What's New in Michigan Organic Ag?
Jan 5 - 16
1. Farmers Can Learn About USDA Grant Programs At Upcoming
Workshops.
2. NPR Features Eric Hahn On Sourcing and Selling Local Foods.
3. Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers.
Notice of Position Openings
4. Looking For Intern/Apprentices.
Events
5. Farm to School: Healthy Kids, Thriving Farms, March 12, 2008.
6. Blueberry IPM Scout Training Program Starts Feb. 14.
7. Learn as You Grow: A Practical Experience in Organic Gardening,
TBA.
1. FARMERS CAN LEARN ABOUT USDA GRANT PROGRAMS AT UPCOMING
WORKSHOPS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers
several grant programs to help entrepreneurs develop value-added food
and fiber businesses. To learn about these programs, farmers and others
can attend a free educational workshop set for nine locations and
offered by the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center.
The Value Added Producer Grant Workshop is set for Jan. 24
in Lawrence, Jan. 30 in Saginaw and Clinton Township, Jan. 31 in Bad
Axe, Feb. 1 in Hart, Feb. 5 in Escanaba, Feb. 6 in Dafter, Feb. 7 in
Alpena and Feb. 8 in Traverse City.
Participants can learn about various USDA grant programs for
value-added production and alternative energy. Presenters from the
Product Center will discuss the meaning of value-added production and
explain how they can help grant writers navigate the process.
Rural business specialists from the USDA's Rural Development
program will discuss eligibility criteria, the application and
evaluation process, matching funds and other requirements. They will
also discuss resources available to those developing grant proposals.
The USDA Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program is open to
independent producers, farmer or rancher cooperatives, agricultural
producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business
ventures to fund one of the following two activities: planning
activities needed to establish a viable value-added marketing
opportunity for an agricultural product (e.g., conduct a feasibility
study, develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan); or acquire
working capital to operate a value-added business venture that will
allow producers to better compete in domestic and international markets.
For more information about the Value Added Producer Grant Workshop,
contact the MSU Product Center at 517-432-8750 or on the Web at
www.productcenter.msu.edu, or call any MSU Extension county office.
This program is sponsored by the Michigan State University Product
Center and USDA Rural Development with support from GreenStone Farm
Credit Services.
The MSU Product Center is a single gateway to support services for new
entrepreneurs and existing businesses in food, agriculture and natural
resources. It has an on-campus staff of 11 people, including
specialists in venture development, supply chain management, food
science and nutrition, and a statewide network of 34 certified
innovation counselors and educators. This staff is complemented by
other MSU faculty members and non-MSU service providers, including
private consultants.
For more information about the Product Center and its
activities, visit www.productcenter.msu.edu or call 517-432-8750.
2. NPR Features Eric Hahn Exclusively On Sourcing and Selling
Local Foods
January 4, 2008
Big news from northwest Michigan, where the Michigan Land Use Institute
and many fine partners have since 2004 been developing a robust regional
network for local farms and food businesses under our Taste the Local
Difference campaign (see www.LocalDifference.org).
Today National Public Radio ran a locally produced feature on native son
Eric Hahn, who last summer launched the new Cherry Capital Foods
Company, which focuses nearly exclusively on sourcing and selling local
foods. We've worked with Eric for a few years now and are very happy for
his success and what it means for our local food system here. We're also
working with Eric to keep this middleman service going in a way that
continues to return real value to farms, the land, and our community.
Check out the coverage here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17840850
3. Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers
Bill McKelvey
Department of Rural Sociology
Program associate with the Community Food Systems and Sustainable
Agriculture Program
Mary Hendrickson
Department of Rural Sociology
Director of the Food Circles Networking Project
Associate director of the Community Food Systems and Sustainable
Agriculture Program
Joe Parcell
Department of Agricultural Economics
Director of the Missouri Value Added Development Center
Checklist: Are you ready to sell?
Being prepared to sell is essential. You should have the basics covered
before you open for business or make a sales call.
* Product quality
Is your product fresh, clean and ready for sale? Are samples
prepared?
* Price
Is your product priced fairly and competitively? Is your price
list accurate and up-to-date?
* Display
Is your display neat, accessible and attractive? Are prices
clearly marked? Is the name of your farm displayed on boxes, banners or
signs?
* Supplies
Do you have plenty of shopping bags. Do you have enough cash to
make change? Is your scale in good working order? Are farm pamphlets and
recipes available?
* Personal appearance
Are you clean, neat, well dressed and well groomed?
* Attitude
Are you proud of your products and what you do for a living?
* Service
Are you ready to be personable and helpful? Do you have a plan
for handling complaints? Do you have a good invoice system?
* Gratitude
Are you thankful for your customers and the opportunity to serve
them?
For many farmers, marketing and selling their products are the most
challenging parts of the farm enterprise, especially when selling
directly to consumers. However, direct markets for fresh and unique food
products are among the most rapidly growing farm opportunities. People
around the country are looking to buy tasty, healthy food directly from
farmers -- farmers with whom they can talk, ask questions and build
relationships. However, these new market opportunities, particularly in
farmers' markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), roadside
stands, restaurants and cooperatives, require expertise in selling as
well as marketing, production and financial management.
In any business, marketing and selling go hand in hand. Marketing
describes a range of activities that include deciding what to produce
and how to price, distribute and promote a product. Selling, on the
other hand, describes the techniques used to entice buyers to exchange
their cash for the seller's products. Despite the images that many
people hold of pushy "salesmen" who won't take no for an answer, or the
"-natural-born salesman" who gets people to buy products without much
effort, developing strong selling skills is critically important to
acquiring and keeping customers in a direct marketing enterprise. And,
while many farmers may be intimidated by the idea of selling, it is
important to remember that selling skills -- just like other skills --
can be learned.
To read the rest of Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers, visit
http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g06222.htm.
Vicki Morrone
Organic Vegetable and Crop Outreach Specialist
Michigan State University
C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
303 Natural Resources Bldg.
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-3542
517-282-3557 (cell)
517-353-3834 (fax)
For information on organic agriculture production please visit:
http://www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu/
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