WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2010 SEASON

Happy New Year!  I just want to give you a mid-winter report on the farmers' market, so you can keep the market on the back burner.  We hired our new market manager, Phoebe Gooding.  I am in the process of training her, and if you haven't yet had the pleasure, you will have a chance to meet her at the pre-market meeting on May 14th (the Friday before the first market). 

Jon Cohen, Phoebe and I just attended the NOFA-Vermont Direct Marketing Conference in South Royalton, Vermont.  It was very inspiring.  In addition to Jon & I presenting on how the Bellows Falls Market involves its "host community" (in particular, regarding the "downtown dollars" program we did this summer), we attended workshops on various marketing topics including advertising, internet as a marketing tool, bringing more good food to low-income people, and starting a winter market. 

Farmers, you might be interested in the following (that I heard about or picked up at the conference):

Put your farm on the map!  Get your farm listed in the Local Growers Guide, a searchable website that supports local farms by connecting people to local products and raising awareness of where and how food is grown in Vermont.  Get listed for free at www.vermontgrowersguide.com.

Attend the Marketing That Sells course, a three-day course to help experienced vegetable growers boost their sales through effective marketing.  Course is on Jan. 27th, Feb. 10th and Feb. 24th.  For more information, go to NOFA's website (www.nofavt.org) and click on the link on the homepage "Marketing that Sells", or call 802.434.4122. 

Sign up for Vermont Farm Share Program, a cost-sharing program that reduces the cost of a CSA share for customers by 50%.  The customers pays 50%, the CSA program (the farmers) fundraises 25% from supporting CSA members, and NOFA-VT matches 25%.  More information at www.nofavt.org/programs/farm-share or call 802.434.4122.

Sign up for the Senior Farm Share program, a federally-funded program that provides a 10-week ($50) CSA share to low-income seniors.  Find out more at www.nofavt.org/programs/farm-share/senior-farm-share-program or by calling the NOFA number listed above.

Farms can now directly accept EBT (food stamps) at a farm stand or CSA.  Get the application at www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/Default.htm.