Category: In The Market

Scaling Up: Is It Right For You?

11/27/2014

Title
Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Is Scaling Up Right For Your Farm?

Overview
With all of the talk about "scaling up", it's easy to lose sight of the fundamental question: is growing on more acres right for you and your farm? This session explores the impacts of getting bigger, from risks and investment to business development and lifestyle consequences, and looks at other ways to increase farm income and sustainability.

Outline
I. Scale
2. Markets
3. Anticipating Impacts
4. Assessing Resources
5. Investment and Growth

Series
In The Market

Topics
Business, Risk Management, Scaling Up

Audience
Beginning Farmers (<10yrs)

Length
45 - 90 minutes

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Marketing: Selling Crops to Food Stores

11/24/2014

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Title
Buy My Rutabagas: Marketing Horticultural Crops to Food Stores

Overview
To market your produce to food stores, you need to understand the world of retail produce. Chris Blanchard will share his approach to marketing to produce buyers, including communication, branding, how to determine your price, and how stores determine their prices.

Outline
1. The Number One Rule
2. Understanding the World of Produce
3. Quality
4. Marketing
5. Pricing Principles
6. Pricing Rules of Thumb
7. Margins in Different Markets
8. Rock Spring Farm’s Four Priceless Practices for Sales Success

The longer versions of this workshop include:
9. Determining Cost of Production and Marketing
10. Production Expenses
11. Ownership Costs
12. Valuing Labor
13. QuickBooks Classes for Tracking Production and Marketing Expenses

Series
In The Market

Topics
Business, Marketing, Pricing, Scaling Up

Audience
All Farmers

Length
60 - 180 minutes

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Pricing: How to Price Produce for Profit

11/19/2014

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Title
What It’s Worth: Pricing Produce for Profit

Overview
Being a sustainable farmer is more than the farming methods you use, it also means ensuring you can stay in business regardless of your marketing outlet. Chris Blanchard will help you navigate pricing strategies to meet your customer needs and your farm's bottom line.

Outline
1. Pricing Rules of Thumb
2. Margins in Different Markets
3. Establishing Costs of Production
4. Production Expenses
5. Marketing Expenses
6. Ownership Costs
7. Valuing Labor
8. Quickbooks Classes

Series
In The Market

Topics
Business, Marketing, Pricing

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

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Scaling Up: Smart Growth for Local Foods

11/17/2014

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Title
Values and Scale in Local Foods Marketplace

Overview
Balancing the reasons we choose to farm with the economic realities of the modern food system can challenge even the most-experienced grower, and while beginning growers wash up on the rocks of scaling-up, questions about size and values creates conflict within the local foods movement. Chris Blanchard will discuss how we can root our growth in good business, while not losing sight of the fertile values in which that growth occurs.

Outline
1. Defining Goals for a Local Food System
2. A Feel for the Land
3. Thinking (about getting) Big
4. Local Food Lies
5. Food is Worth More than the Sum of its Parts

Series
In The Market

Topics
Business, Scaling Up

Audience
All Farmers, Local Foods Advocates

Length
45 - 90 minutes

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Marketing: Options & Approaches

11/15/2014

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Title
Direct Marketing Options and Approaches

Overview
Market farmers have a number of options for selling their vegetables. Chris Blanchard will discuss the options and considerations for a variety of marketing options, and some common themes to help you succeed no matter which you choose.

Outline
1. Business Philosophy
2. Marketing Philosophy
3. Market Locations
4. Market Segments
5. Deciding Where to Market
6. Farmers Markets
7. Wholesale
8. CSA
9. Organic
10. Priceless Practices for Sales Success

Series
In The Market

Topics
Marketing

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

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Marketing: Selling You and Your Farm

11/8/2014

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Title
Marketing Me and My Rutabagas

Overview
Growing vegetables is only the first part of the market farmer’s job. Chris Blanchard will offer perspectives on managing the business and marketing side of your farming operation and life. This look at the basics of marketing, information management, and business relationships will provide both a theoretical framework and practical tips for improving your farming business.

Outline
1. Marketing Mindset
2. Marketing Expectations
3. Let ‘Em Know What You’ve Got, Let ‘Em Know What They’ve Bought
4. Getting People to Buy From You
5. Get Out There
6. Don’t Be at PITA
7. Have Some Sympathy
8. Rock Spring Farm’s 6 Priceless Practices for Sales Success
9. Three Things to Remember

Series
In The Market

Topics
Marketing

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

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Scaling Up: Challenges and Opportunities

11/3/2014

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Title
Scaling Up to Fill the Plate: Sizing Your Vegetable Operation

Overview
With pressure from every direction to scale up market farming operations to meet the growing demand for local food, growers need to consider their goals, roles, capacity, and skills. Chris Blanchard will take you on an exploration of the challenges and opportunities in expanding your market farm.

Outline
1. Goals
2. More Rutabagas Than You Think
3. Segments and Locations
4. Local Food Lies
5. Investments
6. Capacity
7. Invest in Systems
8. Invest in People
9. Produce Buyers
10. Quality
11. Plan for Change
12. Leverage Biology
13. Keep Perspective

Series
In The Market

Topics
Business, Scaling Up

Audience
All Farmers

Length
60 - 120 minutes

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