Expo promotes food grown here in Illinois

Hungry?

Eat Illinois.

State agencies and many locally based food companies say they want to make it easier for people to consume Prairie State goods.

So leaders will gather today for the fourth annual Illinois Food Expo from noon to 4 p.m. at the Drury Lane Theatre and Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace.

Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the event -- which isn't open to the public -- will feature 55 state food and beverage companies, including Bensenville-based Zafi Beverages.

"This is the kind of exposure a young company like ourselves needs," said Will Shane, vice president of sales and marketing for Zafi, which sells non-carbonated healthy energy drinks.

The expo is "designed to create direct interest for Illinois products and indirectly create a demand for Illinois crops," said Jeff Squibb, state agriculture spokesman.

Like pumpkins?

Illinois is probably where Charlie Brown would find the Great Pumpkin, since it's the top producer in the U.S. with 12,700 harvested acres.

"People typically associate Illinois with corn and soybeans," Squibb said, "but there are a number of niche crops that are growing, such as pumpkins and wine."

Yes, wine.

In 2001, there were 27 wineries in the state.

That number has risen to 72.

The growth in wine producers has led in part to the recent opening of a Villa Park retail store that makes showcasing Illinois wines its business.

At Prairie and Vine, 29 E. Park Blvd., business partners Kathleen Butzen and Susan Presslak set a goal to offer wines from throughout the state to meet "an untapped market," Butzen said.

Their wine tastings strictly feature wine made in Illinois, Presslak said, picked from the 27 wineries represented in the store.

Varieties include pumpkin wine and the "Hallowine," another favorite from Utica, Presslak said.

"It's so popular," Presslak said, "we just can't keep it on the shelf."

Made in Illinois

1. Illinois ranks first among states with sales of $149.2 billion in processed food products.

2. With roughly 90,000 workers, Illinois ranks third nationally in food processing employment.

3. Illinois is the leading state pumpkin producer with 12,700 harvested acres.

4. There are more than 70 wine producers in the state.

5. Popcorn is the official snack food of Illinois.

Sources: Illinois Department of Agriculture; Dunn and Bradstreet Marketplace; Secretary of State