St. James Winery CEO Peter Hofherr has been invited to serve as a panel moderator at “The Many Faces of Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” an agricultural conference to be held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on January 30, 2012. This one-day event will feature presentations and panel discussions centered on successful models, resources, strategies and opportunities for supporting, cultivating and growing local and regional food systems in the Midwest.

As a result of his innovative work growing St. James Winery, Hofherr has been asked to moderate the panel session entitled “To Market, To Market! Direct Retailers Share Information on Purchasing and Selling Local Foods.” Other members of the panel include Peg Shaeffer, Sandhill Organics, IL; Randall Fogelman, Detroit Eastern Market; and Irv Cernauskas, Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks, Chicago IL.

The conference is hosted by USDA’s Illinois Rural Development & Food & Nutrition Service Midwest. Others scheduled to speak or attend the event include: United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan; Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emmanuel; and USDA Rural Development Illinois Director, Colleen Callahan. Attendees from a 12-state area will include local, state and federal government, business, and not for profit organizations in the United States heartland.

St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrates more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery’s award-winning wines are sold in stores throughout the Midwest and the South. St. James Winery is online at www.stjameswinery.com.