Think spring with the Direct Farm Marketing Tune-up

Joanne Davidhizar , Michigan State University Extension -

Direct farm marketers can start anew with tips for marketing, new crops, and commercial food product development by participating in the Direct Farm Marketing Tune-up March 24.

Direct marketing of agricultural products in Michigan is big business. According to the 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture, 6,243 farms reported direct sales to individuals for human consumption with a value of nearly $59 million.

While snow covers the fields of Michigan, how can growers strategize to get the competitive edge with their sales to consumers through roadside stands, farmer’s markets, and consumer-supported agriculture, or CSA’s?

Attend the upcoming Direct Farm Marketing Tune-up to explore new crop varieties, customers, and markets. Pull out the soil test and bring it along. Find out how you can further process your crop, or develop a food product to capture more value. Enroll in MarketMaker for free for greater visibility and linkages in the community.''

The Direct Farm Marketing Tune-up will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 at the Washtenaw County Road Commission, Ann Arbor. The registration fee is $10 for enrolled MarketMaker businesses, and $20 for non-MarketMakers. Space is limited, so pre-registration and payment is requested by March 20, 2015.

The Direct Farm Marketing Tune-up is sponsored by MarketMaker, and the Michigan State University Product Center and Michigan State University Extension.

Categories: entrepreneurship, economic development, bus development, food business & regulation, bio-economy, ag-fruit & nuts, organic, farm & farmers markets

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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