Growing Assets: Linking Direct Market Producers
Beth Zabel, BBC Program Coordinator
Background Information
1.
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Bridging Brown County
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www.bridgingbrowncounty.org
A 4.
non-profit organization who’s mission is to strengthen the Brown County Minnesota
5.
community
by bridging relationships of understanding and communication.
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Goals
7.• Foster better communication among communities
8.• Raise awareness of the interdependency among communities
9.• Promote the county’s quality of life
10.
• Support economic development throughout the county
• Support individual community traditions
FARM Team
Food, Agriculture and Rural Marketing Team
BBC sent a county-wide group to the Blandin Foundation Community Advantage Leadership
Program, an intensive 3 days workshop to learn about identification and development of
community assets.
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Target Asset – Agriculture.
Goal – Increase on-farm income.
BBC hired a facilitator to support group activities.
Activities
Invited direct market producers to join group.
Phone survey of direct market producers in 5 counties.
• 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?
Ground to Gourmet – cooking demonstrations featuring local cooks and local food
Producer Flyer
Year around Farmers’ Market Feasibility Study
Asset identification and development workshop for producers
National Extension Risk Management Education Conference
Phoenix, AZ
4-17-07
Growing Assets: Linking Direct Market Producers
Beth Zabel, BBC Program Coordinator
North Central Risk Management Grant Proposal
1. Growing Assets - Asset identification workshop in Fall 2005.
Karen Lehman, MN Project
a. Identify Assets at 3 levels
i. Personal
1. What do you grow?
2. What do you know how to do?
3. How do you want your business to grow?
ii. Association
1. Social capital – who do you know?
iii. Institutional
1. Community assets
2. Feasibility Study Results
b. Action Plans – connect assets
c. Topics for further study
2. Growing Assets II - Series of producer directed workshops in winter and spring of
2006. Invited people from all three asset levels when possible.
a. Ag-Tourism
b. Market Planning
c. Community Supported Agriculture
d. Business Planning
e. E-Business
f. Heartland Food Initiative
3. Ground to Gourmet 2006 – summer of 2006
1. 30 + demonstrations (farmers’ markets, community events, organization events
2. Recipe cards – consumer education/marketing
3. Producer coupons – 200+ redeemed
National Extension Risk Management Education Conference
Phoenix, AZ
4-17-07