UT offers two sets of workshops for farmers marketing to local consumers

Consumer demand for locally produced foods and products continues to grow, creating opportunities for farmers who market directly to the public as well as to chefs and grocery stores. To help farmers prepare to meet the demand for local products, the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture is offering two sets of workshops in March and April.

The first workshop is a two-day course called the Direct Marketing Sense Workshop. “This comprehensive course provides fundamental information for farmers to help them increase their potential for success,” says Megan Bruch, marketing specialist for the Center for Profitable Agriculture. “The workshop presents information and tools related to business planning, marketing, risk management, regulations and more.”
 
Direct Marketing Sense will be offered three times in March: March 7-8  in Clarksville, March 11-12 in Spring Hill and March 19-20 in Kingsport. Registration is $40 per person.
The second workshop is a one-day event with a similar title but with a different emphasis and materials. The one-day Direct Farm Marketing for Success Workshop will focus on marketing and sales methods that can enhance profitability and will include in-depth information on accepting EBT, debit and credit cards; maximizing the impact of advertising; buying advertising and using social media.
 
The Direct Farm Marketing for Success Workshop will be held in five locations in March and April: March 14 in Jackson, March 15 in Nashville, April 3 in White Pine, April 4 in Athens and April 5 in Monteagle. The registration fee is $15 per person.
 
Pre-registration for all workshops is required five days prior to the workshop date.
 
These events fulfill a Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) requirement for a direct marketing workshop. The workshops are funded, in part, by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture through a Specialty Crop Block Grant.
 
More information about specific locations and registration is available on the Center for Profitable Agriculture website: http://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa. For more details, contact Megan Bruch at mlbruch@utk.edu or 931-486-2777.
 
The UT Center for Profitable Agriculture is a joint effort of UT Extension and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. The center supports the efforts of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

 
###

Contact:

 
Megan L. Bruch, Marketing Specialist, Center for Profitable Agriculture, 931-486-2777