Released May 13, 2009
WASHINGTON – The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today released Proceedings of a Special Session from the 2008 USDA Partners Meeting: Emerging Market Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers.
The USDA Partners Meeting, held for the fifth time in August 2008, is an annual event sponsored by USDA’s Office of Civil Rights to promote a dialogue between the USDA and community-based organizations that work with socially disadvantaged farmers.
One of the sessions at the 2008 Meeting, “Emerging Market Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers,” offered an opportunity for farmers and farmer organizations to learn directly from industry insiders what it takes to work successfully with produce buyers. Three panelists - an executive chef for a hospital, a produce buyer for a supermarket chain, and the sales manager of a produce distribution company - addressed the group and answered questions.
The report describes novel ways for small farmers to establish more lucrative and stable markets by selling their crops directly to supermarkets, institutional foodservice establishments, and specialty distributors. It discusses methods for making contact and developing relationships with buyers and what is helpful from a buyer’s point of view. It contains pointers on requirements for this type of marketing as well as pitfalls to avoid. The report can be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5076556&acct=wdmgeninfo.
-30-
Contacts: Joan Shaffer, (202)720-8998, Joan.shaffer@ams.usda.gov
Billy Cox, (202)720-8998, Billy.cox@ams.usda.gov
