Project Overview
Farmers in the Catskills region (Delaware, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Chenango, Schoharie and Otsego Counties) produce a large quantity of high quality food and fiber products and often take low prices because they are not marketing to consumers willing to pay top dollar. Many do not have the expertise to determine prices based on market demands and production costs. Increasingly, consumers would rather buy products that are produced locally. The Catskills region is a watershed for the NYC metropolitan area and can become its preferred food-shed as well, providing greater food security to a huge population that has the resources to pay top dollar. Through this grant we worked to bridge the gap between upstate farms and the downstate and regional markets. Three interactive workshops reached sixty-three farmers representing seven New York counties. Through follow-up one-on-one consultations, seven participants reported that they are better able to re-organize their businesses and optimize their farm websites to reflect current market trends and attract a more diverse market. On program post-evaluations all participants indicated they were better positioned to make informed business decisions about diversification, marketing and distribution options and product pricing.
Number of Participants: 63
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.