Phil Veldhuis asks his students in the University of Manitoba’s agriculture diploma program to think about ways to add value to a farm through direct sales.
“It’s a bit of a passion of mine to see farms diversify,” said Veldhuis, who is also a beekeeper near Starbuck, Man. “A new enterprise is a good way to do that.”
As Direct Farm Manitoba’s board president, Veldhuis has years of marketing experience. He and his family have sold honey under the Phil’s Honey label at St. Norbert Farmers’ Market since 1990. This weekly farmers market on the southern edge of Winnipeg features fresh, frozen and processed agricultural products and a wide array of homemade items and handmade crafts.
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St. Norbert Farmers’ Market is one of the 40 farmers market groups that are members of Direct Farm Manitoba. Its executive director, Kristie Beynon, said the member-owned organization is a co-operative that also has approximately 100 farm members.
Formed in 2016, Direct Farm Manitoba includes the former Farmers’ Market Association of Manitoba and Small Farms Manitoba members. Its mandate is to advance members’ interests through education and advocacy.
The organization went to bat for its members soon after the pandemic began early in 2020. “We made sure that our markets were declared an essential service,” Beynon said. This allowed farmers’ markets across the province to remain open throughout 2020 and 2021.
Beynon said adaptations were made to ensure that marketers could connect with their customers. This included drive-through pick-ups, various delivery options and online sales.
“Our marketers definitely put in a lot of hard work,” she said. Throughout the pandemic, food products sold well.
“There was great interest in supporting the local food chain,” Beynon said.
Stefan Regnier is vice-president and a founding board member of Direct Farm Manitoba. He operates Blue Lagoon Organics near St. Francois Xavier, Man., an organic farm started by his parents. The family has sold a wide variety of vegetables at St. Norbert Farmers’ Market since 2010 and also sells directly off the farm and through a CSA program.
Taking the time to get to know his regular customers has paid off, Regnier said. These customers contacted him directly to place orders that he would deliver.
“During the pandemic, that was a really big deal for us.”
Now that things are operating in a normal fashion, with customers able to come to the market and buy in-person, Regnier said he receives text messages each Friday asking what produce he will have available at the market the next day. He fills and sets these customers’ orders aside for quick pick-up.
His culinary training helps Regnier with his marketing because he’s able to educate customers on ways to successfully prepare vegetables.
“If they buy something different and don’t know how to cook it properly, then they won’t buy it again.”
He’s seen the food fads of celery and kale come and go. By starting to grow radishes, spinach and lettuce very early in the year inside his greenhouses, he’s able to offer fresh produce much sooner than anyone growing field crops.
Veldhuis said that, as well as selling essential food products, Direct Farm Manitoba members offer processed foods and beverages such as cheeses, wines and ciders. It required lobbying by farm marketers to convince the provincial government to allow spirits, wines and ciders to be sold at farmers markets, but beer sales are still prohibited.
Direct Farm Manitoba is working to help Manitoba farmers negotiate provincial government regulations and act as an advocate on their behalf, said Regnier.
“We’re trying to create a template where we hope farmers will call us.”
Beynon said the outlook for Manitoba farmers markets is positive.
“It’s looking great. People are feeling more comfortable. They’re saying it’s like pre-pandemic.”
One change that Beynon hopes will take place is having the provincial government permit eggs to be sold at farmers markets.
Anyone looking for farmers markets or direct farm sellers in their area can consult the Direct Farm Manitoba website. Beynon said there are also links to videos of presentations made at the annual Direct Farm Manitoba conference.
