Community Partners offer Alternative Direct Marketing Methods for Small Farmers

Are you currently producing vegetables, fruit or meat in southwest Colorado? Are you interested in expanding beyond traditional markets but don’t know where to start? Several community partners in southwest Colorado will be offering a series of workshops followed by individual consultations to assist you with identifying alternative direct markets in 2013 and 2014.

A Marketing workshop with topics including market demand for local produce and meat products, significance of crop planning and appropriate pricing methods. Panel discussions with both buyers and producers will give you the opportunity to network and ask questions.

Next, a skills workshop with topics including developing food safety plans, completing school bids, developing crop plans and budgets, and contacting local buyers in the hospital, restaurant and institution sector.

The workshops will be followed by the opportunity to schedule individual consultations. These meetings will allow you to work one on one with local experts to assist you with crop planning, record keeping and financial planning, livestock production plans, food safety plans and developing price lists for your operation.

Community partners working together to bring you these events include Fort Lewis College, Colorado State Extension, LiveWell Montezuma, Twin Buttes, San Juan RC&D, Sunnyside Meats, Farm-I and Southwest Lamb

Marketing Workshop Resources and Sponsors

Cortez Agenda

Durango Agenda

Local Food Survey - Gabe Eggers

Market Channel Assessment Tool - Beth LaShell

Business Side of Local Food Production - Vic Vanik

Buyer Panel FAQ - Durango

Producer Panel FAQ- Durango

Buyer Panel FAQ- Cortez

Producer Panel FAQ - Cortez

 

Skills Workshop Resources

Crop Planning - Gabe Eggers

Meat Quality Evaluation - Beth LaShell

Cover Crops for Fruits and Vegetables - Gabe Eggers

Record Keeping - Beth LaShell

Pricing your product- Linley Dixon and Laurie Hall

Scaling up Production - Mike Nolan

Becoming involved in Farm to School; 2013 Bid and Food Safety Checklist- Krista Garand