Massachusetts Farmers’ Market Managers Workshop
Empowering the Market
Manager for Success
March 25, 2010 - 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM
Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA
Franklin M. Loew Building
– Hamilburg Lecture Hall
Sponsored by: Mass Farmers’
Markets, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and Cooperative
Development Institute
8:30 A.M. – 9:00
A.M. Registration and Coffee
9:00 A.M. – 9:15 A.M. Welcome and Legislative Update: New Opportunities for Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets
Speaker:
Scott Soares, Commissioner,
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources,
Boston, MA
Managing for Vendor
and Market Success
9:15 A.M - 10:15 A.M. Keynote: The Power of Farmers’ Market Coopertition
Cooperation plus competition equals customers which equals sales. Coopertition (co-oper-tition) is a winning formula for farmers markets when vendors cooperate to create an engaging, welcoming marketplace in which to compete for customers to buy their products. Find out how you can put the dynamic power of coopetition to work in your market.
Speaker: Stacy Miller, Executive Director, Farmers’ Market Coalition, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Moderator:
Jeff Cole, Executive Director, Mass Farmers’ Markets, Waltham,
MA
10:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. Break
10:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Letting Go and Taking Charge: Developing Useful Manager Authority When boards and vendors let go of daily decisions and encourage the manager to take charge of operations, market agreements can be fairly enforced to everyone’s benefit. Successful market management builds from well-conceived and accepted market goals, policies, rules and standards of accountability that the Manager has the authority, willingness and skills to enforce.
Market managers share their experience in forging a relationship with their board/vendors that allows them to do what needs to be done to make the market work.
Speake
Moderator:
Lynda Brushett, Senior Cooperative Development Specialist,
Cooperative Development Institute, South Deerfield, MA
Over
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Farm inspections: Does it Matter?
You bet! Trust and respect is required for a farmers market to work well for all participants. Trust and respect is always either earned or validated. Proper and timely use of farm inspections is a tool managers can (and often must) use to promote trust and harvest respect. Useful and tested advice from New York’s Greenmarkets.
Speaker: Michael Hurwitz, Director Greenmarket Program, Council on the Environment of New York City
Moderator:
Jeff Cole, Executive Director, Mass Farmers’ Markets, Waltham, MA
12:30 P.M - 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:30 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. Farmers Market’s and EBT
Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Commissioner Julia Kehoe will provide an overview of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), its impact on the health and nutrition of low-income individuals and families, and its financial benefit for food retailers. She will then facilitate a discussion regarding accepting SNAP benefits at farmers’ markets and the best practices of markets that already utilize EBT point-of-sale machines.
Speaker:
Julia Kehoe, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Transitional
Assistance, Boston, MA
2:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and New WIC Produce Vouchers
This session will provide an overview of two programs to help your market reach low-income consumers. Programs include: The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program - program basics, common questions and 2009 reports and trends; The new WIC Produce Voucher - guidelines and differences from FMNP coupons, including the plan for moving forward and implementation; What is the market manager’s role to make these programs’ successful for the market, vendors, consumers and participants?
Speaker:
Lisa Damon, Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Coordinator, MA
Dept. of Agricultural Resources
2:30 P.M. – 3:15 P.M. Social Media/Viral Marketing
Good marketing is intentional. Traditional marketing is an expensive “fee for distribution” plan. Social media and viral marketing are inexpensive distribution” plans and can be highly effective. But they don’t happen by themselves. Tips on making social media and viral marketing work for you.
Speakers: Jeff Cole, Executive Director, Mass Farmers’ Markets, Waltham, MA
Additional speaker to be announced
3:15 P.M. – 4:15 P.M. Market Manager Exchange
What’s on your mind? A facilitated discussion with topics based on interests of attendees. See attached registration form to make sure your ideas/issues are included.
Facilitators: Lynda Brushett, Senior Cooperative Development Specialist, Cooperative Development Institute, South Deerfield, MA
Jeff Cole, Executive Director, Mass Farmers’ Markets, Waltham, MA
4:15 P.M. Adjourn or Optional Tour of Tufts Veterinary School
To Register
Mail the registration form below with
a check payable to the FMFM by March 15th.
The registration cost of $35 per person includes morning refreshments
and lunch.
Register early as
space is limited
For more information
contact Jeff Cole, 781-893-8222, jeff@massfarmersmarkets.org, David Webber, 617-626-1754, david.webber@state.ma.us or Lisa Damon, 617-626-1731, Lisa.Damon@state.ma.us
Directions to Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton
Franklin M. Loew
Building – Hamilburg Lecture Hall
From the Greater Boston area,
take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) to exit 11-A (Route
495). Proceed north on Route 495 to Exit 23, Route 9 west. Proceed west
on Route 9 for approximately 1 1/2 miles to Route 30 west. Follow Route
30 west into Westborough Center. Go through Westborough Center and continue
on Route 30 for 4 miles. The entrances to both the Jean Mayer
Administration Building and the Franklin M. Loew Veterinary Medical
Education Center are on the right. Across from that is Wildlife Drive.
From Connecticut or western Massachusetts, take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) east to Exit 11, Millbury. Go right onto Route 122 toward Grafton for approximately 2 miles. Turn left (bear left) onto Bridge Street (sign says: To Rt. 140 North). At the end of the street, turn left onto Route 140 North. Continue for about 500 yards, turn right at the light onto Route 30 East and travel for approximately 2 miles. As you approach campus and pass the Grafton T Station, the entrance to the Franklin M. Loew Veterinary Medical Education Center is on your left. Across from that is Wildlife Drive.
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Please return with payment:
Name of each person attending:
_____________________________
______________________________
Number of Registrants ____ x $35/person
=___________total registration fees
Farmers’ Market: ____________________
Mailing Address: ___________________
Phone: _________________
Fax:___________________ Email:_______________________
Please list any topics you would like
discussed at the Manager Exchange (challenges, issues, success stories,
etc.)
Would you be interested in a tour of
the Tufts Campus and Veterinary School after the workshop ends at 4:15
pm? _____Yes ____No
Make check payable to FMFM
and mail to:
Mass Farmers’ Markets
Market Managers Workshop
240 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02452