NAFDMA Blog

Time to Make Plans! 2012 NAFDMA Convention in Virginia

2011-12-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association announces the schedule for its 27th Annual Convention. The convention will be held at the Williamsburg Marriott in Williamsburg Virginia on February 10-16, 2012.

New Opinions from the Old Dominion is the theme of the 2012 NAFDMA Convention. While taking advantage of the rich heritage of Virginia’s Historic Triangle, new lessons in farm direct marketing and agritourism can be learned. This event will give attendees comprehensive access to networking and education opportunities that are unmatched at any other conference. This is last NAFDMA convention to be held on the east coast for the next several years.

The focus will be on how family dynamics, business management, customer service and technology can be leveraged for a successful farm operation. The convention includes bus tours, workshops, concurrent sessions, round table discussions, networking events and a trade show.

Networking Bus Tour
The convention begins with a three-day School on Wheels. The Networking Bus Tour will be held on February 11-13. This popular tour will have six buses on the road to farms such as Carter Mountain Orchards, Virginia Farm Market, Belvedere Plantation, Great Country Farms and Cox Farms. Each bus will have an individualized focus to give attendees an in depth opportunity to network and share subject matter that is important to them.

Trade Show and Participation Day
The Trade Show will be open February 13-15. This unique trade show gives delegates a chance to taste test many specialty food products, compare corn maze companies and even test drive a pedal kart. As many as 90 trade show booths will promote the latest products and services available for farm retail and on-farm entertainment. Along with the trade show, this day features interactive sessions on some of the best marketing practices by NAFDMA members and round table discussions on a myriad of topics from liability and employee training to the next generation on the farm.

Workshops
Wednesday, February 15 will offer full day workshops and mix and match half day workshops. Three workshops will be held off-site at locations in Busch Gardens, Jamestown Settlement and the Yankee Candle Flagship Store. These workshops will focus on agritourism attractions, school tours and retailing. Workshop presenters at the convention hotel include diversity marketing expert Kelly McDonald, retail guru John Stanley, agricultural financial educator Dr. Alex White, and family business advisor Ann Dugan.

Conference
The Keynote Presentation on Thursday, February 16 will be by Kelly McDonald, of McDonald Marketing on how to “market to people not like you". Her definition of diversity and how to effectively market your business through strategic marketing segmentation is the new opinion many marketers need to build their business. All featured workshop presenters will also return for one hour concurrent sessions. Additional speakers will present sessions on subjects that include market expansion, farm to school programs, on-farm weddings, QR tags and Facebook.

For further information on the 2012 NAFDMA Convention, please visit www.nafdma.com/VA2012

2011 NAFDMA ALR was a success!

2011-11-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

The unprecedented early winter storm that hit the Northeast on Halloween weekend did not dampen the spirits of the intrepid NAFDMA members who attended the 2011 Advanced Learning Retreat at Roba Family Farms. Unfortunately, closure of the airport in Scranton, Pennsylvania prevented five registrants from attending. Our hats go off the many registrants who braved the drive to attend the event.

Slight last minute adjustments were made to the program, but otherwise it went off without a hitch. As Sue Roba herself put it, “Hey, we’re farmers, we deal.”

An exclusive pig race show, pumpkin cannons shoots, a friendly game of hoops at Roba’s new “sports center” and s’mores around the fire kept the group warm and engaged. Attendees got to see firsthand the agritourism operation at Roba’s and had the undivided attention of Sue, John and their children Jennifer, Jeff and Jake. Key managers were also on hand for formal presentations and answer the many questions on attendees’ minds.

The “Marketing, Management & Employee Development” session was well received. Nearly everyone expressed that they have many of the same issues. A lively conversation about hiring and motivating quality employees was lead by Patti Borger, Roba’s Director of Fun. Many good ideas on how to get “employees to do what they are supposed to do” were shared.

NAFDMA’s Advanced Learning Retreat is an annual event that strives to help farm direct marketers and agritourism operators take it to the next level. The goals include small group networking where every question gets answered, in-depth access to promote the best education and customized content and peer interaction to minimize innovation.

The 2011 ALR achieved those goals and a good time was had by all. One attendee stated, “The Robas were gracious and hospitable and went beyond the call of duty to share.” We couldn’t agree more.

Digging Deep. “In-Season” Learning for Farm Direct Marketers

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Or 20 Reasons why you'll want to attend NAFDMA's Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR) this fall.

Six years ago the membership of North America’s only international farm direct marketing association decided it needed a new kind of learning opportunity. The membership wanted an chance to dig-deeper and visit a leading farm-direct operation – IN SEASON!

How crazy of an idea is that? Who in their right mind would invite 50-60 of their peers into their operation (at perhaps one of their busiest times); to share how their business operates? NAFDMA members would. Why? Because that’s how they roll.

The 2011 ALR is taking place at Roba Family Farms in Dalton Pennsylvania October 31-November 1st, during the Roba’s hugely successful Fall Fun on the Farm event.

Roba Family Farms grow pumpkins, Christmas Trees and family fun on 2 farm locations. They are open to the public 8 weeks each autumn. They greeted over 70,000 guests in 2010 during their fall season. Then they open for 4 weeks in December to sell Christmas Trees. Keep in mind that you will learn how to be a successful entertainment farm regardless of your agricultural product (John and Sue have chosen Christmas trees and pumpkins).

Do you still need a few more reasons to attend? Specific educational programming will include:

1. nuts and bolts of fall entertainment
2. adding a harvest barn
3. campfires as an event
4. school tour logistics
5. corn maze ins and outs
6. animal attractions
7. foodservice on the farm (feeding the masses)
8. creating traffic flow through the farm
9. controlling security issues
10. developing cash handling systems
11. employee management tips and techniques
12. managing new building projects

The Advance Learning Retreat is for farm direct marketers and ag tourism operators who:

13. craving connections
14. desire small group learning
15. want no question unanswered
16. fancy visiting a business in operation
17. grow Christmas trees
18. are looking for a way to extend their season
19. would like their ag tourism business to be more successful
20. are ready to change the way they think

NAFDMA makes it easy for you. One price covers everything. You just need to get to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

It’s time you spread your net; learn and share amongst your peers in a small group atmosphere; move your business forward.

The last word on the subject goes to Sue Roba. “I’m so excited about hosting this year's event! I am excited about having my NAFDMA friends come to our farm and see it up and operating. Hopefully I will be able to teach or show them something new. There is nothing like seeing and operation while it is open.We will show you first hand how we: handle people flow on our busiest day (and on a slow day); handle cash flow; food operations; our pumpkin corral vs. pick your own in the field; farm animals; pig races and much more. There will be something for everyone to learn!!! See you in the fall.”

Find out more at www.nafdma.com/ALR2011

NAFDMA’s 2011 Advanced Learning Retreat - Save the Date!

2011-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association announces their sixth annual Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR). This is a bus tour, workshop, mini tradeshow, and multi-session conference all rolled into a single, networking event. It’s a working vacation. It’s an educational retreat. It’s money in the bank. You’ll socialize with like-minded farm direct marketers and you’ll see firsthand the workings of a successful agritourism farm in season. Most importantly, you’ll go home with fresh new ideas and innovations for adaptation at your own farm as you take it to the next level!

Mark your calendars to save the date for NAFDMA’s 2011 ALR on October 29 - November 1, 2011. You’ll be away from home for four days, including travel. Every NAFDMA ALR takes on its own personality. This year is sure to reflect that as we visit Roba Family Farms in Pennsylvania.

In 1984, John Roba had a dream; he was going to sell 2000 Christmas trees each year at $20 a tree. That would make him fat and happy. Sue Cawley had a dream; she was going to marry a tall, dark, handsome and successful man who would support her and be a solid provider for their children. John and Sue’s dreams have come true; they now operate two farm locations. They are open to the public eight weeks each autumn and four weeks early winter to sell Christmas trees. They greeted 70,000 guests in 2010 during their fall season alone. Make plans to join us to get behind the scenes and hear the whole story. Learn more about Roba Family Farms at http://www.robafamilyfarms.com/

“I’m so excited about hosting this year's event! There is nothing like seeing an operation while it is open,” states Sue Roba. “We will show you firsthand how we handle people flow on our busiest day (and on a slow day); handle cash flow; food operations; our pumpkin corral vs. pick your own in the field; farm animals; pig races and much more. There will be something for everyone to learn!!! See you in the fall”

If you have not attended a NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat, let us urge you to do so in 2011. This year, along with the firsthand experiences, our Advanced Learning Retreat will include full group general sessions on marketing, management and employee development. We will also conduct small group sessions on pumpkin and Christmas tree production, admissions procedures, food service, security and liability, school tours and group parties, building projects and more. You will find complete details on our website at www.nafdma.com/ALR2011.

NAFDMA Celebrate Excellence Awards highlight the best of the best at the annual convention

2011-04-04T08:47:00.001-07:00

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.

The Annual Convention is a Month Away!

2011-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

2010 was a year to remember for NAFDMA members. Lancaster. Snow. Great fun and a fabulous Convention. One of the best income years ever in our business!

2011? Who knows? But we are just a month away from the start of this year's annual convention and that's a great way to start! Baltimore is looking HOT! It's a world away from Lancaster. No worse. No better. Entirely different. From the bus tours to the hotels, to the food options... it's entirely different. Everyone I know who gets introduced to Baltimore's Inner Harbor has been delighted.

We welcome you. And I do mean WE....

Click here for a 2 minute video welcome from some special friends!

Don't miss out on this premier event for learning and networking about farm direct marketing and agritourism. Complete convention information and registration options can be found a www.nafdma.com/NAFDMA2011/2011Welcome.

We hope to see you there!

NAFDMA’s Annual Workshops take Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism to the Next Level

2010-11-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Twelve different workshops will be offered for farm direct marketing and agritourism operators on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. The workshops will take place on Education Day, as part of the Annual Convention held by North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA). The entire convention runs February 4-10, 2011.

Attendees can choose from one of six full day workshops, or mix and match half day workshops. Workshops can be attended as part of an inclusive registration package, or a one day only attendance. Registration includes breakfast and lunch as well as materials specific to the chosen workshop. Morning and full day workshops begin at 9:00 a.m., and break for lunch at noon. Full-day workshops restart and afternoon workshops begin at 1:30 p.m., all workshops end at 4:30 p.m.

Customers are increasingly knowledgeable about what they want from farm visits. Learning what it takes to be competitive in today’s marketplace and understanding where trends will go in the future is essential for farm direct marketers. Whether the subject matter is new to the farm operation, or builds on what is already being done, the line-up of topics and speakers on NAFDMA’s 2011 Education Day will help take businesses to the next level.

Workshop presentations include food marketing expert, Dr. Richard George who will present a workshop on connecting with today’s customers. John Stanley of Australia, a NAFDMA Convention favorite and expert in retail design, will be returning this year to help farm market owners meet the challenges in the industry. Brad Montgomery’s workshop “Laugh-O-Nomics”, will focus on how levity in the workplace can make a business more effective and productive, thus increasing the bottom line.

Lovoni Walker, host of the popular national Canadian food show ‘Simple, Fresh, Delicious’ will present two half day workshops. In the morning, she will equip attendees with the necessary tools and resources to set up and run a cooking school on the farm. She will conduct a cooking class in the afternoon. See the practical tips and techniques for holding successful cooking classes as Lovoni puts it all into practice as she demonstrates with limited equipment just how easily it can be done.

For those agritourism operators who offer parties on the farm, Frank W. Price, founder of Birthday University will present information on today’s party consumer and what they really want. Those in this workshop will get specific tools to evolve their party concept, become unique and capable of mass customizing. Franks approach is to teach a simplified, low cost party marketing strategy, add simple yet great service and give a little extra at the party table.

The slate of workshops is rounded out by speakers from inside the industry to expose conference goers to new ideas while maintaining relevance to their operations. The additional workshops feature a workshop designed for folks who want to start up an agritourism destination, one to cover the most important topics when considering adding or expanding a bakery or food service and everything one needs to know about adding a small scale apple orchard to diversify an agritourism operation.

Full details on all the workshops and their featured speakers can be found on the NAFDMA convention website at www.nafdma.com/NAFDMA2011.

Annual NAFDMA “School on Wheels” Networking Bus Tour

2010-11-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association announces its annual Bus Tour. The Bus Tour is part of the 26th Annual NAFDMA Convention, and will be held on Feb. 5-7, 2011. Known as NAFDMA’s School on Wheels, the annual bus tour is a popular feature of the NAFDMA convention. The tour will begin on Saturday, Feb. 5 in Baltimore, Maryland. It will then spend the next three days traveling to farm direct marketing and agritourism locations in Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Overnight accommodations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are included in the bus tour package.

Past attendees of the NAFDMA bus tours know that the networking, sharing of ideas and friendships made on the tour are invaluable to their business. “Often times, it is the conversations that go on between the stops where people get their ideas,” says Kerry Engel, NAFDMA Vice President of Convention Operations. “We learn more from things that are not perfect, we discuss things, and we all learn how we can improve things back home.”

There will be many stops packed into the three day tour. Many of the farms and markets that will be showcased are owned by longtime NAFDMA members. There are two different tour options, Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism. While both tours will visit some of the same stops, the focus will be different when the bus arrives to visit.

Farm Direct Marketing Tour
The Farm Direct Marketing Tour will focus on the retail side of the businesses on tour. Highlights of this tour include the new retail store at Richardson Farms in Old Marsh, Maryland, the farm market and new build planned at Hollabaugh Brothers Fruit Farm in Biglerville, Pennsylvania and the farm market at Linvilla Orchards in Media, Pennsylvania. Tour goers will learn how the owners of these locations decided that it was time for expansion and how they met the challenges along the way. Additional stops on this tour focus on knowing your customers and how to structure a farm market to meet their needs.

Agritourism Tour
The Agritourism Tour will focus on activities and events on the farm. The stops on this tour know that customers are looking for family entertainment that offers a good value for their money. These farms are capitalizing on the up surge of this industry. There are innovative new ideas and agritourism standards to learn from on this tour. Three of the numerous stops on this tour are Crumland Farms in Frederick, Maryland, Weber's Cider Mill Farm in Parkville, Maryland and Shady Brook Farm in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

For both options, tour goers will have the chance to see historic sites in the region. The overnight hotel in Philadelphia is across the street from Reading Terminal Market and a short distance from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Time will be allowed to visit these well-known locations. The tours will also drive through the battlefields of Gettysburg on day one of the tours. A complete list of tour stops for each tour option will be available on the NAFDMA Convention website at www.nafdma.com/NAFDMA2011.

At the Annual NAFDMA Convention,There’s Still a Whole Lot More to Learn!

2010-08-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

The 26th Annual Convention held by North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) will take place on Feb. 4 – 10, 2011. The convention features a three-day bus tour, a day of intensive workshops, and a conference and tradeshow. The Hyatt Regency Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland will be the home base for the Convention. This hotel on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor will set the stage for the comfortable, intimate setting of fellowship and networking that the NAFDMA Convention is known for.

"This region is a hotbed for customer trends. It forecasts what will be seen across the continent," says Charlie Touchette, NAFDMA's Executive Director. "It's amazing how consumer sensitivity has shifted over the past 5 years. We'll put a spotlight on the wants and needs of customers in today's culture and economy. Convention attendees will come away with a better handle on how to hold the attention of customers back home.''

There is Still a Whole Lot More to Learn is the theme of the 2011 NAFDMA Convention. The bus tour returns to the Mid-Atlantic region where the farm markets and agritourism operations of many long-time NAFDMA members will be showcased. The workshops and sessions will provide the attendees with the tools and information they need to move to the next steps in their businesses. Complete Convention information will be available at www.nafdma.com/NAFDMA2011

Bus Tour
The Networking Bus Tour will be held on Feb. 5-7 and offer two different bus tour options. Option One is the farm direct marketing tour. The buses on this tour will visit several farm market stops. The brand new post and beam style market building at Richardson Farms will be a highlight of this tour. Option Two is the agritourism tour. Linvilla Orchards will be just one of the stops on this tour option. For both options, the tour will begin in Baltimore and overnight for two nights in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tour goers will have the chance to visit the historic sights of the city and learn farm direct marketing ideas from the famous Reading Terminal Market. A complete list of tour stops for each tour option will be available on the web site.

Workshops

Wednesday, Feb. 9 will offer six full day workshops and eight mix and match half day workshops. Education Day is a day full of thought provoking, entertaining and timely workshops. We are happy to announce that food marketing expert, Dr. Richard George will present a workshop on connecting with today’s customers. John Stanley of Australia, a NAFDMA Convention favorite and expert in retail design, will be returning this year to help farm market owners meet the challenges in the industry. Brad Montgomery’s workshop “Laugh-o-Nomics” will focus on how those who enjoy what they are doing are more effective and productive, thus increasing your farm’s bottom line. An off-site workshop highlighting culinary trends on the farm will also be offered.

Conference
The featured workshop presenters will return on Thurs. Feb. 10 along with nearly forty additional presenters for Innovation Day. This year’s conference will feature seven tracks, including U-Pick, Food Service on the Farm, and Family Dynamics. The Technology track will offer sessions on the social media options available for marketing your business in today’s world.Trade ShowAs many as 90 trade show booths will promote the latest products and services available to farm direct marketers and agritourism operators. Exhibitors will also have the opportunity to showcase their products in a 30 minute live demonstration. Vendor applications will be accepted starting on Sept. 15. The complete trade show vendor packet will be on the web site. The Trade Show will be open Feb. 7-9.

Learnings from the North American Farmer’s Direct Marketing Association

2010-08-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

This year’s convention took place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We had a three day tour prior to a three day conference. Lots of learning and tons of networking. Just thought I’d share a few insights from the innovative farmers who were on my bus.

Add an inexpensive activity.
Activities don’t need to be complicated or cost a lot of money. You can make a big bang with something as simple as a slide. Kids and adults alike love a giant slide!

Go mobile.
Put wheels on your bins. It makes moving produce into the cooler that much easier at the end of the day. This orchard had a small electric pallet mover that they used to make moving a cinch.

No one can resist a cookie.
Cookie decorating can keep families in your business longer. The longer they linger, the more they buy. (Farm nnimal cookie cutters make a unique gift item at your farm themed shop.)

Fast “Comfort” food.
Cherry Crest sells peanut butter & jam sandwiches and mac n’ cheese. You could have some fun localizing these to your farm. Make your own jam from your berries and Alberta noodles or cheese in your signature dish.

Lighting makes a world of difference.
Honey looks angelic when lit from behind on the shelf.

Sell less. Make more.
You’ll make more money selling pie by the slice or half. The half clam shell package will cost you a bit more so you need to know your costs but selling smaller portions does yield bigger returns.

Enter from the back.
Filling shelves from behind is smart. The oldest product is always out front. This way you don’t have to be in the aisles restocking shelves while customers shop. It’s all done behind the scenes. (Think how milk is sold.)

Birthday parties are hot.
Take a cooking class and turn it into a birthday party. It’s gaining popularity. Customer service is key! Remember that Mom is the customer not the birthday child. Make Mom’s experience the best ever.

Mark your calendar. Join us in Baltimore, February 4-11, 2011 for the next NAFDMA convention. Details will unfold later this summer. http://www.nafdma.com/

This article was written by Kerry Engel, NAFDMA Board of Directors, VP of Convention Operations and previously published in the July 2010 NAFDMA Newsletter.

Musings from a u-pick field

2010-07-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

or, the more people you meet, the more you wonder.....

Yes indeed, summer did finally arrive on the west coast although up here on Vancouver Island it is about 3 weeks late.

Of course the first real sign of that is when the strawberry season begins and after last weekend we are in full swing. Having been a horticultural extension agent all my life it seems many of my friends are in the local farming business and know that I am around and… if they are short staffed, well you know how that goes.

So this weekend there I was grading strawberries, making cartons, unloading trucks and then on Sunday – in charge of the U-pick field which is what led me to write this down.

It was not an overly busy day, thanks to it being Fathers’ Day and a bike race down the road the farm is located on that ran from 8am until after lunch. Customers avoided the road like the plague until late morning. It never ceases to amaze me that these races have to be the first week or so of strawberry season – but I digress as that is a different story.

I was set up with a tent, table, cash box just in front of a row of trees behind which was about an acre of 2^nd year Rainier strawberries. I barely had time to get the tally sheets out and in came my first customer who, it turned out had also picked the day before and wanted to get, as he bluntly told me, the last few berries as the field was poor. Hmm, I thought that was not what I had been told but I had not seen the field in a month, so not seeing anyone else around I trotted past the trees to check out this “poor field.”

Actually as I rounded the trees I saw red, even in the first two rows which were weak and obviously over picked. As I walked across the center of the field I saw the best U-pick field I have seen in a few years and began to wonder what on earth this fellow had been talking about. I looked around for him and there he was in the first two rows of the field. I know what you are thinking, but yes I did walk over and tell him if he moved another 10 rows in his containers would be full in 5 minutes but he said he was fine where he was.

Slowly the morning picked up and the cars started coming in. Since I knew I would have some spare time I began multitasking – no, this generation did not invent the term. Farmers have always multitasked – we just had different words for it. Seems to me I can remember being told to quit standing around and make myself useful while I was waiting for something else to happen on a farm chore – that was the invention of multitasking!

In this mode I had a small generator cover that I was going to paint a beautiful Navaho red with oil based paint – very carefully as I did not want to be covered from head to toe as I waited for customers to drive in. On that note it would have been much easier if I could have found a brush that did not look like a toilet boil cleaner – oh well that’s farming.

Over the next hour or so I did manage to do a reasonable job on the paint and had just pushed it behind the table when in came a couple with 2 young children of walking age – 2 and 3, I am guessing. They were a bubbly family and all piled out in search of that special summer treat – fresh strawberries. As mom and I chatted, oblivious to the whereabouts of the children we suddenly summoned by a plaintive “mommy”. As we both turned to look, there was little missy, both hands palms toward us – perfectly painted in Navaho Red!

"Crap", was all I could think – this is not going to be good. But to my surprise mom broke out in laughter and said, “Oh my god, I hope my daughter did not ruin your painting!” She then proceeded to apologize as we frantically tried to get oil based paint off tiny little soft hands with wet tissue. Of course it was also all over her clothes but mom was perfectly happy in that these clothes were for gardening and picking berries and it did not matter. I could have kissed that woman, but then that would also be a different story. All in all by the time they did emerge from the field – mom was correct. It was hard to see the paint amongst the strawberry stains from ear to ear and on most of her little daughter’s sun dress. You know there are customers that renew your faith in the human race!

And then there are the others. Picture a dark BMW SUV, all tinted windows, driving way to fast down the farm dirt road towards me and I just know this one is likely not to be as much fun. There are about 10 cars in a nice row parked down from the table and I wave the SUV towards them but no – the driver wants the space between the table and the first car and proceeds to shoe horn himself into a space meant for a Smart car or skateboard. He then slides out of the car wearing the fancy sunglasses and without apparently really looking at me (hard to tell with the shades) he asks, “Where is the farm?”

Well may be you might have been able to play that one straight but I could not. I replied, “You are standing on it”. The back door then crept open and squinting into the sun emerged a Goth styled and pierced teenager who said his dad wanted to pick some strawberries for Fathers’ Day. And pick they did – 3 lbs and left in another dust cloud.

The small children are really the reason I enjoy the interactions so much and there must have been 20 or so young kids that day and they were all so excited and I had tons of fun with all of them. The parents would bring their containers to be pre-weighed and in some cases they were not significant enough to even record but I would always ask the youngsters if they could get on my little scale.

They would than get very concerned looking and of course the parents would be smiling in the background and I would tell the children I had to weigh them to be certain they did not eat more than 10 lbs of berries. If they did I warned them I would have to either keep them on the farm or make them pay. Of course then I told them I was joking but one little guy actually wanted me to keep him – as long as he could drive the tractor I had parked there – he was about 3 years old.

And finally – it is a small world.

I was just about closing at 2 pm and an older couple walked up (yes, older than me!) and asked if they could pick and also asked if the cedar trees behind me were a maze. Indeed they are I replied and they told me they were related to farmers in Ontario that had quite a few mazes on their farm.I asked if that was Saunders Farm and I could have pushed them both over with a feather at that point. They had no idea that I would know Mark & Angela Saunders and Mark’s parents, Bill & Ann and that I actually had them out in BC speaking to farmers about 15 years ago. So you see this NAFDMA world is indeed very connected.

This article was written by Brent Warner P.Ag., White Loaf Ridge Associate and previously published in the July 2010 NAFDMA Newsletter. For more information on NAFDMA visit www.nafdma.com.

2010-05-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Butcher shop installs vending machine for service 24/7 - Springwise

2010-05-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting use of vending machines.
Are there any applications for farm direct marketers?

Butcher shop installs vending machine for service 24/7 - Springwise

2010-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

This year's tour FEATURES:
School Tours
Pick Your Own Produce Retailing Fall Farm Festivals Succession Cropping
On-Farm Birthday Parties
Selling at Farmers' Markets Marketing and Advertising
Financial Management
Farm Animal Center CSA Programs

It's a busy time in our industry all across the continent.
We kept the focus on developing this as a 4-day, 3-night get-away from the moment you leave home to the time you are back in your own bed.

We wanted to pack that time with productivity and enjoyment. So here's about what it looks like...

Saturday, May 15
You'll jump on a plane (or in a car)
Arrive into Los Angeles International Airport.
Take the 10 minute free shuttle to Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
Settle to your beautiful room.
Connect with a few peers for dinner at your own convenience.
Attend registration reception and an opening welcome and presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Mill around until bed time and enjoy your luxury bed for the night.

Sunday, May 16
Have breakfast, check out, board the bus, ride a half hour, fast-paced introductions.

Stop at Hollywood Farmers' Market, see a plethora of California products, enjoy about 100 different local farm vendors, visit the Underwood Family Farms booth, Celebrate the 19th anniversary of Hollywood Farmers' Market, enjoy sights and sounds of Hollywood, see the famed Hollywood sign, do a bit of Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame, and re-board the bus.

Ride to Underwood Family Farms Moorpark location viewing a bit more of Hollywood, Sunset Strip, and beautiful Southern California vistas while learning more about Underwoods' farmers market stream of business as well as their film locations on the farm.

Arrive at the farm and stretch your legs with a self-guided tour of the Animal Center.

Take a guided tour and wagon ride to see every aspect of this location ending with Underwood Family Farm Animal Show. Choose one of 4 different breakout groups on specific areas of interest for 90 minutes of advanced learning. Re-group together for networking and a California style tri-tips BBQ Dinner in the corporate events and picnics area of the farm.

Re-board the bus for a 15-minute ride to Camarillo Marriott Courtyard Hotel, visit by the pool or in the lounge until you must drop horizontally into your plush bed.

Monday, May 17
Have breakfast, check out, board bus, ride 20 minutes to the Somis Farm location to see the retail stand, blueberries and vegetable-washing pad.

Return to Moorpark location for 2 more concurrent sets of small group intensive breakout sessions.
Say goodbye to Moorpark as we drive 15 minutes to Underwood Farms Office complex in Camarillo.

Take in a general session by Suzanna Underwood and Kim Galbraith on marketing and advertising, followed by a Mexican lunch by El Gallo Restaurant.

Tour the office and refrigeration complex and learn about the 1400 acre produce business of Underwood Ranches.

Settle in for an amazing advanced learning hour by Rolf Shoen and Craig Underwood on Underwood Farms sophisticated management systems based on financial management techniques that tell a story of growth, evolution and shifting with the times.

Wrap up the learning time during a gorgeous drive along the Pacific Coast.

Stop at the beach house of John and Stephanie Orr, personal friends of Craig and Sara Jane Underwood, for an informal taco bar and guacamole dinner reception on the waterfront.

After an early evening of seaside enjoyment and visiting we'll board the NAFDMA ALR Express one last time for a California Freeway run back to our original Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel for a beautiful recovery sleep.

Tuesday, May 18
Enjoy breakfast one last time on your own schedule with a few new friends, expand your peer network.

Depart at your convenience as early or as late as you wish.

Safe travels, enjoy the night in your own bed, and enjoy happy dreams about the great new ways your farm and business will be impacted by your visit to NAFDMA's 2010 Advanced Learning Retreat hosted by Underwood Family Farms in Ventura County, California.

The entire package is all-inclusive. $695 per person covers 3 nights hotel (double occupancy), 2 full days of meals plus breakfast on your departure day, all motor coach costs, materials and the rest. You just have to get here. (If you're not able to double your money back from a single idea you got at Underwood Family Farms within the first 6 months after you return home, then please take that up with Russell Blades.)

Complete Printable Registration Packet and Details are now avialable.
www.nafdma.com

BLOCK YOUR DATES: May 15 - 18, 2010; includes your travel time.

LOCATION: Southern California: Plenty of time at Underwood Family Farms in Moorepark and Somis, CA to see festival sites, retail stands, production fields and all the farms have to offer; plus a visit to Hollywood Farmers' Market (yes, Hollywood!) ...see the sights, sounds, Walk of Fame, and shopping sensations of one of the most exciting cultural destinations in North America.

TRAVEL: Fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on May 15 (Please make an effort to arrive by 5:00 p.m.) Depart at your own convenience anytime on May 18. LODGING: Renaissance Los Angeles Airport and Marriott Courtyard Camarillo

BONUS: California Beach Party Monday night, May 17th.

Quick Links
Underwood Family Farms
Renaissance Hotel LAX

Re broadcasting of "A Goal without a Plan" from NAFDMA 2010 convention

2010-04-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Re-broadcast NewsFlash: The "Goal Without A Plan Is A Wish" presentation from NAFDMA will be RE-BROADCAST LIVE online Thursday April 8, 2010 at 8PM EST.

Thursday April 8, 2010 at 8PM EST.

Hugh had good feedback from the 26(!) of you who joined him two weeks ago but there were some folks who missed the broadcast, so Hugh is going to do another live event and record it for later viewing.

UStream Link:"A Goal Without A Plan" on uStream
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/maize-quest-s-educational-events

The seminar is FREE to attend, please reply by clicking the RSVP link on the uStream page.
Learn more about the material and download your handouts ahead at: A Goal Without A Plan Is A Wish - An educational session, blog, and resources created by Hugh McPherson for the NAFDMA convention 2010.

Missed Hugh's session in Lancaster! Fear not. You can take it online this Wednesday!

2010-03-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

The "Goal Without A Plan Is A Wish" presentation from NAFDMA will be held online Wednesday March 24, 2010 at 8PM EST.

Hugh is choosing uStream as his media provider.
Please check your links, get a login, etc. long before start time to eliminate connection hassles.
It is his first time and even with testing there might be hiccups, so bear with him.

UStream Link:"A Goal Without A Plan" on uStream
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/maize-quest-s-educational-events
After you click the link, scroll down and click "RSVP" for the event.
As many of you know, the presentation was canceled due to Hugh being snowed in during the convention. Now he's expanding the reach of the seminar to everyone using live Internet broadcasting.

The seminar is FREE to attend, please reply hughmc@cornmaze.com if you are interested in attending so Hugh can choose the right media provider to allow all attendees to view the program.

Learn more about the material and download your handouts ahead at: A Goal Without A Plan Is A Wish - An educational session, blog, and resources created by Hugh McPherson for the NAFDMA convention 2010. http://mazemaster.cornmaze.com/goalwithoutaplan/default.aspx

How to promote your event online, part 2 — Facebook - Eventbrite Blog

2010-03-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

How to promote your event online, part 2 — Facebook - Eventbrite Blog

An interesting article for our farms wanting to use Facebook more,

NAFDMA members at large!

2010-02-20T21:14:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Kettle was a retailing highlight

2010-02-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

They load their shelves from behind. Hum? nice idea.

Great, bright signage was everywhere.

Touring Lancaster County - Day one

2010-02-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

Testing out the Amish furniture. Yup it's pretty comfortable.

Mo's found a mighty comfortable chair. It swiveled and rocked.

First stop in the afternoon: Lancaster County Showcase

The Showcase is like a trade show, except that it is open all year-around. Retail store owners can visit anytime Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 4:00pm, to find out what new products are out on the market.

Second stop: Kitchen Kettle Village. A microcosm of cooperation among business operators. Great learning experience with lots of ideas to bring home.

Sure it snowed but nothing keeps NAFDMA people down.

2010-02-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Evening sets in as we enjoy the ride back to the hotel.
Charlie Touchette, NAFDMA's executive Director makes sure that everyone is loaded on a bus.
Tad Kuntz makes sure everyone on the Fertility bus is safely on board.

Of course it snowed. NAFDMA was in town!

But a little snow can't stop this show.

One the first morning of the tour we had to stay in the hotel but the majority of bus goers said they enjoyed having the time and space to get properly introduced.

After lunch on our first day we loaded up the buses and headed out into Lancaster County.

It was like we were driving in a postcard. The snow was beautiful.

All I can say is SNOW!

2010-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

Lancaster, PA! Again......NAFDMA has brought the weather!

2010-01-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

NAFDMA Convention speaker post session info on his blog

2010-01-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Get started on the conference NOW!

HUGH MCPHERSON session at this year's convention is entitled, A goal without a plan is a wish.

For those of you that have met Hugh you can attest to the fact that he isn't a boring speaker. He is in fact an amazing communicator.

As communicator's go, he's also quick to pick up on the latest technology. Hugh has created a blog to accompany his session.

"We have invested in two tools in making sure the presentation applies to you. The Session blog is a place for you to interact with the information, questions, and other readers answers. The Handouts & Homework are posted RIGHT NOW so you don't have to wait for the conference

Visit Hugh's Session Blog at http:/ /mazemaster.cornmaze.com /goalwithoutaplan

He also recommends downloading the Handout & Homework , completing the homework questions and then post your answers back to the Blog to get the discussion going.

Goal-setting is pivotal to every operation.

"I think this topic was chosen for a session because we all want to get better at bringing our ideas to fruition. With your help, this can be a great opportunity for you to leave armed with useful tools. I promise," shares Hugh. "I will check and respond to comments and postings on the blog site. I will also use your feedback to finalize the presentation itself, thus tailoring it specifically for you. And, I do hereby and solemnly swear to not be boring:-) "

Don't forget, there is still time to register! http://www.nafdma.com/

Lancaster Convention

2009-12-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that the Lancaster Convention is only 37 days away! Have you registered yet? The next deadline to register at a discounted rate is next Wednesday, January 6, 2010! Don't Miss Out! Really hope to see you there!

Save $100 on your NAFDMA registration till December 15th!

2009-12-08T13:47:00.001-08:00

For those of you who intend to take in the entire week at the 2010 NAFDMA convention you'll want to take advantage of the Ultimate Networker Package. At a rate of $1399.00 per person, double occupancy** when paid before December 15, 2009.

It's a savings of $100/person! www.nafdma.com

Guess who's coming to NAFDMA this year?
Kay Hollabaugh!

"I wouldn't miss it - Lancaster is in our "back yard" and is truly one of the most beautiful areas of the country. Attendees will fall in love with rolling hills, amazing farm land, incredible farm markets andPennsylvania Dutch Food and hospitality. We are hoping to bring a couple staff members along since it is so close. I'm very excited to welcome you all toPennsylvania!" Kay Hollabaugh, Hollabaugh Brothers.

Are you coming to NAFDMA let us know!

The Tradeshow has almost sold out. It's going to be amazing. Reconnect with your NAFDMA family at our 25th anniversary convention. Feb. 5-11, 2010 in Lancaster, PA.
www.nafdma.com

Book your flight to NAFDMA 2010

2009-11-27T14:49:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,
Flight prices really dropped this week. I got my ticket to Harrisburg for just over $500.
The price dropped over $300.

I'm flying through Chicago. I've heard that there are 4 flights a day to Harrisburg from Chicago making it very easy to get to this year's convention.

We have an early, early bird special this year
Don't wait! Registrations are starting to come in.

Check out the amazing program at http://www.nafdma.com/Pennsylvania/PA_reg/

Looking forward to catching up in Lancaster!

A Preview of Lancaster, PA!

2009-11-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Early bird registration begins for NAFDMA 2010

2009-11-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Charlie Touchette, Executive Director, NAFDMA and Anne Holcomb, NAFDMA Convention Chair, just returned home from their final 2010 convention planning trip in Lancaster County.

They were working on NAFDMA's 25th Annual Convention. Anne is very excited about the Lancaster convention, "It's the complete package. Learning, culture and fun. On the tour you will see everything from smaller scale operations to large ag tourism destinations like the Colemans."

"The people of Lancaster County have developed an entire industry around visiting farms. There is so much for NAFDMA members to learn."

NAFDMA magic has been helping farm direct and ag tourism businesses succeed for 25 years.

Take advantage of the highly discounted early registration rate ending December 15 for the Ultimate Networkers Package. It INCLUDES LODGING! . Check out the quick link to Registration Details.

Anne and John Holcomb will be there. Will you?

Never been to a NAFDMA convention? This is the year to start.

Haven't been to NAFDMA in a couple of years? It's time to come home, join your NAFDMA family in Lancaster, February 5 -12, 2010.

Farms of Facebook Follow-up . Say that 10 times really fast!

2009-10-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

Mark Saunders, president of NAFDMA started a facebook page for his business this year.

Mark shared with us how social marketing has impacted Saunders Farm . . .

"Facebook and other social media sites have become very important for our business. We need to connect with our customers every way we can.

Facebook is a way we connect and build our community.

We used to hear that you needed a website for your business; now you need a social media presence i.e. twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr to get your message out there and to let your customers share their experience of your farm.

Having a presence on Facebook and other sites has helped with our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how high your website ranks in searches. "

Mark Saunders is the Director of Fun at Saunders Farm in Munster, Ontario. You can follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/directoroffun

or visit his farm at http://www.saundersfarm.com/

Mark will be in Lancaster in February at the 2010 NAFDMA convention. Will you?

Using Facebook to promote your farm and your events

2009-10-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last February at our Savannah convention social marketing was all the BUZZ. The energy and excitement in these sessions was contagious.

Well, in true NAFDMA form it looks like NAFDMA members have turned that buzz into blogs, groups and viral marketing campaigns. It will be interesting to hear from everyone at our 2010 convention to see how these tools have worked for the various farms.

WHO is DOING what?
I've been anxiously following Tulley's Shocktober Fest group on Facebook as it races towards 1000 members. Tulley's gives away free scream passes, polls it's members on what scares them and connects with it's customers answering questions about the event. I'm sure Stuart will have the results of this campaign analysed and evaluated and will be willing to talk about it in Lancaster.

Everytime Saunders' Farm has an event it mysteriously ends up in the calendar in my Blackberry. I know Mark Saunders will tell us how he does that when we see him in Lancaster.

Other NAFDMA members are using Facebook to keep in touch with each other and their customers (fans). Here are a few that I found and if you are a NAFDMA farm on Facebook let us know in the comments below.

Shhh....2010 Convention secret: There will be a Social Marketing Workshop (don't tell Charlie I told you). Details soon at http://www.nafdma.com/

NAFDMA members on FACEBOOK:
Friends of NAFDMA
Description: For those who have become friends, associates and supliers from our yearly NAFDMA meetings. Also, for anybody who is interested in the lives of those who run Agritourism farms and facilities

Vala's Pumpkin Patch - interestingly not created by the Valas.
Description: Someone had to make this group. I know I'm not the only one on here that's been going to Vala's like every year since they were born.

I want to live at Vala's Pumpkin Patch forever
Category: Just for Fun - Fan Clubs
Description: From the Pig-Tucky derby to the Pumpkin eating dragon...we just can't get enough of you Vala's pumpkin patch. One month out of the year just doesn't do it for us. Bring on the kettle corn, carmel apples, and homemade fudge!! No childhood is complete without Vala's memories!!

I Love Uncle Johns Cider Mill
Description: For all those who grew up or still live in the St. Johns area, an ode to the greatest pumpkin patch, cider mill, and family farm there is! As you know, Uncle Johns has the best cider, doughnuts,baked goods and fresh fruit around. And now they are even making wine and have a tasting room!

Ellms Family Farm
Description: fall activitiescorn mazepumpkin patchFamily fun

We Love Red House Farm
Description: Manchester's no 1 farm shop and Tea Rooms
The Greater Manchester Maize Maze, Halloween Spooktacular, All round a great place to visit!

Tate Farms
Description: Family owned Agritourism Pumpkin Farm located outside the Huntsville city limits.

The Jungle Farm
Description: Three season farm - visit us for flowers in the spring, summer strawberries or the fall family pumpkin season.

NAFDMA members on Youtube

2009-09-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

NAFDMA members are one creative bunch.

Bonnie and Dick Swank from Swank Farms in California have a new commercial out to advertise their fall season. Enjoy!

Spotlighting NAFDMA's next generation: John Mills

2009-09-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Spotlight on John Mills - Bowden SunMaze.
John is one of the many younger NAFDMA farmers that came back to their family farms to diversify into farm direct marketing and ag tourism.

The Bowden SunMaze can be found at http://www.sunmaze.ca/

At the Bowden Sunmaze John has tried to develop activities for the whole family to create a unique attraction within the Alberta Ag tourism industry.

The Farm hosts the only Sunflower Maze in Western Canada, along side a traditional corn Maze, U-pick flower farm and New this year - U-pick Vegetable Garden.

During the August Long Weekend they showcase thier u-pick flowers. They have developed a Lily Festival which in 2008 accounted for 1/5th our yearly attendance.

Exciting for the farm in 2009:is the launch of our new campaign the "U-pick Dinner".

"We are kicking off our U-pick Vegetable Garden with focus on Eat Fresh, Eat Local and Eat Seasonal," shares John. "Visitors will be able to choose from a collection of recipes made from ingredients which are available from our U-pick vegetable Fields."

This is the Bowden SunMaze's 4th season in operation and will their 4th year of membership with NAFDMA

"It was through conversations at the 2008 NAFDMA conference which opened my eyes to the potential of Farm Based Events," tells John. "This led to the begining of the Lily Festival and a Fall Pumpkin Festival in 2008 which resulted in a double in farm attendance that year."

John's most unforgettable NAFDMA memory...."I remember as being a 1st time member of NAFDMA I was a little uncertain of how I would be received and of what others would share with me at my first conference. After the first couple days I realized that we "NAFDMA Members" were not in competition with one an other and everyone was welcome to share and help assist in any problems I had encountered the year before."

Thank you John and we will see you in Lancaster!

NAFDMA members sharing and learning at Huber's Orchard July 2009

2009-09-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Rob Leeds reports on the NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat 2009

2009-09-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Rob Leeds with Leeds Farm was fortunate enough to attend NAFDMA's Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR) this past July at Huber's Orchard and Winery in Starlight Indiana.

Rob is a long time NAFDMA member who has spent many years on the NAFDMA board. Rob has assisted in the planning and execution of many NAFDMA events. He has seen it all. Well almost all....

Q: Rob, what stood out for you at this year's ALR?

Rob: There were several highlights this year.

The session on hosting weddings and events- it was great to see how it was done. The lesson covered everything from what brides/event planners look for in a location, the booking procedure, kitchen prep to the delivery of the product. The session had a lot of practical advice, of trying out ideas before investing dollars, what inside information to tell people, contracts used and handling billing. It was a complete lesson in how to develop a business to host events and weddings
The school tour session. This was a good overview of how the Huber's ran school tours. We picked up some great ideas during the discussion on sound systems. Jan gave us copies of her teacher letters and marketing material. This type of information really helps farms as they are trying to improve there school tours.

Q: What types of operations took part this year?

Rob: We had very different types of operations attending, from small farmer's market vendors to farms looking to branch outside of the fall season to large farms doing year round food sales

Q: What three things were the hot-topics this summer?

Rob:

The Recession. The discussion was how were farm markets going to take advantage or minimized the impact of less disposable income. Several of the discussion revolved around the reduced ability to travel during this summer's vacation season. This was seen as an opportunity.
Liability of the play areas- Someone had an issue with the jumping pillow. This once again brought up the issues of how much risk an individual operator is willing to take.
Next Generation- Several of the farms sent their next generation family members. It was great to see! There was a lot of discussion with them about how they became interested in the farm and if they were going to stay on.

Q:In your mind, how do NAFDMA members, like the Hubers exemplify the NAFDMA spirit?

Rob: The NAFDMA spirt is about sharing. I always had a lot of respect or Jan and Greg but the amount of information they shared at the workshop was more than anyone could expect. The sharing of Teacher letters, marketing material, sample contracts and behind the seans looks is why being part of NAFDMA is so important. The quality of the Huber operation and the willingness of Greg, Jan and the rest of the Huber family and staff to share is what the NAFDMA is all about. Truly a NAFDMA WOW!

NAFDMA Member Spotlight: Wood Orchard Market

2009-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Wood Orchard Market is run by Janice and Steve Wood, and Jeff Wood.
They have been apple growers in Door County , Wisconsin since 1955.

About 15 years ago the Woods started planting a new apple variety that they felt had marketing promise. In 1996 they built a retail outlet in the County to be ready to sell these new apples.

Since that time they have expanded their operation by adding a bakery and more sales area. They now get about 25% of thier sales from each of the following 4 categories: gifts, specialty foods, bakery items, and fruit (that they grow).

Wood Orchard Market is open daily May thru October for the summer tourist season in Door County .

"All winter we worried that the current economic environment would not be conducive to our retail business. So to enhance our curb appeal and first impression of people driving by, we designed new landscaping for the front yard of the market", shares Janice.

The new landscaping will include apple shaped pedal cart tracks, and an 8’ high fiberglass apple. (Both the pedal carts and the fiberglass apple were ideas we came away from NAFDMA conferences over the years).

The Wood's have been members of NAFDMA since the St Charles , Illinois conference (1994).

They have had lots of good NAFDMA memories over the years. But I think what stands out is the opportunity for Steve’s sister from Phoenix and Steve and me to travel together to beautiful cities in North America . Traveling and learning in Boston , Victoria and most recently beautiful Savannah.

Visit the Woods at www.woodorchard.com

How airlines are using twitter

2009-07-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Rob Leeds sent me an interesting social media story about the Southwest airline incident. Thought you might enjoy it too.

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=137977

Meet NAFDMA members Pat & John Sondgeroth

2009-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

NAFDMA members direct market all types of food. Pat and John Sondgeroth direct market beef.

The Sondgeroth's are fourth generation farmers on a century-old farm where they raise corn, soybeans and piedmontese beef. They direct market approximately 300 head of cattle per year.

This year, Pat and John will be participating in 6 farmers' markets in the Chicago area. This busy couple also sells their beef to restaurants, dinner prep businesses, specialty stores and through their own retail store located in their USDA-inspected processing plant in Mendota, Illinois.

Pat and John have NAFDMA members since 2001. I met John in a Joel Salatin workshop in Arizona.

"We would probably not still be in the direct-marketing portion of our business if it hadn't been for that first conference we attended . It introduced us to marketing at farmers' markets," shares Pat. Farmers' market sales now account for over half of their gross meat sales.

"We very much enjoy seeing other parts of the country, other farmers' markets, and networking. One of the things that most amazed us was the upbeat, positive attitude of the members."

Although they have MANY great NAFDMA memories, probably thier most memorable is the Calgary Farmers' Market. "We are still envious of that beautiful facility and year-round, weather-protected farmers' market with a huge FREE parking area,"says Pat.

Visit Heartland Meats Inc. on thier website: http://www.heartlandmeats.com/

Visit Pat and John at the next NAFDMA conference!

Do farm direct marketers have a role in combating Obesity?

2009-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

The 2009 F as in Fat report offers a series of recommendations to make preventing and reducing obesity a central objective of health reform, and it also calls for a National Strategy to Combat Obesity.

http://rwjf.org/files/research/20090701tfahfasinfatexecsum.pdf

This report has implication for farm direct marketed products. A good read for those growing fruits and vegetables.

mobile ATM

2009-07-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

Spotted this Mobile ATM at the St. Albert Farmer's Market in St. Alberta, Alberta.

It was fun to just sit and listen to the crowd as it walked by.

"That's cool."

"What will they think of next?"

"It just a license to print money."

Has anyone had a mobile ATM at their market or event?

How did it work?

Did the market charge them to be there? Let us know.

NAFDMA member spotlight: Kuiper Family Farm

2009-06-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today we would like to spotlight the winners of the Best of Show 2009 ‘Celebrate Excellence Contest’, Wade & Kim Kuiper of Kuipers’ Family Farm in Maple Park IL.
www.kuipersfamilyfarm.com

The Kuipers were recognized for both their printed brochure and specialty printed literature. Congratulations!!

1. What has been your biggest challenge when developing brochures?
We seemed to be faced with the same problem when it came to our brochures as we had for newspapers and other printed ads......how to tell them what we have without the "listing" I see occur so often.

I felt this was especially important since we all offered many of the same activities so all our "lists" seemed to be the same! I also need the brochure and all our visual marketing materials so reflect our farm "brand" so that when our customers see an item they know right away it's from Kuipers just by the colors and style, like the McDonalds and Starbucks of the world do.

2. Do you use a professional design company? At what stage in your business did you hire a professional?
Back in about our third season we did contract with a professional advertising agency that did teach me the importance of branding our farm and making sure that everything we put out there from signs on the farm to printed materials all had the same basic look, a guideline I diligently follow today.

After that one year contract we also found that we were no where big enough to be able to afford that agency! I did however get to meet my current graphics designer thru that agency who continues to design everything from the farm signs to the doorhangers for me.

I'm sure by the time we open each fall he is ready to wring my neck but he is exceptional at taking the text and info I need a piece to say and designing the item to reflect our look, usually with a fresh new twist!

Believe it or not we do this all via email, I don't think I've seen him in person for a couple years! I would be happy to share his name and contact info with any member interested in his design talents.

3. Do you have any advice for those thinking of hiring out their designing process?
It's really important to concentrate on the tasks you're good at and to know when your over your head with something and you need to hire it done! In the struggle to save a buck on things I'm sure there are many times we've ended-up spending more doing it ourselves...and then usually redoing it it seems. Working with a graphic designer can be very cost effective in the overall picture!

4. Do you have a distribution strategy? How, where and when do you use brochures?
Frankly we seldom use our brochures nowadays. They seem to get sent out here and there and are distributed a nearby town's tourist info program.

Our main printed advertisements are our doorhangers and our bookmarks. Last year was our fourth year that we hired a company from the Chicagoland area that blankets towns with teams of people that hang our doorhangers on front doors.

Towns are chosen by zip code. Last year we distributed 213,000 and once again got many returned to the farm for coupon redemption.

We also work with surrounding libraries which we supply with our bookmarks to be given out as rewards to kids that participate in their Summer Reading Programs. Like the doorhangers they also contain coupons to help us track whether people are really using them as intended.

5. How long have you been a NAFDMA member?
Our first NAFDMA experience was Boston (2005) and we've been hooked ever since!

6. Why do you come to the NAFDMA convention?
Networking, new ideas, the opportunity to learn, encouragement, laughs, exploring new places, and fun! We think the bus tour is a must if you can only do one aspect of the convention.

7. Why would you encourage others to attend?
Seriously the information you come away with is invaluable! Especially the first couple years you attend, you have to whittle down your list of new ideas to something a bit more realistic to tackle in the upcoming year.

I keep categorized files of ideas collected each year and review them each winter when we are in the planning stages for the upcoming season. While I may not be able to implement an idea the year I got it on the NAFDMA tour, I often will pull the idea a year or two later and do it then.

Thank you Wade and Kim! We hope to see you in Lancaster in February 2010.

Farmer's with a Facebook store? Why not?

2009-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/content_display/features/supermarket-technology/e3i34e2ede5adb7e1e80c3174ba12895577

The following is from Progressive Grocer.com

Build Your own Facebook Store
June 19, 2009

Shopping search engine Sortprice.com expanded its merchant store application on the Facebook Platform to help retailers expand their e-commerce capabilities that can be used by the social network’s audience.

The free application, available to any Sortprice.com-enhanced merchant with an existing Facebook account, works hand in hand with their product listing on Sortprice itself and allows them to build a virtual store right on Facebook.

Merchants can have their full inventory available to Facebook users for shoppers to peruse and compare prices on, complete with photos and direct links to their own Web sites, according to Sortprice.The tools give retailers complete control over the “look and feel” of their stores, with dozens of choices for color schemes, an option to upload category images, and the ability to add a slogan to their page as well.

Sortprice also included an extensive FAQ section to guide merchants through the process of configuring their stores while offering tips for promoting the application to internal and external audiences.

On the user side, Sortprice’s unique Drag & Drop feature for the merchant pages is now compatible across all Web browsers, facilitating each user’s visit. Shoppers can now quickly and easily compile a “wish list” of desired items from a particular merchant’s store. These lists are viewable to all users and are the foundation for a truly interactive shopping experience.

Visitors can comment on other users’ wish lists, indicate particular items that they “like,” and even invite friends and family to check out wish lists or specific products.To learn more about the Facebook store application, visit www.sortprice.com/facebook_store

iPhone Application directs users to nearest Farmers' Market

2009-06-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across a new iphone application called Locavore. It is currently only available in the US. It's goal is to help it's user know what food is in season.

Anyone with and iPhone or iPod Touch can download the application and have access to a database of in-season, food products in their backyard.

"Knowing what's available in your area at a given time of year is often difficult to determine, so we've taken on the task of collecting data from a variety of sources and presenting it all in the most understandable ways, " states the description on iTunes.

If you're interested in finding it, search "locavore" in the iTunes store.

Would it be helpful for farm direct marketers to promote this to their customers?

Has anyone tried it? Leave us a comment if you have.

Member spotlight: French Prairie Gardens

2009-06-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to spotlight one of our younger member, Eric Pohlschneider. Eric recenlty joined our board of directors representing NAFDMA growers.

Eric is part of a family business called French Prairie Gardens in St. Paul, Oregon. Their website is http://www.fpgardens.com/

So Eric, how would you describe your business?
You encounter a true country experience at French Prairie Gardens. Our family-owned farm grows fruit, vegetables, grass seed in our fields and bedding plants in our greenhouse. People enjoy the clean, fresh air, the sights and sounds of a working farm, the soft fragrances of beautiful flowers all around them when they visit. When they stop at the Farm Market they discover an array of garden and homemade delights.

In June our strawberries are ripe, just waiting to be picked off the bush. Over Father's Day weekend we host our annual Strawberry Festival featuring hayrides, Pig Barrel train rides, a 20 foot tube slide, animal barn, and delicious fresh food and drink.

In the Fall he hold a Harvest Festival every weekend in October. This annual event hosts the infamous Pigtucky Derby, along with a two-acre pumpkin patch, hayrides, corn maze, hay slide, and Oregon corn on the cob, caramel apples, fresh baked cookies, fresh baked pie and many more treats from their bakery.

What is exciting you about the summer of 2009?
French Prairie Gardens underwent a greenhouse expansion this year, doubling our retail space. I am really looking forward to giving our customers the flowering annuals and perennials they love along with more room to shop and enjoy the farm. We also planted more strawberries this year. There is nothing like seeing that first strawberry of the season turning from green to a bright juicy red with the notion that these farm-fresh berries will soon be enjoyed by many of our customers.

How long have you been a NAFDMA member?
French Prairie Gardens has been a NAFDMA member since 2001. I personally attended my first conference and bus tour when the conference was held in Arizona. I gained so much from my first conference I have been attending since.

Why do you belong to NAFDMA?
Being a NAFDMA member allows our staff to continually be inspired and our business to grow. There has never been a conference that we have not come home with a list full of new ideas and strong business relationships. NAFDMA has also given us the opportunity to make personal connections with its members by joining or guiding on of their annual bus tours. It’s very helpful to meet and spend time with other businesses that are involved in the direct farm marketing industry.

Eric, what is you’re most unforgettable NAFDMA memory?
It was hard to come up with just one memory so I have briefly listed my favorites below…

- My biggest memory regarding NAFDMA was being elected to the board of directors. It has given me the opportunity to spend time and build personal relationships with industry leaders along with allowing me to server our members.

- During the conference in Boston I had the opportunity to connect with Mary and Russ Vollmer on the Agritourism bus tour….I didn’t know so many NAFDMA members could sing Karaoke, well at least they thought they could.

- Who can forget all the rain during the conference in California, but not all was lost, because I was also to spend time with our president Mark Saunders and his wife Angela.

- In Texas, when Rob and Christy Leeds showed us around the wild life safari and John Roba decided it was a good idea to hug a camel.

Thank you Eric. The networks you've built with farm direct marketers from across the world are one of the biggestest benefits in attending a NAFDMA conference. So happy to see that these are your favorite NAFDMA memory. We hope you have a fantastic season!

Hottest news on US Ag and Food policy

2009-06-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Looking for the hottest news on the US Ag and Food policy? Well guess what? They now have a blog? Who knew and it is updated daily (or more). The latest on the Farm Bill, estate planning, agritourism law, and way more..it is all there.

http://www.agandfoodlaw.com/

Cheers,
Brent@WhiteLoafRidge.com

Pumpkin shakes? Local fast food in season?

2009-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Had to share this posting from Springwise.com

Many of our members grow and sell into the local market but this has interesting connotations for our ag tourism operators as well. The products look fabulous.

A pumpkin shake? Do any of our pumpkin farms offer these? Are their other local food creations that could be added to the menu's of our farm direct and ag tourism businesses?

Read about Burgerville from the June 8, 2009 Springwise newsletter:

"Fast food restaurants have long been domains of guilty indulgence, something that Burgerville is set to change. Although it's been around in the Pacific Northwest since the 1960s, Burgerville is committed to supplying its patrons with local, seasonal and organic food options.
Beef and cheese are purchased from hormone-free farms in Oregon, and all of Burgerville's produce is locally sourced—meaning customers won't find a strawberry shake in December. They will, however, find sweet potato fries and pumpkin shakes in autumn and Walla Walla onion rings in the summer. "

Read the whole article at http://springwise.com/weekly/2009-06-10.htm#burgerville

Website: http://www.burgerville.com/

NAFDMA member Spotlight: Gammondale Farm

2009-06-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Gerry and Sue Gammond grew strawberries from 1974 to 2007. "Everyone of our strawberries was marketed directly off the farm," shares Sue. "We usually marketed about 10 acres each summer. In the mid 80's we changed locations and began to host school tours and children's birthday parties, in 1989 we began to host Christmas parties and offer winter sleigh rides with our teams of percheron draft horses."

In October 1991 the Gammond's toured pumpkin farms in Illinois and Wisconsin with Al and Kathy Veri and Bob Cobbledick through the Ontario

Farm Fresh Marketers Association.

Upon returning, they decided to offer

“Fall School Tours” in 1992.

By the mid 1990's, They had "Pumpkin Fest"

going for 5 weekends in the fall and added the

haunted Cornfield 5

yea

rs ago.

In June 2008, Gammondale Farm was a regional winner of the Ontario Premier's Aw

ard for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. (Congratulations!)

The NAFDMA Story.

The best surprise for the Gammond’s came when

they found out about the NAFDMA Conference

in St Paul, MN in February 1992.

While planning a trip with their team of black Percheron horses to St. Paul for the Sleigh and Cutter Parade Winter Carnival they discovered that two industry conferences were going on at the same time. One of which was the NAFDMA Convention. The rest is history....

They joined NAFDMA and signed up for seminars

where Sue made contact with Janet Ecker of

Wisconsin who sold them a "Queen's Apple"

system that they still use at Gammondale.

Sue and Gerry have attended annual meetings in Toronto, North Carolina, Calgary and

Wisconsin and plan to attend this winter in Pennsylvania.

"We belong to NAFDMA because the people are so interesting, knowledgeable and fun. It is social networking at its best!" says Sue. "The organization and the people are great sources of information and always ready to try new things share ideas and be supportive of each other."

One of Sue's best NAFDMA memories was the Alberta Bus Tour! But then again, there was the North Carolina Tour too! . . .and all the great speakers and seminars!

Sue is really excited this summer about growing market vegetables in partnership with

neighbors who have 2 school-aged children. This will get them involved with the Thund

er Bay Country Market and they will be providing jobs for school kids. The Gammond's hired young students for their strawberry operation and they still hire students for harvesting and selling the pumpkins and squash. It is their way of ensuring that fresh, local food is available in their community.

Watch for Sue Gammond, Director of Fun and Education in Pennsilvania!

Gammondale Farm: Family Fun

www.gammondalefarm.com.

Located 15 km south of Thunder Bay Ontario,

400 miles North of Minneapolis-St Paul,

200 miles north of Duluth and

20 miles north of the Minnesota.

social marketing stats from Trendwatching.com

2009-06-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

So many of our members are wondering, "is this (blogging, twittering etc) worth it?" that I thought I'd share some recent statistics and trends.

My favorite Trend website, Trendwatching has a great briefing this week about social marketing.

"While the notion of consumers establishing and (passionately) tending to their online presences is no longer a source of wonder, the sheer scale and scope of the phenomenon is still astounding. Hundreds of millions of personal pages, feeds, status updates, tweets, profiles, blogs—courtesy of the Facebooks, the mySpaces, the Twitters, the LinkedIns—are building up to an eternally up-to-date encyclopedia of individuals that defies even the most futuristic predictions back in the early days of the web.

These profiles (and billions of other digital crumbs scattered across cyberspace), will live on forever. Not just because the web is a massive caching machine, but more importantly, because younger generations will never want to dispose of their groomed online presence to begin with.

Some (obligatory) figures:
Facebook reached 200 million active users on 8 April 2009. More than 100 million users log on to Facebook every day, while more than 20 million users update their status at least once each day.
MySpace now boasts 130 million members, LinkedIn counts over 40 million members, and Twitter over 30 million members (late May 2009). Oh, and China’s Twitter, TaoTao, now has nearly 50 million users.
Overall, the share of adult US internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years—from 8% in 2005 to 35% now. For adults aged 18-24, it’s 75%, and for tweens, it’s close to 100%. (Source: Pew Internet, January 2009.)
We could go on and on, but it all boils down to future ubiquity for personal online profiles, representing every individual who is online, which in mature consumer societies will mean 99% of the population. " Trendwatching.com June 2009

Check out the whole article at:
www.trendwatching.com/trends/foreverism/

Are you a NAFDMA member with a blog?

2009-06-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Let us know!
Send me a comment and I will add you to our list on the sidebar.

Attention NAFDMA members there is a Friends of NAFDMA group on Facebook. Look for it and sign up.

NAFDMA member spotlight: Walters Pumpkin Patch

2009-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

NAFDMA members come from across North America and even across the pond. Their farm direct & ag tourism businesses range from smaller, seasonal operations to large year-round establishments.

We like to spotlight our members and this month our feature members are Becky and Carroll Walters from Walters Pumpkin Patch in Kansas.

Their tag line is "Where Fall Begins!" and you can visit them on-line at www.walterspumpkinpatch.com

Becky, how would you describe your business? In the past we have been a 6 week, fall agritourism destination. We have the u-pick pumpkin patch & gourds with all the unusual varieties that we grow here on our farm. We do the hay rides, designed corn maze, have a PumpGun Cannon which shoots an 8 lb pumpkin about 1/2 mile, the pedal cars, and pedal boats, Mountain Boo the underground slide, and a jumping pillow.

We are adding a mining adventure and graveyard golf this year. On Friday and Saturday evenings during October we convert the old grain elevator into a Haunted elevator, and offer a flashlight maze as well. We're not just a field of orange pumpkins, and we're not just for kids.

The Walters business though is morphing into a corporate gathering, wedding and reunion facility too during the spring and summer. We are one of the events for the national windmillers convention here in June, and have several weddings, and a class reunion coming up early this summer.

What is exciting you about the summer of 2009? We've outgrown our facility and are adding more for our visitors to do and see while they are here. Our growth is exciting for us, scarey, but exciting!

How long have you been a NAFDMA member? We joined NAFDMA the year they went to North Carolina if anyone can figure out when that was! (You shouldn't ask these questions of an old person!) It was 2003 Becky and you're not that old, you just have more important things on your brain this time of year. :)

Why do you belong to NAFDMA? We are getting to experience new places that we would never travel to by ourselves. And the people that are members are just the best of the best. (We agree!)

We have learned so much sitting on a bus, talking over dinner, or while visiting with a vendor at the trade show. NAFDMA is about the learning process, but it's people make it a great organization.

As a hobby pumpkin business many years ago, Carroll & I went to visit Weston Red Barn (Steve and Cindy Fry) to see what they did that made them so great. Steve spent over an hour with us just talking about their business and suggested we go to a NAFDMA conference. After showing Carroll the NAFDMA website, he finally agreed to "try the conference" and we were members ever since. Thanks again to Steve and Cindy for putting us onto the NAFDMA experience.

Your most unforgettable NAFDMA memory is ... probably the rock quarry that we visited in North Carolina. I thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen! I came back to Kansas wanting my husband to dig me a quarry!

Thank you Becky and Carroll, we hope your year is prosperous and healthy!

Roseabella's Garden images

2009-05-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

NAFDMA Celebrate Excellence Winner - Websites

2009-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today we would like to spotlight the winner of the 2009 ‘Celebrate Excellence Website Contest’, Rose Merritt, from Rosabella’s Garden Bakery in Bow, WA. www.rosabellasgarden.com

Rose managed to find some time this spring (not an easy thing for a farm marketer to do) to tell us about her website and business.

NAFDMA: Rose, love the picture of you, Allan and Lili Bella. It’s fun and really sets a tone. Your web site has great photography. Can you share with us your philosophy regarding the use of images?

ROSE: The American Gothic photo of Alan, myself and Lili Bella was done as a joke for a local group here in our Valley called Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. We asked for the lifesize cardboard cutout when they were finished with it at their annual dinner, so they gave it to us along with photos by a local artist on CD. We liked the message the photo conveyed so we submitted it to the web designers. Apparently, they found it befitting as well.

Our main desire for our website was authenticity; we wanted the website to convey exactly what we look like and what we do as a mom & pop small family farm. The website tells our story.

NAFDMA: What feature on your website are you most proud of?

ROSE: I like that our photos and address and contact information appears on every page, just the way Jane Eckert and John Stanley have been preaching to us at NAFDMA for years. I also love all the food and flower photos. I took all the photos for our website except the American Gothic.

NAFDMA: How do you generate traffic to the website?
ROSE: Since we chose a destination website over a commerce one, we generate most of our traffic during apple season. Folks who are seeking U-Pick apple farms google and find us. We pay to be aligned with Puget Sound Fresh farm guide and the famous Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in our area, both of which give us great exposure as a destination. Folks see our beautiful country red barn, rustic bakery items and gorgeous flower gardens on the website and they put us on their "must visit" list.

NAFDMA: Words of advice for those looking at starting a website or making improvements?
ROSE: Be sure to reflect your authenticity by using real life photos. Cartoons and clip art are poor substitutes. Put your address and a map in plain site, preferably on every single page. Once folks turn the page they seldom turn back. Make customers want to find you. Put your face on the line. Beautify your place and make it as unique to you as possible. Make it worth the trip, especially if you are off the beaten path like we are.

NAFDMA: What’s your biggest challenge with your website?
ROSE: Good web designers are busy and tend to put you in a queue. It took over 2 years to get my website launched. Ask about all costs involved; they can be expensive especially monthly upkeep. They didn't reveal that part to me. We are unable to go in and make changes to our hours to reflect our slow seasons without paying a fortune. Designers are in it for the money so try to get it done right the first time. Recessionary times are challenging so most of us need to cut expenses where we can.

NAFDMA: How long have you been a NAFDMA member?
ROSE: We have been members for about 10 years now. I missed a few as they seem to be getting very expensive and I now have to pick and choose. It's hard to afford much travel during a recession when customers have curtailed their spending and we must do likewise.

NAFDMA: Why do you come to the NAFDMA convention?
ROSE: To refreshen our business. I am always seeking solutions to everyday business challenges such as: people who use us as a restroom stop or dog potty stop or to dump their auto trash. We struggle daily to find positive ways to deal with such issues. On the NAFDMA trips, I try to network with others for good insights to affect positive behaviors.

NAFDMA: Why would you encourage others to attend?
ROSE: It could change their way of doing business. There is always room for improvement and positive change. When this many people come together and talk and share, you can't help but learn new ways of doing business. Everything helps. We were really in trouble in our business by the time we started coming to NAFDMA. Our eyes were opened, new energy and creativity awakened, and over time we were able to apply our new knowledge and reinvent ourselves. We are still in business when others around us have disappeared.

Thank you Rose! We hope to see you in Lancaster in February 2010.

Learning from owners and vendors and staff, oh my?

2009-05-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR) is a relatively new educational product for NAFDMA developed in response to our member's need for more 'in-depth, in-season learning'.

In true NAFDMA form some of our senior (length of membership not age) members have risen to the occasion and offered outstanding retreats at their businesses. This is no easy feat, when you are in operation. But it makes for the most candid , open learning experience you can get in this industry.

The first Advanced Learning Retreat was held in 2006 at Saunders Farm. In 2007 at Vala's Pumpkin Patch and in 2008 at Whitehouse Fruit farm.

In 2009 our hosts are Jan and Greg Huber from Huber's Orchard and Winery. Meet and learn from Jan, Greg, their family, staff and vendors over 2 days of sharing and network building. Enrollment is limited as the ALR provides a detailed, in-depth, intimate learning environment.

What will you see at Hubers? Where will you learn? at the:

Huber's Farm Market
Family Farm Park
Winery
U-pick
Plantation Hall
Bakery
Ice Cream Factory
Cheese Shop
Starlight Distillery
In the over 550 acres of orchards, fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees, pumpkins, and vineyards

Join us this July, from the 12-15th in Starlight, Indiana. Our all-inclusive package details will be available on our website in June at NAFDMA

Visit our hosts at:

Huber's Orchard and Winery

Joe Hubers Family Farm and Restaurant

NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat

2009-05-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

DATES TO SAVE:
July 12 - 15, 2009; includes your travel time.
LOCATION: Huber's Orchard and Winery, Starlight, Indiana on July 13 & 14.
MORE: Plus a bonus visit to Joe Huber's Family Farm and Restaurant

Celebrating what is right with NAFDMA

2009-05-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

NAFDMA’s board of directors (BOD) is responsible for our organization’s strategic planning decisions. For our contact information see our website. www.nafdma.com

In mid April the BOD held a spring planning retreat at which we reviewed our values, mission and goals. We also participated in an extensive strategic planning process.

It’s was tough. It was controversial. It was rewarding!

One of the side benefits of the process was the team-spirit that it ignited within our board. We are renewed. We are poised for the future We are excited about the coming year and our 25th convention in Lancaster, PA.

Our Vision:

NAFDMA is a worldwide leader in advancing the farm direct marketing industry. We are renown for: -Cultivating creativity & innovation...
-Building strength through relationships ...
-Investing in the future of agriculture.

Our Mission:
The North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) advances the prosperity of its members and the farm direct marketing industry through education, networking, participation and innovation.

Our Goals
1. Provide mechanisms and structure for NAFDMA members to benefit from sharing and developing ag diversification and marketing ideas.
2. To identify emerging trends, innovation and creative concepts of value to our members business development.
3. To educate NAFDMA members regarding theses concepts and practices.

Taking product right to the customer

2009-04-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick idea...
The Ferry Farm Stand will soon open every Wednesday eve at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, offering Seattle commuters a variety of locally grown produce in convenient USD 5 bags. Read more about it on Springwise....

http://springwise.com/weekly/2009-04-22.htm#ferryfarmstand

Images of Lancaster County - home of the 2010 convention

2009-04-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Planning is now underway for the 2010 NAFDMA convention in Lancaster County, PA.

February 5-12, 2010.

What could I possibly post on my blog or twitter that people would find interesting?

2009-04-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

After attending the social marketing sessions at the last NAFDMA convention, many of our members were wondering what to do next.

Twitter
Twitter allows you in 140 characters or less to let your followers know what you find interesting or what you think might be of value to then.

Instead of asking "Who cares what I am doing?"
Ask yourself, "what do my followers want to know?"

The article in the link below tells how a bakery is using twitter. The bakery alerts customers via twitter as to when fresh bread is available.

Hum, can farm direct marketers do this? How many of you have bakeries, fresh produce or products? Are you on your way to the farmers' market? What are you picking this morning? What tastes great today?
Twitter it!
http://springwise.com/weekly/2009-04-15.htm#bakertweet

Blogging
I see the blog as another great way to educate your customers, to let them know what products will be available and to build a relationship with you.
Make sure you promote it!

Share pictures of your beautiful landscape. Show your customers where their food is produced.

The strength of farm direct marketing is the relationship with the farmer. Tell your readers about you, your family and your team. It will build trust.

Share:

recipes.
photos from the farmer's market.
fun and not so fun things that happen on the farm.
an employee's history
live pictures from the market. Use your phone and download it right away.
links to things you find interesting.
videos. Show yourselves setting up and getting ready to go to market
money saving recipes.
"how-to cook" video. You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to do very basic things. I heard that the Food Bank sometimes gets back 1-pound packages of hamburger because people don't know how to make a hamburger!!!! They's seen them in patties but never in the raw form. Show them how to make hamburgers.
how to use a crock-pot, roast peppers on the BBQ...
link to articles that are written about you.
information from the courses you attend.....
you'd be surprised.

Celebrating excellent school tours on the farm

2009-04-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

An interview with Anna Lyles, Mesilla Valley Maze.
Winner of NAFDMA's Celebrate Excellence School Tours award. How many children a year visit Mesilla Valley Maze? About 22,000.

What does a school tour encompass? Garden Tour; 2 stationary lessons lead by College students; Outdoor Classroom with licensed teachers; Hayride to patch w/pumpkin picking; Maze w/ Q & A sheets; Playground (slides, trikes, mystic walk, corn box etc.) mini mazes; Reserved Picnic tent w/tables for each group; (we can seat about 1150 at a time); teacher packet; current years curriculum; and the list goes on and on.

What component of your school tours are you most proud of? The grade level specific curriculum, that changes each year and meets standards for 2 different states.

Your hayride wagon look amazing. Who designed/built them?
Steve designed and built these out of old cotton trailers. We got out of the cotton business many moons ago, and like any other farmer, couldn't let anything go to waste. The goal was a trailer that was safe above everything else. Steel floors with gritted floor paint, shade from the desert sun and an entry and exit system that couldn't be activated from inside the trailer.
What is your biggest challenge? As far as the school tours, keeping the education program fresh for the teachers. We have about a 80% return each year, some teachers have been bringing their classes since the beginning. Our track record, as far as education, is well established so I'm in hopes that we won't see much of a downturn with the economy.

On another note,it's tough keeping up with the 2500 acre vegetable farm that Steve has which is the basis for our operation, I run the Maze as a completely seperate business entity. Between the activities at the maze and fall harvest on the farm, scheduling real family time during my season can be a bit tricky!

How long have you been using on-line registration? We have been using a combination of online & phone reservations for about 5 years. Online has been a boon as far as time managment goes. In most cases, a teacher will have her confirmation waiting when she gets back to the classroom the next day, but for days that are tightly scheduled or near the end of the season, I sometimes just pick up the phone and call them back.

Any words of advice? Make your school tour as "self-guided" as possible. Don't ever schedule the boss, whoever that is, to teach or give hayrides; youv'e got to be available to put out fires and glad hand with teachers...after all, they're the ones who made the decision to come and visit your farm.

I see you your website that you are New Mexico's Ag Educator of the year. Wow! Congratulations! Can you tell us a little more about this? New Mexico's Ag in the Classroom Program recognizes one teacher each year who exemplifies ag based education. I was chosen because of the quality of our program and the ability we have to impact such large numbers of students. (over 175,000 since 1999)

How long have you been a NAFDMA member? We joined NAFDMA and attended our first conference in 2003. The New Mexico Department of Agriculutre hired Jane Eckert to come out and visit 6 different farms in our state. What she shared with us was so eye-opening; who would have thought that there was an organization dedicated to what we do? NAFDMA has been a blessing for us.

How has NAFDMA helped your business? We didn't know what to expect @ that first conference, but North Carolina was amazing! I literally saw the light go on over my husbands head...he finally understood the vision that I had. The bus tour, comraderie and conference truly changed the direction of my life.
http://www.mesillavalleymaze.com/

Thank you Anna & congratulations!

Posting on the road

2009-03-30T08:44:00.001-07:00

Testing a new feature.

Did you know you can post to your blog from your blackberry or cell phone?

How to set it up.
Go to the Settings Tab and then click on the Email Tab.
You will want to fill in the Email posting address.

Pick a secret word and to set up an email address.
It's very simple.
When you want to email from the highway you can just send in your post to that new "top-secret" email address and voila! You have posted on the road or in your field or from the farm market!

What's your story?

2009-03-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” Muriel Rukeyser

How do you tell your story?

One of the drivers behind the success of farm direct marketing is that people want to connect with the farmer. They want to know where their food comes from. They want to know who grows and makes the food they are eating.

Many NAFDMA members have been selling direct to the consumer for years, generations in fact. They tell their stories to children on school tours and on the walls of their businesses.

You can tell your stories verbally and through pictures. Do you have a:

rogues gallery? A photo wall of family and staff working at your business.
history wall? A wall of pictures showing your history. Did you move a building in? Did you refurbish that old barn? Have you rebuilt after a tragedy? Share your story.
gallery on your website? Use high quality, fabulous photos. Post little video clips.
scrapbook? Left open in a retail area,to take on bus tours, to tradeshows and other meetings.

The other side of the story...

One of the best parts about visiting an ag tourism operation is in the telling and retelling of the stories. You get home and share your experiences with families and friends.

In telling our stories we feel unique.
“I picked my own fruit.”
“They made it right in front of me!”
“I rode through the orchard.”
“ I saw them make the juice and wine!”

Share your customers stories!

Post pictures. Link to Youtube and Flickr.
Share testimonials.
When you get a great thank-you letter, ask the writer if you can post it on your website.

Check out this Australian fruit farm. http://www.beerenberg.com.au/go/visit-our-strawberry-farm

They sell their products commercially and have a farm retail operation. Their Provenance Pathway program allows their customers to trace the origin of each jar's main ingredients, the day it was made, and even who made it.

They have also done a great job of linking their other social marketing activities to their website, You can click directly to Flickr, YouTube and Facebook to see pictures from the farm.

Participation teams strengthen member involvement in NAFDMA

2009-03-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Get to know your Participation Team Leads....

Deb Pifer from White House Fruit Farm Leads the Membership Participation Team.

Jan Vala (Marketing member) Vala's Pumpkin Patch , Rob Leeds (Convention member) Leeds Farm & Sue Roba (Leads Finance Participation Team) Roba Family Farm.

Anne Holcomb (Leads Convention Participation Team) Apple Annies and Anna Lyles (Convention and Membership member) Mesilla Valley Maze

Over the past two years, NAFDMA's membership has been taking a more active role in shaping the direction of the association and our convention.

It's exciting to watch the Participation (Parti-teams) evolve. We have members from across the continent providing input on contest and member benefits; brainstorming and creating marketing concepts; organizing sessions and working on our convention & tour.

Want to learn more? Contact one of our Leads:

Convention. Lead by Anne Holcomb, appleannies@vtc.net
Marketing. Lead by Kerry Engel, kerry.engel@gov.ab.ca
Finance. Lead by Sue Roba robatree@epix.net
Membership. Lead by Debbie Pifer, dpifer3290@aol.com

Take a tour of the Rock Ranch with Jeff Manley

2009-03-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Rock Ranch does a great job with it's ag-education programs. Several different stations are positioned across the farm. Each station is geared towards a different age group. Jeff Manley with the Rock Ranch gives us a quick tour. NAFDMA tour-goers visited and had a fab supper at the Rock Ranch in February.

Do you want to learn more about bring school kids out to your farm?

Did you know that Nafdma convention sessions are recorded?

They are available as MP3s. MP3s are easy to download and you can listen to them while you prune your orchard or plant your fields. Nearly 20 hours of audio recorded sessions are yours as a bonus when you renew your NAFDMA membership or join for the first time.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the latest in offering profitable school tours to planning a retail expansion. The sessions are listed at nafdma.com/Gergia/GA_conf/

NAFDMA

Camping at the Rock Ranch

2009-03-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of the NAFDMA tour in Georgia was our visit to The Rock Ranch. They rolled out the red carpet for us. Their camping program is explained in detail on this video.

Thank you Rock Ranch for your gracious hospitality. We value your membership.

Rock Ranch

Learn about social media from the comfort of your office

2009-03-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've been sent another great link regarding social media. For those of you who want a quick and easy at-home presentation.

Winning at social media.

NAFDMA Social Marketing presentation on-line

2009-03-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Julie Fox and Rob Leeds Social Marketing presentation at the Georgia convention is available on Julie's blog. Check it out.

Julie and Rob: Social Marketing

Farmers' on Facebook. Keep your networks going all year round.

2009-03-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

It often looks like Homecoming Week at a NAFDMA convention.

People reconnecting with the friends they've made over the years.

Once a Bus Buddy, always a Bus Buddy.

One of the things that NAFDMA bus buddies across the world have started to do is connect on Facebook. The social networking site that lets you stay in touch with a whole group of people at once. www.facebook.com

People love their NAFDMA networks. It's one of the things that makes NAFDMA a success.

Why not get on Facebook? Search out your NAFDMA friends or get your new ones to join with you and watch your networks blossom.

Use the privacy settings on your facebook page.

2009-03-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

How to make the most of social networking on Facebook.

You are able to control who-sees-what on your facebook page.

Annie Holcomb, from Apple Annies in Arizona sent us this link.

Near the end of the article they offer hints on how to use the privacy settings.

A quick and good read if you decide to try Facebook.

Marketing farm direct and ag tourism on the web

2009-02-24T20:14:00.001-08:00

The camera we used to record these videos is a Flip Camera. I got mine on Amazon. I've even see them at Walmart. They plug directly into your usb port. Downloading is very simple. There are no instructions. All support material is on their website. www.theflip.com

Networking, the old fashioned way, is the ‘heart’ of NAFDMA but we want to learn new tricks

2009-02-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Social Marketing was THE hot topic this year. I haven’t seen our industry this hyped-up in years. They wanted to know what they were missing and how to catch up. What did we learn? What should business do now?

Do a search of your business on www.flickr.com to see what pictures have been posted. Mary Vollmer of Vollmer Farm did this after the presentation. There were 394 pictures taken at her farm posted on Flickr . Some were amazing. All told a story. Is it the right story? Businesses need to know what image you have on the web.

Search www.youtube.com to see what videos people have posted from your business. Some farms have started using viral marketing to spread the word about their events. They post videos on youtube that can be shared. This video was created by Saunders’ Farm to promote their Fall Haunting Season on the farm. This video was created to spoof a popular song and features a character from the Haunting Season at Saunders’ Farm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBOmPvsWgRA&feature=related

People are talking about you on www.facebook.com

A facebook page, chat room or blog might be needed. We have built this blog using www.blogger.com

Use www.google.com/alerts to keep track of what is being posted on the web about your business. We get about 5 alerts a week about NAFDMA.

2009-02-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

NAFDMA members share a few web site ideas at the Website session on Participation day.

Upcoming webinar: NAFDMA 2009 highlights

2009-02-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Our own Charlie Touchette, NAFDMA's Executive Director, is this months guest presenter on the Canadian Farm Business Management Council's Ag-Webinar. Charlie's topic: Recent Revelations - The Best of NAFDMA 2009 February 23rd @ NOON EST.

The Ag-Webinar is free of charge. You will need to be at a computer to take part.

2009-02-18T10:57:00.001-08:00

Highlights from the 2009 NAFDMA Awards Banquet and Participation Day.

NAFDMA award winners

2009-02-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

This year the membership committee introduced a new award package. Thank you to all who entered and shared their products and ideas with us. We all learn by sharing- it's the NAFDMA way. Congratulations to all of our people's choice winners.

The 2009 Best of Show goes to the Kuipers Family Farm. Congrats!!!

Contest Winners:

1. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence web site contest is: Rosabella’s Gardens

2. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Television contest is Bowman Orchards

3. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Maze Design contest is Treinen Farms

4. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Printed Rack Card is
Robas Family Farm

5. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Employee Handbook is
The Apple Shed

6. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Promotional Innovation is
Apple Annies

7. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Printed Brochure is Kuipers Family Farm

8. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Specialty Printed Literature is
Kuipers Family Farm

9. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence School Tours is Mesilla Valley Maze

10. The winner of the Celebrate Excellence Printed Newsletter is
Tanners Orchards

Outstanding NAFDMA Leadership award- Anne Holcomb

NAFDMA Hall of Fame award- Time & Jan Vala

Outstanding NAFDMA Participation Team member - Anna Lyles

Honorable Mentions
1. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence web site contest are
Dewberry Farms and Tanners Orchards

2. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Television contest are Tate Farms and Swank Farms

3. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Maze Design contest re Apple Annies and Swank Farms

4. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Printed Rack Card

are Tate Farms and AKL Maui

5. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Employee Handbook are Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard and Mesilla Valley Maze

6. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Promotional Innovation are Carolyn’s Country Cousins and Treinen Farms

7. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Printed Brochure are Gifford Barn and Hollabaugh Brothers Orchards

8. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence Specialty Printed Literature are Vollmer Farm and The Rock Ranch

9. Honorable mentions for the Celebrate Excellence School Tours are
Carolyn’s Country Cousins and The Rock Ranch

10. The Honorable mention for the Celebrate Excellence Printed Newsletter is Alstede Orchards

Retailing basics

2009-02-08T02:34:00.000-08:00

You need a signature item.

A viewing area that let's your customers watch production of your products boosts sales. People buy the process. It's food theatre!

Merchandizing with antiques and old farm products helps create a authentic experience in your store.

2009-02-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

If you don't have an 'no-sugar' section. It's time to get one.

Tell your customers how to use your product.

Cooking demonstrations push product sales. High end appliances - Viking is the sponsor.

2009-02-08T02:25:00.000-08:00

We all know sampling works. Try before you buy.

We played "pass the baby". The future of NAFDMA.

Experiencing culinary tourism

2009-02-08T02:14:00.000-08:00

At Wolf Mountain Winery we learnt how to create a high-end food experience. Appeal to all the senses. Spectacular views and great food.

Who let the cows out?

2009-02-08T02:09:00.000-08:00

We got up-close and personal on tour "school tour" at Cagel's.

2009-02-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

At Cagle's Dairy we walked under the road to get from the Ag tourism area to the dairy.

Shelving ideas fro Dekalb. Angle the shelves, use slats, raise it up high.

Networking and learning on the NAFDMA Bus tour

2009-02-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to get to know people on a the bus tour is to change seats.

2009-02-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

The Food, Events and Retail bus was serenaded by Bill Michaels .He shared his Apples & Cider jingle with us.

NAFDMA Tour, Georgia. Day one.

2009-02-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

An early morning, and a long driving day got us from Savannah to Atlanta on Day one of the 2009 tour. Great stops today. We were all brought to tears at Vidalia Valley, home of the vidalia onion.

NAFDMA Participation Day

2009-02-05T19:27:00.001-08:00

Dan Cathy, Chick-Fil-A, was our closing speaker. He inspired us to go the second mile.
Lani, from Maui, did an awesome job in her workshop and round table session. We learnt so much her and from each other during Participation Day.
The banquet was held during lunch. The membership committe launched a new awards program. NAFDMA members entered all the contest allowing us to learn from them and there marketing materials. We will announce the winners soon.
The volume was turned up high during lunch. People were pumped from the sessions.

NAFDMA participation day review

2009-02-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Participation day comments from Bonnie Swank.

Marketing a Whole Farm

2009-02-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Marketing a lifestyle - three nuggets from Angela.

2009-02-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

2009-02-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Whose at the NAFDMA conference this year?

2009-02-03T19:05:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak...

Urban Vintage Retailing - can NAFDMA members relate?

2009-02-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

There is a 'look' to many of the trendier retailing shops in Savannah. It's Urban Vintage. They keep the authentic, rustic and historical pieces of their buildings and businesses and layer it with chic, urban and edgy touches. It appeals to the younger consumer on many levels. Back in the Day Bakery does it well.

The old brick wall reveals the history of the building and the reminds us of how life used to be. Back when bread and cupcakes were home baked. It reminds of of a time when things were simpler and more wholesome...back in the day.

NAFDMA members: What pieces of history can you show off? From your building

NAFDMA members need to capture local food customs and tell their story

2009-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

At the Kitchens on the Square we watched a cooking demonstrations for The Low Country Boil. A southern tradition.

Check out how interested we all are? We took pictures, we gathered in close. We were engaged!

What culinary traditions can you translate down on the farm?

NAFDMA Food Tourists spend money

2009-02-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Is there any money to be made by the food tourist?
One of the busses on today's Foody Tour had 23 NAFDMA members on it. They spent over $1200 shopping on the Foody Tour.
Hum, you do the math.

Jamie and Bobby Dean pose with Lane and Charlotte at the Paula Deen Store. This is Lane McConnell's first NAFDMA Convention. What did Lane Learn? I asked her for her top three take home points from the Foody Tour. Here they are:

Education: Savannah Bee Hive focused educating their consumer through educational videos from the youngest shopper to the eldest. The honey tasting room was an ingenious idea.

Word of Mouth Marketing: Back in the Day Bakery was a perfect example of positive word of mouth advertising. The business provides a premier product and doesn’t skip on ingredients for their products. They only use high quality ingredients to make their quality product – and their customers know that.

Know Your Customer: According to the American Express Travel Survey (2008) even though the economy may be bad, 87% of vacationers are searching for a culinary experience that reflects their passions. These are the customers of direct marketers and we must know our customers needs and preferences. Customers today want to put a face to their food – culinary tourism fills this need.
Lane McConnell mailto:Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov

2009-02-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Education Day Highlights from the The Savannah Foody Tour Company lead workshop "A Taste of Culinary Tourism - Savannah Style
http://savannahmovietours.net/

According to the US Travel Association, Culinary Travel Survey found the food traveler spends $1,194/trip. 1/3 of that is spent on food related activities.

The culinary traveller is younger, highly affluent, better educated, they visit museums and cultural sites and they choose destinations for food and wine experiences. They read specialized interest publications and may be more responsive to travel packages that focus on the uniqueness of a destination.

The culinarty tourist is in pursuit of unique, memorable, culinary esperiences of all kinds, often while traveling.

On the tour we visited:

Wright Square Cafe
Savannah Bee Company Honey House
Lady and Sons
Kitchens on the Square for cooking demonstrations
Mom & Nikki's Soul Food
Back in teh Day Bakery
Leopol's Ice Cream
Polk's Fresh Market
The Distillery

River boat breakfast cruise - Innovation day

2009-02-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

To start off the convention we all got on board the river boat for a morning cruise. We ate breakfast and then went out on deck to enjoy the sites. After the cruise we returned back to the hotel for a day of contests, information sessions and tradeshow booths. The room was a buzz.
Pat and John enoying the river after breakfast.

Joe, Eric and that guy from Ohio State....what is his name? Rob! yes, that is his name. He always wears the Ohio State clothing. He's hard to miss.

Our stomachs were full and we enjoyed getting to meet up with old friends and introduce ourselves to new ones.

The sun is just coming up. It was an early morning.

2009-02-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Good Night from the Marriot on the Savannah River.

2009-02-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome to NAFDMA Georgia 2009

2009-02-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Randii shares a Big Idea for Farmers' Markets.

2009-02-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Learning more about mazes.

Check out the peddal carts.

Lots of great dessert vendors.

Scarlett and Mammy are leading the 'Gone with the Wind' bus. The food,events and retailing bus. They got into character tonight.

2009-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Registration opened today. Innovation day is tomorrow but there was a Tradeshow "sneak peak " tonight. Lots of vendors this year and some great displays. What's new? Farmers Golf.

It's all about name tags, registration packages, old friends....

Figuring out where you need to go.

Who's your tour guide? Jan Vala, Rob Leeds and Sue Roba.

Annie and Anna helping people find there way.

merchandizing ideas from Savannah retailers

2009-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Gotta love how they sample honey in Savannah Bee.