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These are presentations that Charlie has given. White Loaf Ridge can update and adapt the appropriate one to fit your audience, or will create a presentation topic just for you. Please contact Charlie to discuss what will work for you and your event.

Marketing on the Edge: The Introduction to Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism
This presentation is a beginner’s introduction to farm direct marketing and agritourism.  It is intended for production-oriented audiences who currently have minimal understanding of selling directly to the final consumer, or for farm direct marketing audiences who crave an expanded view of the various types and components of farm direct marketing and agritourism. The presentation covers 3 general types of direct marketing including on-farm retailing, agritourism, and off-farm direct retail as well as over 40 components of direct marketing that fall under these major headings.

Farmers’ Markets and CSA’s: Tightening the Nuts and Bolts
Meeting up with consumers nearer their urban settings is one strategy to increase sales without committing to increase capital investment or unknown liabilities on the farm. Farmers’ Market and Consumer Supported Agriculture strategies are the ideal way to accomplish these goals.  This presentation is provided for groups who have an understanding of, or already participate in farmers’ markets and CSA’s, and would like to expand on their development and efficiency.

Agritourism Ventures that Increase Family Farm Profitability
Agritourism is a general term often used to describe non-traditional income streams on farms. In this presentation we will detail over 40 different activities employed by conventional farmers that have diversified their farm businesses in ways that effectively increased profitability. Many of the ventures can be adapted from no till pumpkin farms to dwarf tree apple orchards to organic grain farms to conventional cattle ranches. The focus is not on the commodity base, nor is it on the production strategy. Marketing and implementation of agritourism can incorporate all of agriculture.  The only common denominator is the need for family farm profitability.

Consumer Trends: The Answers to Why fFrm Direct Marketing Works
Understanding consumer trends is a major step toward success in farm direct marketing. This presentation highlights many of the trends that support why direct marketing is the fastest growing venue in agriculture. It also goes looks toward the future and provides farmers with trends that will impact their businesses, as they know them now. Finally, this session gives tips on how to watch for ongoing trends and stay on the cutting edge of farm direct marketing.

Adding Value to Value-added Processing
Value added processing is much of the rage the past few years. But deciding to turn apples into applesauce, wheat into flour, or lettuce into salad won’t inherently translate to your farm’s success. This presentation underscores the need to add value to your products regardless of what they are if profitability is the objective. How does your label stand out in a crowd? How can you add money-generating activities to your farm now that you put thing in a bottle? These are just two of the many questions we answer as we encourage you to add marketable value to your products, your farm and your lifestyle.
 
Merchandising and Promotions: Going Beyond Offering Products for Sale
If you thought merchandising and promotion means shining apples and putting a for sale sign in front of them, then think again! Farm direct marketing requires a much more aggressive approach if it is to sustain a family. This presentation provides participants with successful new strategies and ideas that are being implemented across North America. It focuses on promotion techniques that bring more people to your marketplace, then on merchandising tactics that your increase sales per customer once they arrive.

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