Have you ever considered or wondered about wholesale marketing? The PlacerGROWN Farm Conference will feature a comprehensive workshop to help you understand the opportunities and challenges with wholesale marketing. The theme of the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference is Survive and Thrive. This conference will be held Saturday, January 26th at Lincoln High School from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. The conference is co-sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension and PlacerGROWN. Additional support is provided by USDA Risk Management Agency and California Specialty Crops grants.
Wholesale marketing presents many opportunities for producers in the Placer and Nevada County foothill region. The majority of farms in Placer and Nevada County engage extensively in forms of direct-marketing as a way to reduce risk and secure high retail prices; yet many are also becoming aware of the value of wholesale outlets as a way to increase overall sales and profitability. The benefits of wholesale marketing include being able to simplify the operation, reducing labor costs, engaging in a more predictable market, potentially increasing profitability, and developing outlets for excess produce.
In this workshop, we will discuss the various opportunities, characteristics and risks associated with wholesale sales to restaurants, grocery stores, and wholesale distributors. We will also explore the necessity of knowing costs of production for a given crop, and how to use this knowledge when engaging with wholesale markets. We will also have two farmers discuss their experiences with wholesale marketing to various outlets. They will share their reasons for selling wholesale, how they determine which crops to sell this way, and the risks and rewards of engaging in wholesale marketing.
The cost of the conference is $40 if you pre-register by January 18th and $50 after that date. Your registration fee includes: Continental breakfast, Proceedings, Trade Show, Keynote Panel, Workshops, and Lunch. Details for admission and registration are available at the PlacerGROWN website at www.placergrown.org. More conference information is available at ucanr.org/sites/PGFFC/
Scholarships are now available to apply for attending the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference. You can find the application form online at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/PGFFC/. If you have trouble finding the application, please contact Roger Ingram at 530-889-7385 or email at rsingram@ucanr.edu. The application is due by January 18th.