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USDA Putting More Money into Food Producer-Consumer Connection

RAYMOND - Bush is out, Obama is in, and the people on the production end of the food pipeline in Nebraska are noticing there's a lot more to it than that.

"Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" is an example of renewed efforts in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to connect consumers more directly with the people who grow what they eat.

It could also be said the government's biggest food promoter and food regulator is putting more of its money closer to where the mouths are. In one week, according to USDA officials, the funding total for "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" added up to $65 million.

Krista Dittman - whose 10 years in food production in the Lincoln area has taken her from selling a few dozen eggs to making and marketing a dozen different kinds of cheese - likes the message she's getting from a new federal initiative and from growing numbers of customers.

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