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Vending at Alberta Approved Farmers' Markets | |
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From the June 29, 2009 Issue of Agri-News | |
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| | The local food movement is booming in Alberta, and Alberta Approved Farmers' Markets are at the heart of this movement in the province. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development recently completed a study on alternative agricultural markets in Alberta. Farmers' markets were valued at $380 million, with 60 per cent of Alberta households indicating that they shop at local markets.
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"As the local market industry grows, many farmers and small food processors see farmers' markets as a viable option for marketing their food products," says Eileen Kotowich, farmers' market specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Vermilion. "The top three products sought after by farmers' market customers are vegetables, fruit and baking."
Here are some tips for producers who are interested in selling at a farmers' market, but don't know where to start:
- check out markets in your area
- see what products are available and how they are displayed
- ask vendors how they got started in the business and the opportunities and challenges they encounter
- talk to the market manager about market operations, policies and procedures and special events
- investigate the vendor application process, if any, and find out whether they have space available in the market for your product
- ask if you could vend for a trial period to test market your product
- all Alberta Approved Farmers' Markets must meet minimum guidelines established by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (each market incorporates those minimum requirements into their own rules and regulations)
- be strategic in both the product you are selling as well as where you are selling it
- you want your product to be unique and differentiated from other vendors' products in the market
- you don't need to be the only vendor with a specific product, but you do need to offer something different in your product, packaging or service than the other vendors selling similar items
- be strategic in choosing a market
- sometimes the one closest to home doesn't offer the best opportunity for you to maximize your sales
- to make a wise choice you need to be aware of all your costs of production, charge an adequate price and make a realistic estimate of your sales
- if you are thinking of selling a food product, check with the local public health inspector before you start vending
- some low risk foods offered for sale at approved farmers' markets may be produced in a home kitchen, other products cannot
- it is your responsibility to ensure that your product meets all the requirements
- research all applicable legislation and regulations and heed them
- for example, the Food and Drug Act and Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act must be followed regardless of where products are being sold
For more tips and great advice on vending at farmers' markets, check out a recent presentation of the Alberta Farmers' Market Association online at www.albertamarkets.com/Portals/0/HowBecomeVendorBusLinkMar09.pdf
"If you feel your community could benefit from having an approved farmers' market consider starting one," adds Kotowich. "The application procedure is administered by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Approved farmers' markets can be sponsored by community non-profit organizations, established as their own non-profit society or organized as a new generation cooperative set up on a reduced profit basis."
For more information on the application process, go to: www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/All/apa6620 and click on How do I start an Alberta approved farmers' market.
For more information about becoming a vendor or about starting an approved farmers' market, contact Kotowich.
Contact:
Eileen Kotowich
780-853-8223
eileen.kotowich@gov.ab.ca |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Eileen Kotowich.
This document is maintained by Rita Splawinski.
This information published to the web on June 24, 2009.
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