Growing Assets:
Linking Direct Market Producers
Beth Zabel, BBC Program Coordinator
National Extension Risk Management Education Conference
April 17, 2007
Phoenix, Arizona
Bridging Brown County
Mission
Strengthening the Brown County Minnesota
community by bridging relationships
of understanding and communication
Bridging Brown County
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Goals
Foster better communication among communities
Raise awareness of the interdependency among
communities
Promote the county’s quality of life
Support economic development throughout
the county
Support individual community traditions
Blandin Foundation
Community Advantage
Leadership Program
In 2005, BBC sent a county-wide group
to an intensive 3 days workshop
to learn about identification
and development of community assets.
CALP training results
• Target Asset – Agriculture.
• Goal – Increase on-farm income.
• BBC hired a facilitator to support
group activities.
Refining the goal
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Invited direct market producers to join group.
Phone survey of direct market producers
in 5 counties.
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Changed name
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Help us market!
Help us spread the word about local food!
Help customers use fresh foods.
Help us build our businesses.
What about a year-around market?
FARM Team - Food, Agriculture and Rural Marketing Team
Started looking for funding
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Blandin Foundation Community Grant
Beim Foundation
Ground to
Gourmet
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Cooking demonstrations featuring
local cooks and local foods
Goal – 1 presentation in each
community and each farmers’
market in Brown County
Flyer with producers and local food
information
Basic supplies
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portable oven
electric fry pan
table
disposable sample cups/spoons
Results
•Consumers and producers wanted MORE!
•Quick and easy recipes
Feasibility Study
Will the consumers in Brown County
support a year-around Farmers’ Market ?
• Identified potential site in Sleepy Eye
• Hired a market consultant
• What is the best way to get this
information to producers?
Asset identification
and development workshop
• Assist producers in identifying their own assets
• Bring together producers with community
members
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Interested consumers
Business people
Community groups
• Assist producers and community members
develop collaborative working relationships
• Identify topics for further study.
NCRM Grant Proposal
1. Growing Assets
Asset identification workshop in Fall 2005.
2. Growing Assets II
Series of producer directed workshops in winter and
spring of 2006.
3. Ground to Gourmet 2006 – summer of 2006
1. Recipe cards – consumer education/marketing
2. Producer coupons – measure effectiveness
Growing Assets:
Using Assets to Grow Business and Community
• Karen Lehman
• Minnesota Project
• Asset-Based Community Development
(ABCD) Institute at Northwestern University
Growing Assets:
Using Assets to Grow Business and Community
• 18 producers and community leaders
• Small group exercises
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identifying personal, association and institutional
assets.
action plans linking assets together.
• Shared results of Feasibility study
• Identified topics for further study
Identifying Assets
• Personal
• What do you grow?
• What do you know how to do?
• How do you want your business to grow?
• Association
• Social capital – who do you know?
• Institutional
• Community assets
• Feasibility Study Results
Action Plans
Heritage tomatoes
Migrant School
Adult Daycare
Action Plans
Triple Rivers Producers
Community Education
Ground to Gourmet
Feasibility Study Results
Positives
Historic Berg Hotel has
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Main Street location,
good traffic and is
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centrally located to
producers
Triple Rivers Producers
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recently started a web site
Negatives
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inconsistency of farmer's
market shoppers
inconsistent volume and
quality in current supply
chain.
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distance from the farms
to distribution points
Recommendation
•Continue to develop consistent market through TRP website
•Possible future project with cultural and educational components
ie: “destination market”
Topics
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Ag-Tourism
Market Planning
Community Supported Agriculture
Business Planning
E-Business
Heartland Food Initiative
Growing Assets II
Topic: Ag-Tourism
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Ken Gustafson, University of
Minnesota Extension
Specialist
Terry Sveine, Chamber of
Commerce Tourism Specialist
RichNes Alpacas
Growing Assets II
Topic: Marketing Plans
• Nancy Pehling, Creative Ad Solutions
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Freebies
Print ads
Web marketing
Branding
Logos
What is a
destination?
Growing Assets II
Topic: Community Supported
Agriculture
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Local CSA producers
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(100 mile radius)
Gary Guthrie, Harmony Farm
Corry Bregendahl, North Central
Regional Center for Rural
Development
Growing Assets II
Heartland Food Initiative
• Minnesota Project
• Explore and support use of local foods in
commercial venues (restaurants and stores)
• Convening focus groups with chefs, food
distributors and producers
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Transportation issues
Quality issues
• Standardization
• Quantity
Ground to Gourmet
2006
30+ demonstrations
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Farmers’ markets
Community celebrations
Event
• Putting Green Grill –n Golf
Overall Results
• 18 producers and community members attended
the Growing Assets workshop
• 72 producers and community members attended
the Growing Assets II sessions
• 30+ Ground to Gourmet demonstrations
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More frequent demonstrations = more participants
Often tried different variety/type of product
• 200+ producer coupons reimbursed
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Increased overall sales
Thank you for this opportunity to share the
FARM Team story with you!