Markets and marketing will always be a secondary concern, to put it politely, for 95 percent of farmers. Everything else — agronomics, rotation, machinery, management ease, history — will always come first. And that’s right and reasonable. The truth of this came clear to me from a few recent stories I’ve worked on, highlighting opposites […] Read more
Tag Archives Marketing
Reaching distant consumers as easy as following a recipe
Saskatchewan farmers learn how to combat misinformation, reach out to consumers with Farm to Fork tour
People involved in Saskatchewan agriculture know they need to connect with consumers who use made-in-Canada food products such as wheat, canola, beef, poultry, dairy products and packaged vegetables. But how can someone reach busy food consumers in Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto or Vancouver and convince them that the Canadian-made food products they are buying are wholesome, […] Read more
Adequate supply of milling durum reassures buyers, but limits price
The good side of a flaccid market is that buyers won’t shy away from trying to buy Canadian durum this winter, says a member of Canada’s New Crop Missions. Whatever happens to prices, the buyers aren’t going to bail on Canada. “There is still some good production available,” Lane Stockbrugger, a farmer from Englefeld, Sask., […] Read more
Ontario food retail co-ops gain momentum
Co-operatives give small meat and vegetable producers in Sudbury and Dryden area new marketing options
DRESDEN, Ont. — A new choice for consumers has emerged in northern Ontario — food retail co-operatives. There are only two, but they’re having a significant impact, say Jen Springett of the Cloverleaf Food Co-operative in Dryden and Peggy Baillie, executive director of the Local Organic Foods Co-ops Network. “What we’re doing is trying to […] Read more
Alberta producers provide local ‘take away’ food
HIGH PRAIRIE, Alta. — Food trucks seem to proliferate in cities, but there’s only one rolling around in this area of northern Alberta. The Farm Truck carries food prepared from locally produced ingredients and is an offshoot of a family farm operation. Morgan Nesom is the management and marketing arm of the four-person operation, which […] Read more
Quality woes demand marketing skills
Farmers told to hone up on quality parameters to reap the best prices possible for specific quality specs
The prairie wheat harvest is shaping up to be a bit of a dog’s breakfast this year. To avoid getting a bite on the backside, farmers should take a close look into the dog dish and figure out exactly what they’re serving up to Fido. “I think that’s one thing that all farmers, myself included, […] Read more
Ceapro has big plans for oats
The common oat continues to find its way into uncommon products, and the Edmonton-based biotechnology company Ceapro said it plans to continue that trend. Its new $14 million bioprocessing extraction facility, officially opened Sept. 28, is designed to allow Ceapro to expand its oat extraction processes and marketing of oat-based ingredients to nutraceutical and pharmaceutical […] Read more
Ontario vegetable marketing board under microscope
Ontario’s agriculture minister has halted proposed changes, saying an economic analysis and more consultation are needed
KENT BRIDGE, Ont. — The final offer arbitration system used by Ontario’s processing vegetable industry will end if proposed amendments by the province’s Farm Products Marketing Commission (FPMC) move forward. The changes would create an “industry advisory committee” and growers would need to find another means to set prices and contract terms other than through […] Read more
Be creative marketing products, promoting farm
Producers who want to sell direct to consumers should remember that the farm gate swings both ways, says Joe Pozzi. The commercial sheep and cattle rancher from California’s Sonoma County has been marketing farm-based products for 25 years. “When we talk about opening a gate, we talk about how we bring people to the farm […] Read more
Gluten free certification growing
Businesses start to build markets and offer management protocols for authenticated specialty products
A new partnership in Saskatchewan will help meet growing consumer demand for organic gluten-free oats in North America. Avena Foods in Regina and Marshall Gluten-Free Milling of Saskatoon are working together to offer oat products that are certified organic and gluten-free and produced through a certified grower network. The companies describe it as a ground-breaking […] Read more
