Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

Fresh Facts
Newsletter #278
May/June 2012
Volume 27, Number 5

Presidents Message
I will never forget the first time I received a letter of complaint addressed to me personally. It came by registered mail and required a signature in order to be delivered. Thats how I knew that the letters author meant business. I still have the letter in the top drawer of my desk, though Ive not opened it since I first read it. Its been there for about twelve years and I dont really know why Ive kept it. As any retailer can tell you, a letter that begins with Dear Manager or To the Owner is always greeted with a bit of trepidation. When one of your products is customer service, sometimes mistakes and misunderstandings can occur. The truth is that every retail business gets a complaint every once in a while the trick is understanding how to fix the problem and how to find the suggestions that can help us grow. Here at the farm, we like to think that were in the business of making people happy. We celebrate the seasons, the holidays, birthdays, school trips, great food, and good family fun. We like to think that we work hard to make people happy. Thats why we listen carefully when someone takes the time to tell us of something we can do to improve. We want to hear if someone thinks our service was off. I really want to know if something doesnt taste right, or a product doesnt deliver on quality. Thats important information. This farm has grown and changed over the years mainly by listening to what our visitors are asking for. If someone takes the time to make a suggestion or a correction, we try extra hard to listen and deliver. Now, to be clear, listening is hard work. Weve all received at least one complaint over the years that seems like it was delivered straight from Crazyville, Ontario. Those are just plain funny and to the people who write those wacky letters I say thank you for the entertainment. Amy Strom used to say that if we all kept those kinds of letters we could put together a really funny book and I know shes right. But not all complaints are funny. Sometimes theyre mean. And so often a comment or complaint is informed by something entirely other than you or your business. One of the unique aspects of onfarm markets is that that the farm is normally also someones home a dynamic that makes some complaints especially personal. But as a very wise person once told me, you arent your work, so you cant take it too personally. I think Ive kept my twelve year old letter to remind me to think things through to remember that theres more than one way to see a situation, and that part of my job is to see things from both sides. Things have changed a lot in twelve years. If someone wanted to contact us twelve years ago, there was no Facebook, no Twitter, and we didnt do email. There were no online forums or Google reviews. Now, there are any number of ways for a customer to give you their suggestions about your business. The real question is this: Are you listening?

Inside this issue:

Membership News Whats in a name? New Opinions from the Old Dominion Award Winners are Source for Inspiration and New Ideas 5 Considerations for Mobile Device Policy Upcoming Events Rhubarb Contacts

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Jesse Lauzon OFFMA President

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Fresh Facts

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
New Members Welcome aboard. Get involved. Hope to see you at the annual potluck! Laura McNally Cristan Farms, Oakville 905-844-6757 Bill French Lennox Farms (1988), Shelburne 519-925-6444 Robert & Lynda Taylor Oaklane Orchards, Clarksburg 519-599-5841 Don Foster Foster Farms, Midland 705-526-8194 Associate Member Steve Benner Filchem Inc., Newmarket 905-853-1363

Free brochure distribution

Once again this year, we will have a table set up at the Nathan Phillips Square Farmers Market at Toronto City Hall to distribute your brochures. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send 200 brochures to the OFFMA office. There is no charge for this benefit.

CLASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: 2 glass fronted bakery display cabinets. $600/pair. For information or photos please contact Tom at (905) 691-8423. FOR SALE: 22 - 3 in. x 30 ft., 154 in. x 20 ft. wide rain irrigation pipes, rovatti p.t.o. pump, bauer-rainboy travelling gun 400 ft. . package price $5000.00 phone Raes Farm 905-878-7708.

New productMapletons Organic Dairy Ice Cream Sandwiches

Double chocolate chip cookie sandwich with vanilla ice cream, gluten & nut free. Individually vacuum packed with label including nutritional values. 24 sandwiches per box. Available at wholesale prices. Contact Mapletons at 519-638-1115 or info@mapletonsorganic.ca for additional info.

Are you looking for innovative ideas to keep you ahead of the competition? If so, you need to be participating in Farm Retail Talks Facebook Page by John Stanley. A global perspective on local retailing dont miss out. Farmers Wanted for Unique Open-Air Market Opportunity
We are seeking vendors for a possible weekend farmers market in Downtown Oshawa. The Warren Mill Garage Market will utilize a multi-level parking garage in Downtown Oshawa. The parking garage is a covered facility making it a rain or shine market and removing the need for vendors to provide their own shelter. Multiple levels allows for a greater variety of vendors in a localized area as well as a unique shopping experience for visitors. If you are interested in this opportunity or want to learn more please email us at: warrenmillmarket@gmail.com

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Whats in a name?
By Suzanne Steed, Steed & Company

Whats in a name? Apparently, more than one would expect! Cathy asked me to share with you our experience of having a business name change forced upon us. We grow lavender and have a lavender shop just outside of the scenic village of Sparta. We are now going into our sixth season and have, already, in our 5th season had a name change. Prior to starting our business, we spent a lot of time testing names. Our first step was to do a name search when we registered our business. The search was clear and we proceeded with the registration of Lavender Blue as our business name. After a couple of years, our lawyer suggested that we try to trademark our name with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. After 18 months, we received a letter from the Intellectual Property Office stating there were no problems with our application and we were only waiting for the advertising period to close. The name would be posted for a period of time and any concerns could be brought forward. During this time we did receive a letter from a farm with the French version of our name. Apparently, since Canada is a bilingual country, when you trade mark in one official language, you automatically get the trademark in the other official language. After much discussion, our trademark lawyer advised that we change our name. We were devastated after all the branding we had done and all the labels and brochures we had already printed. It was not an easy decision but we could see that the lawyer was right.

We sat down with a branding consultant who told us this change was a gift because in her opinion, our original name was not memorable enough and therefore wasnt making a strong enough impression on our customers. She suggested that we think of a name that more reflects who we are. After much deliberation we finally settled on my last name. I was very apprehensive about this. However, it has been a very fortuitous choice, as my last name is Steed and 'steed' is the old English word for horse. The reason we initially moved to our farm was because we had horses and we grow English lavender. We now use a horse head with a lavender spike as its mane for our logo. It tells my story and we hope people will remember the lavender farm with the horses. During this process we also developed a tag line which has been very beneficial in promoting our product: Discover Indulge Escape. I was very concerned moving forward with a new name and what confusion that would create. A year and a half later it has not affected our business in a negative way and we have actually received a lot of positive feedback about the name and the logo. At our first event with the new name, I was very careful to remind our regular customers of the change. As I chatted with a customer, who had been into our shop many times, I informed her we had changed our name. She looked me straight in the eye and said 'Well, what was your name before?' What's in a name? Apparently, not much!

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Fresh Facts

New Opinions from the Old Dominion NAFDMA 2012 Convention Williamsburg, Virginia
By Leslie Forsythe, Forsythe Family Farms Inc., OFFMA Board Member We have been attending the North American Farm Direct Marketing Association conventions fairly regularly since 1990. It has come to be a time of renewing friendships with marketers from across Canada, the USA and in more recent years, England. This year we enjoyed staying in Williamsburg, the heart of the American Revolution and the original state capital of Virginia. The speaker sessions began with a call to be aware of the changing demographics of America. Kelly McDonald was the keynote speaker, her topic- How to Market to People Not Like You: Know it or Blow it Rules for Reaching Diverse Customers. (Her book of the same name is interesting and an easy read). A number of growers/marketers have been experiencing increased frustration in what their customers were doing when visiting their farms especially in pick your own, and needed to understand why as well as what they could do about it. Although American demographics are different from Canadas, the trends are similar. The Diversity Index which measures the probability that two people chosen at random would be of a different race and ethnicity is rising. Diversity is progressive and positive, especially when it is anticipated and prepared for. Some strategies to manage these changes include: 1. Be Relevant identify what people want and give it to them. 2. 3. 4. 5. Know your target- what do the different ethnic groups value. Be respectful, following through on customers expectations. Tap into their values and stay true to yours. Recognize different needs and meet them.

Change is constant, keep your heads up and be prepared.

Recognize that times are changing and be ready. Do you have a diverse staff who can communicate with your customers, signs in different languages or universal symbols, training for cultural sensitivity? Pay attention to the shifting demographics and values of your customers and the community around you. Another trend I have noticed at the convention is the gradual increase in speaker sessions on transition planning and exit strategies (oh, our aging population). On the flip side the next generation of farm marketers had opportunities to focus on their needs and ventures through round table discussions and speaker sessions. OFFMA members Shane van Casteren of Nicholyn Farms in Barrie spoke about his healthy school lunch program and Angela Saunders (our Canadian representative on the NAFDMA board) spoke about On Farm Weddings. The bus tour, like ours in November, gave us the opportunity to talk with fellow marketers, see some beautiful

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farms and scenery as well as discuss the various market stops and the concerns theyve encountered. The NADFMA conference helps us expand our horizons, make new friends and find out that almost everyone from anywhere encounters similar problems to ours. Participating gives us exposure to what is up and coming, new perspectives, a chance to compare our experiences with others, and renewed confidence and energy to prepare for our next farm season. The message this year Change is constant, keep your heads up and prepare. Be aware of who your customers are; how can you meet their needs. All people, no matter how different from you, have a desire for connection.

28th Annual NAFDMA Convention - Pacific Northwest 2013 Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Portland, Oregon February 1-6, 2013 This convention will be co-ordinated with the North American Strawberry Growers Association, the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association and the Pacific Northwest Farm Direct Marketing Association. Watch www.nafdma.com/PNW2013 for additional details

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Fresh Facts

Award Winners are Source for Inspiration and New Ideas

Submitted by Carl Fletcher, OMAFRA Strategic Business Planning Lead. For more program information go to www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/busdev.htm

Over the past five years many innovative Ontario farmers have been recognized through the Premiers Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. The award winners from 2006 through 2010 and the stories of their innovations can be found at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ premier_award/index.html Some innovative ideas can be copied directly. Other ideas can be a trigger that with a twist or two along the way - can lead to a new idea that either solves a challenge or creates an opportunity. In an active business like farming, innovations do have their own lifespan as technology, markets, business goals and personal goals can change over time. Still the awards are a testament to the ingenuity of Ontario farmers. Here are a couple innovation awards that caught my imagination. 1. Innovations in packaging and processing can be the value added steps that help break into markets and gain support in the distribution, warehouse, storage, and retail channels. Andreas Sperlich's (6093400 Canada Ltd. Norfolk Apiaries) engineering background helped him look at the apiary world with a creative and functional perspective. He came up with a sweet invention. The "Bee O Pac" is unique in that bees pack their own product directly into thermomoulded consumer-ready packages. This innovation has resulted into a field-

to-fork experience, with product uptake in Canada, as well as the US, Mexico and Europe. Harvesting with Bee O Pac is efficient because it involves 75 per cent less human handling and labour than other systems. The Bee O Pac has added new value to a very old product. 2. Immigration from South East Asia, Central and South America and the Middle East have resulted in communities with demands for not only different foods but also different types of existing foods. When Jacob MacKellar (McKellar Farms) was looking for a value-added product to supplement his 3,000 acre cash crop operation, he chose edamame, which is a type of soybean harvested in the pod right before it reaches the "hardening" stage. It is a popular food in Asia and, increasingly, in North America that is consumed as a snack or as a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. This non-traditional crop replaces imports and provides excellent returns. Industry representatives project a 500,000 pound market in the next few years, and McKellar will be ahead of the pack, with a planned harvest of 100,000 pounds in 2011. Check out the 250 Premiers Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence posted on the website. A great idea for your operation may be waiting to be discovered there!

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Five Considerations for a Mobile Device Policy

By Sharlyn Lauby, hrbartender.com

According to mobiThinking, cellular subscriptions worldwide are at 6 billion. Yes, thats billion. Companies are making significant revenue from mobile devices: Google $2.5 billion last year. eBay expects customers to buy/sell $8 billion this year and PayPal expects to see $7 billion in mobile payments. When that much money is changing hands over mobile devices, marketing departments take notice. And human resources needs to realize that attempts to ban mobile device usage in the workplace could be met with a whole lot of resistance, and perhaps for good reason. So maybe its time to consider drafting some guidelines on the responsible use of mobile devices in the workplace. If you do, here are a handful of things to consider: Ownership: From a company perspective, it sounds so wonderful to have employees own their equipment. The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is catching on. But it also raises some questions about who is financially responsible for equipment maintenance and what happens if the equipment is lost or stolen. Another consideration if employees will be expected to use their own equipment, is what are defined reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses when it comes to home wireless routers, aircards, apps, etc? Compatibility: The great part of allowing employees to use their own equipment is they know how to use it. This translates into greater productivity. The challenge internally becomes how to make sure all these different devices are compatible with existing company systems. Businesses might

not be gaining any advantages if they have to create lots of workarounds to accommodate different devices. Network Access: Employees need to know what information they can access and from where. There will be information thats acceptable to access on public WiFi and other data that should not. Security: Training should be conducted to remind employees about confidential and proprietary information. Maybe certain types of work cannot be done in public places, such as coffee shops. Along with basic technology security like how to create good passwords. Terms and Agreements: Outlining the procedure for an employee resignation, termination or layoff on the front end can avoid confusion and misunderstandings later. If employees violate the mobile guidelines, will any type of disciplinary action be issued? Or will this policy be considered a benefit of sorts with the possibility of being revoked if not followed properly? Keep in mind that any policy should be driven by your corporate culture. There are lots of right answers when it comes to using mobile devices at work. Discussing the options will create a better outcome. Giving employees some valuable guidance on the best way to use their mobile devices will help both the employee and the company. This is one of those times when its best to share what should be done versus what not to do.

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Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
July 12-14 Aug. 14 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 2012-13 OFFMA Board of Directors Jesse Lauzon, President Springridge Farm Brian Hugli, Vice President HugIis Blueberry Ranch Amy Strom, Past President Stroms Farm Cara Epp, Associate Member Cara Epp Marketing Leslie Forsythe, Forsythe Family Farms Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider Hollis English, Murphys Farmstead Colleen Pingle, Pingles Farm Market Geri Rounds, Rounds Ranch Steve Smith, Smiths Apples Carl Fletcher, OMAFRA (Acting Advisor to the Board)

Fruit & Vegetable Tech X-Change, St. Williams, ON check out website at www.fruitvegtechxchange.com OFFMAs Potluck SocialSave the Datelocation to be determined, details to follow shortly. Canadas Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ON V Visit www.outdoorfarmshow.com for more information OFFMAs Annual Bus Tour, Chicago Region, details coming in the August/ September issue.stay tuned.

Sept. 11-13 Nov. 4?

FOUND: Rhubarb Growers A member called asking where she may be able to source some rhubarb. Here are the responses to the e-mail blast that went out, in case others are looking for rhubarb as well. We will be starting to harvest rhubarb around May 15th. It is available on our farm. We process rhubarb as well starting in early June. The cost is $30 for forty pounds. It is cut to 1/2" and washed ready to be used. For further info contact Brian French, Lennox Farms 519-939-3156 I have approximately 100 lb of cut rhubarb for pies etc. available - frozen & fresh rhubarb coming on - I am anticipating of having 400-500lb extra of fresh available. It would be FOB Bayfield. Please call for more info. Marlene Beyerlein, Bayfield Berry Farm 519-482-1666 or e-mail berryfarm@hurontel.on.ca We have both rhubarb for sale wholesale and we process here for pies also. It depends on the quantities required. Contact Henri Linde, Valley Farm Market, Elmvale, 705 322-2646 Anne Nauman from Naumans Farm will also have rhubarb available for wholesale sales. Call Anne at 519-699-5524.

Jimmys Farm is holding a Scarecrow Competition

The scarecrows will be used in the fields throughout the summer to scare away those pesky crows. You have a chance to win an annual pass for the family and other prizes too. The winning scarecrows will be featured on the farm and on our website and the others will also be used around the farm. Scarecrows using recycled things are especially welcome and the only rule is that the scarecrow cannot be higher than 6 feet.
What a great idea. You get customer participation. Kids will want to bring their parents and friends back to the farm to see how their scarecrow is doing, whether or not it was a winning scarecrow. The local media may want to get involved. It is a green event because you are encouraging the recycling of products and you get a pile of scarecrows to put in your fields!! Win Win Win.