PEACE RIVER, Alta. – When Hilary Brown asked women at a recent meeting why they were attending, the answers were similar.
“We’re grain farmers and we’ve moved to town and I’m looking to see what’s out there,” said one women.
“I’ve just lost my husband and have been laid off from work. I don’t know what to do,” said another.
“I want to diversify, but I don’t know what I can do,” said a third.
And so it continued around the room. Many at the farm women’s conference here were embarrassed by their lack of ideas.
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Newspapers carry stories of farm families successfully diversifying from their grain farm to dried flower arranging, or from beef production to ostrich raising. But some of these women had no clear vision of what they should do.
The women are not alone, said Brown. Often people take for granted the natural resources around them.
“Sometimes it’s right before your eyes. If you notice how some things are done around you, it might make a difference,” she said.
Hatching ideas
The best way to search for ideas is to brainstorm with a group of other people.
“Some are just plain silly, but that’s where good ideas come from.”
Brown told the women they should look at trends for diversification ideas. Consumers are looking for alternative medicine, fewer food additives, less stress and interesting holidays.
With that in mind the group looked at whether farmers in the Peace region could market themselves as the ideal spot for a stress-free holiday, or build a reputation for the highest-quality organic food, or raise herbs for natural medicines.
“Think of what you’ve got and what it could be,” she told the women.
Once producers strike on a good idea they often get bogged down by the thought of everything they don’t know how to do. While farmers may be good at growing food they often don’t have the marketing expertise or have limited knowledge of how to turn what they grow into a finished product.
“Part of the problem is producers think they have to do all these things.”
Producers don’t have to do it all, Brown said. They just have to find their niche and hire experts to do the rest.
It’s often better for producers to join forces with craft people or marketing specialists who can often see different uses for the product.
“Find out what link of the chain you are in and put it together.”
