President's Report
"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do —
or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so."
—Stanley Crawford
Another summer market season has been put to bed. Now the winter markets have started in some locations.
For some, the work never seems to end. Picking, packing, loading, unloading, setting up tents, selling, tearing down, loading up and finally
driving home after the last summer market is a relief and at the same time a let down. I know that I really enjoy the markets and when our markets
started to host winter markets I had joy in my heart that I could continue biweekly to see those customers who have now become my friends.
They all trust that I will be there.
It was an honour to attend the Better Business Awards luncheon on behalf of BCAFM. BCAFM was presented the Marketplace Trust Award. Quoting from
their program: "The BCAFM is mostly known as the umbrella for numerous small farming entrepreneurs, giving them access to unique community hubs.
Farmers' markets give consumers' choices to purchase organic produce that is locally-grown. Advancing Marketplace Trust is about giving consumers
choice and this organization supports local business and is a fixture in many communities."
With this award there comes responsibility! Our customers are coming to our markets to purchase fresh, BC produce and product made by BC artisans.
It is important that we recognize that our markets are a reflection of the association.
Members of the BC Association of Farmers' Markets are those markets whose vendors ..."make, bake or grow" the products they sell.
Re-sellers are not permitted. At member markets, our focus is on selling locally grown or processed farm-fresh foods and artisan products that are
locally made by the person selling them. Our customers trust that this is what we are doing. Please review your vendor list and help BCAFM celebrate
marketplace trust by keeping our markets authentic by having all vendors making, baking or growing what they are selling.
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season!
Mary Forstbauer
President, BCAFM
president@bcfarmersmarket.org
www.bcfarmersmarket.org
604-794-3999
Manager's Report
Greetings!
The sun is shining in Vancouver after record-breaking rainfall. The wet coast has its challenges.
The BCAFM is pleased to announce a new business partnership with Matrix Group Inc. Matrix plans to publish our first full colour 8½ by 11 inch,
glossy stock magazine and resource guide, "FRESH at BC farmers markets". The magazine will be distributed annually to all member markets and
vendors and will be mailed to Chefs throughout BC. Chefs, vendors and markets will be featured and will build on our Chef to Market program
and stories will highlight the successes of vendors and markets. All markets will be asked to add a pdf copy (as provided by the BCAFM) of the
magazine to your websites. It will be a useful tool for educating customers and promoting your markets and vendors.
Matrix will invite your market and your vendors to advertise to Chefs. Matrix will conduct a feasibility study in December to determine the
financial viability of the magazine. Advertising revenues are expected to cover the costs of publication.
This Fall we launched the pilot Market Manager and Board Governance training programs after a year of research and consultation with market
managers from across British Columbia. Market managers and board members have met in Richmond, Kelowna, Nelson and Duncan with nearly 40 market
managers participating.
One important element of the training programs was the cross-pollination of ideas among market managers. Topics such as working with vendors,
community relations, and conflict resolution emerged as worthy of more in-depth exploration. All participants said the workshops were too short
with too much information. A longer six-hour training workshop will be offered Sunday, March 14, 2009 in Penticton after the Marketing Caravan
conference and AGM on March 13. We plan to offer additional workshops in the Spring on Vancouver Island and in Quesnel.
Presently, the BCAFM is developing a business plan for the Association to generate additional financial streams. Several revenue-generating
ideas have emerged. We are considering creating a vendor benefit package that would include access to group extended health benefits, marketing
services, expanded access to liability insurance, and a web listing on our website for vendors willing to pay a vendor associate type of fee.
It is paramount that market vendors join the BCAFM to allow the program to work. Over 3,000 vendors benefit from selling at farmers markets and
in turn the BCAFM offers reduced insurance rates, marketing, the Coupon and Nutrition project, and training to market managers to enhance their
effectiveness to increase sales. This business plan will need your input and support before implementation.
Make, Bake or Grow Policy of the BCAFM
A farmers' market is where you meet face- to- face with proud farmers and artisans who grow, bake, or make the best products in BC.
There is hardly a month that the BCAFM's Board of Directors is not confronted with issues and complaints, mostly from the public and sometimes
vendors, regarding vendors reselling products that they did not grow, make or bake.
It is important for all farmers markets to make this their standard policy and enforce it. Experience has shown that customers shun markets
where vendors are selling goods that they did not create themselves. It can give farmers markets a bad reputation.
BCAFM wishes to remind all managers and board of directors that “Grow, Make or Bake” is the official policy of the BCAFM and all markets
are encouraged to create a strategy to strive to meet this policy to maintain the authenticity and integrity of farmers markets.
The BCAFM cannot be everything to everyone but what we can do is support farmers and entrepreneurs at our markets who sell local, BC products.
Union of BC Municipalities Conference
The BCAFM organized a panel presentation, on how local governments can support farmers markets in their communities, to over 60 municipal
councillors and mayors on Oct. 2nd. With standing room only, the panel offered an impactful business case to encourage local governments to
collaborate with farmers markets. Markets contribute vitality to communities, enhance business, and improve access to locally grown, healthy food.
Please visit our website to view and download the recommendations distributed to all participants. See Tips for Success at
http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/ind/managers.htm. Share these with your local municipality and discuss how your relationship can be strengthened.
Number of Markets is Increasing in the US
Visit www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/farmers-markets-47100501.
Elizabeth Quinn
BCAFM Manager
bcafmoffice@gmail.com
Ph: 604-734-9797
Nutrition and Coupon Update
The nip in the air reminds us that regular market season has come to a close for another year, and with it the Farmers' Market Nutrition &
Coupon Project (FMNCP) is wrapping up another successful season. 2009 saw an increase of participating markets and families. 16 BCAFM member markets
across the province participated in the FMNCP this season. This brought more dollars into local farmers' markets, created more opportunities for
new farmers and experienced farmers, and brought market fresh, local foods to the plates of low-income families and low-income pregnant women in need.
Many participating farmers' markets experienced an overall increase in sales as a result of participating in the FMNCP. Beyond the financial benefits
of participating in the FMNCP, many vendors and market managers have spoken highly of the opportunity to connect and work with community partners and
FMNCP participants.
We are the process of finalizing the final 2009 data; however, initial numbers indicate a 98% redemption rate. This is a 1% increase from the 97%
redemption rate of 2008, and a full 10% increase from the 2007 redemption rate of 88%. This success is in large part thanks to the inviting environment
that market managers and vendors created by working to ensure signage was up at each market to identify participating vendors, giving market tours,
working with families to optimize their coupon dollars and offering information and recipes on how to prepare their market goods.
Cooking and Skill Building Program Leaders and participating families have all expressed a heartfelt appreciation to all of the market managers,
market helpers and vendors. They appreciated the opportunity to try new foods, to feed their families fresh, local, nutritious foods, to connect
directly with the people who are producing their food, and to be welcomed into the market family.
Please check out our new videos on the FMNCP website. They capture the spirit of the FMNCP very well. Many thanks to our friends and partners,
Adam Kebede and the Open Door Collective and Surya Govender of Found Out Ink for their great work.
We are steadily working on securing funds for the 2010 season. We have several grant applications pending that will fortify the funds we currently
have allocated to the 2010 season. We are confident that we will be able to run the Farmers' Market Nutrition & Coupon Project in 2010, and are
working on the framework for the season now.
We want to hear from you! Please take just a few minutes to compete our survey. This will help us in our planning process for the 2010 season.
Please note that this is not the application. The 2010 application will be available in the New Year, and all BCAFM member markets will be notified
via email. Take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/s/HZ5GCVX
Paula Luther
Project Manager
coupon@bcfarmersmarket.org
604-254-4512
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