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What's New
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, in partnership with the Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, developed a Pet Industry Learning Program for the Companion and Performance Animals major. This learning program links 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students with industry to gain experiential learning and to forge relationships with the pet food industry. One recently completed project was to develop a You-Tube video about the Alberta pet food/treat manufacturing sector.
- Local Food Policy Stakeholder Engagement sessions: Listen to a Call of the Land interview with Bill Reynolds
- Food Hub presentations given by Anthony Flaccavento and Erin Gowriluk on November 29 (Edmonton) and 30 (Calgary) are now available for download as pdfs. The Food Hub Resource Directory is also available for your use. Included are three case study factsheets which were discussed during the presentations:
ARD Newsletters
- Field Notes e-newsletter: Field Notes is the Explore Local Initiative's quarterly e-newsletter targeted at the local market industry. It contains project spotlights, tips on how to improve your local market business, upcoming events and contacts.
- Hort Snacks newsletter: Hort Snacks is a monthly newsletter targeted at direct market horticulture crop producers and related industry. It contains timely articles and topics related to all aspects of horticulture crop production operations, including production, business and marketing. Upcoming conferences and workshops (regional, provincial, national and international) are listed. There are also thought provoking items, as well as monthly interactive questions and answers.
- FoodNews is published by the Rural Extension and Industry Development Division which works with the food, beverage and agricultural processing industries to encourage growth, diversification, competitiveness and market readiness. It also helps the processing industry respond to opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
- Don’t Fence Me In: An idealetter for those providing a cowboy experience.
- Don't Fence Me In Idealetter, Volume 3, Issue 1, Spring 2009 (PDF 714KB)
- Don't Fence Me In Idealetter, Volume 2, Issue 1, Spring 2008 (PDF 625 KB)
- Don't Fence Me In Idealetter, Volume 1, Issue 1, Winter 2007 (PDF 494 KB)
Marketing Channel Factsheets and Resource Materials
Farm Direct Marketing
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Other factsheets and resources:
- Seed, Nurture, Harvest is a publication developed by the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association. It contains valuable information on many aspects of farm direct marketing. To request a copy of the book, contact the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association. Access the e-book here.
- The Community Farm Newsletter - The Community Farm is a quarterly newsletter especially for people interested in community supported agriculture, or as many in Canada say, community shared agriculture.
- Alternative Farming Systems Information Centre - This CSA information resource is a cooperative effort between the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and the National Agricultural Library (NAL) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Community supported agriculture: growing food...and community - Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has several archived articles including managing a CSA farm (2 parts) and CSA Farms national survey results (2004). These and more are available on-line.
Farmers’ Markets
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Other factsheets and resources:
Ag Tourism
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Other factsheets and resources:
Regional Cuisine
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
General Resource Information
Food Safety
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Farmers' Market Food Safety Home Study Course: The safety of the food being sold at approved farmers’ markets is critical to the success of farmers’ markets in Alberta. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) is committed to ensuring market managers and vendors have a minimum level of food safety training. Working in partnership with Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health and Wellness, a farmers' market food safety home study course was developed over the past year and is now available on-line. Click on Home Study Course for Farmers' Markets.
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is requiring that all market managers and food vendors selling at Alberta approved farmers' markets complete this course within one year of becoming a market manager or food vendor.
- Exception: Completion of this course is not required for those individuals who have already completed an approved Alberta food sanitation and hygiene training program and/or who are required to complete the food safety training described under Section 31 of the Food Regulation.
- Upon successful completion of the course (passing grade of 80%), you will be sent a certificate by Alberta Health Services.
- Managers and vendors must display their certificates at the market. For vendors who are selling at multiple markets, a copy of the certificate is acceptable for display purposes.
- Marketing Food Safely: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, in partnership with the Alberta Farmers' Market Association, developed the Marketing Food Safely home study manual as a distance delivery education tool for farm direct marketers. The manual is a reference guide, a workbook and a planning tool. It focuses on marketing activities, not production or processing. It is available here for download as a PDF and an E-book.
- Market Manager and Vendor Food Safety Checklists: These simple self-evaluation checklists highlight areas of concern in food handling at the market and will help you think about the food safety risks. They will help you identify the things that you are doing right and things that need to be changed and improved. Four different checklists are available:
- Other factsheets and resources:
- Alberta Health Services Farmers' Market Information: Alberta Health Services (AHS) has shared the information package they give to farmers' market managers. These documents are provincial in nature and are used with all approved farmers' markets across Alberta. This package includes: Farmers' Market 2011 Brochure, Farmers' Market Guidelines for Canning Lids and Jars, Farmers' Market Manager's Daily Checklist, Farmers' Market Vendor's Food Safety Checklist.
- Free Handwashing Signs available for download from the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions.
Business / Technical Information
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Launching and operating any successful business venture requires solid business and market planning. Sound development and preparation can take months and it can take years before a business turns a profit. Be realistic in your expectations, in terms of both time and money. For more on-line information on business planning, feasibility, financing and more, go to the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Starting and Growing a Business site.
- Several board governance resources have been developed to help you and your board be more effective.
- Agricultural Processing Industry Directory provides a comprehensive database of agricultural processing companies and industry organizations in Alberta.
- The Value Chain website provides relevant information, tools and case studies from around the world that will assist you in developing your business' value chain.
- Services for Agri-Processors listing provides Alberta's agricultural processors with a comprehensive database of food distribution channels and other service providers.
- Other factsheets and resources:
- BizPaL provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to the information on permits and licences that they need to establish and run their businesses.
- Signage: For information on purchasing Alberta highway signs.
- General information, research, resources and assistance on the tourism industry – Alberta Tourism Parks and Recreation
- Canada Business is a Government of Canada site that provides government services for entrepreneurs.
- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States although much of the information is also applicable to Alberta producers.
- KnowThis.com is a virtual marketing library for beginners and professionals. They have links to full-text articles on advertising, education, market research, the internet, and more. Learn how to set up an e-business, or how to thoroughly research competing companies. You can also find information on conferences and trade shows or join one of the many on-line discussion groups.
Distribution
Distribution of Local Food: Best Practices report has now been released. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges of increasing Alberta’s local foods in the current food system. In particular, it looked at challenges related to food distribution along the entire value chain, from the producer to the end user, as well as potential solutions to reduce these barriers.
In 2009, the Peace Value Added Food and Ag Association completed their Food Distribution in the Peace Region project. The following factsheets were developed in conjunction with that project:
General
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development factsheets and resources:
- Branded Beef Marketing Opportunities
- Several existing branded beef programs are currently looking for suppliers who can provide them with a uniform, age verified and traceable group of 50 calves or more that meet their protocol. More information about Branded Beef Marketing Opportunities is available on-line.
- For more information on the Branded Beef Program check out: Branded Beef: What is Branded Beef? on-line. The last factsheet in the series, Branded Beef: How Can You Learn More? includes links to a number of presentations. Have a look at John Middleton's Beef - The Retail Experience presentation or Andrew Keen's Branded Beef from a Restaurant Perspective for specific market information.
- E-Commerce Marketing: Information on Adding E-Business to Your Agri-Business.
- Other factsheets and resources:
- The Business Link contains a lot of information on website design and selling over the internet, go to the Business Link and once there, search for e-business information.
- The Canadian Farm Business Management Councill is a Canadian organization devoted exclusively to developing and distributing advanced farm management information. The Council’s wide range of information products such as CD-ROMs, books and DVDs cover topics of relevance to producers.
- How to Direct-Market Farm Products on the Internet: This USDA publication is available for download and provides some very useful information on getting started in on-line direct marketing.
Research
- Alternative agricultural markets in Alberta study, 2008: What is the status of the local food market in Alberta? Where are we at today? This report shows us the demographics, the present market value and the change over the past four years for the farm retail, farmers' markets, and farm activities sector of the ‘eat, shop, experience’ Alberta- based market. In addition we have obtained the percentage of farm retail, and farmers' markets that can be attributed to Alberta-grown or made foods as well as the benefits and barriers to purchasing local as perceived by Albertans. This information will contribute to a foundation and food for thought for the developing programs within the Explore Local Initiative.
- Sustainable Ranch Tourism Smart Practices: Case Studies from Across North America
Templates
Presentations from Past Conferences and Workshops
- Food Hubs: Where People and Food Connect:
Food Hub presentations given by Anthony Flaccavento and Erin Gowriluk on November 29 (Edmonton) and 30 (Calgary) are now available for download as pdfs. The Food Hub Resource Directory is also available for your use. Included are three case study factsheets which were discussed during the presentations:
- Expand Local Food, Local Markets Workshop:
These one-day sessions explored six local market channels: community supported agriculture, on-line sales, home delivery service, farmers’ markets, on-farm stores, and selling to restaurants/food establishments. Producers selling in these channels talked directly about what it takes to be successful, as well as the good, the bad and the ugly.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is part of a growing social movement that encourages urban and rural citizens to share responsibility for the food that is grown. Consumers purchase shares in the farm operation where the farmers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production.
- On- Line Sales is a direct marketing channel where businesses market and sell their products on-line. This direct marketing channel that allows consumers more opportunity to buy products at a time that is convenient for them.
- Home Delivery Service is a market channel where farmers sell their products to a “middle man” who then delivers multiple farmers’ products directly to the consumers’ homes or to a specific drop off point. This channel gives farmers more access to a larger client base as well as allows their customers to get the local or organic food they want in a convenient manner.
- Farmers’ Markets is one of the farm direct marketing channels that allow the consumer to directly access community-based entrepreneurs (producers) who make, bake, or grow the products they sell.
- On-Farm Stores is one of the farm direct marketing channels that allows producers to deliver quality agri-food products directly to the consumer at a farm or ranch store.
- Restaurants/Food Establishment is a marketing channel where producers sell directly to restaurants or food establishments.
- Other Conference Presentations: The following presentations from previous conferences provide basic start-up information in farm direct marketing, ag tourism, cluster development and regional cuisine.
- General
- Farm Direct Marketing
- Ag Tourism
- Regional Cuisine
- Tourism Clusters
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If you would like to receive regular updates from the Explore Local team or sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter, please contact us at explorelocal@gov.ab.ca.
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