Making the Most of Your Farmers Market Business

Date: April 12, 2010
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Location: Enka Campus, Ashville-Buncombe Technical Community College
1459 Sand Hill Rd., Candler, NC

10:00 a.m.. Introductions – Overview

10:15 a.m. Introduction to Farmers’ Markets – Dave Carter, National Bison Association
Background – Reasons for Growth
Understanding the Farmers’ Market Customer

10:45 a.m. ‘Report from the Trenches’ – Jack Pleasant

11:00 a.m. Market Rules and Regulations

11:30 a.m. Are Farmers’ Markets Right For You?

Noon Break – Lunch on Your Own

1:00 p.m. Food Safety Basics
State and Federal Regulations
Best Practices

1:30 p.m. Making the Most of Your Stall
Product Mix/Volume/Velocity
Drawing Customers into your “Store”
Selling your Story
Capitalizing on Additional Opportunities (chefs, on-line, etc.)

2:00 p.m. Product and Promotion

2:30 p.m. Expanding Beyond the Farmers’ Market Stall

3:00 p.m. Discussion – Wrap-Up

3:30 p.m. Adjourn

The workshop will be held at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road in Candler, NC. The cost of participation is only $10 per person, and all participants will receive a complete copy of the curriculum and reference manual. Advance registration is not required, but we would sure appreciate it if you would drop an email to let us know you are coming so that we have plenty of materials on hand (if we run short, everyone who emailed us in advance will be assured of receiving a copy of the reference manual). You can either notify us by responding to this email, or by contacting Jim Matheson at jim@bisoncentral.com.