County and regional leaders are integrating food systems into economic development plans.  These efforts are reinvigorating rural economies to foster economic development connected to local, agricultural economies.  Join the National Association of Counties (http://www NULL.naco NULL.org/Pages/default NULL.aspx)(NACo) for a free webinar, Building Vibrant Local Economies: Connecting Regional Food Systems (https://www2 NULL.gotomeeting NULL.com/register/711203810),  on Thursday, May 9, at 2pm EST to learn more about this topic.

Featured speakers include:

• Ferd Hoefner, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• Bahia Nightengale, Heartland Local Food, with Supervisor Melvyn Houser, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
• Elanor Starmer, USDA

Register for the webinar here (https://www2 NULL.gotomeeting NULL.com/register/711203810).

This webinar is offered as a service to grantees of the federal government’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, NADO members, NACo members, and the broad community of individuals and organizations interested in regional food systems as a strategy for rural economic development.

For more information, contact Stephanie Osborn, sosborn@naco.org or 202.942.4235.