One of the best ways to preserve farmland is for family farmers to understand and use market opportunities to support agricultural production.
In November of this month, Mike Hogan, an Extension Educator and Professor at OSU presented at the 12th Annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit and shared some tools and ideas to help support Ohio farmers, planners and activists. He is the Ohio Coordinator for the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and he specializes in sustainable agriculture and small farm issues including direct marketing, local food systems and alternative crop and production systems.
Hogan promotes the idea that farmers shouldn’t get hung up on the definition of “local,” and that different buysers define buying locally different. Sometimes it can be home county, but it often can be expanded into neighboring counties or being statewide. There might be a demand outside of what you think is “local” yourself.
Hogan promotes three tools that can be used by farmers, farmers market managers or other local food activists which include: Ohio MarketMaker, Ohio MarketReady and Meet the Buyers.
MarketMaker, a free on-line resource was developed as a way for Illinois farmers to gain greater access to regional markets by linking them with processors, retailers, consumers and other food supply chain participants. The site has expanded and is currently one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry related data in the country. It has almost 500,000 profiles of farmers and other food related enterprises in sixteen states. On the site, a farmer can build a profile and enter information about his/her farm, crops, and livestock – and indicate what is for sale. Buyers can set up similar profiles – but with what he/she wishes to purchase. The site provides a networking tool, and users can map their data and searches, which provides the ability to find local, regional, or nationwide sources and suppliers.
Ohio Market Ready is a program currently managed by the OSU Extension that started Kentucky to great success and is currently getting support in Ohio. The program is a set of workshops and tools for producers to develop their best marketing practices. Market Ready begins with farmers analyzing their business goals and lining them up with a potential customer base. In one-day workshops, family farmers learn the basics of marketing including subjects ranging from product selection to signage, delivery, promotion, regulatory and insurance issues and how to get to know your potential customers. To find out about upcoming workshops or to schedule one, check out Market Ready on the Web.
Meet the Buyers is a program that will sponsor events where institutional or wholesale buyers set up booths and displays in a trade show setup, and producers can interact with the buyers to find out more about how to sell to large food service distirbutors such as Sysco or OSU’s cafeteria system. Currently due to budget constraints, there are fewer events and fewer buyers participating.
Starting a farm, or want to connect with others in the agriculture area? These tools might get you started.
Image Source:
msue.msu.edu
Links:
Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit Conference – Presentation and Podcasts