Screenshot of www.localharvest.com local food listings website
As any farmer who has embarked on the journey of selling local food will tell you, marketing directly to consumers is about more than producing a healthy, tasty and desirable food product. It is also about making connections with those who are interested in eating such a product. There are many methods of building a network of customers. A few you might consider.
- Build your own website (www.wordpress.com is a free website building tool that you might check out)
- Attend conferences, events and workshops where you will interact with potential customers. Or better yet – give talks at them
- Knock on doors
- Put up posters (more…)
Clint Cavers and his youngest daughter Autumn near Pilot Mound, Manitoba
On May 23rd 2003, the discovery of BSE in the National herd shocked the cattle industry and forced Canadian cattle farmers to re-evaluate their livelihood strategies. When farm incomes dropped in the wake of BSE, the availability of off-farm employment contributed to the resiliency of many farm households.
For some farmers, off-farm employment represented an exodus from agriculture into a more secure wage-earning position. One farmer explains, “I think I will quit this loosing business and get a paying job so I can raise my family with dignity.” Yet, part-time off-farm employment is not necessarily the prelude to complete farm exiting. It has rather become a crucial condition (more…)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8uv5eSince our first meeting in October 2006, we have been working closely with the farmers and supporting partners of the Harvest Moon Society Local Food Initiative to develop a collective marketing group to bring locally produced food to the homes of Manitobans. It has been an intense, challenging and highly rewarding two and half years and we have accomplished a great deal. We began moving food from farm to fork in late 2008 and are tweaking and re-ordering our distribution, communication and transportation systems to meet both the needs of the farmers and eaters involved in this initiative. The launch of a website provides an important tool for communicating with the participants in this small scale food network. You can check it out at www.harvestmoonfood.ca. This summer should be an exciting one
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Earlier this week in Manitoba, the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative launched a new website that will act as a portal between farmers and eaters, facilitating food transactions and information exchange between farm and fork. This exciting new tool will evolve with the organization and in the future will incorporate community building components that will further allow for the exchange of ideas and coordination of this “small scale, sustainable food system”.
The visually appealing main page of the website clearly directs viewers to the key areas of the website: a) Buy Harvest Moon Food; b) Meet your Farmer; c) Get Involved; d) Learn About Our Food
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