March 2, 2015
Direct Marketing Conference to Celebrate 20 Years of Connecting Farmers with Consumers
After connecting farm-based businesses with ideas, information and other resources for 20 years, the next Direct Farm Marketing Conference will encourage participants to find new marketing opportunities for sustainable growth, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
“Market knowledge and access are critical for Canadian farmers to succeed,” said Minister Ritz. “Our government is proud to support initiatives like these that provide valuable information to farmers and processors on emerging opportunities and market trends to help grow their business.”
The conference takes place March 6 and 7 in Brandon and will include sessions on how to decide if farmers’ markets are a good fit, food safety rules and regulations, and successfully finding and keeping good employees. Additional speakers will cover innovative fruit research and production methods suited to the prairies and consumer trends related to direct marketing. A trade show will also allow experienced and budding entrepreneurs to promote their products and services, network and learn from other participants.
“Increased interest in direct-farm marketing and farmers’ markets is creating new opportunities for farm families and helping more Manitobans re-establish a connection with their food,” said Minister Kostyshyn. “The conference also helps address some of the unique challenges and issues facing smaller-scale producers. We are pleased to continue to support this event and the entire small-scale sector.”
This year’s keynote speaker is Charlie Touchette, executive director of the North American Farmers’ Market Association. He will speak about the evolution of the direct-farm marketing industry, trends across the continent and the changes Manitoba can expect over the next five years.
Dr. Wayne Lees, chair of the Small Scale Food Manitoba working group created by the Manitoba government last spring, will talk about the group’s consultations and recommendations related to small-scale production, processing and direct-farm marketing.
Minister Kostyshyn noted the province has taken steps to implement a number of the working group’s recommendations to date including:
- ongoing work on a guidebook to assist new business entrants,
- an online directory of licensed community kitchens, and
- developing and delivering workshops for small-scale food entrepreneurs.
Full conference registration is $150. More information about the conference and registration is available from local Growing Opportunities (GO) offices, by calling 204-821-5322 or online at www.directfarmmarketing.com.
The Direct Farm Marketing Conference is supported by the Prairie Fruit Growers Association and the Manitoba government. It is funded in part by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
For more information on Manitoba’s agricultural programs and services, follow the Twitter site at www.twitter.com/MBGovAg.
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