Are you as a producer prepared to sell local food to restaurants, grocery stores and other wholesale buyers? If not, take advantage of the growing interest in local foods by coming to the Retail Ready workshop on March 23 from 1-4 p.m. at the Greene County Extension office.
Retail Ready is a new program the Direct Marketing Team is bringing to Ohio, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and local partners including the Greene County Extension office. ODA is providing the funding and coordination for this initial program roll-out and the program is evolving through the national MarketMaker network, the Ohio Food Policy Council, Market connections Task Force and others.
Retail Ready is a program designed to facilitate best commercial business practices between growers and various retail markets. Growth in demand for local foods, together with the growth in direct marketing by smaller-scale producers amplifies the need for grower training on what buyers need to more readily fit into their buying conventions. Most buyers are anxious to work with local growers to market their local products, but have also expressed frustration at the lack of grower awareness of their =referred buying practices. This training should help growers and retailers build more successful market relationships. Retail Ready training was developed with generous assistance from the National MarketMaker program and the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center.
Producers will evaluate their readiness by reviewing resources and a checklist of various topics related to how to package, label, price, invoice, deliver, meet quality and insurance standards, and much more. We hope that you can join us for this workshop. Cost is $30. Register by calling the OSU Extension office at 372-9971.
Michele Burns
Associate Director
Tecumseh Land Trust
P.O. Box 417
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
937-767-9490
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