Workshop set for farmers interested in marketing to restaurants, grocery stores

Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:00 pm

Locally-produced foods are showing up on restaurant plates and grocery shelves in response to consumer interest. Farmers hoping to supply these markets face new challenges in meeting the needs of those purchasing products for these venues.
“Farmers often need information about effectively accessing and communicating with restaurant and grocery buyers, packaging and labeling needs and preferences, pricing, invoicing, certification or audit requirements, insurance requirements and other needs of these potential customers,” says Megan Bruch, marketing specialist with the University of Tennessee Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture. “This workshop will address these concerns.”
Dr. Tim Woods, professor at the University of Kentucky, and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service have developed an educational program to help give farmers the information and tools needed to build marketing relationships with restaurants and retailers like grocery stores. Called “MarketReady,” the program covers topics such as communication, pricing, delivery, invoicing and labeling.
The Center for Profitable Agriculture has teamed with Dr. Woods to offer the MarketReady workshop to Tennessee farmers in three locations this spring. The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 3 in Chattanooga, May 4 in Nashville and May 5 in Memphis. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required by Friday. Registration is $25 per person and includes training materials and lunch.
Visit the Center for Profitable Agriculture website at http://cpa.utk.edu for additional information and to find the registration form. Contact Megan Bruch at (931) 486-2777 or mlbruch@utk.edu with questions.
The workshop is coordinated by the Center for Profitable Agriculture and funded, in part, by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Published in The Messenger 4.24.12