Crop Production Plan Pair up and discuss last weeks homework: Share what type of farm you are thinking of- (vegetable/fruit trees/livestock?) (homestead/business?) What are some resources that you used to find information related to crop production plan? What information are still looking for? In response: Do you have suggestions of resources your partner can use? Are there any other details your partner should plan for? Ask to the What resources did you all use?

Ways to Market your Product Locally and Regionally Sell What You Grow Ways to Market your Product Locally and Regionally Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching

The Basics of Direct Marketing Capture more of the profit Disperses market risk Develop unique product identity Increase consumer-farmer connection and provide product feedback What is direct marketing? Marketing a product in a way that involves the farmer as the direct source for the end user. In this way, the middleman, broker, wholesaler, etc. is eliminated in the buying chain. The farmer assumes more of the work in making that connection but also receives a higher percentage of the total value of the product. Many farmers are processing and distributing their products direct to restaurants or retail store, therefore capturing more of the consumer dollar. In addition, the customer is often looking to know more about their food, and getting to know and purchase directly from the farmer growing their food has a increased appeal to many. It is not that small acreage farmers cannot sell their crop or livestock products through a broker or to a wholesale entity. In fact, many producers of specialty or niche products may find that selling through a broker is a much more lucrative venue for selling due to volume purchasing. These products will generally be processed food products, with a shelf life and a unique identity (huckleberries jam from Idaho, Organic frozen vegetables from Stalbush Island Farms, or natural beef from Oregon County Beef). www.sare.org

Direct Marketing Options Community supported agriculture (CSA) Farmers’ markets U-Pick Grocery stores, Restaurant, Food Banks Farm stands Farm to School Ag Tourism Cooperatives or Food Hubs Internet Let’s start by going over the 10 most common ways to direct market your products. We will go into each of these marketing venues in more detail.

Community Supported Agriculture How it works Benefits Payment occurs at the beginning of season Quantity harvested is guaranteed sale Challenges Requires advanced planning Experience in production Distribution The Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA) concept of marketing came into vogue in the United states in the 1980’s. Theoretically it is referring to the community or customers of a farm buying into the farm or offering support to help the farmer produce the crop. Ways that is done is by offering to volunteer hours in exchange for food or paying up front to support purchase of seeds and equipment to reduce the farmer’s risk in growing and marketing the crops. Some situations are set up that customers actually buy an apple tree or a share of a cow’s milk and then their milk or apples are delivered to them in the appropriate timeframe. Most often it is a weekly supply of vegetables that you pay for ahead of time and have delivered to a certain location or at your home. CSA vary widely in format and pricing structure. In 2000, there were over 1000 CSA in the United States and that number continues to grow. To be successful requires experience in production. Many farmers start with other venues while they build a loyal customer base and then grow gradually into CSA’s. Preplanning of how much to grow, what will you offer, how much to charge and how it will be delivered is essential.

Check out Helsing Junction Farm at http://www.helsingfarmcsa.com Here is a web site to visit that has pictures of the CSA in varying stages of preparation.

Farm to School How it Works Benefits Challenges Contract sales Efficiency of scale (production) Healthy produce to kids Challenges Requires Food Safety (GAP) certification Lower Price per unit Hard market to get into for new business http://www.wafarmtoschool.org/

Direct Sales to Restaurants How it works Benefits Price maker instead of taker Interest in unique product Direct communication with single buyer Challenges Schedule Particularity of buyer Farmer Fisher Chef Connection March-Seattle Many farmers near urban areas with upscale restaurants are finding that selling produce and/or meat to chefs is a lucrative marketing strategy. There are many pitfalls and challenges in marketing through restaurants to consider: knowing how to the work within the chefs schedule and meeting their stringent demands for quality, timeliness and reliability. Farm to Table Trade Meeting February-Bellingham

Farm Stands How it works Benefits Low transportation cost Extra sales location Challenges Product loss Everyday display=everyday harvest Payment- staff or honor system Location and regulations Farm stands are another method of direct marketing that has its roots in the early part of the 19th century. Like the u-pick operations customers will now go to the farm itself – often out of their way – looking for the freshest produce and a connection to the farmer and farmer who grows their food. Customers develop a relationship with “their” farmer and a loyalty to purchasing from the farm. The farmer benefits by reduced transportation cost (versus selling at a downtown market), but must also consider the cost of building a farm stand structure.

Puget Sound Food Hub (Farmer Cooperative) How it works Benefits Low transportation cost Increases sales marketing area Price setter not taker Maintain farm brand to buyers Challenges Requires Liability Insurance www.campbellriskmanagement.com Requires internet and marketing knowhow Application required and farm competition www.pugetsoundfoodhub.com

Farmers Markets How it works Benefits Develop customer base Receive full retail value Customers come to you Communicate growing practices direct to consumer Challenges Labor and time Product loss Competition Requires customer service skills Every market is different Farmer’s markets have been around for many years. There is great variation of what might be called a farmers’ market from one town to the next. Historically the producer’s all harvest their food, load it on their wagons and brought it to the center of town to sell once a week. The level of sophistication has advanced far beyond that, especially in the past 10 – 15 years as both the number of people wanting fresh food and the number selling it has grown. The FM is a great starting place – it is a place to secure a good customer base, get input from customers on quality, services, variety and how to attract more customers. Many CSA farms started out marketing at the local FM. FM have ( and are still) developing in their operational and management structure. Most have Boards of Directors and rules governing sales. Some have no manager, some have volunteers and at the far end of the spectrum there are some markets with full time paid managers. There are different methods of collecting stall fees (either a set price or a percentage of sales). Most states have information about FM through the state Department of Agriculture. ( Idaho Dept. of Agriculture marketing information on-line at http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Marketing/FMmarketing.php Idaho has a directory of Farmer’s markets put out by RR and UI in 2004. It is available on the RR website at www.ruralroots.org

farmers markets, visit: To learn more about farmers markets, visit: www.wafarmersmarkets.com seattlefarmersmarkets.org www.bellinghamfarmers.org www.mountvernonfarmersmarket.org/

U-Pick Operations How it works Benefits Customers come to you Reduced harvest labor Price setter Challenges Staffing Regulations Liability Marketing and Communication U pick operations are nothing new. Farmer’s have sold fruits and vegetables by having customers come and pick their own since early in the last century. U-Pick operations are regaining popularity as small acreage farms increase in numbers and the demand for fresh produce increases. Some farmers are looking for ways to diversify their enterprises and their marketing venues to reduce risk and increase income. Others are beginning farmers with small parcels of land that want to start a farm businesson a small acreage parcel. Also urban dwellers are looking for on-farm experiences for their families to reconnect with nature and a part of life that is gone from our modern day urban hubbub. continue to be an effective method for direct marketing. Farmers are finding that consumers are often looking for a farm experience and this is one way to provide that. Many producers are offering a variety of fun activities on their farms to supplement the U-pick operation.

Ag Tourism How it works Benefits Customers come to you Selling an experience Future customers Challenges Staffing Regulations Liability Marketing and Communication Ag tourism, entertainment farming or agritourism are all names for combining tourism adventures, fun or relaxing activities and lodging into the farm setting. The possibilities of what people can and ARE doing is endless. Everything from dude ranches and B&B’s to stores filled with value-added products and pony rides. These operations bring fun into the farming experience. They often have entertainment seasonally or in conjunction with harvest of particular fruits or vegetables ( apple festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes).

Agritourism http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/ http://bowedisonfoodtrail.tumblr.com/ http://www.festivaloffamilyfarms.com/ http://www.bellewoodfarms.com/

Let the Internet work for you Promote your products and availability Sell your products Have your own web site or get listed in a online guide or directory www.localharvest.org www.eatwellguide.org www.pugetsoundfresh.org/ If you are using the internet to promote your products and availability there are numerous web based listings, nationally and regionally here in the PNW. Food Routes has a national database but the local database for Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana is maintained by Rural Roots ( see URL above). A new local (Inland Northwest) online Farmers’ Market vending site is at http://www.inlandnwfarmersmarket.com/ Another on-line database that is focused on making connections between producers and chefs or retail buyers in Pacific Northwest can be found at http://www.farmerchefconnection.org/

Resources WSDA Greenbook http://agr.wa.gov/marketing/smallfarm/greenbook/ USDA Farmer Direct Marketing www.ams.usda.gov/directmarketing North American Farm Direct Marketing Assn. www.nafdma.com

Sustainable Crop Production Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching

Reading and Discussion Questions What is the purpose of hardening off plants? What are the benefits of raised beds and how would you go about making them in a field production setting? What are the benefits of transplanting? At what point does it make sense to invest in a mechanical transplanter? What are the benefits of mulching? What are some options for mulches? What are the pros and cons of using row cover and what are some ways to secure it?

Crop Rotations Numerous ecological and other benefits to the farm Consider plant characteristics to help you develop a plan Plant families Moisture requirements Rooting depths Nitrogen fixing plants Warm season - cool season crops Cover crops/green manures Integrated Organic Practices - USDA Crop rotation is the essence of management for sustainable systems – the ecological benefits are numerous: Increase biological diversity, break disease and pest cycles, and harnessing of nutrients from soil at different depths. Other benefits of crop rotation to your whole farm plan: 1) help to diversify the economics of your operation and 2) spread out labor needs (through season). Go to The New Farm web site and check out the article describing 10 considerations all growers should think about before developing a crop rotation plan. http://www.newfarm.org/columns/inspector/2004/1204/12.23.04_print.shtml Next go to part three of that same article on The New Farm web site and check out the “Nine simple steps to designing a crop rotation.” http://www.newfarm.org/columns/inspector/2005/0205/2.10.05.shtml

Cover Crops and Green manures Keep it covered: Prevent erosion Shade out weeds Prevent freezing and thawing of soils Hosts for beneficial insects Incorporate it: Add nitrogen Increase organic matter Cover crops are plants grown in a crop rotation that are not primary money crops but are grown for benefits to the soil ( as listed on slide). The use of cover crops is a standard practice in sustainable cropping systems due to the soil building benefits. Cover crops are included as part of the soil building plan of most organic growers. When cover crops are incorporated into the soil ( referred to as green manures) they add nitrogen and increase organic matter, and over time can improve soil tilth and water holding capacity. UCSC Farm Video: Cover Crops

Use of Cover Crops/Green Manures Identify your problem N source, fight weeds, soil builder, erosion Identify when you could fit them into your rotations late summer, winter, spring ? Identify the right type of cover crop Depending on use, what does well There are many types of plants that are used as cover crops depending on: the time of the year – ( example: buckwheat in a summer in a fallow area, winter rye planted in fall and tilled in weeks before planting in spring) the goal of the farmer – to suppress weeds, prevent erosion, provide a nitrogen source, etc.

Use of Cover Crops N Source Soil Builder Erosion fighter Loosen subsoil Weed fighter Pest fighter Winter peas Hairy Vetch Rye Clover Barley Buck-wheat Sorghum cross Daikon Radish Sunflower Wheat Sorghum Mustard This chart provides information on which cover crops might be effective for which purposes.

Harvesting considerations When and how to harvest Wholesale Success Labor requirements Proper equipment and process Sorting/packing Storage The harvesting and post-harvest handling phase of vegetable production is often overlooked and can make a big difference in improving the quality of your crop. 1) Timing is everything Harvesting crops at the right time and size is something that is learned by experience. However, a great resource is Harvesting Vegetables by James Schmidt of the University of Illinois: http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/NRES/extension/factsheets/vc-11/VC-11.html 2) Don’t forget needs for increased labor Nothing worse than crops at their peak and not having enough people to help harvest.

Crop production summary Management of sustainable cropping systems relies on planning ahead. Things to consider in your plan include: Planting methods Crop rotation plan Use of cover crops/green manure Tillage strategies Timing of harvest and post-harvest handling procedures

Upcoming Events October 28th: Evento de Cooperativos- November 1st:Risk Management and Specialty Crop Insurance November 1st: Focus on Farming Conference November 10-12: Tilth Conference November 18th:Women in Agriculture Reading for next week: The New Organic Grower, Elliot Coleman – Chapter 16 Integrated Pest Management: Effective Options for Farmers. An Organic Weed Control Toolbox  Assignment Due: Whole Farm Plan Section III- Marketing Outlets

Whole Farm Plan Peer Review Highlight the areas in your own plan that you think need further development or detail Exchange plans with a partner Take 10 minutes to read through the plan Come up with 3 strengths of the plan and 3 suggestions for improvement Take 5 minutes to discuss each plan as a pair