Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Fresh Facts
Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

President’s Message……A Year in Review

This March completes our second year of the four year Pick Ontario Freshness Initiative. Your
Board has been active in investing $200,000 in the following 5 key areas: increased consumer Newsletter #256
awareness, skills development and tech transfer, increased number of farmers who are selling March 2010
directly to the consumer, a vibrant direct farm marketing industry, and research. Before this initia- Volume 25, Number 3
tive, as a Board we decided our priorities were to focus on our members and their skills develop-
ment – teaching farmers to be the best marketers. With the Pick Ontario Freshness Initiative we
have been able to not only offer more skill development but dramatically tell consumers how to
get fresh.
Here is your OFFMA Year in Review: Inside this issue:
March 2009 - Susan Sweeney’s Web Site Report Card Workshop
Members News 2
April - Several First Aid Courses are set up across the province
May - Nathan Phillips Square and Metro Hall Farmers’ markets start another season. Business Develop- 4
ment Funding Pro-
- we secured the back cover of Harvest Ontario gram
June - OFFMA’s website gets a face list. It is now more consumer friendly, from the Views from the Front 5
‘Find a farm’ feature to the virtual barn to the recipes while keeping all the of the Room
resources for farmers. The web site was launched with much fanfare at Queen’s
Park in June 2009. The Financial Post ran an article and the web was all a twitter What’s Your Produc- 6
tion Plan?
with the news about the new site.
- $15,000 worth of aggressive ad campaigns with the weather network Local Foods Curricu- 7
to ‘Find a Farm’. lum

July - A summer student was hired and 20 years worth of bus tour photos were Upcoming events 8
scanned and sorted by the bus tour year and category; like lighting, produce
displays, bakery displays, signs, etc. This CD is available for purchase from
OFFMA, check annual Product Sales Catalogue.
August - Networking picnic took place at Mapleton’s Organic Farm in Moorefield
where we ate ice cream, played a round of farmer’s golf, saw a CSA in action
and networked with approximately 30 direct farm marketers.
- ERS starts OFFMA members survey.
September - $15,000 worth of aggressive ad campaigns with the weather network to
‘Find a Farm’.
October - First consumer e-newsletter sent out
November - Bus tour to Eastern Ontario and Quebec which gave us the opportunity to visit
many of our OFFMA members in the region– great tour!
- Royal Winter Fair— ‘Ask a Farmer’ booth in Journey to Your Good Health,
opportunity to market your farm and our new OFFMA puppet show debuting in
the Tim Horton’s Ag-tivity Centre. If you missed the show join us this summer at
our networking picnic at Whitty‘s Farm on Tuesday, August 10th. Mark Henry
from Fields on West Lake also had the privilege of meeting Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall. Rumour has it that the Duchess asked that her route through the Royal
be adjusted so that she could stop at OFFMA’s ‘Ask a Farmer’ booth and talk to
a real farmer.
- Congratulations to the many OFFMA members who won awards at the Royal:
Brantwood Farm River’s Edge Goat Dairy Campbell’s Orchard
Cont’d on page 3
Page 2 Fresh Facts

MEMBERSHIP NEWS New Members

Welcome to the following farms, be
2010 memberships fees sure to get involved to get the most
are now overdue out of your membership.

If we have not received your membership Kar-Dean Farms

fees in the OFFMA office there will be a yel- Karen Campbell-Hill & Dean High
low reminder attached to this newsletter. Vineland Station, ON 905-562-
To avoid disruption to your membership, 4394
please send payment immediately.
Svetec Farms
Paul & Jenny Svetec
Banquet Recognitions and Thank You’s Hampton, ON 905-263-4655
On Tuesday, February 23rd, many OFFMA
members enjoyed each others’ company with a Telford Farm
fine meal provided by the Niagara Gourmet at Tom & Larissa Telford
Caroline Cellars, a lovely, newly renovated lo- Orono, ON 905-983-6468
cation in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Brian Hugli was an excellent MC trying to be Round the Bend Farm
Brian & Sue Feddema
all inclusive with his jokes and stories.
Kettleby, ON 905-727-0023
Darling Insurance provided funds for the
shuttle bus that ran very punctually from both Kustermans Berry Farm
hotel locations. Steve Kustermans
Many thanks to everyone who participated and Mount Brydges, ON 519-264-9199
added to the festivities.
Our annual banquet is another opportunity to Munro’s Country Garden
get together with members and share a meal Ron Munro
while you discuss successes and challenges re- Grand Valley, ON 519-928-3173
lated to our industry. Looking forward to see-
Raymont Berries
ing everyone at this event next year.
Brad & Terri Raymont
Cottam, ON 519-839-5422
Classifieds
FOR SALE:
1.Upright glass door freezer - UniversalNolan 35"x51"x80" - 19th Ave. Farmers’ Market
lighted. Ligia DeFilippis
2. Retail Cooler - Beverage Air - 3 door-lighted, 32" wide x75" Markham, ON 905-887-8954
long x 78" high.
3. Galvinized rolling carts,(2), adjustable, 5 racks/cart, 60"
long x 21" wide.
Speers Farms Amaranth
4.Stainless steel double sink with veggie spray sink, 120"long Wayne Speers
x 31" wide. Orangeville, ON 519-941-2708
Contact Joe Lindley at [email protected] or
call 905-304-0195 Barry’s Gardens
WANTED:
1.Reasonably priced egg cartons. 2. Bulk or whole-
David Barry
sale maple syrup suppliers. Contact Sara at Roze- Zephyr, ON 905-473-1249
[email protected]
WANTED: WaterHall Farm
Champagne bottles, approximately 300-350 in quan- Jill Flechl
tity and 187-200ml in size. Contact: Garry Geissber-
ger at [email protected]
Dundas, ON 905-659-0958
 Newsletter #256 Page 3

News from the field: Congratulations

Cameron Rundle and Sharon Knight sent
a note to the office recently indicated that to
they have retired from farming. Hopefully Chris & Christy Hiemstra
they don’t think that means they can sleep in
and have relaxing afternoon naps. Most retir- from Clovermead Apiaries
ees are busier than ever. They were named OFFMA’s
All the best for the next phase of your lives. Farm Marketers of the Year
Bob and Donna Cobbledick may have been
at the Awards Banquet in Febru-
spending too much time praying for more ary. Stay tuned for a complete
grandchildren. Well, their prayers have been story about their operation in the
answered. Their daughter, Cheryl, is expect- April newsletter.
ing triplets to join the son she had a few years
ago. Not to be totally left out, their other
daughter, Laura, is also expecting her first ATTENTION MEMBERS:
child at the end of the month. The Cobble- OFFMA will once again be participating
dicks couldn’t be happier, we’ll check in with at the Cottage Life Show on March 26-
them in a few months and see how things are 28, 2010 at the International Centre in
going. Toronto. If you have brochures you
would like us to distribute at the show,
Pick up a copy of the April/May issue of please send them to the OFFMA office
Country Woman and check out the article ASAP. Last year we had a lot of interest
about OFFMA members Randy and Keri from show attendees looking to visit a
Graham from Edgar Farms in Alberta. Nice farm.
story.
Congratulations to Bob and Mary Jakeman
of
Jakeman’s Maple Products
This March marks their 135th year of continuous
maple syrup production. What a fabulous accomplishment!

President’s Message—con’t from page 1

White Meadows Farm Dickey Bee Honey Willow Grove Farms
Moore Orchards
If I‘ve missed your farm please e-mail me so we can recognize your farm in the next month’s newsletter.
December - Held 2 regional farm fresh meetings—one in Kingston and one in Guelph
February - Workshop with John Stanley—Innovative Merchandising and Displays to Increase your Bottom
Line
- Farm Marketer of the Year awarded to Clovermead Apiaries at our Banquet…..Congratulations!
- OFVC Direct Farm Marketing Session
A special thank you to Gary Johnson, our membership champion and marketing assistant, who has attended numer-
ous events to promote OFFMA to potential members and potential consumers as well as many behind the scene jobs.
A special thank you to the board for their countless hours in meetings, special committees, and giving of their time
away from their own farms to help our industry prosper.
And finally to our dedicated executive director, Cathy, for holding us all together, writing newsletters, managing Nathan
Philips Square and Metro Hall, organizing countless events and keeping OFFMA’s vision alive.
Be sure to watch the newsletter and your e-mails for upcoming programs that you can take advantage of to improve
your business. Wishing you all a prosperous 2010 season!
Page 4 Fresh Facts

Business Development for Farm Businesses:

A customized program just for you
By Adrienne de Shutter, Business Development Skills & Training Advisor, OMAFRA
What makes a program successful? In the context of you may choose the Agriculture Skills Development
the Business Development for Farm Businesses pro- (ASD) cost-share option under which you can receive
gram, it’s one that helps each producer meet his individ- up to 50 per cent towards tuition, travel and textbooks
ual farm business goals. for eligible farm related training. A few recent examples
The Growing Forward Business Development for Farm of well received learning opportunities include; the Inno-
Businesses program incorporates self-assessment and vative Merchandising and Displays to Increase Your
action plan development with a range of cost-share Bottom Line workshop offered by OFFMA, the Market
advisory services and skills development opportunities. Garden Crop Rotation course offered by EFAO, Grower
Growing Your Farm Profits workshops are the entry Pesticide Safety Course offered by OPEP and FCC’s
point to the Business Development for Farm Business Estate Planning course.
program. Set in a relaxed atmosphere where personal Advanced Business Planning services provide cost-
and financial details are not required to be shared, the share funds to work with a consultant to build an Ad-
workshop teaches you how to do a self-assessment of vanced Business Plan that focuses on business man-
your business. Identifying your business strengths and agement goals. To help you reach those goals, there is
planning needs will allow you to take the next steps: the Business Plan Implementation cost-share program.
developing an Action Plan and receiving sign-off from As an eligible farm business, you can participate in one
your GYFP workshop leader. or many cost-share funding opportunities – the choice is
Each farm business is unique and once you set your yours!
goals in your Action Plan and receive sign-off, you can Success in business is affected by many factors. As
decide what cost-share opportunity is right for you. Will part of the commitment by Canada’s federal, provincial
it be Farm Financial Assessment? Under this option, and territorial governments under Growing Forward, the
cost-share is provided to hire a Farm Financial Advisor Business Development for Farm Businesses program,
who will work with you to complete an assessment that developed by OMAFRA, delivered by the OSCIA, can
will identify choices that you can make to reach your equip you with innovative tools that can help you be
profitability goals. competitive in your business. To get started, visit
If your Action Plan identified a specific skill requirement, www.ontariosoilcrop.org and sign up for a Growing Your
Farm Profits Workshop in your area today!
 Newsletter #256 Page 5

Views from the Front of the Room

By Niki Hilton, Springridge Farm
John Stanley was the ultimate “tipster” when Stanley, the sales cycle is a thing of the
he presented a workshop on innovative mer- past. Now, creating a buyers’ journey is im-
chandising and displays at an event coordi- portant. Retailers need to find ways to help
nated by OFFMA last month. The daylong buyers make decisions. In addition, advertis-
seminar kicked off the Ontario Fruit and ing in the Yellow Pages or national newspa-
Vegetable Convention at Brock University in pers is no longer relevant. Stanley says the
St. Catharines. radio and on-line media can market your
business with a better sense of what’s going
Stanley, one of the most sought after retail on right now.
speakers in the world, engaged the audience
of over 100 on-farm marketers with informa- Every farm that registered for this workshop
tion on the latest trends and tips of the trade.
will also be getting a CD with an audio re-
Here’s some farmer’s food for thought from cording of the entire presentation. It will be a
the workshop: great training tool for those members of your
team that were unable to make it to the work-
As Stanley puts it, the farmer is the hero in shop. Also a wonderful review for every who
the story of your business. Signage is one
marketing technique that can promote the was able to attend the workshop.
hero. Stanley says if on-farm markets don’t The CD’s will be included with the April news-
start telling their own stories through signage, letter.
supermarkets will. If you did not attend the workshop you can
also purchase the CD’s from the OFFMA of-
Stanley asks marketers to consider how their
image is being projected before a customer fice.
arrives, if the front of their business is clean
and professional and whether the first display At the conclusion of the workshop, Stanley
is getting the right message across about encouraged everyone to expand their busi-
their business. He also says the first em- nesses through neighbour-to-neighbour
ployee a customer meets acts as the ambas- marketing. Farm markets have the opportu-
sador for the whole staff. nity to focus on localization. He advised
building community relationships, especially
When displaying items, cross merchandising with people who will help promote your busi-
can increase sales by 80%. Stanley suggests ness by word of mouth.
that putting a story together through merchan-
dise will give sales a boost. Retailers should Stanley inspired the audience to dare to be
strive to provide customers with ideas on how different. His enthusiastic presentation pro-
and where certain products can be used. vided new information and certainly helped
generate many ideas for the upcoming sea-
The industry is changing. According to son.
Niki Hilton works for Springridge Farm but also
has training in journalism and loves to write. You
John Stanley has also started offer- may remember her first article entitled “The View
ing webinars. A mini tutorial you can from the Front of the Bus”, outlining the experi-
watch with your team at your loca- ences she had on her first OFFMA bus tour.
tion. No travel, no weather issues, no Thank you, Niki for sharing your view on your first
need for food or accommodations. John Stanley workshop.
Just tune in at the pre-designated
time and participate. First one is Start by doing what is necessary,
scheduled for March 24th at 8:00am. then do what is possible and
A flyer outlining the complete webi-
nar offer is enclosed with this news- suddenly you are doing the impossible.
letter. -St. Francis of Assisi
Page 6 Fresh Facts

What is your Production Plan?

By Dorene Collins, Marketing and Customer Service Program Lead with OMAFRA

Spring is on its way and many OFFMA mem-  Look for ways to create greater value or
bers are turning their attention to getting out in the same value at less cost. Eliminate the
the fields and planting this year’s crops. Last steps (and their costs) that do not create true
month I introduced the importance of a busi- end value.
ness plan and reviewed the marketing plan
3. Adoption of Technology:
component. This month I will focus on the pro-
duction side of a business plan.  Watch for innovative trends
Many producers tell me this is the part of the  Test the technology on your farm in ways
business they enjoy the most – the “fun” part of that reduce the cost risk
farming – producing or growing a product. The  Always try something different each year
Growing Your Farm Profits – Planning for Busi- (usually on a small scale)
ness Success workshop series reviews the
importance of a viable production system
 Weigh all the costs and benefits
which consists of four key components: Adopt the technology in a way that gives the
most advantage to the farm
1. Record, Measure and Compare: 4. Balancing Production Excellence with
other Business Needs:
 Decide what the key information is that
would help you make the best decisions re-
 Create time for personal, family and com-
garding yields, cost of production and margins munity activities. Create time to manage the
other aspects of the business such as market-
 Set up a record keeping system that pro- ing, financial, human resources, business
vides this key information in an accurate and direction, and structure.
timely way
 Compare (benchmark) your records with In summary it is important to have a produc-
previous years to track improvements within tion system that is as organized as possible.
your operation. Where possible, compare The information contained in this article is
(benchmark) your operation with other similar from The Growing Your Farm Profits – Plan-
farm operations to look for areas to improve ning for Business Success Workshop manual
your production system. which is part of The Growing Forward – Best
2. Focus on Production Activities that Practices Suite – Business Development for
Capture the Value Your Customers will pay Farm Businesses. For details regarding a
for: workshop near you visit:
 Make a list of what your customer values in http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/en/programs/
gyfp09.htm
the products or services the farm produces
Helpful Resources:
 Make a list of the steps in your production http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/
system gyfp/production.html
 Identify how each step contributes to what http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/
the customer values production.html

Marketing Tip #4
Diversify your enterprises and your market
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If weather, pests or a collapsed market wipe out
one crop, you’ve got others to rely on. Another advantage of diversity is that once you’ve
established connections with buyers, increasing the variety you offer them is a good way
to increase the overall volume they accept from you. But there’s a tradeoff: you may
have to learn new production technologies, buy new equipment and develop new mar-
kets. Diversifying markets can be simpler and more lucrative than diversifying produc-
tion. Adding a restaurant to your buyer list, going organic, or developing ‘value-added’
products such as soybean snacks are examples of diversifying your markets without
changing what you produce.
Excerpted with permission from “Sell What You Sow! The Grower’s Guide to Successful Produce Marketing”,
by Eric Gibson, available at nwpub.net
 Newsletter #256 Page 7

Local Foods: Connecting to the Ontario School Curriculum

By Jan Robertson, Marketing & Communications Manager at OAFE
Healthy eating initiatives in schools and revi- creases their understanding and
sions to the Ontario Ministry of Education cur- awareness of the many benefits of
riculum have provided many opportunities to choosing nutritious, local foods as it
integrate agriculture, food production, local impacts health, economy and environ-
foods and nutrition into classroom lessons ment. Family or school visits to local
and activities. farms, farmers’ markets, fall fairs and
supermarkets further enhance the
Since 1991, Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. learning experiences for students.
(OAFE) has been providing Ontario educators
with the tools to teach students from Kinder- OAFE resources also include a variety of
garten through Grade 12 about Ontario agri- interactive and visual learning materials
culture using objective, factual, curriculum- using current technology to help students
linked resources. Working in partnership, and learn and understand agriculture and food
with support from, agri-food organizations and in a fun and interactive way. Podcasts,
businesses, OAFE has developed these re- video clips, and interactive games can be
sources to enable teachers to deliver accurate downloaded from the OAFE website
information about food production practices, www.oafe.org and used in the classroom by
Ontario grown food products, reading and un- both teachers and students. Trivia quizzes,
derstanding food labels and exploring food games, crafts and other activities can be
from field to table. found at OAFE’s website for children,
www.farmsfoodfun.com.
Print resources such as “Home Grown Agricul-
ture”, “Nutritious and Delicious – Fruits & Explore our websites to learn more about
Vegetables”, “Buy From a Farmer, Buy From Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc., the vari-
Your Neighbour”, “All About Food: Agri-Food ety of educational resources available, and
Facts”, “Food to Your Good Health” and the benefits of membership to support
“Labelling Literacy” introduce students to the learning about local agriculture and food
variety of locally available foods, and in- production.
 Page 8 Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
March 23 Marketing Caravan, Guelph, Contact: Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278
March 25 Marketing Caravan, Kingston, Contact: Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278
March 29 Local Food Connection: Farmer/Food Buyer Networking Event, London
Hunt and Country Club, London ON, For more info visit the London
Economic Development Corporation at www.ledc.com/newsevents/events/

Ontario Farm Fresh April tbd Food Handlers’ Certification Course—details to follow next month

Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director April 13 & 14 Beyond the City Lights, Smith & Wilson Winery, Blenheim, ON
2002 Vandorf Rd. Contact: Chatham Kent Tourism, 1-800-561-6125
Aurora, ON L4G 7B9
Phone: 905-841-9278 April 28 Beyond the City Lights, Brooklea Golf and Country Club, Midland, ON
Fax: 905-726-3369 Contact: South Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce, 705-526-7884
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ontariofarmfresh.com
Nov. 7-9 Bus Tour in Central Ontario, contact Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278

2010-11 OFFMA Board of Directors

April 4-7, 2011 Bus Tour to UK, contact Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278

Amy Strom, President

Strom’s Farm Jane Eckert Consultations Peer Networking Groups
Jesse Lauzon, Vice President
Springridge Farm OFFMA is planning on bringing Jane Eckert Many of you are already taking advan-
Mark Saunders, Past President back to do one-on-one consultations again tage of the many great networking op-
Saunders Farm this summer. We are looking at the 3rd or portunities available at OFFMA. How-
Paul Brooks, Brooks Farms 4th week of August. If you are interested in ever, given the large number of new
Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider
Anne Just, Kurtz Orchards this opportunity, let the office know. members, the Board thought it would be
Marg Land, Annex Publishing Jane is particularly interested in working helpful to have a more structured net-
(Associate Member) with small or start up businesses who are working opportunity. These groups will
Colleen Pingle, Pingle’s Farm Market looking for some guidance and suggestions be based on interests such as a on-farm
Geri Rounds, Rounds Ranch
Steve Smith, Smith’s Apples on how they can increase their revenue. In- bakery or school tours or birthday par-
Dorene Collins, OMAFRA vestment cost for this opportunity is $300 ties. More details will be available in the
(Advisor to the Board) per farm. April newsletter.

Come Sink your Teeth In!

Spring/Summer Semester, 2010
(May 14th- August 20th)
Sustainable Local Food Certificate at St. Lawrence College

Are you interested in learning about the global food system? Thinking about how and what means ‘local,
sustainable’ food? Conducting community research in your region?
Learning from instructors based throughout Canada? Brainstorming strategies for change with other stu-
dents across the country?
St. Lawrence College has launched a number of courses in our exciting distance education certificate.
This Spring Semester, try one of our newest online courses:
CSSL 29 Understanding Sustainable Agriculture: Principles and Practices
CSSL 30 Urban Agriculture, Community Gardens and Food Secure Cities
CSSL 31 Between Farm and Table: Local Food Businesses and Co-operatives

Or one of our old favourites:

CSSL 26 Field to Fork: Introduction to Local and Global Food Systems

CSSL 33 Food System Policy and Trends
Visit the website: http://www.sl.on.ca/parttime/OnlineCredit-SustFood.htm
Or contact SLF Certificate coordinator Melissa Benner at: [email protected]
*** CSSL 29, 31, 26 and 33 are eligible for cost-share funding through the Growing Forward Business Development for
Farm Businesses program in Ontario.