MarketSafe Course
Keir Cordner

MarketSafe is a food safety training program for farmers and producers, who make, bake or grow products to sell at local farmers' markets, farm gates or other types of temporary food markets. MarketSafe was developed by the BC FOODSAFE Secretariat in partnership with the BC Association of Farmers' Markets, and is supported by the Regional Health Authorities, the BC Centre for Disease Control, and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. To view more detailed background information on the MarketSafe program and the learning outcomes for the course, click here.

Friday Night Reception

In this kick-off to the conference, we will hear live music from local musician Luke Guthrie, and have the opportunity to catch up with the farmers' market community around BC. Light fare and refreshments will be served and cash bar is available.

Keynote: Integrity at the Market
Stacy Miller, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition

Trust, transparency, and the ability to empower consumers to learn and ask questions about food and farming are among the many unique values of farmers markets. But how do we honestly evaluate our progress in achieving these values, and be accountable to our communities' expectations of integrity—the expectations of our farmers, of ourselves, and ot existing and future customers? At this year's conference, Stacy will share the FMC's vision of how the mission of farmers markets can inform their management, with examples of various governance structures and measurement tools that farmers market organizations around the U.S. are using to uphold their vision for farmers markets as leaders in local food systems and hubs for healthy relationships.

Panel: What's In A Name? Protecting Farmers Market Integrity through a Common Definition
Panelists: Stacy Miller — Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition, Chris Hergesheimer — Farmers Market Research and Development Consultant, and more.

In this panel discussion Stacy Miller and Chris Hergesheimer will be joined by a market manager, vendor and board member to discuss the relationship between our vision for the future of farmers' markets, consumer trust and transparency at the market level. Audience participation will be encouraged.

Measuring Social and Economic Impact: A Toolkit for Farmers' Markets
Garth Yule, Vancity Community Foundation

Most of us are aware of the many community impacts of farmers' markets, from preservation of local farmland, increased incomes of farmers, local economic development, reduction in greenhouse gas emission (and food miles), local business development, and social capital just to name a few. However, A key challenge for those of us invested in farmers' markets is to better understand how to demonstrate their impact in order to encourage public policy and investment support. In this session with the Vancity Community Foundations, we will be introduced to the Farmers Market Impact Toolkit, a tool created by Vancity to enable you and your market to communicate a compelling picture of your market's social, economic and environmental impact.

Breakout Session A: Market Manager's Roundtable

The Market Manager's Roundtable is back and extended by popular demand! BCAFM members operate approximately 100 farmers' markets across BC, and due to the size of our province and nature of our work, farmers' market managers and board members rarely have the opportunity to come together to share information. The purpose of this session is to do just that! Participants will have an opportunity to see how fellow markets may have addressed similar challenges, discuss key concerns and learn from shared successes.

Breakout Session B: Positioning Your Market for Success

"The Business of Farmers Markets: New Perspectives and Strategic implications"

Dr. David J. Connell, Associate Professor
School of Environmental Planning
University of Northern British Columbia
connell@unbc.ca

Christopher Hergesheimer, MA
Farmers Market Research and Development Consultant
Roberts Creek, BC
chrish@dccnet.com

Presenter: Chris Hergesheimer

While the increasing demand for local food is creating opportunities for farmers it is also creating new challenges for farmers market managers and board members. Based on case studies of a number of farmers markets and follow-up strategic planning workshops we found that the "old way" of operating a market as simply a collection of vendors is hindering development. There are significant insights to be gained from a "new way" of viewing markets as "business entities" that are separate from the interests of their vendors. This view is based on the idea that a farmers market is a business that 'profits' by bringing vendors and market shoppers together in a unique setting. This presentation will discuss how adopting this business perspective has significant strategic implications for how farmers markets might develop and adopt policies that build upon their recent growth and development.

Income Enhancement Strategies at Farmers' Markets
Bruce Fatkin, Abbotsford Farm & Country Market Manager

The Abbotsford Farm and Country Market embarked on a winter project to identify, research and prioritize income options beyond vendor fees and memberships. Market manager Bruce Fatkin will report on the project and its outcomes including (for Abbotsford) which options were feasible and how they will roll out for the 2012 outdoor season. Bruce will lead a discussion about how other markets might be able to adapt some of the income enhancement strategies identified in the project. If time allows, there will also be some brainstorming around being more intentional about operating markets as business entities. This session is relevant for market managers and market Board members.

• A review of this year’s accomplishments
• Voting in the 2012 Board

Market Manager Training
Dr. Jennifer Horn

Market Managers and Boards of Directors from small, medium or large Farmers' Markets will find relevant information in this training session. Whether new or experienced, all members of your market management team are encouraged to take this opportunity to network and share your experiences and the challenges of managing a market or a non-profit society.

Research has found that one of the main reasons Farmers Markets fail to thrive is due to lack of skills and experience of Market Managers and Boards of Directors. With an eye on building a strong Farmers Market network across the province, the BCAFM encourages you to take part in this unique opportunity to build the skills necessary to increase the success of your Farmers' Market.

Harmonizing the Employer / Employee Relationship: Essential Human Resources Tips for Board Members, Farmers and Market Managers
Lynne Corrigan

What you don't know can come back to bite you. When everything is going well, it's difficult to imagine the need for policies and guidelines around how people are treated. It's when things go wrong that you'll wish you had done the groundwork.

Is your market manager a contractor? Most market managers take day-to-day guidance from Boards, which makes them employees. Making this very common mistake can result in many problems. Find out what you can do to make things right.

What minimum standards must you uphold to be compliant with employment, human rights and safety legislation? Are you treating farm workers fairly? Learn how going beyond minimum standards can increase productivity and build engagement.

Market managers — Does your board appreciate your workload? Find out how to communicate your needs.

Clear Human Resources policies will help mitigate these issue and others. Learn about what you are doing right, where you are missing critical steps, and what you are doing wrong.

In small groups we will share successes and challenges so that your questions and needs are addressed and causes for celebration are acknowledged. Though there will be handouts, the day is based on dialogue rather than lecture, practice rather than reading slides, discovering what you know as well as what you want to find out, and having fun along the way.

You can send specific problems, questions or concerns to the facilitator, Lynn Corrigan at lynn@lynncorrigan.com when you register and she will include as much as possible on the day.

Funding for this Workshop is provided by: