Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Newsletter #303 March 2015 Volume 31, Number 2

Fresh Facts

Inside this issue:

Membership News 2 Talking about Generations

4

Produce Display Signs

5

OFFMA Award Winners

6

Stratford Tour 8

Musical Ambi-ence

10

Webinar Report 11

Upcoming Events

12

Presidents Message Seasons come and seasons go. Throughout my life-time, the seasons have taken on many boundaries. It took me years after graduating to stop thinking of the year as Sept to June. That progressed to the tax sea-son -Jan to Dec. then with incorporation -April to March. Now my season begins at the OFVG conference. I can have a fresh start to the year incorporating the many ideas and information presented to guide us in our future decision making. I find continuous learning not only keeps life interesting but helps with stress reduction, and

improves my capability to solve problems at hand. This conference is also an opportunity for us to catch up with old friends, make new ones and share past experiences and knowledge. Connections are made and reinforced. Networking helps reduce the isolation I sometimes feel being on the farm solving the day to day problems. Its finding out that maybe my problems arent so unique after all. At our banquet we celebrated excellence, presenting awards for - Farm Market of the Year, Innovation and Leadership along with recognizing those in the broader community who champion local Ontario grown food with our Food Am-bassador award. Congratulations go out to Whittys Farm Market, VG Meats, Bill and Dianne Parks of Parks Blueberries and Chef Lyn Crawford. Thanks goes to Cathy for all her hard work in organizing both the banquet and summit. We have been blessed to have a membership that is sharing, caring and strong. I feel honoured to be your new president and look forward to connecting with you over the season at the number of workshops and tours that are being planned. Currently Im staying warm in the house, nurturing a newborn lamb that almost didnt make it. May your new season coming be full of life and happiness. Leslie Forsythe New OFFMA President

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Page 2 Fresh Facts

Classifieds FOR SALE: Delhaven Orchards Ltd., Blenheim, ON Frozen, pitted sour cherries available for wholesale and retail Call 519-676-4475 or e-mail delhaven@ciaccess.com WANTED: Bulk Frozen Berries Looking for a good supply of fro-zen Ontario raspberries, blueber-ries and blackberries. Contact Heather Fraser, heather@harvestgoodies.com, 905-783-7383 WANTED: Cardboard Bins Looking to purchase used/new cardboard bins. Call Sharon at 519-647-2415 or cell 905-379-6769, shearlea.acres@sympatico.ca WANTED: Market Manager for Nathan Phil-lips Square Farmers Market. The market takes place on Wednesdays from the beginning of June to the middle of October. Details are on the OFFMA web-site or contact the office for fur-ther information. Classifieds are free for members. Send your information to the OFFMA office and it will be included in the next news-letter.

Congratulations Josmar Acres from Lynden, ON for being named Farm Family of the Year by the Hamilton-Wentworth Celebration of Rural Excellence Organizing Committee. Great news for the deBlieck Family and wonderful recognition for all their hard work. Saunders Farm from Munster, ON for be-ing awarded the Peoples Choice Business Awards for the Tourism Business of the Year 2015. Mark and Angela were super excited to receive this award in recogni-tion of the amazing business they have built.

Consumer E-newsletter Edana Marketing and Communications assists OFFMA by producing and dis-tributing e-newsletters to consumers. The next one is scheduled to go out just before Easter. If you have an event, product or activi-ty you would like to promote, let the OFFMA office know and we will try and include it in the e-newsletter.

Final Goodbye On February 14th, Vicky Staites happy, bright light was turned off forever. Vicky and her husband, John own Staites Honey. They sold their product wholesale to many OFF-MA members and attended the Metro Hall Farmers Market since 2007. Vicky had a positive, infectious personality that will be missed by all who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with John and their children; Jonathan and Marian.

Annual Membership Fees are Now Overdue Thank you to everyone who has sent in their membership fees for 2015. OFFMA is only as strong as its members and the participation of those members. If you have not sent in your dues, please do so before the end of the month. You dont want to miss out on all that is going on.

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New Memberswelcome to the OFFMA Fami-ly. The best way to get the most out of your mem-bership is to participate in events and get to know other members. We all look forward to meeting you in person SOON! John Hotchkiss Riverbend Farms Aylmer, ON 519-765-2130 Riverbend Farms grows a great line up of vegeta-bles and fruit, almost everything you are looking for. They also grow microgreens as well as pro-ducing honey, eggs, and flowers. Kyle Oakley Goldsmiths Orchard Market Thornbury, ON 519-599-3246 www.goldsmithsmarket.com Goldsmiths Orchard Market is a farm market spe-cializing in produce they grow themselves. They also have a popular bakery specializing in pies made onsite daily and featuring their famous Thornberry pie. Whether you need fruits or vege-tables or flowers or ice cream - they've got it! Janis-Smith Harris & Mark Harris Harris Flower Farm St. Thomas, ON 519-668-9537 www.harrisflowerfarmpasturedpork.weebly.com Harris Flower Farm grows seasonal cut flowers and creates beautiful bouquets for the eco-

conscious bride or event planner. They grow 20 varieties of sunflowers. They also raise pastured pigs and sell pork sausages and bacon at Horton Farmers Market. Phil & Kathy Moddle Arrowwood Farm Melbourne, ON 519-2890389 www.arrowwoodfarmontario.com Arrowwood Farm features 50 acres of beautiful woods and scenic gardens which are great for photography, pick-your-own or ready-picked high-bush blueberries, and a timber frame building (The Harvest Table) which is perfect for special events such as weddings. Associate Members HUB International Ontario Ltd. Matthew Fleet Oakville, ON 905-582-7072 www.hubinternational.com HUB International prides itself in being the leading sales and service organization in the insurance. They are the largest middle-market broker in Can-ada, the 10th largest broker in North America. Carl Fletcher St. Thomas, ON 519-633-1902 Carl is a friend of Ontario Farm Fresh and former OMAFRA Advisor to the OFFMA Board.

Some of our youngest workshop attendees during the pre-convention workshop with John Stanley. From left to right is Anna Boekestyn with Ezra (Nokara Farms), Kelty McKay with Ian (Willowtree Farm) and Hollis English with Meyer (Murphys Farm & Bakery) They ranged in age from 1 month to 4 months. The future looks bright.

Page 4 Fresh Facts

John Stanley shared the strategies for marketing to different generations at the pre-convention workshop on Feb-ruary 17th. Another important per-spective was shared at the North American Farm Direct Marketing As-sociation (NAFDMA) convention in early February by Dr. Alex White of Virginia Tech how best to work with a multi-generational team. Some highlights from his presentation follows: From the Silents (1927-1945), who grew up in a conformist era of self-sacrifice and discipline, to the Baby Boomer (1946-1964) me generation and the latch-key Gen Xers (1965-1980), it is valuable to consider the changing environments in which dif-ferent generations were raised. Mil-lennials (1980-2000), now entering the workforce or in the early stages of their careers, were raised during good economic times with an explosion of technology and a nurturing, everyone gets a star society. While avoiding stereotypes, environ-ment can be an interesting place to start when trying to understand inter-generational dynamics in the work-

place. One must also remember that people change with time, expe-rience, personal situa-tions, difficult times and successes. Tips for Mentoring Gen X & Millennials Gen Xers tend to appre-ciate hands-on, inde-pendent training, flexible schedules, feedback, and a casual, fun work environment. When mentoring Gen Xers, tell them your desired out-

comes or expectations, but not how to do it. In contrast to Boomers, Gen Xers tend to be quick to make up their mind and act upon it. Millennials tend to appreciate a struc-tured work environment, positive rein-forcement, and interactive relationships (less formal supervisor-employee rela-tionships). When mentoring Millennials, clearly state your expectations for quali-ty and the best management practices for meeting end goals. Millennials may need extra support to set goals, dead-lines, and create to-do lists. Consider training in groups that engages multiple senses and include formal or informal mentorship. Tips for Working with Silents & Boom-ers When working with Silents & Boomers, remember that they often value tradition and authority and they are more con-cerned with results than work environ-ment. They tend to get more conserva-tive as they age, but this is true of all generations! When communicating with them, be sure to put your technolo-gy away and look them in the eye. Si-lents & Boomers often appreciate more formality in a business setting and can be put off by unfounded opinions, so make sure you have the facts ready. Try to keep an open mind about how others might view a situation. Realize that generational differences are a good thing for our businesses and consider these ideas for getting the most from each generation Boomers: Express appreciation for their dedication, hard work, and long hours. Xers: Be clear about the desired results and the rewards for good performance. Millennials: Communicate the impact/contribution that they are making to the overall team.

Talking About Generations By Jessica Kelly, Direct Market Lead, OMAFRA

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Four easy-to-follow rules for produce display signs By Louise Agius, Risk Management Specialist, OMAFRA Ontario food is nutritious and tastes great! With local food in increasing demand, how can you help consumers distinguish local from imported? Its simple! Comply with retail display sign regulations and your products origins will be clear. Section 24 of O. Reg. 119/11 applies to produce grown or harvested in Canada and offered for sale in Ontario. The regulation outlines what is required on your retail display signage. First, the province or country of origin is mandatory, written as either: Product of Produce of Grown in Province of, or Country of Phrases such as Locally Grown can be added provided the information is not misleading to consumers, but they cannot replace the province or country of origin. Second, your retail display signs should be legible with word size in proportion to the signs dimensions. Third, if produce is sold by weight, include the price/metric unit. Lastly, for peppers, the words hot or sweet are required so your customers know the difference! Complying with O. Reg. 119/11(24) helps your customers make informed pur-chase choices. Compliant signage also improves your transparency as a ven-dor, which in turn strengthens customer trust. The components of O. Reg. 119/11, s. 24 are required by law on all retail signage. So, ensure your signs in-clude all of the above information to avoid any fines. This spring, watch for new, easy-to-use online retail sign templates to help you meet these requirements. They will be available at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website at www.omafra.gov.on.ca. More information can be found in the Advertising and Retail Display Signs for Produce in Ontario Infosheet on the Foods of Plant Origin website at www.ontario.ca/producesafety.

Looking at New Ways to Source Funds for your Farm Jennifer Stevenson, the Business Finance Lead at OMAFRA did a won-derful job outlining some of the alternate sources of financing that are available. If you would like a copy of her presentation contact the OFFMA office. If you would like to get more pointers on a crowd funding cam-paign you are putting together, you can contact Jennifer directly at Jennifer.Stevenson@ontario.ca

Page 6 Fresh Facts

2015 OFFMA Award Winners

This years Leadership Award went to Bill and Diane Parks. The Parks have been members of OFFMA since 1987. The have been leaders and innovators in the blueberry industry as well as the direct farm marketing industry. Diane is always ready to share an experience and learning that she felt would benefit other OFFMA members. Bill gave us a wonderful recap of how their business started and some of the challenges and successes they faced along the way. They have sold their business to their son Bruce and he is now running it with his wife Hope. Bill and Diane were honoured to be presented the award.

If you have been anywhere in the Niagara Region, you will have noticed some of the things that Whitty Farms has been doing. Starting with an on-farm market where they sold their gorgeous tender fruit crop, they have expanded into a winery and bakery that is second to none. They have stayed true to the core values of quality, sustaina-bility and innovation. They have partnered with many groups to bring unique events to their farm like the Field to Table dinner and the annual Hand Made Market. This not only allows them to give back to the com-munity but also raise awareness of their own business. The 2015 Outstanding Farm Market Award could not have found a better home.

In all that we do, we strive for harmony, balance and sustaina-bility. Come share and experience our vision of a Full Expres-sion of the Land .Whitty Farms

Bill and Diane Parks graciously accept the Leadership Award from last years recipient, Amy Strom

Brian Hugli presents the Outstanding Farm Market Award to Karen and Doug Whitty

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VG Meats have been doing creatively outrageous things since they decided a few years ago that all four brothers wanted to be involved with the family business. They have honed and fo-cused on each of their strengths to expand and create a sustainable oper-ation. At the banquet they were recog-nized for their method of raising and butchering beef cattle to create steaks that were as smooth as butter. They have also developed a scale and a technique to rate each steak they offer for sale. They guarantee that you will have a tender steak every time you buy it from VG Meats. For their efforts they were awarded the Food Innova-tion Award which is sponsored by Foodland Ontario.

OFFMA also recognized Chef Lynn Crawford with the Ontario Farm Fresh Ambassador Award. Chef Lynn has made a life in the world of food as executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel and opening her own restaurant Ruby Watchco in 2010. If that is not enough, she also stars in an incredibly popular series Pitchin In on Food Network Canada and has written two best-selling cookbooks. Through her journey she passionately talks about freshness and sup-porting the farmers and growers who make her recipes possible. For all she has done and con-tinues to do, we thank you, Lynn Crawford.

A gracious THANK YOU to our sponsors for the evening. Their continued sup-port helps to make these kind of events possible. Thank you for believing in our industry and for celebrating the best of the best with us.

Silent Auction Results And if all these awards werent exciting enough, we also had a Silent Auction with some fabu-lous donations up for bid. We were able to raise $1144 for the OFFMA Family Fund with your generous support. Thank you to the donors and the win-ning bidders.

Denise Zaborowski from Foodland is sur-rounded by Chad Van Groningen and Sherri Griffen from VG Meats

impressed with their passion for what they do, their com-mitment to quality ingredients and local ingredients where possible. We were also treated to some very tasty chocolate samples. Kristene heads up the retail store and ensuring every customer en-joys their Rho Thompson Candies experience. Lunch was a very special treat as it was handled by the well-known Stratford Chef School in a unique hard-to-find but popular word-of-mouth Bijou Restaurant. All the words associated with great food, gour-mand, culinary, cuisine, apply to the dining experience we all enjoyed. Our tour would not have been complete if we hadnt visited with Ruth Klahsen and Monforte Dairy. Ruth is a real dynamo and entrepreneurial risk taker of the highest order. She started and operates one of Ontarios premier arti-sanal cheese companies that works with four milk streams: sheep, goat, cow and water buffalo resulting in a tremendous range of extraordinary cheeses. As well as the dairy, she has opened a restaurant in downtown Stratford called Monforte which bills itself as an osteria featuring its won-derful cheeses in its meals. In addition, Ruth has bought a farm that she calls Mon-forte Home Farm which offers a secure al-ternative to owning land as a new farmer. In partnership with Monforte Dairy, there are opportunities for five farmers for market gardens, herbs, flowers, poultry, with long-term opportunities in beekeeping, fruit and nut trees. It was great to hear from some-one who knows what she wants and just goes out and does it. We made the last stop of the day the Strat-ford Antique Warehouse to allow for brows-ing time. With 22,000 square feet of furni-ture, depression glass, silver, crocks, china,

Page 8 Fresh Facts

The 2015 Stratford Bus Tour wasnt the typical Foodie Tour of the last cou-ple of years of visiting high end food markets. It was more of a marketing tour looking at different kinds of busi-nesses that are in Stratford that bene-

fit from being located in a high profile tourist destination of the Shakespeare Festival. We visited The Best Little Pork Shoppe in Shakespeare which is in a hamlet just east of Stratford. There we met with owner Bruce Wettlaufer who bought the business from the Knechtels who still own the farm. Based on this unique relationship, Bruce has built the business with the original pork sausage reci-pe that keeps local people and tourists com-ing back. He has expanded the business into other areas such as the bakery and a gift shop. Our next stop was Rho Thompson Candies where we were warmly greeted by owner Kristene Steed who is incidentally the sister of Suzanne Steed of Steed & Company Lav-ender (OFFMA member). If you love chocolate, this is your nirvana. You become intoxicated with the aroma of chocolate when you first step in the door. You get the full impact because the produc-tion area and the retail area are under the same roof. Everyone was impressed with cherry wood showcases, seasonal display tables, creative packaging, and especially

Such Stuff Dreams Are Made On: Stratford Tour By Gary Johnson, OFFMA Membership Coordinator

The displays at Rheo Thompson Candies were colourful, enticing, and hard to resist. Exactly what you want to have in your own on-farm market.

A mascot at Monforte Dairy where they make sheep milk cheese among others.

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pressed glass, lamps, primitives, books, art, hardware, dolls and toys, nostalgia, memorabilia, tools, jewelry, records and so on, there was a lot to look at. They have 120 vendors who rent their space and pay a commission to the warehouse on anything sold. If you are looking for props to display at your farm store, this is place you have to pay a visit. Colleen McKay summed up the Stratford Bus Tour very nicely when she said: For me, it seems it is not as important where the trip is and what stops we make, as it is just really great to get out with fellow OFF-MA members and relight the flame to get ready for our next season. On our farm, after finishing the season on Halloween, you unwind a little, then its Christmas, and we need something to help get us excited about getting ready for our next season, and I have found that the January mini-bus tour does that, so that when the Fruit and veg convention comes around, I am fired up and ready to learn! Shake-speare couldnt have said it any better.

The Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholar-ship Trust is accepting applications for their 2016 program. Three scholarships of $15,000 each are available for 2016. Nuffield Farming Scholarships are award-ed to enthusiastic individuals, with a pas-sion for agriculture and a desire to expand their knowledge, pursue new ideas and to share their findings with others. Appli-cants should be in mid-career, be between the ages of 25 and 45 (recommended on-ly) and must have a minimum of five years agricultural business or farming experi-ence plus the management ability to step away from their current duties. The Schol-ar must travel for a minimum of ten weeks, with a leg of at least six consecu-tive weeks. Applications are due by April 30, 2015 and forms can be downloaded from the Nuffield Canada website at http://www.nuffield.ca.

Fresh Facts Page 10

Theres Nothing Like a Musical Ambience, But is it Free?

Has your on-Farm Market been using music for your business? You should know that you should be paying licens-ing fees to either SOCAN or RE:Sound or both. They are copyright collectives that represent different legal rights and interests. They both operate in accord-ance with tariffs certified by the Copy-right Board of Canada. When a busi-ness uses music, it is adding value to its business through the use of the work of music creators and publishers. The per-son(s) who com-posed, wrote, and published the song are entitled to be compensated for the time, effort, and money they put into the creation of that work. A licence gives you the freedom and flexibility to use virtu-ally any music you want for your busi-ness or public event - legally, ethically, and easily. Without SOCAN and RE:Sound, you would have to get per-mission and negotiate a royalty with every songwriter, lyricist, and music publisher whose work you intend to play (publicly perform) a feat that most of us have neither the time nor the means to achieve. Instead, they make this process simple by allowing users to pay a relatively small fee, of-ten once a year.

By law, permission to publicly perform music in your business is not automat-ically granted when you purchase CDs, mp3s, or subscribe to online music services, etc. doing this only allows you to use the music for private (non-commercial) purposes. Similarly, when you hire musicians to play music in your establishment or at a public event, the fees paid to them are for

their performance, not to compensate the authors and pub-lishers of the songs they perform. Even when performers play their own songs, they are entitled to sepa-rate compensation for those different efforts. Recently, theres been some discus-sion about the use of music and the rights

to music in our on-farm markets on the OFFMAs Members Only Facebook Page. Join in and learn the answers to a lot of questions and share the expe-riences of your colleagues. If you are not a part of this Facebook Group, simply search for Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (full name) and ask to join. For more information, and to under-stand which tariff applies to your busi-ness, go to www.socan.ca and www.resound.ca

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Resolve to save time and money in 2015 with the UPS Members Benefit Program for Ontario Farm Fresh members. With this program, you can ship from the comfort of your of-fice or home simply process your shipping label online, stick it on your document or pack-age and schedule a pickup from a UPS driver. Automatic Daily Pickup and UPS On-Call Pickup are FREE. Best of all, you can save 30% on outgoing shipments and more. Visit www.membersbenefitprogram.com/OFFMA or call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), M-F, 8 a.m. 6 p.m. to start saving today.

Newsletter #303 Page 11

OFFMAs First Webinar The first week of March saw the launch of OFFMAs First Webinar: Setting the Stage for Your Success in 2015 with Leslie Groves. The webinar was about discovering how simple changes can have a huge impact on your business. Learning from mer-chandising expert, Leslie Groves, how to maximize your sales space to give you the return you need to build your future. She took us step by step through topics such as marketing, merchandising and of course traffic flow to help us prepare for your biggest season yet. Several members watched the webinar with their staff and then discussed how they could apply some of the infor-mation they gathered to their own busi-nesses. If you missed out, you can find the webi-nar on the OFFMA YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlAMMQ36VT0&feature=em-upload_owner Pull up a chair and have a look, share with your staff and watch where their creativity takes them. OFFMA also worked with Leslie last year on a project where she visited on-farm markets and helped them develop a plan to create more visually appealing mer-chandising for their market. The feed

back from the dozen members that she visited was very positive. OFFMA will be offering that opportunity again this year. These are the dates that are available to book Leslie for a visit:

June 8-11, August 14-17,

Sept 14-17 We only have a limited number of con-sultations available, so please contact the office SOON if you are interested in working with Leslie. The cost is $200 for a half day consultation and follow up report with Leslie. Here is what some of the member who worked with her last year said. We had a busy season and did imple-ment some changes plus thought of others. We also kept the store open until Dec 21 and sold apples as well as cider, honey and Christmas cook-ies, fruitcakes and gift baskets. It went quite well - surpassing our ex-pectations for the first post-harvest attempt! We quite enjoyed your visit and I was especially pleased that you focused on the whole farm and not just the market.

Retiring Board Members At the Annual General Meeting in Niagara Falls, we lost two dedicated Board Members who had completed their second three term on the Board. They both joined the OFFMA Board in 2009. Steve Smith has contributed significantly in his thoughtful, knowledgeable way. His true colour is Green and that is reflected in everything that he does. Colleen Pingle is one of the originals, she brought lots of energy and ideas to the table. The Board is also losing Jesse Lauzon. Since the president finished his term, Jes-se was bumped off. Jesse has been one of the most dedicated members any or-ganization could ask for. He readily accepted any challenge and spent time dis-cussing issues to find a creative solution. As president, he always had the best interest of the members at heart and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Direct Farm Marketing Industry. Thank you to each of you for your support and commitment. All Board positions are voluntary so members are providing their time and expertise for free. As an industry we are all appreciative of your time and energy.

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Ontario Farm Fresh Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director 2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9 Phone: 905-841-9278 Fax: 905-726-3369 E-mail: info@ontariofarmfresh.com www.ontariofarmfresh.com

2015-16 OFFMA Board of Directors Leslie Forsythe, President Forsythe Family Farms Nicole Judge, Vice President Spirit Tree Estate Cidery Brian Hugli, Past President Huglis Blueberry Ranch Kristin Ego MacPhail, Ego Nurseries Ltd. Hollis English, Murphys Farm Market & Bakery Cara Epp, Associate Member Edana Integrated Marketing Steve Martin, Martins Family Fruit Farm Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms Karen Whitty, Whitty Farms Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA Advisor

Upcoming Events March 13-22 Canada Blooms, Direct Energy Centre, for more info go to CanadaBlooms.com March 23 & 24 New Vision Workshop with John Stanley, GTA location details will be on the OFFMA website shortly. Limited to 15 businesses. November Bus Tour to British Columbia Stay Tuned for various Farm to Fork and Webinar offerings

Member Marketplace Ontario Productsfarm to farm The Member Marketplace is up and running. It is a wholesale database for OFFMA members to list and buy products by other OFFMA mem-bers. If you are wholesaling Ontario products, let the OFFMA office know and we can add your information to the database. If you are looking for unique products to carry in your on-farm market, the Member Marketplace is the place to look. The database is searchable and easy to use. A great place to start your discovery of quality Ontario products.