Workshops to cover food production, marketing for producers

October 15, 2012  


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Farmers and small-business owners interested in selling their food products can learn ways to make their businesses safe and profitable at workshops to be given across the state.

MarketReady Indiana will be offered at 12 locations and feature sessions on each stage of food marketing, including quality assurance, pricing, insurance, and relationship building. Target audiences include traditional farmers seeking to diversify, small farmers seeking to expand their markets, owners of small businesses such as bakeries or dairies, and producers of value added farm products such as flour, jellies, jams or salsa.

"This workshop is all about the five Ps - people, product, place, promotion and plan," said Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension educator in Hancock County. "It will make farmers and small-business owners better able to compete in food markets by familiarizing themselves with business practices, quality and similar issues. We want to allow vendors to access institutional, restaurant and wholesale markets."

Session structure will include panel discussions with representatives from restaurants and wholesale buying institutions, as well as presentations by county Extension educators.

The workshop will be offered in the following counties (all times local):

* Allen County: Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Allen County Extension Office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne. Contact: Gonzalee Martin, 260-481-6826.

* Cass/Carroll/Howard counties: Nov. 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Deer Creek Community Center, 4583 N. state Route 29, Camden. Contact: Tamara Ogle, 574-753-7750.

* Decatur County: Jan. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Decatur County Extension Office, 545 S. 200 W., Greensburg. Contact: Dan Wilson, 812-663-8388.

* Delaware County: Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Patterson Ballroom, Ivy Tech Community College Patterson Building, 108 S. Walnut, Muncie. Contact: Michael O'Donnell, 765-747-7732.

* Elkhart County: Nov. 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, 17746 County Road 34, Suite E., Goshen. Contact: Jeff Burbrink, 574-533-0554.

* Hancock County: Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Purdue Extension Office, 802 N. Apple St., Greenfield. Contact: Roy Ballard, 317-462-1113.

* Harrison County: Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Harrison County Extension Office, 247 Atwood St., Corydon. Contact: Miranda Ulery, 812-738-4236.

* Knox County: Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., SWPAP Meeting Room, 4367 N. Purdue Road, Vincennes. Contact: Valerie Clingerman, 812-882-3509.

* Lake County: Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lake County Extension Office, 880 E. 99th Ct., Suite A, Crown Point. Contact: Kris Parker, 219-465-3555.

* Monroe County: Nov. 13: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monroe County Extension Office, 3400 S. Walnut St., Bloomington. Contact: Amy Thompson, 812-349-2575.

* Vigo County: Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ivy Tech Workforce Development, 1700 E. Industrial Drive, Terre Haute. Contact: Jim Luzar, 812-462-3371.

Registration costs $60 per person, and $30 per person for each additional member of a family or farm group. Registration forms can be downloaded from http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/counties/hancock/Documents/AgFiles/Programs/MarketReady2012brochure.pdf and mailed to the Monroe County Extension Office, 3400 S. Walnut St., Bloomington, IN 47401, or participants can call their county Extension office to register.

For more information, contact Ballard at 317-462-1113 or rballard@purdue.edu

Writer: Jessica Merzdorf, 765-494-8402, jmerzdor@purdue.edu

Source: Roy Ballard, 317-462-1113, rballard@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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