2016-17 Baskets to Pallets Farmer Trainings
Farmer Buyer Mixer, Brown’s Brewing, Troy, NY
March 6th, 2017. 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Farmers that complete either a Baskets to Pallets trainings or a FINYS training will be invited to meet wholesale buyers at a Farmer-Buyer Mixer at Revolution Hall (Brown’s Brewery) in Troy, NY on March 6th from 3:00pm – 6:00pm. The Mixer will provide a structured space for farmers to begin making new business connections and create sales opportunities. Buyers present will include distributors, institutions, groceries, online marketplaces, food hubs, cooperatives and restaurants. The Mixer is free and complementary appetizers featuring local food will be provided. Co-hosted by Farm to Institution NYS (FINYS). More details to be released.
Baskets or Pallets: Scaling up to meet your market channel.
March 1, March 22, April 5, and April 26, 2017; 6:30-8:30 PM
Pioneer High School Cafeteria, 12125 County Line Rd Yorkshire, NY
The Baskets or Pallets course is designed for farmers of all enterprises, beginners or seasoned producers and will cover building relationships with buyers, customer management and record keeping, pricing, grading and packaging, uniformity and consistency, and food safety, among many other topics! This fun course includes plenty of hands-on activities and opportunities for peer learning and small group discussion. Also included is a series of 6 field trips will be offered for more hands on learning concerning carcass evaluation and meat cutting, navigating sales through produce auction, packing & grading vegetables, high tunnel production, urban farming, and value added agricultural products.
Fee: $75 per farm. Includes resource materials, up to 3 attendees per farm and allows participation in the evening workshop series and any or all of the field days of interest.
Priority for spots will be given to active or retired military veterans in Western New York. Stipends are available to cover cost of registration for all veterans, to apply contact Lynn Bliven (585) 268-7644 ext. 18 for an application.
For more information or to register please contact: Lynn Bliven, CCE Allegany County (585) 268-7644 ext. 18, lao3@cornell.edu
Are You a Farmer Seeking New Markets? Start Selling to Food Hubs, Groceries, Restaurants and Cooperatives
Two day course will prepare farmers of all enterprises to successfully launch new business relationships
Note: This course has been rescheduled for January 31st and February 7th due to hazardous weather.
Are you looking to diversify sales beyond the farmers market, CSA and farm stand? Food hubs, grocery stores, restaurants and cooperatives are looking for your products to meet growing consumer demand for local and sustainably-grown food. Yet, doing successful business with wholesale buyers requires planning and preparation. Ensure your success by joining us for ‘Baskets to Pallets’, a comprehensive two day introduction to selling wholesale. The course will take place on Tuesday, January 31st and Tuesday, February 7th from 10:00am – 4:00pm at Templeton Hall in historic Cooperstown, NY. The ‘Baskets to Pallets’ course is designed for farmers of all enterprises and will cover building relationships with buyers, customer management and record keeping, pricing, grading and packaging, uniformity and consistency, and food safety, among many other topics! This fun course includes plenty of hands-on activities and opportunities for peer learning and small group discussion. The course includes one break-out session for livestock and produce farmers.
The cost of the ‘Baskets to Pallets’ course is $35.00 which enables 2 people per farm to attend. The fee also includes breakfast refreshments and a delicious locally sourced lunch each day. Lodging has been reserved at the Inn at Cooperstown (one block from Templeton Hall) at a discounted rate of $105.00 plus tax per room. To take advantage of this special rate, reserve your room by December 23rd.
Farmers that complete the two day course will be invited to meet wholesale buyers at a Farmer-Buyer Mixer at Brown’s Brewery in Troy, New York on March 6th from 3:00pm – 5:00pm. The Mixer will provide a structured space for farmers to begin making new business connections and sales opportunities. The Mixer is free and complementary appetizers will be provided.
Space is limited to 50 participants and early registration is encouraged. Visit https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/wholesale for a detailed description of course topics and instructors. The ‘Baskets to Pallets’ course is co-hosted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties and the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE), and funded via Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
RESOURCES FROM THE TRAINING
Day 1:
- Introduction and Marketing Trends Overview | Download
- Uniformity, Consistency and Scheduling of Vegetable Crops | Download
- Recordkeeping | Download
Day 2:
- Introduction to Wholesale | Download
- Building Relationships with Buyers | Download
- Inform Your Buyer, Build Your Brand & Recordkeeping | Download
- Basic Financials | Download
Disenchanted with Direct-Marketing? Start Selling to Bigger Markets
January 21st, 2017. NOFA NY Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY
Tired of selling carrots a bunch at a time? Selling wholesale has advantages, but it requires totally different marketing strategies. In this intensive workshop, producers of all enterprises will learn how to market product to wholesale buyers, particularly food hubs, groceries, restaurants and cooperatives. Through a series of games, activities and presentations, producers will learn how to identify wholesale buyers, draft an elevator speech, practice cold-calling, develop sell sheets, and get websites ready for bulk sales. Participants that complete the 3 hour intensive will be invited to meet wholesale buyers during a Farmer Buyer Mixers on March 6th, 2017 in Troy, NY to start meeting buyers and making new sales. (See below for more info). The NOFA NY conference registration is now open. For more information contact Project Coordinator Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or vws7@cornell.edu.
RESOURCES FROM THE TRAINING
Sell Sheet Compilation | Download
Produce Safety, Audits & Regulations. A Few Short Question and Answers to Help Fruit and Vegetable Growers | Download
