2016 WSFMA Annual Conference Farmers Markets Exploring Washington s Many Flavors

Transcription

1 2016 WSFMA Annual Conference Farmers Markets Exploring Washington s Many Flavors THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 TH WORKSHOPS PRECONFERENCE ACTIVITIES 8:30 AM 12:00 PM FARMERS MARKET BOOT CAMP Led by: Ann Foster (Salmon Creek Farmers Market Organizer and WSFMA Board) and Jennifer Brown (WSFMA Staff Administrator) Designed for new market managers and board members, this popular three hour pre-conference session on Thursday morning provides an overview of key information you need when operating a farmers market in Washington State. Topics include WSFMA membership and services, an introduction to the WSFMA Roots Guidelines, risk management and liability insurance basics, data collection, federal food assistance programs, vendor mix and keeping the farm in farmers market. Box lunch included. 10:00 AM 11:30 AM WIC AND SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM (FMNP) ANNUAL TRAINING Led by: Katherine D. Flores (DOH) FMNP training is required for all market managers new to the program whose authorized market(s) accept WIC & Senior FMNP checks. Market managers need to train all their employees, volunteers and newly authorized growers who participate in the FMNP at their markets. Returning market managers are also welcome to participate to hear any new information for the upcoming FMNP season. Good for farmers who want to be authorized to accept FMNP checks. The session will cover: Market manager and Grower responsibilities Changes for the coming 2016 FMNP season How to use the market manager report How to stamp FMNP checks and some issues encountered in 2015 Reviewing the new WIC and Senior Check design Information about contract violations Civil Rights If you have questions us [email protected] or call toll-free at

2 MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS WORKSHOPS 1:30 PM 2:45 PM FOOD SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS: PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT FOOD SAFETY BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A FOOD BORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK AT YOUR MARKET Led by: Laura Raymond Food safety concerns are increasingly on people s minds and in the news raising all sorts of customer questions and concerns about the safety of food, including what they purchase at famers markets. Learn how to identify and share information with customers about the food safety best practices you are already employing on your farm and at your market with regular customer communications. Understand the types of communications and messages that are useful in the event of a food safety incident and how to be prepared should that situation occur. 3:00 PM 4:15 PM WHO'S YOUR SHOPPER? FARMERS MARKET SHOPPER TRENDS AND MARKETING STRATEGIES Led by: Colleen Donovan How do farmers markets successfully compete for shoppers (and vendors) with shoestring marketing budgets? This workshop steps back to review research on core and occasional farmers market shoppers. And how do we take this and craft strategic messaging, products, and promotional materials? We will also discuss how to know your shopper at your market through tools such as shopper surveys and Rapid Market Assessments. BUSINESS SAVVY FOR FARMS AND MARKETS WORKSHOPS 1:30 PM 2:45 PM HAPPY VENDORS, HAPPY MANAGERS Led by: Caleb Johns & Ivy Fox Communication as a Tool for Success: How we communicate within our market system lays the foundation for how we operate and function in both daily operations and during times of crisis. Caleb Johns and Ivy Fox will discuss the importance of communication and give practical examples and tools to improve communication, create communication systems, and support vendors and staff during high stress times! 3:00 PM 4:15 PM LOCAL FOOD LOCAL FUNDING: HOW TO FIND, CULTIVATE AND STEWARD DONoRS IN YOUR COMMUNITY Led by: Stacy Carkonen Want to expand or start new programs? Walk away with the tips and tools of the trade to fund sustainable programs at your farmers market. POLICY AND ADVOCACY FOR FARMS AND MARKETS WORKSHOPS 1:30 PM 2:45 PM FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION: HOW TO INCREASE DIVERSITY AT YOUR FARMERS MARKET AND CREATE A THIRD CULTURE Led by: Leigh Newman-Bell & Kate Selting Smith In this workshop we will look at ways to increase the diversity of your vendor base at the farmers market and overcome common cross-cultural communication challenges. Additionally, we will talk about how to be proactive in diversifying your shopper base.

3 3:00 PM 4:00 PM PROACTIVE POLICY: WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS MEANS FOR MARKETS AND FARMERS, AND HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE Led by: Brian Estes & Claire Lane What the legislative process means for your market, and what you can do about it: In this workshop, learn from advocates, elected officials and policy experts about the role legislation plays in the health of all farmers markets. Receive training on how your market leadership, vendors, and community supporters can be effective advocates, including preparation for impact at Thursday evening's Legislative Reception! 4:45 PM 6:15 PM LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION RECEPTION KEYNOTE 6:00 PM 7:30 PM KEYNOTE PRESENTATION Led by: Richard McCarthy Richard will address the issues of scale, efficiency, and purpose, as pioneering institutions like farmers markets navigate an increasingly competitive market for consumer and producer loyalties. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5 TH WORKSHOPS CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES 8:00 AM 6:30 PM SNAP EBT SIGN-UP EVENT Led by: FNS All day on Friday, representatives of USDA FNS will be at the conference to sign up farmers markets and farmers who want to become authorized to accept EBT benefits from market shoppers. Representatives from several companies that provide the technology (wireless POS machines, smart phones) will be on hand, including our state staff who administer the Washington s EBT program. The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) will have information about their program too. This is a unique opportunity to get questions answered and get your FNS number all at one time. More details will follow. Watch for more information on the website and via . Most markets and farmers will need to bring to the sign-up event: Picture ID (Drivers license or passport) Social Security Card (Or other official document with your SSN and name) Copy of voided check for bank account you ll use to deposit funds Find out if you qualify for FREE wireless point of sale equipment!

4 8:00 AM 6:30 PM SPEED DATING WITH REGIONAL Led by: Market Regional Leads WSFMA s seven Regional Leads are excited to talk about some of the great food access work that is happening across the state. Come learn about the regional strategies and how you can make food access an integral part of your market at this speed-dating style meeting. At the meeting you will have the opportunity to connect with your Regional Lead, connect with other markets in your region, and to learn about what work is happening in other regions. This is an active meeting that is one part networking, one part informational and a whole lot of fun! MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS WORKSHOPS 9:15 AM 10:30 AM GROW YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE, FANS AND SALES THROUGH E-NEWSLETTERS AND BLOGS Led by: Emily Crawford Stay connected, grow your fan club and tell your story through e-newsletters and blogging. The digital age has been a boon and a trial for small businesses. On the one hand, keeping up with online marketing avenues and social media adds extra work to your day. On the other, online assets like e-newsletters and simple blog posts can help you add, attract and keep fans, shoppers and customers engaged with your business, farm or product. Whether you are pointing people to your online shopping site or telling them what is in season next week, you are adding value to your business by telling your story! 10:45 AM 12:00 PM FRESH BUCKS TO THE POWER OF PRODUCE: EXPANDING YOUR SHOPPER BASE WITH INCENTIVE FUNDING AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING Led by: Todd Dierker & Karen Rae Learn from Market Managers about incentive programming like Fresh Bucks, RX for Health and the Power of Produce that support local farms and cultivate lifelong healthy eaters. 1:45 PM 3:00 PM KEEPING YOUR FARMERS MARKET COMPETITIVE IN A CHANGING MARKETPLACE Led by: Jordan Boldt This workshop will explore the role your market can play in providing additional opportunities for farmers and food processors. By working as a small business incubator and vendor development organization, markets can remain competitive and relevant, growing their vendor base and creating new avenues of success for participants. From small things a manager can do on a weekly basis to an entire organizational shift, markets can be positioned for tremendous success in our changing communities. 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM ENGAGING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO INCREASE SALES AND BUILD MORE DEMAND Led by: Kathleen Rose In this dynamic workshop you will learn practical tips for increasing sales through customer engagement and self-promotion. BUSINESS SAVVY FOR FARMS AND MARKETS WORKSHOPS 9:15 AM 10:30 AM VOLUNTEERS: MAXIMIZING YOUR GREATEST RESOURCE! Led by: Alice Fong We can spend days on volunteer engagement, but in 75 minutes, this session will provide you some tips to maximize this resource! Volunteers can play a crucial role to support and promote vibrant and sustainable farms and farmers markets. Maximizing volunteers in your organization starts with having a good plan and executing it well. This workshop will allow you to explore concepts and discuss efficient ways to maximize volunteer engagement within your organization. Be prepared to share what practices work for you, bring challenging questions and we will discuss opportunities to bring community to your work!

5 9:15 AM 10:30 AM FARMERS MARKET BOOKKEEPING BEST PRACTICES Led by: Sheri Muntean This program will go over best practices for bookkeeping software, charts-of-accounts, and financial reporting. It will also provide best practices and tools for tracking of the multiple currencies used by Farmers Markets: debit and credit card transactions, EBT transactions, and incentives tracking. There will also be a Q&A session for market specific concerns to be addressed. 1:45 PM 3:00 PM ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF SETTING UP SNAP AT YOUR MARKET OR FARM Led by: Suzanne Briggs This interactive workshop will dive into the challenges and barriers of setting up SNAP and ways to address them. If you operate a farmers market or are a farmer who has thought about becoming authorized to accept EBT cards and feel overwhelmed by the details, logistics or confused about the cost of doing it, this workshop is for you! Come learn about a variety of tools to help implement a successful EBT program and new equipment funding options available in :45 PM - 5:00 PM CONFLICT AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION: GOOD POLICIES PREVENT AND EFFECTIVE TOOLS HELP RESOLVE THEM Led by: Jill Quanstrom, Jodie Buller, Chris Curtis & Terry Teale Establishing good policies and understanding the roles and expectations of board members and managers can help you avoid conflicts. There are also tools and dispute resolution strategies that can help you resolve them if they occur. POLICY AND ADVOCACY FOR FARMS AND MARKETS WORKSHOPS 10:45 AM 12:00 PM MOVING FORWARD WITH THE FARMERS MARKET INTEGRITY PROJECT Led by: Colleen Donovan How do we best ensure the integrity of our farmers markets? While a few other states have governmentrun certification programs, there is no one set answer. An advisory team of market managers, farmers, WSFMA, WSDA and WSU has been wrestling with the question of what kind of program would work best to build farmers market vendor integrity and ensure public trust in Washington State s farmers markets? This work is funded by a grant to WSU from the USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program. This workshop will seek your thoughts on updates on current plans, a final common vendor application, and hopes to pilot the program in :45 AM 12:00 PM THE FINE ART OF ADDING CRAFTSPEOPLE TO A FARMERS MARKET Led by: David Dickinson Basic practices for successfully incorporating craft booths into a farmers market will be discussed, including key considerations and alternative approaches. 1:45 PM 3:00 PM DOING BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON STATE: WHAT EVERY FARMERS MARKET MANAGER AND BOARD NEEDS TO KNOW Led by: Madhu Singh Regardless of the size and legal structure of your farmers market, it is still a business operation. There are many different permits, taxes and licenses that local, state and federal agencies expect your market to have. This overview workshop will highlight what you need to be aware of when operating a farmers market. This workshop is good for farmers, market managers and board members, or anyone operating a small business in Washington State.

6 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM WHAT'S NEW IN PRODUCE SAFETY? LOTS! Led by: Tricia Kovacs & Karen Ullmann Food safety continues to be a hot topic in farmers markets due to worker safety, consumer health, risk management, and customer concerns. Join WSDA's Small Farm Direct Marketing and Farm to School team to learn what's in the new FDA Produce Safety rules, how you can prepare to meet the mandatory standards, along with details of exemption and timelines. Learn how WSDA's Bridging the GAPs project will help growers with food safety planning, FDA rules, and the voluntary Good Agricultural Practices certification process. Plus, Tricia and Karen will answer your food safety and regulatory questions from the Question Box! ALL TRACKS 5:15 PM 6:30 PM CROWD SOURCED GENERAL SESSION Led by: Caleb Johns This is a session 100% chosen by the conference attendees. Throughout the conference we will have an idea board at registration available for attendees to post topics they want discussed. In this session, we will have a broad range of ideas touched upon by the experts. You won t want to miss it! LOCAL PRODUCER TOURS 9:30AM 10:15 AM & 2:00PM 2:45PM KIRSOP FARM Led by: Genine Bradwin Tours will take place at our home site at 6136 Kirsop Rd. SW, Tumwater, WA Easy Directions from I-5, take Trosper Road Black Lake Exit, go west about two miles, then left on Kirsop, make a sharp right to remain on Kirsop, then go through s curves, farm is on the left. Genine will lead the tours of the original Kirsop Farm site, giving an overview of the farm as it is now and how it started. We will be able to see the start house where we grow our transplants and micro greens, two compost systems we use, our barn and some feed mill equipment, the mushroom grow house, our walk in cooler and pack shed. Most of our crops are grown in other locations these days, but we do still operate out of this main farm location. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6 TH WORKSHOPS 9:00 AM 10:00 AM WSFMA MEMBERS ANNUAL MEETING Led by: WSFMA Board Members 10:15 AM 11:15 AM GENERAL SESSION Led by: More to Come