Project Overview
The project developed a curriculum geared to the needs of small farmers and ranchers, delivering content in three sessions: Integrating your Marketing Plan into your Business Plan; Merchandising, Branding, and Telling your Farm Story; and Facebook and Social Media.
Each day-long workshop was held in the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast, Northern Central Valley, and Southern Central Valley. Each utilized hands-on teaching methods, a review of best practices, and examples from farmers and ranchers who have employed these strategies.
The target audiences was socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers or ranchers, and those interested in pursuing new markets. Over the four workshops, 98 participants gained a better understanding of marketing risk management as an essential element of a business plan and be prepared to mitigate the adverse financial effects of volatility in prices and customer demand, as well as other factors that can threaten their economic viability.
Eight months after the workshops the most visible evidence of the impact of the educational activity was in the marketing activity undertaken by farmers. 37 farmers shared their farm stories in words and pictures and were given banners that they could display at the point of sale. 27 farmers had active Facebook pages for their farms with the number of likes ranging from a couple dozen to several hundred.
Number of Participants: 98
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.