North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) is pleased to announce the winners of its "Celebrate Excellence" Contests. The contests, held in conjunction with the annual convention, invite members of the association from around the United States and Canada to submit examples of their marketing and innovative practices in various categories.
Member farms submitted nearly one hundred items to be selected as the best in each of ten different categories. The convention attendees were given the opportunity to review the submissions and cast a vote for the best entry. The secret ballot votes were then tabulated by members of the NAFDMA Membership Participation Team chaired by Anna Lyles of Mesilla Valley Maze, Las Cruces, NM.
"The contest entries are great examples of creativity and design. Everyone at the convention can learn something about what makes a good promotional piece by looking at what other farms do." Lyles said.
Winners were announced during the annual Celebrate Excellence Luncheon held on February 10, 2011. The winners are:
- Best Web Site: Jones Family Farm of Shelton, CT
- Best Radio Jingle and Tag Line: Swank Farm Produce of Hollister, CA
- Best TV Commercial: Swank Farm Produce of Hollister, CA
- Best Maze Design: Coolspring Corn Maze of Mercer, PA
- Best Brochure: Fly Creek Cider Mill of Fly Creek, NY
- Best Specialty Literature: Swank Farm Produce of Hollister, CA
- Best Cookbook: Tate Farms of Meridianville, AL
- Employee Handbook: Jones Family Farm of Shelton, CT
- School Tours: Tate Farms of Meridianville, AL
- Best “Something from Nothing” Idea: Walters' Pumpkin Patch of Burns, KS
The top honor for “2011 Best of Show” belongs to Tate Farms of Meridianville, AL. Cristall Brown of Tate Farms accepted the award which rewards participation and consistency in excellence. After all the votes are counted, and all the contests are tallied, one farm stands out for making the biggest impact of Participation, Education and Innovation. As the top winner in two categories and runner up honors in several others, Tate Farms submitted many quality examples to this year’s contests.
The Celebrate Excellence contest categories change over time to include timely trends in general marketing as well as farm direct marketing and agritourism events on the farm. The Celebrate Excellence Program is based on three NAFDMA objectives to stimulate learning, celebrate excellence, and advance best practices. More details about the contests, including the honorable mention winners in each category can be found at www.nafdma.com.
