NOFA-VT’s Direct Marketing Conference at Vt. Law School

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) will offer its third annual Direct Marketing Conference January 12 at the Vermont Law School in South Royalton.

The conference is supported by The John Merck Fund, the USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program, USDA Rural Development, and The Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

Keynote speaker, Suzanne Briggs, has a wealth of knowledge about building successful markets that enable communities to build healthy food systems based on their local farms. She started her work with farmers’ markets when she co-founded the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, attracting 3,500 shoppers Saturdays from May to October. She has expanded her efforts to promote more farmers’ markets in Oregon through the revival of the Oregon Farmers’ Market Association, where she helped to expand the number of markets from 35 to 70.

Briggs has also coordinated local foods purchasing programs for Oregon hospitals, and served as the marketing consultant for the Oregon Fresh Market Growers Association. She is currently extending her work to farm-to-school initiatives.

The conference will feature 10 workshops, focusing on topics ranging from hosting community events on your farm, to the online market place, and winter farmers’ markets. The conference will also host the first meeting of the Vermont Farmers’ Market Association.

The registration fee includes lunch. To register, call the NOFA-VT office at 802-434-4122 or e-mail info@nofavt.org.

____________