Economic Development and Grant Writing Workshop

Last Friday I went to St. Louis for a workshop hosted by Senator Claire McCaskill. The morning sessions were presentations by various agency regarding various grant opportunities. Federal Agencies such as HUD, USDA, and the EPA, as well as Missouri DNR, DHSS and Economic Development. There were also presentations on small business resources and opportunities from the Small Business Administration and the US Department of Commerce. In the afternoon there was a training session for grant research and writing. One of the main things that I took away from the day was the number of free resources available to small businesses. Great opportunities for business planning and guidance through programs such as SCORE and the Small Business Development Centers. Check it out and give them a call.

Tomato Grafting Workshop at Southwest Center

Everyone's in a stir about tomato grafting, as I've received quite a few phone calls about the producer info about the techniques and who to call for advice. What a great time to have a workshop in southwest Missouri on grafting on tomatoes.

Tomato Grafting Workshop at Southwest Center
By Patrick Byers and Andrew Thomas

While many of us are aware of the benefits and necessity of grafting fruit and nut tree crops, vegetable grafting is not yet widespread or well-known in the US. The idea of grafting tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and even watermelon seems far-fetched, but in reality is one of the most exciting and promising recent trends in horticulture. Vegetable grafting is relatively easy to learn and the benefits can be enormous. So that Missouri vegetable growers can keep up with and take advantage of this rapidly-developing technology, we are hosting a Tomato Grafting Workshop at the Southwest Center, Mt. Vernon, MO, on Wednesday, May 6, from 8:30 to 12:00 noon. The registration fee for the workshop is $8.00.

Several diseases can cause economic damage to commercial tomato producers in Missouri, and can also devastate home garden tomatoes. For commercial producers, tomato disease management is a significant production cost. In some cases pesticide inputs are used to manage disease problems; in other cases, there is no adequate pesticide solution for a disease. Additionally, certified organic tomato producers do not have the option to manage disease with pesticides. An important development for tomato growers was the release by breeders of hybrid cultivars with genetic resistance to a range of pathogens, including fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt, and nematodes. Diseases that severely limited production could now be managed by cultivar selection. More recently, however, breeders have taken this one big step further, by developing extremely vigorous, disease- and nematode-resistant rootstocks that are specifically selected for these characteristics rather than for fruit production, taste, or quality. By grafting desirable fruit-producing cultivars onto these new rootstocks, yields can be substantially increased while diseases and use of pesticides can be substantially reduced. In recent years interest has grown in the production of heirloom tomato cultivars that offer unusual and unique shapes, colors, and flavors. Unfortunately, these heirloom cultivars generally do not have the disease resistance that is found in “modern” cultivars, and losses to disease are often severe. Grafting weak, disease-susceptible cultivars such as heirlooms onto vigorous, disease-resistant rootstocks can sometimes make the difference between a bountiful crop or no crop at all.

Vegetable grafting is widely used in Asia, where 95% of many commercial vegetable crops are grafted. Korean scientists have even developed grafting robots that can graft hundreds of plants per hour. Vegetable grafting makes so much sense that it is rapidly gaining acceptance in other parts of the world, including the US. While the grafting process requires skill and adequate facilities, with training farmers can develop proficiency in the process, and research has demonstrated that a high rate of success can be expected with affordable facilities.

At the May 6 Tomato Grafting Workshop, Dr. Sanjun Gu, state extension vegetable crop specialist and experienced vegetable grafter from Lincoln University, will demonstrate techniques to workshop participants, who will then practice with heirloom tomatoes and tomato rootstocks. Each participant will be provided with supplies, tomato scions of several heirloom cultivars, and tomato rootstocks. A postoperative healing chamber will be available at the Southwest Center, and participants can pick up their healed plants a few days after the workshop, or take them home that day. In addition, plots of grafted heirloom tomatoes will be established this summer at the Southwest Center for observation.

Pre-registration is highly recommended, as we will limit the workshop to 40 participants. To register, contact MUExtension-Greene County, 833 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO 65802 or telephone 417-862-9284. The registration fee is $8.00

High Tunnel Workshop March 12

Attend a day-long high tunnel workshop at the Missouri State - Mountain Grove Campus on Thursday, March 12.

Dr. Ted Carey of Kansas State University studies season extension using high tunnels research and production. He will present high tunnel basics as well as research results from his work at the Kansas State Horticulture Research and Extension Center at Olathe. Other excellent speakers will address the various crops produced in high tunnels.

Many growers use high tunnels to extend the production season for many different horticultural crops – vegetables, cut flowers and even fruit. High tunnels are solar-heated structures, like a giant cold frame, used to extend the traditional growing season at both ends – allowing for earlier plant growth in the spring and later plant growth into fall. Typically, no electricity is used in high tunnels to operate fans, vents, heater, etc. Manual ventilation is instead provided through roll-up sidewalls or through the end walls. Other typical components of high tunnels are that they are irrigated via drip irrigation system and crops are grown in the soil that is under the tunnel cover.

Cost for the workshop is $20 which includes lunch and handouts. PLEASE SEND IN REGISTRATION ASAP TO ASSURE LUNCH AND SEATING.

Get the registration form online or contact Pamela Mayer - via email PMayer@MissouriState.edu or by phone at 417-547-7533.

Kansas Farmers' Market Conference

I’m headed to Topeka, Kansas this morning to speak at the Kansas Farmers’ Market Conference. “Growing Together" is the theme for the conference, which is a great focus this year! I will be presenting in the market track on Effective Communication at the Market: Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications.

The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. program will also include a session on grants and programs that can assist farmers´ markets and value-added businesses in enhancing their direct marketing. Another session will provide an update on recent changes in the regulation of market products to ensure food safety and provide adequate consumer information.

The first half of the afternoon will provide for five your-choice break-out groups that attend multiple sessions, focused on a single
topic:

* Cut flowers and plants,
* Launching or revitalizing a market,
* Meat and dairy,
* Marketing and display, and
* Managers and boards.

The conference organizers are the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops (KCSAAC), based with Kansas State University Research and Extension; the Kansas Department of Commerce; the Kansas Department of Agriculture; and the Kansas Rural Center.

Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Springfield

I'm headed down south for the Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Springfield, Feb. 16-18.

This year's conference is structured a bit different - to encourage new growers in the industry to come and learn new growing techniques and the basics in small fruit and vegetable production with an entire day dedicated to just that - Back to the Basics Session - on Feb. 16.

View the Back to the Basics schedule here.

Organic Producers Offered New Ideas for Growing Their Small Farms

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is sponsoring an upcoming event for organic producers to learn more about sustainable agriculture and how to add more value to their small family farms.

The Missouri Organic Association’s annual conference will be held Sat. Feb. 21, 2009 at the Carver Farm – a research farm and extension of Lincoln University located in Jefferson City, Mo. Topics during the conference will include organic dairy, organic corn and soybeans, improving soil fertility and becoming organic certified.

Read the entire story here.

Day 2: Blogging from NAFDMA (Culinary Tourism)

Culinary Tourism…not a word used much across Missouri, but things are changing.

This was the discussion of today’s Education Day at NAFDMA. Culinary Tourism is the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds, often when traveling. These types of tourists are normally younger, better educated, highly affluent, visit museums and cultural sites and choose destinations for food and wine experiences. In simple terms: These are the people that want to put a face to their food.

Consumers today want to put a face to their food and what’s a better way to provide them with this need then to open up the farm or market for farm cooking demonstrations, pick your owns, or even progressive dinners.

Today’s “Foodie Tour” opened our eyes on the future possibilities of where the direct marketing industry is headed. We visited eight restaurants/stores around downtown Savannah today and learned about how the Savannah community is promoting culinary tourism to not only tourists, but to locals as well.

On the tour we visited:
Wright Square Cafe
Savannah Bee Company Honey House
Lady and Sons - Side note- I met Paula's Deen sons (Jamie and Bobby Deen) at the restaurant and had them sign a cookbook
Kitchens on the Square for cooking demonstrations
Mom & Nikki's Soul Food
Back in the Day Bakery
Leopold's Ice Cream
Polk's Fresh Market
The Distillery

Read more about the Foodie Tour at the NAFDMA Blog.

Savannah Here We Come

My fellow co-worker Sarah and I are headed south today for the North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) Convention in Savannah, GA. NAFDMA is a trade association dedicated to nurturing the farm direct marketing industry. Its members support their family farms by selling millions of dollars worth of farm-grown produce directly to consumers at farm stands, farmers’ markets, pick-your-own farms, consumer-supported agriculture, agritourism venues, and other ever-growing innovations in direct producer-to-consumer agricultural marketing methods.

Each year, NAFDMA hosts the premier farm direct marketing convention in North America. The convention moves to a different region of North America each year. Members get the opportunity to see new markets and hear new marketing ideas in a professional, noncompetitive environment.

The convention includes a three-day Bus Tour, a day of full-day workshops, and a day of Conference concurrent sessions. It also includes a Trade Show.

I’ll be blogging from Georgia this week, so stay tuned!

Venture on Over to Kansas

The Kansas Rural Center announces the statewide Farmers’ Market Conference which is scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm on Monday, February 23 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library at 1515 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, Kansas.

(PHOTO: Parkville Farmers' Markets, July 2008)

Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, KRC’s Farmers’ Market Project Coordinator, said the “bigger and better” 2009 conference is titled "Growing Together" and is open to all involved with farmers’ markets whether as a producer, market manager, board member or interested citizen.

Charuth and Kevin Loth, of ShadowBrook Farm in Lincoln, Nebraska, are the conference’s featured speakers. The Loths operate a family-owned diversified vegetable farm incorporating cattle, dairy goats and flowers into the 34-acre, organic farm's rotation plan. The couple participates in three farmers' markets and the Nebraska Food Cooperative, as well as operating a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and on-farm market and dairy.

Steve Moris, Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Program Manager, will discuss the recent consolidation of food safety oversight to KDA and review the rules and regulations affecting farmers’ market products. Representatives from Kansas Department of Commerce, Rural Development will also present resources to help grow farmers’ markets and value-added businesses.

In addition, five afternoon breakout sessions will focus on topics including: cut flowers; launching or revitalizing your market; meat and dairy; marketing and display, and managers and boards.

Specific topics scheduled during the breakout sessions include: “Direct Marketing Opportunities for Meat Producers” by Jeff Adair, New Grass Bison Co.; “Know Your Customer: Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication” by Lane McConnell, Missouri Department of Agriculture; “Born to Bloom: What to Grow for Beautiful Bouquets” presented by Brian Henry and Jozie Schike, Earth Flowers; “Issues and Opportunities Roundtable and Grow Your Market Workshop” by Jerry Jost, KRC Grow Your Farmers Market Workshop Facilitator, and “Capturing Your Market Share” by Jill Elmers, Moon on the Meadow Farm.

Markets and vendors are encouraged to share their experiences in "Flew or Flopped" presentations during lunch and to bring examples of their promotional materials.

Registration to cover the conference materials, continental breakfast and lunch is $20 per person. Completed registration forms along with fees made payable to the Kansas Rural Center are due by Friday, February 13. Please mail to: Kansas Rural Center, PO Box 133, Whiting, Kansas 66552-0133.Conference schedule and registration information are available for download from the Kansas Rural Center website. Conference brochures are also linked to the calendar maintained by KCSAAC – the KSU-based Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops – on the Web at http://www.kansassustainableag.org/calendar.htm .

For additional information, contact Mercedes Taylor-Puckett at 785-840-6202 or mercedes.taylorpuckett@gmail.com

The Love of Technology

Yes, there is an entire month of blog posts missing from this blog (December posts to be exact). I’ve had some emails asking me what happened to the posts for December and part of January and all I can say is - sometimes when you mess with technology – you get burned. And burned I did. I was trying to consolidate some of the blog labels I have and accidently deleted about 25 posts from the blog. I could only recover about 5 of the posts I deleted.

As they say, “life goes on.” I promise to be extra careful when messing with technology in the future.

Glad to know that the audience that reads the blog noticed it quite quickly.

I’m out of the office Tuesday, January 27 for the Blue Springs Farmers’ Market Workshop. Back with photos from the workshop on Thursday.

Food Safety Across Missouri

Food Safety is a growing concern to consumers. Consumers want to know where their food comes from, how it was harvested and how safe it really is. Luckily Missouri is home to more than 150 farmers’ markets scattered across the state that are up on the latest in food safety issues and concerns.Ensuring growers are well educated on food safety techniques is a must in Missouri, and we are assisting in providing our growers with the knowledge and handling techniques to ensure safety in our local food chain.

This past Tuesday I held the first Food Safety: From Field to Market Workshop in Columbia. The next food safety workshop will be held on Jan. 31 at the Ozark Electric Co-op in Mt. Vernon from 9:00 am to noon. This workshop is sponsored by nine southwest Missouri markets (the Webb City Farmers Market, the Carthage Farmers Market, the Fair Grove Farmers Market, the Southwest Farmers Market at Great Southern, the Ozark Square Farmers Market, the Aurora Farmers Market, the Nixa Area Farmers Market, the Wilson’s Creek Farmers Market, the C-Street Market & the Greater Polk County Farmers Market.)If you are interested in attending the southwest Missouri Food Safety Workshop call 417-673-5866 to register.

Topics to be covered:
• Importance of Food Safety – Update on Recent Outbreaks Associated with Fresh Produce
• State Regulations for Selling at Farmers Market
• Food Safety Concerns in the Field: Field preparation & planting,manure usage & crop cultural guidelines
• Irrigation Methods and Associated Issues
• Harvest and Post Harvest Safety

The last food safety workshop will be held in St. Peters, MO on Feb. 10 at the St. Charles County Extension Office.

Iowa Workshops Open to Missouri Producers

Tis the season of travel, travel, travel. We are in the “heat” of conference and workshop season. The Missouri Agritourism Conference and Annual Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Meeting convened this past weekend at Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark. This was the first year for the conference, but you wouldn’t have know it. We had more than 145 conference participants for the two day event – needless to say we were very excited to see the support for the industry!

(PHOTO: My little nephew Luke experiences Missouri blackberries from a visit with me to the Berry Patch in Bolivar this summer.)

Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler also attended the conference and gave the opening address on Friday morning and talked with many producers afterwards.

With all the happenings going on around our state, I want to be sure that our Missouri producers also know about the opportunities to travel a bit north to some events that Iowa will be having for farmers’ market producers as well.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, and the Iowa Farmers Market Association are working together to bring the best possible information on fruit and vegetable production, food safety, and marketing to Midwest producers in a three day conference.

Find more online about the upcoming conference.

New Year...New Opportunities

A Look at Missouri Farmers' Markets by Lane McConnell on 1/2/09

Happy New Year!

Only 3 ½ months until our first Missouri market opens for the 2009 season. As winter rolls on here in Missouri there are many opportunities for farmers to take advantage of to learn new innovative growing techniques.

January and February are usually the busy time for conference and meetings around the state and this year is no exception.

Schedule of Events:
January 8-10 Great Plains Vegetable Growers Conference - St Joseph
January 13-15 Mid America Fruit Growers Conference – Columbia
January 16-17 Missouri Agritourism Conference and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Annual Meeting - Lake Ozark
January 20 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Food Safety - Columbia
January 27 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Salesmanship - Blue Springs
February 1-7 NAFDMA- Savannah, GA
February 10 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Food Safety - St. Peters
February 16-18 Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference - Springfield
February 21 Missouri Organic Association Conference - Jefferson City
March 6 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Growing for Market – Springfield

The Missouri Department of Agriculture will be represented at all these upcoming events. Hope to see you there.

Fredericktown Farmers’ Market Workshop Went Off With a BANG

There were many familiar faces at last week’s workshop in Fredericktown. We had more than 40 participants on the Dec. 11 workshop at the Eagles Lodge.

The workshop covered topics on Growing Techniques for Selling at a Farmers’ Market and from the looks of the participant evaluations, it was a very valuable workshop for growers.Thanks to all the speakers and participants for a great workshop!

The next workshop will be held Jan.20 in Columbia at the Courtyard by Marriott and will cover Food Safety.Be sure and check out the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture Calendar for other upcoming workshops and conferences.

Happy Holidays!

Learn to Keep your Agritourism Business Looking Bright at 2009 Conference

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) will host the 2009 Missouri Agritourism Conference, themed “The Future Looks Bright”, on Jan 16-17, 2009 at Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Mo. The conference will be a two-day learning experience for those who are looking to enter the agritourism industry, are agritourism operators or are extension agents.

The conference is sponsored cooperatively by MDA, AgriMissouri and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association.Conference participants will hear on topics including: Identify Your Potential and Business Planning, How to Conduct School Tours, Running a Retail Shop on Your Farm, Romancing the Media, Bragging Rights: Successful Missouri Agritourism Operations, How to Use Social and Online Media to Brand Yourself, Adding Haunted Attractions: The Pros & Cons, Food Safety and much more.

The Missouri Farmers’ Market Association will hold their annual membership meeting in conjunction with the conference on Jan. 17. Farmers’ market masters and market vendors are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about growing heirloom tomatoes, gain salesmanship skills, innovative marketing ideas and hear the 2008 successes of markets and vendors across the state.

Farmers’ market participants need to register with Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Secretary Eileen Nichols at eileennichols@sbcglobal.net. For more information about the conference program, contact Sarah Gehring or Lane McConnell at (573) 751-4339 or via email Sarah.Gehring@mda.mo.gov or Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov .

Series of Farmers’ Market Workshops Offer Competitive Edge for Missouri Producers

Beginning Nov. 21, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) will begin a series of statewide farmers’ market workshops focused on growing techniques for better sales at farmers’ markets, food safety and salesmanship/direct marketing. The workshops will be open to growers and farmers’ market masters.

“Farmers markets help promote nutrition education, wholesome eating habits and better food preparation while providing a boost to the local economy,” said. Gov. Matt Blunt. "These workshops provide a great opportunity for Missouri farm families to learn about new ways they can take part in the growing demand for home-grown food and agricultural resources."

Local direct marketing provides Missouri producers with a profitable opportunity to sell directly to consumers at retail prices. Farmers’ markets are growing in popularity, and in number, as consumers are becoming more health conscious and aware of the benefits of buying fresh, locally grown produce. Recently, Missouri has seen an increase of farmers’ markets with more than 140 markets around the state. These markets are poised to be successful local markets, but more growers are needed to supply a variety of products to satisfy the consumer demand.

"Consumers have the opportunity to find many great farmers’ markets offering local products while increasing rural development in many communities across Missouri,” said Don Steen, director of MDA. “The Department of Agriculture is constantly looking for ways to assist producers with new ideas and to make our state’s farmers’ markets even better. The series of farmers’ market workshops will help producers gain valuable skills in marketing to Missouri consumers.”

The Farmers’ Market Workshops will be held in seven cities across the state. The schedule is as follows:

· Nov. 21 -- Direct Marketing: Finding the Salesman in You
Hannibal, Quality Inn and Suites
· Dec. 4 -- Direct Marketing: Finding the Salesman in You
St. Joseph, Buchanan County Extension Office
· Dec. 11 -- Growing for a Farmers’ Market
Fredericktown, TBA
· Jan. 20 -- Food Safety, On the Farm and At the Market
Columbia, Boone Electric Coop Facility
· Jan. 27 -- Direct Marketing: Finding the Salesman in You
Blue Springs, Courtyard by Marriott Kansas City East/Blue Springs
· Feb. 10 -- Food Safety, On the Farm and At the Market
St. Peters, St. Charles County Extension Office
· March 6 -- Growing for a Farmers’ Market
Springfield, Springfield Library Center

Workshops are $15 per person and includes lunch and snacks. For more information or to obtain a registration form, contact Lane McConnell, marketing specialist with MDA, at (573) 751-4339 or Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov.

Blogging from SARE Day 2 News: Online Organic Training Manuals

I get a lot of phone calls and emails from producers that are interested in transitioning into organic agriculture, but don’t know where to start.

I’ve found there are many, many resources out there on this very topic, so instead of re-inventing the wheel…which happens a lot of the time…the Missouri Department of Agriculture is working to build partnerships with a variety of associations, organizations and other state agencies.

When I first started this position in June there were a lot of farmers’ market vendors that wanted info about becoming certified organic. I pulled many resources from many different places, depending on what type of products the farmer raised. Which can sometimes get a little overwhelming…but today after the first breakout session of the day at the SARE Conference I listened to speakers talk about some different training manuals available that might just make my job much easier, while at the same time providing the resources to educate producers on organic agriculture and provide our Missouri farmers the best training available.

The National Organic Standards Training Materials: Participant's Manual can be found online from the University of Florida and provides agricultural service providers with enough knowledge to answer questions regarding the National Organic Standards of the USDA's National Organic Program. The development of the modules was accomplished through the contributions of individuals from the University of Florida, University of the Virgin Islands and Kentucky State University.

Read more about the training materials.

Also, check out the Advanced Training in Organic Agriculture Resources from the Northeast Region of SARE.

As organic agriculture continues to grow in popularity, there is an ever-increasing need for agricultural professionals to be better-versed in organic production and certification to provide support to interested farmers. These are just a few resources out there to help fill the education need for organic agriculture.

New Training Tool for Farmers' Market Vendors

Many of you have heard me rave about the farmers' market DVD I watched at the National Farmers' Market Summit in Baltimore this past November. Well, it’s finally here and the best part- the DVD is FREE!

“Shared Wisdom, Selling Your Best at Farmers Markets” is the title of a new video that helps farmers do a better job of displaying, merchandising and providing customer service at farmers’ markets….which is my game plan for Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshops this year, starting in December.

The video was filmed on site at several markets and is 23 minutes long. The video includes customer and vendor interviews and examples of both good and poor displays and customer service. It is meant to be used with farmer/vendors who are already selling at a market but it is also a great tool for recruitment of new farmers.

In addition to the video, there are several power point presentations, a slide set, and many printable documents that can help make those spring vendor meetings have a positive impact.

This DVD is the result of a USDA AMS Farmers’ Market Promotion Program grant and was produced by Steve Miller, Cornell’s FMNP education coordinator at Cooperative Extension of Madison County New York.

Copies of the DVD are available free from: USDA, AMS, Marketing Services Branch (202) 720-8317 .

(PHOTO: Parkville Farmers' Market Vendors, WILD BLOSSOM HONEY FARM…Richard & Kathie Scott)

The Week's Almost Over

Where do the weeks go? This week has seemed to fly by, which I see as a good thing usually, but not when there’s so much to complete.

I started the week on Monday traveling to a Rolla Farmers’ Market Workshop that MU Extension organized. There were lots of familiar faces at the workshop, as some of the vendors that attended the workshop where some of the first folks I met when I started at the department last year. After the workshop I drove up to Columbia to attend the Boone County Farmers’ Market Annual Meeting. I gave an update on state farmers’ market activities and promotions and plans for 2008.

The middle of the week has been spent working on a logo for the farmers’ market canvas tote bags, getting plans set for the All Things Organic Show in Chicago and the SARE Conference in Kansas City, making many updates to the Missouri Farmers’ Market Directory Site and providing five different communities with the resources and information to start a new farmers’ market in their communities.

I will be out of the office tomorrow, as I will be attending the Women in Agriculture Conference in Marshall. Topics that will be covered include: Farm and Rural Profitability: The Bottom Line for Rural America Farm Profits, Farm Programs and Agri-Tourism.

(PHOTO: Rolla Downtown Farmers' Market June 2007.)

FARMERS’ MARKET WORKSHOP TO BE HELD IN MONROE CITY

University of Missouri Extension will hold a Farmers’ Market workshop in Monroe City on March 20, 2008, from 10:00-3:00, at the Monroe City Senior Center (Nutrition Site) at 314 S. Main. The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about marketing products at a Farmers’ Market. Topics to be discussed include Farmers’ Market rules & regulations, health issues, licenses, marketing & pricing your products, displaying your products and making consumers stop at your market space. Lunch will be available that day at the site for $5 for those under 60 years old, and $3 for anyone over 60. Pre-registration is required. Please call the Adair County Extension Center at 660-665-9866 to pre-register.

Adair County Extension Office
503 E. Northtown Rd.
Kirksville, MO 63501
Phone 660 665-9866
Fax 660 665-9876
Email adairco@missouri.edu