Retail Farm Market SchoolJohn Berry
Ag Marketing EducatorPenn State Extension
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2010-49200-06201.
Introduction
• Pennsylvania ranked #3 nationally for dollar value of direct-to-consumer farm sales
• At least 4,200 retail farm marketers
• 5 member statewide Team
• 50% of my time
Limitations• Only the Education Professionals I tried to
reach
• Available time
• Transferring the “heavy” produce focus to other farm retail products
• Cost of local School– perceived value of School
Methodology• Traditional Extension education
• Tell me, Show me, Let me do it
• Advisory groups
• Tested, and modified
Literature Review• Penn State Extension
• Ag Marketing Resource Center
• Cornell Small Farms Program
• County / Regional / Campus
• Associations
• Farm Bureaus
What this project did . . . .
• Worked through network of retail farm marketer advisory groups and industry leaders for needs assessment
What this project did . . . .
• Developed a curriculum based on farm and grocery retail marketing principles
What this project did . . . .
• Tested the curriculum and modified as evaluations, comments and advisors suggested
What this project did . . . .
• Submitted a project pre-proposal, and full proposal that did get funding
What this project did . . . .
• Offered curriculum and subject matter training to colleagues across some of the northeast and mid Atlantic states
– Retail Farm Market School– Adult Education– Food Retail Trends
What this project did . . . .
• Delivered (and will be delivering) local programming directly, and through partners
What this project did(and is doing) . . .
• Partner support
• Evaluating experiences– Trainers– Farm Retail Marketers
Material sample
Material sample (continued)
Material sample (continued)
Evaluations to date
• Train-the-Trainer
• Pre / Post School
• “review” results
• Anecdotal
Do you expect to conduct aRetail Farm Market School?
58%
8%
33%
yes no I don't know
Pre / Post School
• Pre:What do you want to get out of the day?
• Post:What did you get out of the day?
“review”
• 92% returned
“review”
• 92% returned
Conclusion• There is a need for education as described by
retail farm marketers
• These project materials (and others) begin to address this need
• Innovator & Early Adopter level materials are the most lacking
• There seems to be a continuing demand for education, support and service to this growing segment of U.S. agriculture
Retail Farm Market SchoolJohn Berry
Ag Marketing EducatorPenn State Extension