Explore Local: Tools and Resources

Financial Information | Marketing Information | Human Resource Management | Regulations | Direct Marketing Meats | Food Safety

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Financial Information

• Wondering how you will fund your agri-business? Check out this resource - Financial Resources for Local Market Producers and Processors
• Thinking of Starting a Business? For more on-line information on business planning, feasibility, financing and more, go to the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Starting and Growing a Business site or call 310-FARM (3276) and ask to speak to a New Venture Specialist.

• Marketing Essentials Presentation
• Place Exercise
• Positioning Statement Exercise
• Price Background
• Price Exercise
• Product Exercise
• Research Exercise
• The Marketing Plan Canvas

• Creating an Image
• Booth Set Up
• Product Labelling
• Signs and Signage
• Salesmanship
• Presentation
• Creating a Memorable Shopping Experience

Part 1: Kuhlmann's Market Garden and Greenhouses: Staff are the backbone of your operation. How they interact with your customer can form an immediate and lasting impression for your farm direct business. Anita McDonald, family member and greenhouse manager with Kuhlmann’s Market Garden & Greenhouses, shares tried and true tips on building an exceptional team and creating experiences that keep your customers coming back.

Part 2 – Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm: Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm is in the business of creating memories and tradition. For Tam Anderson, owner and Director of Fun, success is delivering an experience worth paying for time and time again. In this video Tam will share her ‘customer driven’ philosophy and present strategies to help you engage customers and staff.

Human Resource Essentials

• Presentation
• Exercise Book

• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - General Legislation Agdex 844-1
• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - Food Labels Agdex 844-2
• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - Food Claims Agdex 844-3
• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - Meat and Meat Products Agdex 844-4
• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - Poultry and Poultry Products Agdex 844-5
• Farm Direct Marketing: Know the Regulations - Fruits, Vegetables and Products Agdex 844-6
• Farm Direct Marketing Eggs: What You Need to Know Agdex 089/845-2

• Direct Marketing Meats …Getting Started Agdex 845-13
• Direct Marketing Meats...Selling Freezer Beef Agdex 420/845-1
• Direct Marketing Meats...Selling Freezer Lambs Agdex 430/845-1
• Direct Marketing Meats...Selling Freezer Pork Agdex 440/845-1
• Direct Marketing Meats...Selling Freezer Chicken Agdex 450/845-1
• Selling Local Food Directly to Foodservice and Hospitality Agdex 845-17
• Selling Local Food Directly to Institutions and Schools Agdex 845-20
• Small Flock Poultry: This resource page targets those interested in raising poultry in small flocks, backyards or in an urban setting. It includes a comprehensive workbook along with other helpful resources.

• Farmers' Market Food Safety Home Study Course: Alberta Health Services in partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and Alberta Health developed a Farmers' Market Food Safety Home Study available on-line through Alberta Health Services.
• Alberta Agriculture and Forestry requires 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.
• Webinar -April 5, 2017: 9:00 am - Food Safety at the Farmers' Market; Presentation
• Marketing Food Safely: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry 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:
  • Manager start-up checklist; Manager weekly checklist
  • Vendor startup checklist; Vendor weekly checklist
• Small Flock Poultry: This resource page targets those interested in raising poultry in small flocks, backyards or in an urban setting. It includes a comprehensive workbook along with other helpful resources.
• Services for Agri-Processors and Producers: Analytical Laboratories Listing