NOFA-VT 7th Annual Marketing Conference

For Immediate Release 12/12/11

NOFA Vermont's
7th Annual Direct Marketing Conference

South Royalton –Vermont farmers who sell their products directly to their local communities through farmers’ markets, farm stands, and CSA (community supported agriculture) farms will gather for a day of workshops and networking on Sunday, January 8th at the Vermont Law School in South Royalton. 

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont’s 7th Annual Direct Marketing Conference is designed to bring together farmers and market experts to serve as an educational opportunity helping farmers build stronger marketing opportunities to serve the thriving Vermont market for local food. 

The conference will feature 19 workshops on a variety of marketing and market development topics including Leveraging Customer Relationships Into Year Round Sales, Marketing Toolkit: Planning and Measurement Strategies, and Strategies for Grassroots Fundraising. The conference will also host the annual meeting of the Vermont Farmers’ Market Association.

In addition to these opportunities, conference attendees will enjoy a keynote co-presentation from Ellen Kahler, Executive Director of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, and Jean Hamilton, who recently concluded a four-year term as NOFA Vermont’s Market Development and Consumer Access Coordinator.  Kahler and Hamilton will share their thoughts in a keynote titled, Markets in Transition: How Can Vermont’s Direct Markets Evolve with a Growing Local Foods Movement?

NOFA Vermont strengthens farmers’ markets and CSAs in Vermont by providing technical assistance, collecting annual economic data, serving as the umbrella organization for the Vermont Farmers’ Market Association, and offering a farmers’ market mini-grants program.

More information about the conference is available online at http://www.nofavt.org. Walk-in registrations are also welcome. Each Vermont farmers’ market is invited to send a representative to the conference, and to attend and vote at the annual meeting of the Vermont Farmers’ Market Association held at the conference. The market can invite anyone to be their representative, and they will be admitted into the conference for free. Registration fees are $30 for NOFA Vermont members, $35 for non-members. A lunch made with local ingredients and refreshments are included with the conference fee.