Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

Fresh Facts
Newsletter #277
April 2012
Volume 27, Number 4

Presidents Message
As I sit down to write this, were exactly one week away from opening Springridge Farm to the public for the 2012 season. I know you can relate. The whole farm has had a complete clean and refresh, were just about finished with displays, and our staff and schedules are looking great. As we all scurry about making our final preparations for opening weekend (which just happens to fall on Easter weekend this year) there is real excitement. Will people like the changes that weve made? Will all of our favourite new products do well? Do we have enough of our best-sellers on hand for them? And most importantly, will they come?! I was thinking earlier today about how much I enjoy this time of year and the rush of getting open. There is nowhere Id rather be right now. But heres the thing: if you had tried to tell me years ago that this was going to be my career, Im not sure Id have believed you. I have to admit that Ive been very fortunate. Ive fallen into a career that allows me to indulge a lot of my interests. Ive always loved food and its culture. I love food books too. Its no secret that I like to talk and that I really enjoy people. I also happen to like organizing, managing, and negotiating. I had no idea that this career in direct farm marketing was even possible. But Im sure glad it is and Im lucky to be able to do a job that doesnt always feel like work. One of the things that has been so interesting for me to see across Ontario is how many On-Farm Marketers have brought their own interests and passions to work. Im sure you can think of many too. Ive been to a farm where their passion is beautifully restored old cars. Some farmers are passionate about performing, some about home dcor. There are farms Ive been to where the baking and cooking are so interesting that you know they love it. Some love mazes, others love gardening. There are touches of real art in some peoples packaging, layout, and design. It is so easy to see when someone takes real pleasure and joy in their work. Their businesses are each so unique and personal. And Im convinced that is why they work so well. Now, back to work

Inside this issue:

Membership News Book Review 5 Proactive ideas to find or attract top performers Spirit Tree Cidery To Do Reminders Upcoming Events

2 3 4 6 7 8

Jesse Lauzon OFFMA President

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Fresh Facts

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
New Members Welcome aboard. Hope to see you at the annual potluck! Charles & Teresa Harris Harris Farms, Barrie 705-725-2023 Steve Scott Lucknow 519-440-3644 Matt & Elaine Bowman Bowmanlea Farms, Thornloe 705-563-8444 Associate Members Becky Smollett From Farm To Table Canada Inc. Cambridge 519-621-1163 Helen Luey Freeman Herbs Beamsville 905-563-8890

Tony Deluca, part owner of Freskiw Farms, passed away on March 5th after a brief battle with cancer. Freskiw Farms became OFFMA members a few years ago when Tony started bringing their blueberries to the Metro Hall Farmers Market. His great wit, humour and never ending hospitality will be missed by all who knew him. Our sympathies go out to his family. Looking for some musical entertainment?

Tony Deluca 1956-2012

Free brochure distribution

Once again this year, we will have a table set up at the Nathan Phillips Square Farmers Market at Toronto City Hall to distribute your brochures. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send 200 brochures to the OFFMA office. There is no charge for this benefit.

Mood Swing, a 5 member roots/swing band, covers both popular and obscure tunes from the pre and post war era, as well as performing original material. The band, together for 12 years, is known for its trademark 3 part harmonies and crazy mix of instrumentation. Its not just the ukulele or accordion (to mention 2 of the 7 instruments played) but the vocal arrangements that offer a refreshing new twist to some of the great ol chestnuts from the past. Mood Swing guarantees an entertaining, upbeat and sophisticated musical experience. They are a great t with any outdoor/country venue. For more information contact Donna Green at 416-461-5083 or [email protected], or check out their website at www.moodswing.ca

*New* from the Farm Safety Team at OMAFRA

Send in your Product Orders

Your product orders were due at the end of March. Product catalogues were included with the March newsletter. We do not carry a full inventory during the year so if you are interested in a product please send in your order form.

Advantage Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) Posters

FREE - Well illustrated posters instructing workers and visitors on Good Agricultural Practices, are rip proof and weather proof. There are 9 in total, pick and choose the ones that are most relevant to your operation. To order simply go to: www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices and click on GAP Posters

FISH Video available for rent

The FISH video is a great way to get staff talking and thinking about the attitude you would like staff to have at your business. Upbeat and catchy .its a great way to get everyone in the mood. Available for a one week period. Call the OFFMA office if you are interested.

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Book Review: Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman ISBN 978-1-60342-981-8

Reviewed by Cathy Bartolic

I ordered this book from Amazon.com on Seth Godins recommendation a few weeks ago. At first blush I was a little disappointed because I thought it would have a bit more substance and a few less pictures, but once I got a chance to sit down and look through the pages a bit more carefully I was enchanted by the illustrations and the information. The author, Julia Rothman, grew up in New York City and married Matt who grew up on a farm in Iowa. As they started their courtship, Julia was fascinated by the stories Matt had about growing up on the farm. Everything was so foreign to her a total city girl. The book is really a city girls view of the country. As farmers, you would be familiar with most, if not all, of the terms and descriptions in the book. The Farm Anatomy has everything from how to stack firewood to the illus-

tration and explanation of a gravity wagon. There are also illustrations of different tomato varieties and an equine terms page that explains the difference between a colt and a foal. There are also useful recipes sprinkled throughout. The book is something all farm marketers should have in their reference library. It reminds you that just because you grew up with combines and harrows, your customers probably have no idea what they are. It provides definitions in simple terms and the drawings are truly charming. If you are still in doubt, let me add that Julia Rothmans work has appeared in numerous books, magazines and newspapers. She also has a line of letter press stationery and wallpaper and most recently has been designing websites.

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Fresh Facts

5 Proactive ideas to find or attract top performers

By Donald Cooper,
Editors Note: At the end of March we had the opportunity to work with Donald Cooper on a workshop for the Direct Marketing Industry. Donald is a dynamic speaker and the farmers who were able to attend at the gorgeous Manor in Kettleby were not disappointed. He provided them with lots of tools to help grow their businesses. The following is an timely article from his website, www.donaldcooper.com

lege scholarship program for their employees, many of whom are high school students. Anyone who works for them for 18 months qualifies for a minimum of $250 towards any post secondary training or education. To quote Pattie Durand, the very kind and sharp franchisee, We tell our staff that we dont want them to be making subs for the rest of their lives and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Since it costs at least $1,200 to train a new employee, $250 is more than worth it. We also make sure the scholarships are awarded at school ceremonies, in order for other potential employees to see what type of company we are. This program has reduced Patties staff turnover by almost 50% and it has greatly improved the quality of people applying for jobs. Shes attracting hard working, committed students, instead of those who have no future goals or ambitions. Brilliant! 5. Red Carnation Hotel Group, which owns extraordinary high-end hotels in the UK, Switzerland, South Africa and Florida, proactively forms partnerships with the top Hotel and Hospitality Schools in Europe and South Africa. Their hotel management people regularly lecture at these schools and for that reason they get the best students for their internship programs. What Ive suggested to them is that theyre missing a huge opportunity to take this partnership one step further. In order to associate themselves with hotel excellence and catch the attention and respect of the top students each year, they should offer the Red Carnation Hotel Group Award of Excellence, presented to the top graduating student at each school.

Over the past few months Ive been collecting and passing on to you a number of unusual tips from clients regarding how to find or attract top performers. Heres a recap of some of those ideasplus a few new ones. 1. One client, with a downtown production facility, has found some stellar, long-term employees by handing out business cards to homeless people. Not only have many of these folks turned out to be extraordinary, he has the great joy of knowing that hes making a difference with those who need a break. 2. A group of bicycle retailers in Toronto, desperate for trained mechanics, has partnered with an organization thats committed to helping at-risk youth in order to create a bicycle mechanics training course that will develop 50 skilled employees per year. 3. A Technology Integrator client of mine in New York taught night school classes at his local college while starting up his business. This accomplished two things. First, it brought in some extra income while his business was getting off the ground and, second, he was able to identify the sharpest up-and-coming talent and offer them jobs. Very clever. 4. A Mr. Sub franchisee in Humboldt, Saskatchewan has established a col-

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This award would consist of a personal plaque, a trophy that stays in the school for all to seeand a cheque to help pay off their student loan, or to celebrate their graduation. An executive from Red Carnation would be invited to each graduation ceremony to present the loot to the winner and give a short talk on the importance of excellence. So, how could some of these innovative recruitment and retention ideas work for you? What gutsy, proactive, outside-the-box things will you do to find or attract a continuous flow of top performers in your business? Where are the passionate up-and-comers in your industry being educated and trained right now and what will you do to get first dibs on those talented folks?

Donald Cooper is city born and bred. In many ways he would be a typical customer. He did some research before the workshop by talking to several members and reviewing many direct farm marketing websites. Although some websites were doing a good job of telling the farm story and many had good pictures, here are a few of his recommendations to our industry. Your world class website should include.. 1. What you sell and when it is ready 2. Maps these need to be obvious and easy to find 3. Your history, farm philosophy and practiceswhats your story? 4. Great photos. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Invest in hiring a photographer. 5. Meet the team section with photos of each member. 6. Recipes people love recipes. 7. Awards- highlight any awards you have won.

Love what you do, who you do it for and who you do it with. -Donald Cooper

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Fresh Facts

Spirit Tree Ciderywhere the Caledon Farming Couple gets Spirited

This article is reprinted from the Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses Winter 2012 newsletter. Submitted by Carl Fletcher, OMAFRA Strategic Business Planning Lead. For more program information go to www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/busdev.htm

When Tom Wilson and Nicole Judge decided to change the focus of their farm, they could never have imagined how far it would take them. Their business plan provided a glimpse into the very bright future that lay ahead for Spirit Tree Cidery. Tom and Nicole planned to purchase and run the pick-yourown farm owned by Toms grandfather. Tom was going to follow in his familys footsteps and farm while Nicole continued working as a veterinarian. But, it didnt quite work out that way. A pick-your-own farm operation needs good weather to bring in the customers and this dependence on the elements was not working well for Tom and Nicole. Over time it also became obvious that simply offering baked goods for sale at a pick-your-own farm was not enough, so they started planning their dream operation. After getting the blessing of family members, they sold the farm, purchased a new farm and began the process of bringing their vision to life. Working with a business strategist and creating a strong, comprehensive and long-term business plan was a critical step. Tom and Nicole planned and worked through all of the details of their vision for years. Initially they wanted to open a restaurant, but liquor licence rules limited their choices with developing a tied house, a specialized type of eatery affiliated with a winery or brewery, so they altered the vision for the business. Their planning process needed more than the simple financial

plan. Tom and Nicole developed an agribusiness and agri-tourism plan, completed a feasibility study, outlined their marketing plan and worked through the environmental, food safety, liquor licence implications of their business model. Today, Spirit Tree is an apple farm and cider press. It also offers a unique destination, gourmet breads and baked goods, local artisan handcrafts and artwork and a tied house to enjoy the best Canadian hard ciders. Their business plan looked at finances, outlined products, competitors, marketplace, target customers, marketing, longterm planning, and so much more. The process was critical to our success, said Tom. Without the blood, sweat and tears that went into the planning, we would have not opened Spirit Tree with the clear vision and sense of purpose that has been our driving force ever since. Every detail had to be outlined in the plan to ensure the direction our business took was right, and that we were working toward our intended goals. All of their business choices were made with that sense of purpose, from choosing a location and investing in training, to learning to bake bread and choosing a straw bale building which reflects their environmental commitment. All of these choices reflect who they are and the vision for their business. It could not be more perfect, says Nicole. We have started our own business where we strive to be the best. We have travelled the world, including to England and the Cordon Bleu in France, to train to be able to offer our customers world-class products. Now we need to start planning for the future. We have loyal customers who are here supporting us, and so many options open to us. We are excited to see what the future holds! Tom and Nicole were able to meet some of their farm business and environmental stewardship plans through the Business Development for Farm Businesses and Environmental Farm Plan programs.

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on.Takeaminutetodothis whileyoucan,itwillmakeaHUGEdierenceduringyourbusyseason. OFFMAwebsite Weareac velypromo ngthiswebsitetoconsumersasagatewaytondingafarmin theirarea.Makesuretheinforma onwehaveforyouiscorrect.Youcanalsocreatean enhancedpagewithfurtherinforma ontodelightyourcustomers.Sendupdatestothe OFFMAoce.www.OntarioFarmFresh.com HarvestOntario AsanOFFMAmemberyouareen tledtoaFREEPREMIUMWEBPAGEatharvestontario.comincludingphotos,eventscalendar,recipes,expandeddescrip onsandmuch more!Makesureyoutakeadvantageofthismemberbenetat www.HarvestOntario.com *NEW*OCTAEventCalendar! TheOntarioCulinaryTourismAlliancehaslaunchedabrandnew,Ontario-wideCulinary EventsCalendar.Highligh ngFoodandDrinkeventsacrosstheprovince!It'sagreat waytoshareandpromotetheexci ngexperiencesinyourareawithvisitorsfrom aroundtheworld.Submi ngiseasy--justllouttheonlinesubmissionform.Adda logoorphotoandyou'regoodtogo! Submityoureventtodayatwww.ontarioculinary.com

REMINDERStocheckandupdateyouronlineinforma

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Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
April 8 April 10 & 12 Ontario Farm Fresh
Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director 2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9 Phone: 905-841-9278 Fax: 905-726-3369 E-mail: [email protected] www.ontariofarmfresh.com 2012-13 OFFMA Board of Directors Jesse Lauzon, President Springridge Farm Brian Hugli, Vice President HugIis Blueberry Ranch Amy Strom, Past President Stroms Farm Cara Epp, Associate Member Cara Epp Marketing Leslie Forsythe, Forsythe Family Farms Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider Hollis English, Murphys Farmstead Colleen Pingle, Pingles Farm Market Geri Rounds, Rounds Ranch Steve Smith, Smiths Apples Carl Fletcher, OMAFRA (Acting Advisor to the Board)

Easter Sundayare you ready for the Easter bunny? Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growerswebinar, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, for more info contact Tegan Renner at 1-888-375-7383 or go to www.cog.ca/shop Disneys Approach to Business, Excellence, presented by the Disney Institute at the DeGroote School of Business, registration URL: https: //mgdssl.business.mcmaster.ca/registration

April 25

April 30May 4 Cheese Making Technology Short Course, Dept of Food Science, University of Guelph, for more info call 519-824-4120 ext. 52183 July 12-14 Fruit & Vegetable Tech X-Change, St. Williams, ON check out website at www.fruitvegtechxchange.com

Pictures with the Easter Bunny

Are you open for Easter? Do you have an Easter Bunny? Make sure your customers have a chance to have their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. Find a spot that is -Protected from the weather -Branded with your farm name, everyone will see your name when they post their pictures on Facebook or show the grandparents. -Provides a great representation of your farm -Consider having a spring photo contest -Ask customers to send you a copy of their pictures so you can post them on your website.

Congratulations to Meghan and John Snyder of

Snyders Family Farm. They were named one of three finalists in this years Ontario Outstanding Young Farmer Award. The Snyders farm in Bright near Kitchener-Waterloo. In the spring they have a greenhouse operation producing gorgeous custom hanging baskets and in the fall they sell pumpkins, have a corn maze and fright nights. They have overcome several challenges and hurdles to get their business to where it is today and they rose to the challenge of filling out all the required paperwork for this competition. We were very proud to have them represent OFFMA at the competition this year.