fresh facts - july/august 2014

8/12/2019 Fresh Facts - July/August 2014

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Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Newsletter #298July/August 2014

Volume 30, Number 6

Fresh Facts

Inside this issue:

Membership News 2

Farm to Fork Uni-

versity Workshops3

Are you keeping

score for your

business?

4

OFFMA looses a

Bright , Young Star6

The Art of Edu-

tainment8

Creating a Fun

Workplace10

Upcoming

Events12

Presidents Message

The role of the OFFMA is to help its members become more profitable.

To that end I pose a few questions.

Why as business owners do we so often absorb costs until at years end review, we look back

and wonder why we work so hard for so little?

In the recent election the public service was up in arms at the proposal of a wage freeze. If we

hold the line on the price we charge for our produce it does not equate to a wage freeze but

rather with all the increases in labour, hydro, and fuel, just to name a few, to hold prices really

means we would be accepting a pay decrease of 5% -20%! How do you think the public ser-

vice would react to a decrease? How do you think your staff would respond to a decrease?

We educate our customers on when crops are ripe, how to pick them, and what the price will

be.

We need to educate them that if we vote for higher wages, higher hydro, increases in health

and safety paperwork, someone will have to pay for it and the small business owner cant con-

tinue to absorb it. We need to educate them that the value of the school trip is worth more

than the cost of the bus expense.

We need to educate them that local foods grown safely with a highly regulated IPM system isworth more than imported produce often grown with lesser standards.

We need to educate them that we are not publicly funded parks and that what we have and

what we do comes at a price.

Ultimately as business owners much of our retirement income is tied up in the business. To

maximize the equity that has built up in the farm it needs to be profitable now and for a buyer

who may have to finance the full amount.

Higher costs mean higher prices and to delay an increase will just mean a big jump later to get

to where you need to be to keep the business profitable and attractive to your successors.

There is great value in what we offer. We need to first recognize this ourselves and then tell

our customers with confidence.

Wishing you a healthy and profitable season.

Brian HugliOFFMA President

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.


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MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Page 2 Fresh Facts

lassifiedsAUCTION AT BIRTCH FARMS &ESTATE WINERY - business closing

Saturday, August 23, 2014See newsletter insert for details.

FOR SALE: Ken Speirs has some or-chard equipment for sale:Massey Ferguson smaller orchardtractor 1700 hr--with cab, perfectmower, another mower, fertilizerspreader, white plastic bins, woodenbins, juice totes, irrigation pump andsome pipes, reefer-freezer trailer(good for storing product) air com-

pressor - 575 phaseSend an email to [email protected] or call 647-291-7505 and ask for Lonna and KenSpeirs if you are interested in any ofthese items.

FOR SALE:Used Belshaw Donut Robot.Cleaned and Ready to goModel: f42, 220V, 20ampAsking: $2800

Contact: [email protected] purchase for a farm wanting togive donuts a try but not ready tomake the financial commitment to abrand new machine.

WANTED: Small Drink Cooler withglass door for self serve. Could becounter top style.Email [email protected]

WANTED: Frozen raspberries whole orcrumbles. Frozen wild blueberries.Email [email protected]

FOR SALE: BEE EQUIPMENTCall Walter Pingle at Pingles FarmMarket for more info, 905-725-6089

Classifieds are free for members. Simply

send your information to the OFFMA of-

fice and it will be included in the next

newsletter.

Welcome to our New MembersCome out to an event soon and meet therest of the family.

Lesley MartinCarron FarmsBradford, ON905-775-2432

Carron Farms is a multi-generationalfarm run by the Verkaik Family i9nn theBradford Marsh who grow Carrots, On-ion and Beets on a large scale for theexport market. On a more local basis,they operate the Harvest Share FoodBox (CSA Program) from mid-June to theend of October as well as producing farmfresh eggs (organic free range).

Shain Jaffe & Debbie NightingaleBashert Farms

Campbellford, ON705-772-8056Bashert Farms is opening their brandnew Farm Store on July 1. They raiseNigerian Dwarf Goats and sell HauteGoat products such as Natural GoatsMilk Soap & Natural Goats Milk Hand,Foot & Cuticle Cream, log grown ShitakeMushrooms and garlic. They also sell atthe Campbellford Farmers Market.

Valley Farm Market has once again beennamed the WINNERS of the 2014 Best LocalFood Caterer in Simcoe County Award!!! Henriand Michelle Linde will graciously accept theaward on July 12 at Miller's Dairy Farm, thesame event they actually cater! Congratula-tions on the recognition.

ongrats tothe DowneyFamilyProud parents,

Nathan & Dar-lene have anew sister forthe twins.Audrey MarionElizabeth wasborn on May 2 and weighed in at 7lbs, 3oz.She is Ruth and John Downeys 13th grand-child.


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Page 3Newsletter #298

Farm to Fork University

Mark your calendars!

August 19, 3-6pm Food Photography

South Pond Farm, Danielle FrenchThe world has turned pictoral overnight it seems and customers tend tobuy with their eyes first. How do you show your produce and products inthe best light possible? What tips can you apply when using your camerato get great pictures? Great pictures that can be posted on Twitter, Face-book and Pinterest in order to attract additional consumers to your farm.Come out for an afternoon or send one of your staff to pick up some ide-as on how to take better pictures in order to create better messages foryour consumers.

September 16, 3-6pm Packing Line Tour

Martins Family Fruit Farm, Steve MartinCome see what happens to apples after they are picked from the tree.Martins have just put in a new CA storage facility. Steve will take us on atour of the apple farm, packing plant, retail shop and share his marketingtips with the group. It will be an Everything Apples evening.dont missout.

October 22, 2-5pm Preserving Your Bounty- Harvest Goodies, Heather Fraser

Heather Fraser from Harvest Goodies will tour us through the kitchensand storage areas. Learn the ins and outs of what it takes to preserve the

food you grow. Discussions about labeling, preserving techniques andfood safety issues. This will be a hands on workshop, be prepared to getyour hands dirty.

Stay tuned for additional University Workshop offerings.

Reminders

Its picture time. This is the time to get lots of pictures of your farm and your amazingproducts. If you dont have the time or skill to take pictures, have a contest among yourstaff for a couple of days. You will be very happy you did, in January when you are looking

to update some promotional material.

To be included in the Featured Farm Sectionsimply send us a picture of yourfarm. Many members have asked how they can be in the Featured Farm section of theOFFMA website. Simply send the OFFMA office a picture that represents your farm andwe will add it to highlight your business on our website.

Connecting on Twitter and Facebook. Social media is rampant. OFFMA tries tofollow all its members to keep up on your activities as well as to help promote what youare doing on your farms. If OFFMA is not following you on Twitter or Facebook, pleasesend us a note and we will fix it right away.


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Page 4 Fresh Facts

Areyoukeepingscoreforyourbusiness?Are youplanningfor

greatersuccess?

ByJessicaKelly,DirectFarmMarkengProgramLeadandAnneMarieDioe,

businessDevelopmentProgramCoordinator,OMAFRA

Let the AMI Business Score Card help you measure your performance and man-agement practices to plan for greater success. This comprehensive business man-agement tool covers ten key areas, including:

Strategy/LeadershipCustomers/MarketsProductionSuppliersFinancesInformation SystemsPeopleRisks

ResponsibilitiesSuccession Plan

Users are prompted to create an action plan for each business area helping to ad-dress any management gaps that have been identified. It takes about 30 minutesto complete. Participants instantly receive a report detailing the assessment results,priority rankings, action plans and recommended resources based on the identifiedpriorities and opportunities for improvement.

The AMI Business Score Card is designed for a range of agri-food operations withspecific options for businesses engaged in value-added production and direct toconsumer marketing.

By making this tool part of you on-going best management practices your businesswill benefit in the following ways:

Gain a greater understanding of strengths and weaknessesAssess current systems, knowledge and skillsPrioritize areas for improvementDevelop an action plan to address gapsIdentify resources to help meet goalsAchieve better efficiency and profitability

The launch of the Business Score Card is part of AMI's work to support the uniquebusiness management needs of Ontario's farmers as well as agrifood and agriprod-uct processors.

To use the Business Score Card, visit the AMI website atwww.takeanewapproach.ca.

The Agricultural Management Institute is funded by Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative.

Editors note: OFFMA has a similar product available in the members only section of the website.It is called Business Planning: Self-Auditing Tool.


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New Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairsJeff Leal

A lifelong Peterborough resident, Jeff Leal was firstelected MPP for Peterborough riding in 2003. He wasappointed Minister of Rural Affairs in February 2013.

As Minister of Rural Affairs, Jeff is focused on ensuringthe unique and diverse needs of rural Ontario are repre-sented at Queen's Park. His priorities include jobs, infra-structure, and protecting important social services likehealth care and education.

Prior to being named Ag. Minister, Jeff served as theChief Government Whip, and as Parliamentary Assistantto the Ministers of Aboriginal Affairs, the Environment,Energy, Economic Development and Trade, and Train-ing Colleges and Universities.

Jeff was a Peterborough city councillor for Otonabee Ward from 1985 to 2003, working

extensively with the county and local governments and serving as second deputymayor.

Jeff and his wife Karan, a local school principal, live in Peterborough with their two chil-dren Braden and Shanae.


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Page 6 Fresh Facts

Every now and then you meet a person who makes a big impres-sion in all the lives she touches. Joy Stanley was that kind of aperson. Joy Stanley of Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm passedaway on May 24, 2014, she was 49. The Stanleys had hosted the

Relay for Life at the farm. When Joy came home in the morning,Earl suggested she take a nap before getting ready for the wed-ding that was happening at the farm that evening. Joy never wokeup from her nap.

Earl and Joy joined Ontario Farm Fresh about 10 years ago andsince that time they have participated in every bus tour, manyconventions and several potlucks. Earl and Joy made a great team. Earl is the visionaryand Joy was the stable foundation and doer in their relationship. Joy's life was filledwith adventure and enthusiasm. Her three daughters had a great role model and spokepassionately about their mother at the celebration that was held at the Carp Fair-grounds on May 23rd. Everything she did was with passion and full throttle. Her zest forlife affected every person she met. Rest in Peace, Joy, knowing you did so much in theshort time you were here.

A few comments from members who knew Joy.

Several memories of Joy stand out to me. One was her quiet, unobtrusive way of help-ing in the background; cleaning the bus, making sure everyone was accounted for,unloading luggage. Also, I admired her passion for perfection. She told me on the tripto California that she took a cooking course (she did NOT like to cook) because shefelt that their present cook was lacking some skills. So Joy took the course so thatSHE would know how to show the cook how to prepare certain foods. That dedicationto perfection and detail was notable at all times. She was level-headed and sensible intouchy situations and we will miss her greatly.-Rose Steve Martin, Martins Family Fruit FarmWe always looked forward to traveling with Joy and Earl to meet the OFFMA Bus.

We'd leave a day or 2 early and arrive home a day or 2 late, where we would end up

was anyones guess. Pre and post bus tour adventures full of unforgetable memo-

ries. The back of the bus will never be the same.

-Heather and Sue, Valleyview Little Animal Farm

Joy inspired originality, imagination, nd exclenceineveryoneshetouched. Shehad aGivingHea, aCreativeNature, aStrongSpirit, aContagiouEnergy, nd aGo-GeeAitude. Joy ire-membered, treasured nd wilforevebewovenintohedesignnd displyatYFM.Loved nd ised by heMcKy gilnd DonMcKy.

OFFMA Looses a Bright, Young Star


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The back of the bus, will never be the same without Joy. Also the hospitalityhotel room in Niagara Falls.....really will miss you.-Stephen and Valerie McDonald, McMaze

JOY-ous

JOY-share: her knowledge, her beer, her heart, even the leather jacket on herback.

JOY-care: she was truly interested in everyone's life, business successes andfailures, and all of our personal well being.

JOY-mom: the little mother hen, at the conferences, on the bus tours, at the giftshow, she would mother us all.

JOY-laugh: right down to her toes, with that devilish twinkle in her eyes.

JOY-fashion: not known for the little black dress, but for the little black cap.

JOY-walk: strutting, thumbs in her pockets, that was her stride.

JOY-miss: she has not left us, but actually has left a little of herself in all of us.

JOY-ous: she was a big force in her tiny frame.

I will miss you my friend, our shopping trips, your summer visits in the motorhome, our visits when in Ottawa, our late night texting, but I will always see you

in my mind and feel you in my heart.Sharon and Ernie Muzylowsky, Apple Land Station

Note from Stanleys Olde Maple Lane Farm

Myself and the rest of the us here at Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm, want tosay thank you to everyone for their kind words, phone calls, cards, and visits.The outpouring of support and understanding has been overwhelming. Itmeans so much to us that so many of you took time out of your busy lives, tolet us know that you care. While we know the coming months will provide uswith new challenges, we also know that Joy would want us to push through. Sowell hold our heads high, and continue to offer the same amazing service andpersonalized experience we have become known for.

Heartfelt Thanks from Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm.Earl Stanley & Family

And the Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm Team


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Page 8 Fresh Facts

On our recent agritour to Italy, we spentfive days touring the scenic Tuscany regionand observing the views of the beautifulcountryside filled with vineyards. We were

frankly amazed that agriculture could existon this steeply sloping and rocky terrain,but it has, of course, persisted here for cen-turies. We also learned, however, that justlike farms in North America, many of thesefarmers have also had to look for alterna-tive marketing channels to sell their prod-ucts, and in the early 1980s, they createdtheir agriturismoindustry.

For many of these multi-generation familyfarms, they have turned to farm-basedlodging as a means of primary income, andmany also offer cooking classes, wine clas-

ses, educational tours, weddings and manyof the similar activities we have begun tooffer on our farms in the U.S. and Canada.

One stop that was everyones favorite wasthe Torciana Winery, founded in 1720 justoutside of San Gimignano. We were met byPierluigi Giachi, President and 13th genera-

tion, who continuesthe family wine mak-ing tradition of pass-ing down the farm tothe eldest son. Pier-luigi met us as we got

off our motor-coach,and talked tous in front of a fieldthat had been devas-tated by spring flood-ing and was now be-ing prepared for newplantings. Naturally,farming in Italy is sub-

ject to the same typesof weather occurrenc-es that we have herein the U.S.

After a brief discus-sion of how theywould regenerate theflooded grape vines,he began an enthusi-astic discussion of hisfamily business andthe directions he haschosen for thefarm. Pierluigi decid-ed over 20 years ago

The Art of Edu-tainmentby Jane Eckert, Eckert Agri-Marketing

that he needed to differentiate his wine andwinery from all the other producers whogrow the Sangiovese grape in the Chiantiregion; he wanted that special something

that would allow him to sell his wines for ahigher price. His very successful solutioncame about when he figured out how toeliminate the middle men and to sell directlyto the tourists and high end wine consumersin North America.

Our 2 hour edu-tainment experience withPierluigi is one worth sharing withyou. Throughout the remainder of the

Agritour, we measured all other tour stopsagainst the experience we had at Torciana,and none were comparable, or evenclose. We had experienced a master crafts-

mana master of fine wine making, andtruly a master of superior marketing.

Let me explain why we labeled the stop edu-tainmentand how a bit of education andshowmanship increased our individual salesby more than 15 times what we spent at anyother farm stop.

We started with the educational part of histalk outdoors beside the field, learning aboutthe family history, the other products grown,the types of soil best for grapes, the selec-tion of hand thinning bunches to increase the

sugar content on those left on the wineetc. Pierluigi loved the fact that we were allfarmers and could ask the intelligent ques-tions. We knew right from his introductionthat this man loved his family, loved his farmand was quite passionate to continue hislegacy, and that he had a great desire toshare it all with us.

We then went indoors and were seated in abeautiful and quaint facility that had oncebeen the family wine cellar, and once com-fortable, Pierluigi orchestrated a wine tastingexperience that none of us will ever for-

get. We quickly learned that this wasnt go-ing to be just two or three sips of differentwines. We sat down for a gourmet tasting(at 10:30 in the morning) which includedhome cured salami, cheeses, bruschetta,extra virgin olive oil, truffle oil, and aged bal-samic vinegar, all accompanied and pairedwith seven different wines.

The tasting was when the real entertainmentpart of the experience began. Pierluigi made


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a show out of helping us to understand whythe size and proportion of your wine glassmattered. He demonstrated with humor andflourish how to have the full experience ofactually identifying and tasting the flavors ofeach new type of wine that he intro-duced. He made quite a production out of

how to pick up wine glass with your left handand pass off to the right hand in just the rightway to be able to swirl the wine and loweryour nose to sniff the blends. He did this ina fun way that none of us felt stupid or ineptin trying to copy his smooth movements.

Most of you have probably seen or experi-enced a wine tasting yourself, but our groupagreed that in our past experiences, trulynone of us had ever had so much fun learn-ing. Pierluigi was a master of entertainment,getting his audience involved in every stopof the process. His jovial presentation style

used his whole body. His hands were inconstant movement, his facial expressionsshowed his fun loving nature and he wasconstantly moving amongst the tables mak-ing everyone feel special.

After every wine course, a new glass andnew wine appeared and more informationabout pairing this wine with different foodcourses. Right at our table, we each had apen and a page for tasting notes and forour convenience on the reverse side wastheir order form. We went from the lighterwines to the heavier wines, and ended witha dessert wine that included a sweet Tuscanbiscuit for dipping.

We all agreed the Torciano experience wasspecial because of Pierluigi. He was theowner, he has lived the story and was pas-sionate to share his wines and make each ofus feel special. He was part educator, partentertainer, part clown, but always humble,sincere and fun loving to ensure that hisguests were having a good time. Afterwards,we all agreed that no one else in the familycould have delivered the type of wine tastingexperience as well as Pierluigi.

He was so successful in entertaining us thatonce we heard his final pitch, a buying fren-zy ensued. An important part of his market-ing strategy is that he has established hisown warehouse in Chicago, by-passing allwholesalers and retailers, selling direct tohis consumers. We could buy the winesand have them shipped directly to us fromhis warehouse with only $5 in shippingcharges. We didnt even have to leave theroom to willingly hand over our credit cardsto make our purchases and to receive his

brochure for a fu-ture purchase.

After we left Tor-ciano we all anon-ymously wrotedown how muchwe had just spent

at the winery and ittotally over $7,600,or almost $200 perperson for hisproducts. No otherfarm stop with agift store cameclose to theamount of moneywe spent at Tor-ciano.

We all agreed laterthat people dont

just want to buyour products (inthis case, thewine). They wantto feel good aboutsupporting thefarm, they want tohave a fun experi-ence, they want toknow we are pas-sionate aboutgrowing our foodand supporting ourfamilies. All the agritourism operators onthe motorcoach agreed that Pierluigi

was like a miracle drug, and if only wecould capture his essence and bottle itfor our farms. For many farms, we areoften satisfied with merely the revenuereceived from the tasting or the educa-tional experience, but Pierluigi has prov-en to us that education + entertainmentcreates the greater value.

Italy is truly a wonderful country to visitand I hope to share a few more articlesregarding our recent trip. Our group isbeginning to post pictures of our journeyon a Facebook page titled Agritourism, if

you would like see photographs andcomments from this trip.

Jane Eckert, a national speaker, author and

agritourism expert, is principal of Eckert AgriMar-

keting (www.eckertagrimarketing.com), a firm that

helps farmers sell products directly to consumers

and develop their operations into tourist destina-

tions. Up coming details of her second Italy tour on

March 3- 15, 2015 and France & Spain March 17

27, 2015 can be found on that website. Jane can

be reached by phone 314-862-6288 or at

[email protected]


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Fresh FactsPage 10

There are 3 ways to motivate people towork harder, faster and smarter:

1. Threaten them.2. Pay them lots of money.3. Make their work fun.

In today's workplace, threatening peoplehas not been effective. Paying them lots ofmoney (even if you can afford it) has onlyshown short-term success. Only numberthree, making their workplace enjoyable,has a track record of effecting real change.It is time managers learned how to createan atmosphere that is challenging, creativeand fun for employees as well as for them-

selves.

HOW FUN CAN BE PRODUCTIVEImagine a work world where people lovetheir work environment, and they are calm,stress-free and happy all day long. Peoplewho are in good spirits are more likely to beproductive. Their mental attitude producesincreased oxygen, endorphins, and bloodflow to the brain, which enables them tothink more clearly and creatively. They aremore relaxed, more accepting of others,and more likely to share their sense of hu-

mor.

Laughter creates a bond that brings otherstogether; people like to be with employeeswho are having fun. Creativity, intuition andflexibility are key to successful operationstoday. In stimulating environments, employ-ees enjoy their time at work and they willalso excel at work. Attracting customers iseasier in an environment of hospitality. Afun workplace is not only more productive,but it attracts people and profits.

A TEST: IS YOUR STAFF SUFFERINGFROM TERMINAL SERIOUSNESS?Scan your workplace and take note:Do you regularly catch people laughing orsmiling at work?YES NOWhen something funny happens do peoplestop and appreciate it?YES NODoes your organization have fun activitiesat least monthly?

YES NODo you have tools (fun giveaways, draws) toinvite employees to participate in having funin your environment?YES NO

Are managers usually optimistic and smilingat work?YES NO

If you answer no to two or more of thesequestions, your staff probably suffers fromterminal seriousness, which is negativelyaffecting morale and productivity.Humor also levels the playing field to createan atmosphere that encourages honest dia-logue, open communication, and increased

risk-taking. Creating more equality in poweror control shows people respect each otherand builds pride in their work.

Help people belong to your businesses andnot just work there by giving them a way tosolidify and build rapport.

TEN IDEAS FOR CREATING A FUNWORKPLACE:

1. Give up the notion that profession-alism means being serious all thetime.

Its possible to take yourself lightly and stillbe competent and productive. Start to pro-mote the benefits (health, productivity, inspi-ration, etc) of humor in the workplace.

2. Define what fun is in your work-place and what it is not.(For example, harmful humor, off-color jokes,sexual humor, humor tarnishing the organi-zation - not funny.)

3. Add fun to meetings.Bring in fun things such as Nerf balls, a bas-

ketball and hoop, or party blowers. Start ameeting with a humorous story or joke. Invitea funny motivational speaker to pump peopleup.

4. Collect and share your favorite car-toons and jokes.Create a Joke Board or a Humor in theWorkplace newsletter. Send a Joke-of-the-Day email at lunchtime. Look for tools to

Creating a Fun Workplace..10 Ways to have fun at work!Modified from an article originally written by Jody Urqhart


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Newsletter #298 Page 11

disseminate fun and funny thingsdaily.

5. Let cus tomers know you area fun company.Do something just for fun (organize

fun customer events, dress for fun,share funny things with customers)and give employees tools to inspire afun relationship with customers(stickers, candy for children, dog bis-cuits for dogs, humorous buttonswith the company logo). These activ-ities make work more fun for employ-ees and strengthen the relationshipwith customers. Dick Snow of Benand Jerrys Ice Cream says, Webelieve that were in the entertain-ment business and selling ice cream

is just a part of what we do. In ourstores the counter is our stage andthe customers are our audience. Soundslike a good motivational speaker. Disney-land has the same kind of approach: Dis-ney employees are part of an entertain-ment experience, and they arent just do-ing a job. They are "auditioned" for a job.Humor in the workplace begins with lettingpeople in on your secret.

6. Respond to fun when it happens.Funny things occur all the time, but if you

are obsessed with left-brain analyticalthought, you might find it hard to stop andrespond. Natural spontaneous humor is ablessing! Stop and take a moment to giveemployees and customers an opportunityto see the fun in the event. As a humorousmotivational speaker the best speakingmoments are the unexpected playful hu-mor that naturally erupt.

7. Commit to being fun and it w illchange your approach to work.Start slowly with a few activities and com-

municate your desire to create a morerelaxed workplace. Dont expect things toturn around overnight.

8. Put fun things and activities inthe staff/break room.This allows people to take their mind off ofthe seriousness of work for a short period,so they come back to work more re-freshed, with a more positive and bal-anced perspective.

9. Encourage staff to leave work be-hind at the end of the day.Employees shouldnt be so consumed withwork that it affects their family life and lei-sure activities. Find fun ways for employeesto unload at the end of the day or week.Encourage employees to create a ritual likewriting a to do list at the end of theday and posting it on the board. By doingthis, you commit to not thinking about thethings on the list until the next day - and, as

an added benefit, the next day will start offmore smoothly if it's preplanned.

10. Encourage employees to developtheir own style of having fun.

A nurse anesthetist at a hospital in Michi-gan often sings to his patients to help themrelax prior to surgery. Patients have appre-ciated this so much that they have told fami-ly and friends about the experience. It is notuncommon now for the hospital staff to getrequests for The Singing Anesthesiologistwhen they are scheduling their surgery.

Remember that employees create fun in theworkplace, not managers. Its a managersjob to orchestrate fun activities (and not getin the way of them) - to provide an environ-ment that welcomes humor.

Looking for keynote speaker ideas? Jody Ur-quhart is a humorous motivational speaker whohelps professionals create meaningful and funwork environments. For more information call(877) 750-1900 or see the website atwww.idoinspire.com

A giggle goes a long way in creating a comfortable, productive environment.


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Upcoming EventsAug. 10-13 Toronto Gift Show, Toronto International Centre & Toronto Congress

Centre, for additional info visit www.cgta.org

Sept. 9-11 Canadas Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ONVisit www.outdoorfarmshow.com for more information

Oct. 8-9 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre,Niagara Falls, ON Visit CanadianGreenhouseConference.com for

additional information

Nov. 3-5 OFFMAs Bus tour to Simcoe County...save the date, additional info tofollow.

2014 2015 ADVANCED FARM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LOCATIONS ANNOUNCEDThe Advanced Farm Management Program is designed for Ontario farm business owners

and managers who want to improve their management skills as well as the performance

and sustainability of their business. Farmers who have completed the Growing Your Farm

Profits (GYFP) program, or those who have accumulated management experience are en-

couraged to enroll. The program consists of five one-day sessions held in five Ontario loca-

tions over a four month period.

The program will be held in:

Ridgetown (Start date Nov.26)

London (Start date Nov. 27)

Orangeville (Start date Nov. 26)

Ancaster (Start date Nov. 27)

Winchester ((Start date Dec. 4)

Page 12 Fresh Facts

Ontario Farm Fresh

Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director

2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9

Phone: 905-841-9278

Fax: 905-726-3369

E-mail: [email protected]

www.ontariofarmfresh.com

2014 15 OFFMA Board of DirectorsBrian Hugli, President

Huglis Blueberry Ranch

Leslie Forsythe, Vice President

Forsythe Family Farms

Jesse Lauzon, Past President

Springridge Farm

Hollis English, Murphys FarmsteadCara Epp, Associate Member

Edana Integrated Marketing

Nicole Judge, Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

Steve Martin, Martins Family Fruit Farm

Colleen Pingle, Pingles Farm Market

Steve Smith, Smiths Apples

Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms

Jessica Kelly, OMAF and MRA Advisor

OpportunitiesPhotographer looking for subjectsAphotographer,RonNovolker,hasbeentakingpicturefordecadesasahobbyandapproachedOFFMAbecausehewouldliketocapturetheOntariofarmerslifeandfarmsinphotos.Hehasaskedifthereareanyfarmerswhowouldallowhimtophotographtheirfarms.HeisespeciallylookingforfarmsinEasternOntario.Inexchangeyouwouldhaverightstoallthepictureshetook.Intodaysdigitalworld,picturesareusedeverywheretodepictbusinessesandcountrysides.LettheOFF-MAofficeknowifyouareinterestedinthisopportunity.Delicious Food Show October 17-19 2014TheDeliciousFoodShowisa3dayfood-loverseventdesignedtoengagetheconsumerinadelicious,allfood,lifestyleandentertainingexperiencefeaturinghundredsofexhibitors,cookingdemos,tastings,hands-onworkshops,booksign-ings,andappearancesbyFoodNetworkandinternationalcelebritychefs.NewthisyeartherewillbeanareacalledLOVEON,dedicatedtofeaturingthebestOntariohastooffer.OFFMAisexploringtheopportunityofparticipatinginthisshow.WewouldliketosharetheboothwithOFFMAmembers.Contacttheofficeifyouwouldliketoshowcaseyourproductatthisevent.Merchandising to the MaxTimeslotshavebeenallocatedbutwearetakingawaitinglist.ConsultationswillbeinSeptember.RefertotheMay-JuneissueoftheFRESHFACTSnewsletterfordetails.

Participants who register by Sept. 30, 2014are eligible to receive a $150 discount onthe $1,950 tuition fee. Visitwww.advancedfarmmanagement.ca for moreinformation and to register

fresh facts - july/august 2014

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