Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

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

A word from the President Newsletter #321

April 2017
Volume 33, Number 3
Cathy suggested that I spend some time in this first article to tell you a bit about
myself and our business. My brothers and I are privileged to be the seventh gen-
eration to live and farm on our land just north of Waterloo. 2020 will mark the
200th year that our family has resided here. In 1970 my father planted a few ap-
ple trees and that was the start of what is known today as Martins Family Fruit Inside this issue:
Farm.
The small orchard market on our farm here represents only a very small part of Membership News 2
our business but it is the part that I oversee. As a company, we recognize its im- Happy Birthday 3
portance as it helps us to stay in touch with the consumer. We see this as help- Canada

ing us serve our corporate customers better. OFFMA Survey 4

ResultsPart 4 of 5
We did a small expansion of the market in 2007 and it was then that we became
members of OFFMA. Since then my wife Rosemary and I have had the privilege OFFMA s Award 6
Winners
of taking numerous bus tours as well as attending countless other OFFMA
events. We have learned to appreciate the OFFMA family very much and many What does Agri- 8
tourism look like in
of you have taught us things that have been invaluable to our success. Vietnam and Thai-
It is a great honour to have been voted by the Board of Directors to serve as land?
your President. I will rely heavily on Leslie in her role as Past President. As a Influencing Cus- 11
Board, we want you to feel open with presenting your ideas and concerns to us. tomers with Your
Displays
It is your organization and your help and suggestions are appreciated.
I want to thank Brian Hugli (Huglis Blueberry Ranch) and Hollis English Upcoming 12
Events
(Murphys Farm Market & Bakery) for their years of service on the Board. They
will be missed.
Also I want to welcome Colleen McKay (Your Farm Market), Jordan McKay
(Willowtree Farm Market), and Erin McLean (McLean Berry Farm) as new mem-
bers to the Board. We look forward to making use of their talents and experi-
ence.
Finally I want to remind you that 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of our
wonderful country. OFFMA is encouraging our members to find creative
ways to help your customers celebrate this very special milestone. Look for
further OFFMA suggestions and/or please share any creative ideas you
have for the rest of us.
With spring on the horizon I want to wish all of you the best as you prepare
your farms for another busy and successful season.

Steve Martin
OFFMA President
Page 2 Fresh Facts

www.allsortsacre.ca
MEMBERSHIP NEWS Jennifer believes that each species
Classifieds they have on their farm must perform
FOR SALE more than one function. So the sheep
not only provide lambs, but wool, and
Gourmet, all natural locally produced
milk for delicious sheep milk ice
ice pops and freezies available for
cream. The ducks provide eggs, meat,
wholesale. www.popstandtoronto.com
and ducklings. All Sorts Acre offers
Please contact Kari at
handcrafted small batch sheep milk
[email protected] for more ice cream, pastured lamb and duck,
information. wool and duck eggs.
Welcome to our new members, so glad
you found us. Looking forward to getting Brad Kurtz
to know you and your business a whole Bamford Family Farms
lot better this year. Clarksburg, ON 437-992-7089
www.bamfordfamilyfarms.com
Kelsey Banks Bamford Family Farms are growers of
Laurel Lea Farmers multiple apple varieties and use only
Amaranth, ON 519-362-2767 the latest growing and harvesting tech-
Facebook: Laurel Lea Farms nology. The Bamford Family prides
Laurel Lea Farms offer multiple pumpkin themselves on continuously improving
varieties and sizes, small square straw their products and delivering the high-
bales, Indian corn, sunflowers and more est quality fruit directly to their cus-
by request. In October 2017, they are tomer.
opening their farm gate for harvesting
pumpkins. Judie Zajac
AE Natural Meats
Chris & Robyn Wallace Mount Albert, ON 905-955-5749
Maple Grove Farm www.aenaturalmeats.com
Mulmur, ON 705-435-6195 Facebook: ae breeding farm
www.maplegrovefarm.ca AE Natural Meats is a family run
Maple Grove Farm is family owned and farm whose main purpose is to raise
operated, with three generations in- their livestock in the way nature in-
volved. They produce maple syrup, sea- tended. They are allowed to grow
sonal fruits and vegetables, farm raised and flourish in a stress free atmos-
beef and pork, and farm fresh eggs. They phere without the help of antibiotics
also offer a corn maze, U-Pick strawber- and hormones.
ries and raspberries.
ASSOCIATE MEMBER
Paul Henrie
Orlans Fruit Farm Ranjani Munasinghe
Orlans, ON 613-830-1303 Kurundu Ltd.
www.orleansfruitfarm.ca Toronto, ON 416-626-0205
At Orlans Fruit Farm, they grow a broad www.ceyloncinnamon.ca
cross-section of fruits and vegetables Kurundu is Cinnamon in Sinhalese, one
that include asparagus, beans, beets, of the languages of Sri Lanka. Ceylon
carrots, corn, lettuce, melons, and the cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka, is a su-
list goes on. The also offer pick your own per spice with a variety of health bene-
in apples, raspberries, and strawberries. fits. Kurundu offers high quality Ceylon
cinnamon, the true cinnamon, as well
Jennifer Osborn as a variety of other spices, to those
All Sorts Acre who seek to add a little spice to their
Ayton, ON 226-203-2273 lives.
 Newsletter #321 Page 3

Happy Birthday CANADA

18672017
Our great nation turns 150 years old together and promoting our list of
this year. Farms and agriculture have 150 Things to do on a farm.
played an important role in Canadas B. We are also planning to fea-
history right from the beginning. Many ture stories of our membership in
parts of Canada were settled because of 150 word segments. If you have a
the farm land that was available and the story you would like to share,
crops that could be produced. please send to the OFFMA of ice.
PRODUCTS C. We will be encouraging as
OFFMA will be celebrating this mile- many people as possible to spend Canada Day on a
stone by promoting the logo that has farm. After all Get Fresh Visit a Farm, is a wonder-
been created combining the sesquiten- ful way to comemmorate our forefathers.
nial and OFFMA logos. OFFMA has D. Lastly we will be investigating the addition of an
printed stickers and tattoos of this logo. events calendar on the OFFMA website, so that mem-
A maximum of 200, are available to the bers can post the great events that will be happening
membership for the cost of shipping. on their farms this year and customers can easily sort
Samples have been included in this for activities near their home or cottage.
newsletter. Contact the OFFMA of ice if Ottawa is going to great lengths to make this year
you would like to distribute some to special and to have all Canadians celebrating this
your customers. birthday. The media will be looking for Canada150
ACTIVITIES stories. Make sure your farm is not left out...start
A. OFFMA will also be putting planning now.
Page 4 Fresh Facts

OFFMA Survey Results Part 4 of 5

Economic Impacts
By Suzanne Ainley

Following on from the last article, could be roughly estimated that gross
where highlights on farm visitors were payroll for all employees on OFFMA
given, it appears the number of visi- farms being in the range of $6.5-$7 mil-
tors has been increasing from 2005 to lion.
2015. The spending by visitors is only Unfortunately questions included in the
one aspect of the economic impact online survey on types of employees
made by DFM businesses and OFF- only asked respondents if they had var-
MA farm members. DFM businesses ious types of employees working on
provide employment, which is another their farm in 2015 and not the actual
indicator; as is looking at total gross number of employees by type. The in-
farm sales. Rather than relying on tent of the question was to ask how
periodic, non-random sampling sur- many, not simply do you have then
veys of OFFMA members to provide a eliciting a yes or no response. A
snap-shot of farm-marketings eco- technical error when setting up the
nomic impact, perhaps avenues question in FluidSurveys did not cap-
should be investigated where ques- ture the number of employees, only if
tions would be incorporated into the the farm in 2015 had different types,
Canadian Census of Agriculture in as- which was unfortunate.
sociation with the Ontario Ministry of Moving on, in another question in the
Food and Statistics Canada. US Agri- 2016 online survey, it was determined
culture and the European Union al- that, on average, over the past three
ready have direct-farm marketing and years, of responding farms had farm
agritourism activities included in their revenue increase, while only 6 percent
census questionnaires to farm opera- thought it had decreased. Over the
tors. same period, however, expenses were
In analysis the responses to the 2016 thought to have risen, with 86 percent
online survey, it was possible to find feeling farm operating expenses had
out that the majority of farms had a increased; 50 percent felt marketing
combination of employees, by type, on costs had increased in their operations;
their farms. A couple of observations and 39 percent had increases in farm
stood out. The first observation was a debt. In addition, almost 60 percent had
total of 10 farms had a combination of made capital investments in the past
all 6 types of employees working on three years.
the farm in 2015; and the other obser- In looking at the results on the total
vation was six farms did not have any gross farm sales for 2015 (Figure 3.1),
family members involved as paid em- it illustrated that approximately 60% of
ployees in 2015 on their farms. the reporting farms had total gross farm
On average, over the past 3 years, sales in 2015 of $250,000 or more. In
half of the farms have increased their comparison, the 2005 study found half
number of employees. In addition, of farms had total gross farms sales of
about 1 in 5 increased the number of $250,000 or more; and the 2009 study
family members working on the farm. only 45 percent of farms. Further, al-
The gross payroll for all employees on most double the number of farms in the
the respondents farms in 2015 was, $500,000-$749,999 and the $1 to $2
on average, $22,752.50, with the million categories in 2016 were found in
range being from $4,000 to a maxi- comparison to the two previous OFF-
mum of $2.5 million. Based on 300 MA studies. These findings demon-
current, OFFMA farm members, it strate DFM businesses are growing
 Newsletter #321 Page 5

over the last decade.

Figure 2: Total Gross Farm Sales, 2015 (%age)

 Page 6 Fresh Facts

2017 Leadership Award

La Ferme Quinn

Phil and Stephanie Quinn have grown

their business into Montreals #1 desti-
nation on-farm market. And they have
grown right along with the business.
The Quinns have participated in count-
less bus tours and have always shared
business tips openly and freely to help
move the Direct Farm Marketing Industry
forward.
Congratulations!

Paul Brooks, Brooks Farms presenting to Phil and Stephanie

OFFMAs
2017
Quinn from La Ferme Quinn.

Awards Gala
2017 Ambassador Award
Anna Olson

Anna Olson is Canadas baking sweet-

heart, and with her positive and com-
mon sense approach in the kitchen,
she has become one of the countrys
most recognizable television chefs.
An avid promoter of the local food
movement, she practices shopping for
great local ingredients and works un-
der the motto what grows together,
goes together. Anna is now working
full time on recipe development, writ-
ing and hosting food media online and
television.

Anna Olson accepting her Ambassador Award.

 Newsletter #321 Page 7

2017 Outstanding
On-Farm Market Award
Heemans

The Heeman Family was

recognized for their amaz-
ing social media presence,
the innovative services they
offer such as plant babysit-
ting and their Berry Bean-
ery as well as the highly
successful workshops they
offer.
An award that was truly
well deserved.

Shane Van Casteren, Nicholyn Farms presents the Outstanding On-Farm Market
Award to Rudy, Florence and Will Heeman from Heemans.

2017 Food Innovation Award

Katan Kitchen

Katan Kitchen were presented the

Food innovation award for the fabu-
lous work they have done to commer-
cialized quinoa production in Ontario.
Through their work in breeding, pro-
duction practices, processing and
R&D they have an all Ontario product
that is second to none.
Quinta Quinoa is marketed through
several on-farm markets across the
province.
Congratulations on a remarkable
product.

Thank you
Darling Insurance for your
sponsorship of the Awards
Gala. You support is
Julie Kellett, Darling Insurance presents the Food Innovation Award
appreciated. to Amy Fehr from Katan Kitchens.
 Page 8 Fresh Facts

What does Agri-tourism look like in Vietnam and Thailand?

Same Same...but Different!
By Colleen McKay, Your Farm Market
UrbanDictionary.com Definition of Same tion. So how are they making agritourism
Same but Different work for them, halfway around the world?
used a lot in Thailand, especially in an They are staying authentic through their
attempt to sell something diversification, they are offering hands-on
experiences, and they are creating a unique
Through the Advanced Agricultur- story and keeping it consistent through eve-
al Leadership Program (AALP), I had the ry touch-point with their farm!
opportunity to travel with 25 classmates
Diversifying the farm is a very effec-
and 2 program facilitators to Vietnam and
tive way to increase profits and create new
Thailand in February to experience their
profit centers on the farm, as long as there
culture and observe their agriculture! At
is a consistent and authentic theme con-
first glance, our North American Agricul-
necting the new branches of the business!
ture seems vastly different from what we
Although a temple is not really a business
were seeing in Southeast Asia. However,
and definitely not a farm, when we visited
the more farms we toured and farmers we
the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple in
talked with, the more I began to realize
northern Thailand we saw something pretty
the overwhelming similarities between
unique! At the base of the 309 steps up to
their Agriculture and ours! They are strug-
the temple we found local vendors selling
gling with many of the same issues we
hot-and-ready corn on the cob, snack bags
are! And a big one that caught my atten-
of fresh cut local fruit, local souvenir stands
tion was their struggle with engaging the
with authentic crafts, and authentically
next generation and creating a desire to
dressed kids singing and selling flowers.
continue the family farm, on top of trying
Although these were unexpected at the tem-
to grow their profits to support the next
ple, they were authentic Thai and actually
generation as well as the current one. As
added to the atmosphere and overall experi-
is happening here at home, diversifying
ence! Later in the trip, we visited a tea farm
the farm offerings and creating agritour-
and plantation in Da Lat, Vietnam. It had
ism experiences on the farm is how many
recently been purchased by new owners
farmers in Southeast Asia are making
and given a vision for success! The plan
their farms profitable for the next genera-
was diversification! They were creating
new blends and selling into new mar-
kets. The tea bushes were located on
the side of a gorgeous, picturesque
hillside that was often visited by locals
and tourists, so they brought in a few
shipping containers to create both a
retail shop and a caf on the side of the
road! On top of all that, they were work-
ing to turn the old tea plant down the
road into an operational museum for
guests to watch and learn how the tea
leaves go from fresh to ready-to-steep!
To round out our farm visits, we
stopped at a small and mighty farm
outside of Bangkok, Thailand! This
farmer had upwards of 21 different
products he was either growing or pro-
ducing on his farm! He was growing
Banana, Mango and Coconut trees, on
top of a few new experimental crops
like lime trees! Although he was pro-
Floating fishing village in Halong Bay.
 Newsletter #321 Page 9

ducing crops to sell, he was also growing

trees to sell to other farmers, harvesting
the sap from coconut flowers to boil into
coconut sugar (similar to maple syrup),
selling other local products through their
small farm-gate store, offering a farm-stay,
providing a small open-air restaurant, and
rounded off with a bit of a petting zoo! This
small farmer was so excited to open his
farm to an international group and give us
an amazing tour that included harvesting
and enjoying coconuts, planting both a
coconut and banana tree, followed by a
demonstration and tasting of the coconut
sugar! It was clear to see this small farmer
was incredibly passionate about farming,
and growing his farm through diversifica-
tion! And who knows, maybe his next ven-
ture might be to offer hands-on, experien-
tial farm tours!
Offering hands-on experiences is Experiential trip to the elephant sanctuary in northern Thailand
a great way to get more traffic through
your farm, create a new profit center and impactful, hands-on experience of this trip
increase sales throughout other areas of actually came before the main trip even
your farm! One of the great hands-on ex- began! A few of my classmates and I
periences we had during our trip was at a headed to Thailand a few days ahead of
Red Cross Snake Farm! If you were there the rest of the group to visit an elephant
at the right time, you were invited to fill the sanctuary in northern Thailand. A compa-
bleachers for a live show! The handlers ny bus picked us up directly from our hotel
bring out and interact with various snakes and our tour guide briefed us on what to
as the charismatic storyteller tells the story expect and how to behave around the
of each snake. The grand finale was to elephants during our hour long drive out to
give everyone in the audience an oppor- the jungle. When we arrived at the farm,
tunity to hold and pose with a Burmese we were tasked with washing and cutting
Python! This was quite literally a hands-on the cucumbers before joining the small
experience! A little less hands-on, yet elephant herd and feeding them breakfast!
even more impactful was our tour of a fish- We spent the day walking through the
ing village in the middle of Halong Bay! jungle with them, getting to observe and
We loaded rowboats in groups of 6 for our participate in their daily routine! We were
tour of the floating village. We floated able to participate in bathing the elephants
along as observers within the village, ob- in the river, making and feeding them ele-
serving their floating houses, the dogs run- phant cookies, before finishing the day
ning along the floating docks, the grocery with a long walk back through the jungle
boat speeding between houses to bring to the bus and a quiet drive back to the
supplies, and men returning with their city. Anyone can visit a zoo and observe
boats loaded down with fish. The only elephants, but few have the opportunity to
thing that could have improved the experi- be on the ground and experience ele-
ence would have been if our rowboat skip- phants first hand! And that is an experi-
pers (the wives of the fishermen) had ence we will talk about for the rest of our
been able to communicate to us the histo- lives to anyone that wants to listen!
ry and the story of the village. Even with- Experiences are what shape sto-
out the verbal history and intricate story, ries, and the farms we visited that had the
we rowed away having been impacted by most memorable and compelling stories
the experience and the part of their story were the ones whose stories were authen-
we were able to observe. And the most tic and consistent throughout every touch-
 Page 10 Fresh Facts

age and daily life through a puppet

show in a theatre where the stage was
a pool of water. There are really no
words that can describe this show, and
the pictures do not do it justice! Scenes
ranged from daily life of a Vietnamese
farmer to communal entertainment and
historical legends! The show had au-
thentic Vietnamese music that added to
the atmosphere, but was delivered in
traditional Vietnamese. Although we
were not able to understand the intri-
cate story line of the entire show, we
were reminded that the art of story tell-
ing transcends language! So much of
the story goes beyond words and can
be told through the tone and choice of
music, the body language of charac-
The Weasel Coffee Companys mascot ters, the props in the scene, the back-
ground setting, etc. It was a great ex-
point their operation had with the public! ample of thinking outside the box and get-
Have you heard the story of Weasel Cof- ting creative to tell a story that was not only
fee? Theirs was the compelling story of heard but felt and understood by all audi-
how to take a basic, everyday product like ences!
coffee and charge 6 times as much for it!
Creating compelling stories for
The story starts with the Weasel that is
guests to experience and share is how
fed coffee berries, but Weasels are partic-
agritourism is taking root in Southeast Asia
ular animals so they only select the high-
and how it is continuing to grow in North
est quality berries to eat, thus resulting in
America. Farmers are ensuring their stories
only the best beans! How do they harvest
stay consistent and authentic through
the beans you ask? The Weasel can only
growth and diversification! They are creating
digest the berry, so the bean travels
stories for guests to share through hands-on
through their digestive tract, and once
experiences on the farm! Back home, we
nature has taken its course, the farmer
are reminded to tell our stories in such a
harvests the beans from the Weasel ex-
way that our customers feel the impression
crement. Can you imagine paying 6 times
of our story through every experience they
as much for coffee beans that have trav-
have on our farm. We want to give them a
elled through the Weasels digestive
story to remember and share! We must en-
tract? Just remember, the Weasel is the
sure those stories are authentic and com-
ultimate in quality control! Great story,
pelling, as those are the stories worth re-
right? There was one area this farms sto-
peating!
ry went off the rails. We were offered
samples of the coffee without being in- Editors Note: Colleen McKay will
formed that they were an additional be graduating from Class 16 of the Ad-
charge until after they were enjoyed. Their vanced Agricultural Leadership Program
final touch point with our group left us (AALP) later this month. She is also the re-
feeling like we had been duped. Instead, cipient of the AALP scholarship that OFFMA
had they increased the cost of their tour provides on an annual basis to any OFFMA
and included the coffee sample for free, member who participates in the AALP pro-
they could have brought the experience gram. Congratulations Colleen, looks like
full circle with the tasting and our group the program has been a game changer for
would have left saying, Wow, what an you.
experience! Later in the trip we did find
Contact Colleen McKay directly if
an experience that did leave us saying,
you would like additional information about
Wow! The Thang Long Water Puppet
the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Pro-
Show was the telling of Vietnamese herit-
gram.
 Newsletter #321 Page 11

Influencing Customers with Your Displays

By Erica Pate, OMAFRA
Making a first impression with your cus- display without having to fill the entire bin
tomers is essential, and your displays can up. Using smaller containers for displays
make or break a sale. Having an attractive, also helps customers with their purchasing
fully stocked, well-tended and well-placed decisions in envisioning a realistic pur-
display can help entice customers. When chase. Make sure you include your farm
you visit retail businesses, pay attention to name or logo on all your display contain-
their displays and how you feel about ers.
them, whether it is an agriculture business
or not. They all have the same goal of con- Placement: Think about spreading
vincing the customer to make a purchase. impulse items throughout the displays
I did just that recently when I was touring next to power items that draw in your
farms in the US. A few weeks ago at the customers. Power items are products that
North American Farm Direct Marketing bring customers to your business, such as
Association annual conference we toured sweet corn or apples. Impulse items are
on-farm markets and agri-tourism farms in typically purchased spontaneously after
Southern Connecticut and Long Island, NY. the consumer sees it, such as gift baskets,
Imagine having 20 million customers on honey, or sparkling cider. By placing im-
your doorstep! At each of the stops it was pulse items next to power items, custom-
interesting to see how products were dis- ers will be more enticed to purchase these
played and question the details: is it easily additional items, which can have a big im-
accessible? Does it make me want to buy pact on your bottom line.
more? Do I want to come back? Is there Also think about placing these power
plenty of space to move around? Is it an items near the front of the store or market
attractive display? stand so customers are drawn in to your
Here are a few tips on setting up a display area.
to improve sales and customers experi-
ences: Signage: Make sure that you have simple,
clear signs and labels for each of your
Height & Width: keep products within products, with the price easily identifiable.
arms reach and in clear view typically The initial impression you make to your
between knee-height and eye-level. You customers is important. Make sure you set
want the counters to be between 90- your displays up in a way that is inviting,
100cm tall, easy for your customers to attractive, and will bring customers back!
reach and for you to restock. Also no more
than 60 cm from front to back your cus- More information on setting up attractive
tomers shouldnt have to reach for your displays can be found in this article from
products. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Exten-
sion: http://counties.uwex.edu/polk/
Aisles: Aisle width should account for two files/2014/02/
-way traffic with strollers, wheelchairs and CreatingaWinningDisplayforYourFarm-
carts or baskets. The more comfortable it Products.pdf
is for your customers to move around and
spend time in your market, the longer they
will stay.

Display Furniture: Think about using

unique display equipment that will make
your products and your market more ap-
pealing. This can include barrels for coffee
beans (pictured), wheelbarrows, old wag-
ons, bulk bins or baskets. Use old wooden
containers under your products to prop
your products up to create a full-looking
 Page 12 Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
July 17 OFFMAs Annual Potluck at Thatchers Farm, Rockwood

Early Nov. Possible Foodie Tour of New York City

April 2018 Tour to Ireland

Ontario Farm Fresh
Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director In Memory of Evelyn Whittamore
2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9
Phone: 905-841-9278
E-mail: [email protected] Whittamore, Evelyn (nee Lapp), passed peacefully at
www.ontariofarmfresh.com Mackenzie Health Centre on Sunday, April 2nd, 2017
2017-18 OFFMA Board of Directors age 92. She is remembered and loved by her husband
Steve Martin, President
Martins Family Fruit Farm of 60 years Gilbert Whittamore, her children David,
Kristin Ego MacPhail, Vice President Katherine, Michael and Frank; their families and many
Ego Nurseries Ltd. close friends.
Leslie Forsythe, Past President
Forsythe Family Farms Evelyn was born and raised in Cedar Grove, Ontario.
Cara Ferguson, Associate Member She taught elementary school in Toronto for 11 years,
Edana Integrated Marketing
Nicole Judge, Spirit Tree Estate Cidery
and with her lifelong love of music, taught many, young
Erin McLean, McLean Berry Farm and old the joy of singing. Along with Gib, they pio-
Colleen McKay, Your Farm Market neered the Pick-Your-Own fruit and vegetable industry.
Jordan McKay, Willowtree Farm
Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms Her passion for gardening (especially lilies), and travel took Evelyn and Gib
Karen Whitty, Whitty Farms around the world. Evelyn loved sunsets, enjoyed folk dancing and feeding the
Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA Advisor birds. Evelyn did not like squirrels! Her greatest joy was watching her 10
grandchildren grow and blossom.
In honour of Evelyns long and happy life, perform a random act of kindness.
She would like that.