Establish direct marketing and institutional purchasing programs
Action
Economically viable small and mid-sized farms are crucial to preserving agricultural land. States can assist family farmers by establishing direct marketing programs that help the farmers reach consumers and retailers, promote their products, and diversify their operations. By requiring state agencies and facilities to purchase a certain percentage of the food they buy from local sources, states also can provide small and mid-sized farms with stable customers.
Process
Agriculture departments can support direct marketing of farm products by partnering with other agencies to allow for the use of state properties, such as parking lots, for farmers' markets. They also can develop model contract language to be used by organizers to set up and operate farmers' markets.
Many agriculture departments have developed branding programs that market meats, seafood, produce and other products from small and mid-sized farms. In most states, such programs are facilitated by the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the food industry and small-farm interests. A branding program can be supplemented by grants that provide seed money for farmers' cooperatives or other organizations that can in turn bolster the marketing programs.
States are large food purchasers. Agriculture departments often work with other agencies to encourage or even require them to purchase homegrown agricultural products. An executive order can put some muscle behind that effort. Some states also offer financial incentives to school districts for buying from local farmers.
Examples
- Kentucky's Kentucky Proud Program
Established in 2004, the Kentucky Proud program promotes the sale of Kentucky-produced agricultural products and helps farmers diversify. The state's Department of Agriculture has focused on getting Kentucky-grown produce into retail stores, from local groceries to Wal-Mart, and on establishing farmers' markets. The Department developed an aggressive marketing campaign, which utilizes point-of-sale materials, as well as television and radio commercials. In addition, the State helps farmers conduct direct-to-consumer marketing through the Kentucky Proud Country Store, an online directory of in-state producers.
— Kentucky Proud - Maryland's Agtrader and Foodtrader Websites
In 2008, the Environmental Finance Center, a unit of the University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, launched two Web sites that immediately became popular with Maryland farmers and consumers. The first, the Maryland Agricultural Exchange, provides farmers with an online marketplace that can help them buy, sell, and trade. Farmers use the website to exchange anything from fruits and vegetables to equipment, livestock, hay and manure.
The other site, Foodtrader.org, is a virtual farmers' market that allows consumers to buy the freshest food Maryland farms have to offer. Using the site, independent farmers can create listings describing their produce, prices and the location. Both sites provide the services at no cost.
— Maryland Agricultural Exchange
— Maryland Food Trader
