Workshop to provide guidelines for farmers' markets
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Five workshops scheduled across the state will provide an overview of marketing ideas, food handling regulations and insurance issues for farmers' market vendors and market masters, organizers and managers.Farmers' markets are expanding nationwide, providing local farmers an outlet to sell a range of products, such as produce, freezer beef and flowers.
"With 74 USDA registered farmers' markets in the state, we are expecting a positive turnout," said Jennifer Dennis, workshop coordinator and an assistant professor of horticulture and landscape architecture as well as agricultural economics at Purdue University.
These one-day workshops, beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding at 3 p.m., will offer farmers' market participants a chance to voice their opinions and get ideas for handling certain issues during a roundtable discussion. Breakout sessions will focus on marketing issues like helping market masters reach the public and vendors and helping market vendors with product pricing and displays.
"We want farmers' market vendors and market masters to be on the same page regarding the Indiana State Department of Health guidelines and insurance rules and regulations," Dennis said.
Representatives from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and the Indiana Board of Health, along with local health officials, will be available to answer questions.
The workshop registration form is online at the Department of Agricultural Economics' Web site. Registration is $20, and lunch and snacks will be provided.
Workshop dates and locations are as follows:
• April 8 — Dubois County Fairgrounds in Huntingburg.
• April 22 — Sherman House in Batesville.
• May 19 — Purdue Extension Office of Hamilton County in Noblesville.
• June 15 — Elkhart County Amish Acres in Nappanee.
• June 16 — Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah.
Registration deadlines are one week prior to the workshop date.
The workshops are sponsored by the Indiana Cooperative Development Center, Purdue Small Farms Team, New Ventures and the Department of Agricultural Economics.
For additional information, contact Dennis at jhdennis@purdue.edu, (765) 494-9812.
Writer: Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu
Source: Jennifer Dennis, (765) 494-9812, jhdennis@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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