food processing companies that call Illinois home. And this Expo is the perfect opportunity to learn about those operations and support small agribusinesses across our state.”

Illinois ranks first in the nation for food processing sales ($186 billion/year), and it is one of our state’s top manufacturing activities. The 2,372 food processing companies in Illinois support more than 71,000 jobs.

The food offerings, which can be sampled for free as well as purchased at the Illinois Products Expo, include fresh meat products, pizza, sauces, honey, cakes, cheeses, gourmet seasonings, and so much more – 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. You can find a complete list of participating vendors on the Illinois Products Expo website, https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/ agr/ Assistance/ TradeShows/Illinois ProductsExpo/Pages/default.aspx

The Illinois Products Expo will be open on Saturday, March 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 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 – $5 gets you five tastings and your own wine glass to take home.

Here are a few of the participating vendors scheduled to attend the 2019 Illinois Products Expo:

Bloomington Meats/IL Pork
Just the Basics (Craft Beer)
Toohill Seed & Beef Services
ReMARKable Carmels
Safeco Donuts
Ropp Jersey Cheese
Family Kettle Corn
The Cousin’s Dog Biscuit Co
Serious Lip Balm
Four Score and 7 Ribs Ago
Gindo’s Spice of Life
Country Lights Soy Candles
Reinneck Ranch
Golden Prairie Popcorn
Creekstone Kettle Works
Turbo Fire Pizza
Nuthatch Hill BBQ
Miles T-Shirts
Prairie Melody Premium Birdseed
Turasky Meats
Sasses Apiary

Riegler Quality Meats
Zillions Chili
Ludwig Farmstead Creamery
Uncle Joe’s Sauces
Shelley’s Salsa
Galena Garlic Co.
Jones Boys Market
Engrained Brewing Company
Kelley’s Gourmet
Joe Joe’s Salad Dressings
Cocoa Blue Chocolates
Hapburgers Seasonings
Sweet Beginnings/Bee Love
GS Enterprises
Meatsmack
Butch’s Pizza
Creekstone Kettle Works
Mario’s Pizza
Hilltop Bee Emporium
Jaymo’s All Purpose Sauces
Homestead Bakery
SS Backwards Longhorn

The Illinois Products Expo is organized by the Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing, Promotion and Grants, which works to assist small to medium size Illinois agri-businesses to enter the marketplace through export assistance, branding/marketing campaigns, and buyer introductions.

[Illinois Department of Agriculture]