Appalachian
Sustainable Agriculture
Project
306 West Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Voice: 828-236-1282
Fax: 828-236-1280 Email
Us
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is
a
501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization.
Business of Farming Workshop Descriptions
2012 Business of Farming Conference
Workshop Descriptions
Morning Session: 9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Strategies for Getting Visitors out to the Farm | Jensen 302
Hear directly from three farmers who will share details of their AgOptions grant-funded projects geared at drawing
visitors to their farms. Learn what’s involved in opening your farm up to the public. Can visitors bring you
significant new revenue? Jennifer Ferre, AgOptions grant manager, will also discuss the history and the future of the program, which aims to build sustainable farming communities in our mountain region by providing resources to
farmers who are diversifying their operations. Jennifer Ferre of WNC Agricultural Options, Farmers to be determined
Food Safety: Current Trends and GAP Certification | Jensen 303
Farmers are facing new trends as consumer concern about food safety grows and the Food Safety Modernization Act takes shape in government. Dr. Keith Baldwin, from NCA&T, will discuss the current status of food safety and how it will affect farmers. Learn what GAP Certification is and how to obtain it. Walk through the key phases of a mock audit. Two case studies will follow, one focusing on farm and crop certification and the other highlighting a produce handling facility. Dr. Keith Baldwin of NC A&T State University Cooperative Extension, Jenn Beck and Ross Young of Madison County
Cooperative Extension, and Skipper Russell of Seasonal Produce Farm
QuickBooks Basics for Farmers | Jensen 305
Where does your money go? Which farm enterprises are most profitable? Every farm and business needs accurate
recordkeeping to guide its decisions, keep up with tax requirements, secure crop insurance, and plan for its future. This workshop, designed for farms with little or no QuickBooks experience, will show you how to set up your farm business books and will discuss the benefits of transitioning to automated bookkeeping. Participants will learn how to design the chart of accounts and class list, post income and expense items, and interpret basic financial reports. A question and answer session will follow. Candy Williams of One on One Computer Services, Ashley Gillette of Mountain BizWorks
Salesmanship | Jensen 306
Your farm business may depend on closing large sales such as prepaid CSA shares or sides of meat for the freezer. Or, your farm business may need to build and maintain a customer base of chefs or other wholesale buyers. Or, your farm business may depend on the purchases of multiple market customers every week. In all of these cases, sales skills can make or break your business model. Presenter Cody Stokes has years of experience selling local farm products and other foods to restaurants, grocers, and the general public. Hear his tips and discuss what works with other farmers in the room. Cody Stokes of Roots Organic Gourmet
I Have a Website, Now What? | Jensen 202
An online marketing plan for your farm starts with a website, but that’s only the beginning! In this session, you will learn promotion methods for your website, such as down-to-earth search engine optimization (SEO), using analytics to watch trends, and much more. Options to add online sales and CSA sign-up to your website will also be covered. Simon Huntley of Small Farm Central
Sidewalk Sessions:
Small Group Sessions with Legal, Labor, Planning, and Regulatory Experts | Jensen 205
Ever attend a conference and wish you could have a small, focused session with the speaker? Here’s your
opportunity. The session is structured into four 20-minute blocks, allowing you to select four experts to speak
with in small groups. In this time slot, multiple legal experts will be on hand with varying specialties and types of practice, so bring all the questions you’ve ever wanted a lawyer to help with. You can also sign up to meet with
more than one attorney. Space is limited. Sign up in Canon Lounge during registration. Sessions available with:
Brad Evans and Michael Miller of Ward and Smith P.A. (legal: trademarks/intellectual property, business
succession planning, labor/employment law, and more),
Peter Marks of ASAP (farm regulatory questions),
Meredith McKissick of Organic Growers School (farm labor management),
Anna Mills of Van Winkle Law Firm (legal: understanding and using contracts, business entity selection, and
more),
Thomas Beckett of Mountain South Business Law (legal: cooperatives, nonprofits, business formation, business
planning, and more), and
JoAnn Miksa-Blackwell of Mountain BizWorks (farm business planning).
Early Afternoon Session: 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Farm to Table | Jensen 302
Explore whether selling to restaurants is right for your farm. Already selling to chefs? Learn how to do it better.
Join local chefs and a fellow farmer to discuss restaurant expectations and how to cultivate successful and longlasting relationships in this growing market sector. Topics will include marketing strategies, building relationships, and product and production requirements. Our panel will respond to audience-inspired topics. Take away tools to help you assess your capacity for restaurant sales, or improve those sales if you’re already a chef supplier. Lee Seabrook of ASAP, Jason Sellers of Plant, Miki and Greg Kilpatrick of HomeGrown, and Kendall Huntley of
Whispersholler Farms
Managing Labor on the Farm | Jensen 303
Interested in hiring workers on your farm but not sure where to start? Wondering what the law says about interns,
and what experienced farmers say about using them effectively? Come hear from three experienced local growers
about different ways of structuring labor on the farm. We’ll also discuss legal considerations, worker retention, and recordkeeping. Andrea Van Gunst and Meredith McKissick of Organic Growers School, Skipper Russell of Seasonal Produce
Farm, Thomas Elmore of Thatchmore Farm, and Vanessa Campbell of Full Sun Farm
Cost Planning On The Farm | Jensen 305
This presentation mixes several financial topics of key importance. Join a discussion of the costs to consider when
starting a venture or new enterprise on the farm. Get familiar and better understand three key financial documents:
Profit and loss (P&L), balance sheet, and cash flow forecast. An introduction to the five C’s of lending, the factors used by most lenders when considering a loan applicant, will be included. Resources for learning more will be
provided. Robert Simon of Mountain BizWorks
Building Relationships with Grocers and Institutional Buyers | Jensen 306
Are you ready to take your farm products into wholesale markets? Learn the ins and outs of developing
relationships with buyers from the wholesale world. Whether you are strictly growing for wholesale or looking to
expand your market outlets, volume and consistency of production are essential factors. Each individual buyer has
a different set of requirements for their producers. In order to build strong relationships with larger scale buyers, you need to know the right questions to ask. Communication is key and timing is everything. A panel of buyers and an experienced Cooperative Extension agent will be on hand to work through the details of building successful relationships in this realm. Sue Colucci of NCSU Extension, Bridget Kennedy of ASAP, buyer speakers TBD
CSA Options and Opportunities | Jensen 202
Gain an overview of CSA formats and customer retention strategies including: supply and demand elements,
effective outreach and promotion, opportunities for sustainability and growth, and ASAP’s employee health
and wellness pilot workplace project. The workshop will also preview a proposed CSA Mountain Marketing
Association with participant input and a preliminary interactive needs assessment. Even if you don’t live in the
immediate area, the discussion of how and why to join forces with other CSA farms will be of interest. Mike McCreary of ASAP
Sidewalk Sessions:
Small Group Sessions with Marketing, Recordkeeping, and Internet Experts | Jensen 205
Ever attend a conference and wish you could have a small, focused session with the speaker? Here’s your
opportunity. The session is structured into four 20-minute blocks, allowing you to select four experts to speak
with in small groups. In this time slot, multiple legal experts will be on hand with varying specialties and types of practice, so bring all the questions you’ve ever wanted a lawyer to help with. You can also sign up to meet with
more than one attorney. Space is limited. Sign up in Canon Lounge during registration. Sessions available with:
Maggie Cramer of ASAP (social media),
Walter Harrill of Imladris Farm (marketing and sales),
Candy Williams of One on One Computer Services (Quickbooks and other recordkeeping),
Simon Huntley of Small Farm Central (websites and technology for farm management).
Late Afternoon Session: 3:30 p.m. - 5:05 p.m
Reach the People: Thirty Marketing Ideas for Direct Marketers | Jensen 302
You may grow a great product, but it’s not always easy to find customers. Whether you’re isolated in a rural area
with limited local markets, or trying to sell farm products in an area with lots of buyers but also lots of farmer
competition, creative approaches are needed. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to apply classic marketing thinking
to the local food and farm customer base. Define your niche . . . and reach the people! Learn practical, doable
marketing steps from both the presenter and your fellow attendees. Peter Marks of ASAP
Hosting School Groups and Tours on Your Farm | Jensen 305
Many farmers wonder if hosting school groups and tours could be beneficial and profitable for their farm. Interested
farmers should explore several important questions: Will my insurance cover the added liability? How much time is
necessary for managing farm field trips? What do I need to charge to make tours worth my time? How do I promote
my farm to schools and teachers? How should I plan for the students’ visits? What farm field trip activities are most successful for school groups? This workshop will help farmers determine if hosting school groups is right for them. We will also provide tips and tools farmers can use in creating successful systems for hosting tours and school groups. Ann Araps of Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Anna Littman of ASAP
Appalachian Grown: The Power of Local Branding | Jensen 306
Local farm products are in high demand by consumers in our area. Appalachian Grown (AG) is a certification
available to farmers and businesses that operate within a specific region of the Southern Appalachian mountains.
Learn how to successfully incorporate local branding strategies into your marketing approach. Bridget Kennedy,
ASAP’s farm outreach coordinator, will explain some of the services ASAP offers to AG-certified farms and
businesses, including cost share assistance on marketing materials. Lee Seabrook, ASAP’s marketing coordinator,
has developed a wide variety of marketing tools for farmers. She has several projects on the horizon and wants to
hear from you about materials that would be useful in the future. Learn from guest farmers Jeanette Wilson and Rick
Harty about their specific marketing projects and how to make the most of the resources available. Lee Seabrook and Bridget Kennedy of ASAP, Jeanette Wilson of Hominy Valley Farms Land and Cattle, Rick Harty
of Harty Farm
Sell More! Improving Sales at your Farmers Market | Jensen 202
Hear from a panel of successful vendors and an experienced market manager about product mix and sales methods
to maximize market success. Beyond easily described best practices, what are the more subtle keys to selling more? Mike McCreary of ASAP, Christina Carter of Ten Mile Farm, Joel Mowrey of Smoking J Hot Sauce, Garrett Earhart
of Earhart Market Gardens
Easy Ways to Get Started on the Web | Jensen 205
Overwhelmed by the idea of creating a farm website from scratch? This session will show you simple platforms like
WordPress, Website Tonight, and Small Farm Central that can help get you started. Web professionals will also share
tips and tricks for working with a web designer, and a local farm will share their site development experience. Jeremy Ferguson of ASAP, Rick and Karen Jordan of Deerwood Nursery and Farms
Looking for the weekly Fresh at Farmers Markets update? Find it at FromHere.org, ASAP's new community website, along with other news, photos, local food and farm events, and more. While you're there, join the conversation!
Curious about the difference your donation can make? Here are some examples of what ASAP can accomplish with your support:
-$1,000 helps farmers access new markets
-$500 brings a class of school children to a local farm
-$100 funds a cooking demo on how to prepare fresh foods
-$50 trains a farmer in new skills -$25 provides seeds and resources for school gardens
Click here to give your gift to ASAP today. Or, give on behalf of a loved one and tell the recipient about the good work that will be done in his or her name.
