11.06.2013

NE Kansas Farmer Food Hub Farmer Forums: HIAWATHA (11.13) & LAWRENCE (11.14)

If you farm in NE Kansas, we hope you'll attend!



Farmers:  We Need Your Input!

Join us in:

HIAWATHA, KS: Wednesday, Nov. 13th, 7:00 PM, Highland Community College
(Klinefelter Barn,  1774  230th St., Hiawatha, KS)


LAWRENCE, KS: Thursday, Nov. 14th, 7:30 PM, Douglas County Extension
(Deal Six Auditorium- 2110 Harper St. Lawrence, KS)

The Douglas County Food Policy Council has launched a study to examine the potential for a food hub in our area that would link small to mid-sized farmers with larger markets, to help increase farmers’ income and profitability.
If you are:

ü  An experienced farmer
ü  A new farmer
ü  Raise produce, meat, dairy, eggs or grain
ü  Produce corn, wheat or soybeans but want to diversify
ü  Sell at farmers markets and are thinking about expanding
ü  Want to produce more, but spend less time marketing…

… We want to hear from you!

Please join other farmers on November 13th in a discussion with Anthony Flaccavento, a Virginia farmer and President of SCALE, Inc, who is leading this study.   For more information: www.douglas-county.com/sites/fpc

8.02.2013

Food Hub Workshop Set for August 29th in Lawrence

Lawrence, KS – The second workshop in the “Food Hubs and Co-ops: How local family farms can feed our communities” series will be offered August 29, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Douglas County Fair’s Dreher Building, 2110 Harper St, Lawrence, KS. The workshop will provide farmers, community organizations, and local governmental entities with information on the multiple phases of food hub development. 

Using the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative as a case study, the workshop will explore best
practices in food hub development and outline the project phases including: identifying opportunities and need, conducting a feasibility study, developing a business plan, and launching the food hub.

“With numerous Kansas food hub initiatives in various stages of development, we are so fortunate to have representatives that are able to share the back story of the Wisconsin project from research to launch,” stated Mary Howell, Membership Specialist with the Kansas Farmers Union.

Scheduled speakers include Kathy Nyquist, a principle at New Venture Advisors, and Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) Special Projects Coordinator Sarah Lloyd.

Kathy Nyquist is strategy consultant providing business development services for regional food  system coalitions and entrepreneurs. As principal of New Venture Advisors, she has led multiple feasibility studies which investigated the commercial viability of regional food system infrastructure projects. She completed the 2011 feasibility study for Dane County, WI.

WFU Executive Director Tom Quinn and Sarah Lloyd represented the organization during the development and launch phases of the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative. Quinn explained, “Our food hub project started with a study sponsored by a local governmental initiative, and was incubated in a partnership between government, university, community organization and farmers. The business start-up phase required the direct leadership of the core group of farmers who were making an initial investment of both money and product. It also required a core sponsor and investor like WFU to provide a stable source of initial funding and essential staff support.”

According to Quinn, WFU became involved in organizing the food hub co-op for several reasons, “First, our board decided as part of our strategic planning process that we wanted re-engage with our original roots in cooperative development. In our early years, local Farmers Union chapters often came together around establishing a farm supply or dairy cooperative. The link between cooperative enterprise and Farmers Union membership was a real strength in building the organization.”

“Second, we wanted to provide that same opportunity to our current membership. We wanted to hold a share of our long-term investments in something that could directly benefit our members, provide a long-term income source for the organization, and foster ancillary economic development opportunities in rural communities. The unique cooperative structure of the Hub is designed with these goals in mind," said Quinn.

WFU determined that local food system development could offer a significant opportunity for farmers to have more direct control over their markets and to re-build an efficient and sustainable connection between the food they produce and local consumers. The organization believes that retaining even a modest percentage of total food purchases within a region offers a huge potential market for farmers.

"To be successful and grow market share, local food systems need efficient infrastructure and marketing systems. One of the most important lessons we've learned is that we don't need to completely replace conventional distribution systems, which are generally very efficient, but that we need to provide a bridge that allows local products to gain access to existing distribution channels and use those to service the exploding demand for local foods. Food Hubs come in many shapes and sizes, and use a variety of business models, but to be successful they need to allow local food production to access markets efficiently and profitably," Quinn explained.

In 2013, the main service that the co-op will provide for its farmer members will be sales and logistics and transportation planning.  Assistance with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification as well as development of marketing materials from each farm, helping to tell our farmer-member stories in the marketplace are additional services that will be provided by the co-op.

“Wisconsin Farmers Union is happy to be in a position to be part of these exciting efforts to build a diverse regional food system that works for both farmers and eaters,” said WFU’s Sarah Lloyd.

The $15 registration fee includes workshop materials and a morning break. Two options for event registration are available:

Click here to register online (Credit card or Paypal)
Click here to download and print form (Check)

For questions, contact:  Mary Howell – kfu.mary@gmail.com or Mercedes Taylor-Puckett – kfu.mercedes@gmail.com.

Presentations and resources from part one of the series, “How to Start an Online Food Cooperative”, can be found on the series blog: http://foodhubsandco-ops.blogspot.com

Sponsoring organizations for this session are Kansas Farmers Union, Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (KS-SARE), Douglas County Food Policy Council, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops (KSCAAC). Program collaborators include the Kansas Health Foundation’s Healthy Communities Initiative, USDA Rural Development, Kansas Rural Center, KC Healthy Kids and the Douglas County Food Policy Council.

6.19.2013

Food Co-op Workshop

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Hiawatha Co-op Workshop, a set on Flickr.

Pictures from the Food Co-op Workshop in Hiawatha on April 6.

Food Co-op Workshop addresses local food production

Part one of Food Hubs and Co-ops: How local family farms can feed our communities, Establishing an Online Food Cooperative, was held April 6 in Hiawatha. The workshop provided a look at food co-ops and local food in general.
Darryl Birkenfeld, with Ogallala Commons, explained how his community in the Texas panhandle created enthusiasm about local food. They created and posted weekly to a blog (localllano.wordpress.com) and Facebook page, called Local Llano. The Facebook page and email lists were used to promote the site.
Birkenfeld said the blog is about local food: what can be grown in the area, gardening tips, recipes, stories about local growers, and canning/preserving.
“Our society is changing how we look at food,” Birkenfeld said. “People have forgotten how to make food, and they want to learn how.”
Birkenfeld noted that to have a flourishing Foodshed, you have to engage youth. Local Llano hosts education events for high school students about how they can come home. Ogallala Commons offers Community Internships for college students in their hometowns, and several have been centered around local food, Birkenfeld said.
Dr. Vincent Amanor-Boadu, an ag economics professor at K-State, referenced some research projects he has been a part of about consumers purchasing local food.
“Consumers like local food, because it’s fresher, tastes better, and they’d rather support small farmers, but when it gets time to purchase the product they are not willing to pay extra,” Amanor-Boadu said.
Local food consumption is growing, Amanor-Boadu said, by an average of 5.3 percent per year per household. He contributed it to an increasing consumer knowledge about food and their health.
Amanor-Boadu suggested to create a value proposition when starting a local food business. Ask yourself “who is the customer?”, “what do they want?” and “how do I make it so compelling they can’t ignore me?”
“Make it so clear that you switch them,” Amanor-Boadu said. “Their needs have to line up with your needs.”
“As long as you achieve success, then it’s a good thing,” Amanor-Boadu said. “Success can be a profit or an applause.”
Representatives from two food co-ops in the region shared their experiences: Kim Barker, with the Oklahoma Food Co-op, and Chris Schmidt and Chris Sramek, with the High Plains Food Co-op. The two cooperatives have very similar operating procedures.
The two co-ops ordering and delivery system is the same. Consumers submit online orders, the producers have set points to drop off the orders, the products are then taken to consumer pick up points.
Oklahoma has 40 collection sites and delivers to the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. High Plains has two collection sites in Kansas and a few more in Colorado, and delivers to Denver, Colo area.
Both co-ops allow members to receive ‘co-op credit’ after volunteering on delivery day. Barker said some volunteers need the money, others just want to help.
Barker shared some advice for anyone thinking about starting a co-op. He suggested recruiting board members that know something about the products. If they don’t be sure to educate them. Also to “demand integrity from producers and board members, don’t tolerate anything else,” Barker said.
He said to demand good financial reports from the beginning. “You need to know what’s going on every month,” Barker said.
To keep the co-op out of trouble and help producer members, “someone needs to know all the rules and regulations for food sales,” Barker said.
Last, Barker stressed paying attention to your customers, and to make sure you’re speaking the same language.
Schmidt said one of High Plains’ advantages has been modeling after Oklahoma. “We learned what not to do from their mistakes,” he said.
Sramek said High Plains has recently applied for grants from Know Your Farmer (USDA) and a Specialty Crop grant to help expand the Co-op. Before it expands, they’re conducting a feasibility study of marketing, distribution, organizational development and capacity.
High Plains has turned an otherwise boring annual meeting into a marketing opportunity, by having the producers provide product samples for attendees. This gives producer members an opportunity to market their products directly to the consumer.
Schmidt said High Plains has a strict producer member application process. A review committee makes sure that the applicant shares their values, that they are transparent and then conducts a farm visit.
Jeff Downing, Midwest Agency manager, discussed insurance, including product liability, for farmers selling direct to consumers. “If you are not properly covered, it could result in the loss of your farm,” he said. “Be sure to talk with your agent, and make sure you have coverage for everything.”
Downing said the insurance company will evaluate your risk, including food prep and handling. He brought up that you “lose control” of your product when you have a retailer sell it or a restaurant purchases your product and then prepares it improperly.
During the wrap up, Dan Nagengast, owner of Seeds from Italy, said “it’s remarkable how much local food has grown over the last 20 years. There is a lot of progress to make these kinds of things happen, and I see it continuing.”

3.12.2013

Establishing an Online Food Cooperative Workshop

Food Hubs and Co-ops: How local family farms can feed our communities

Workshop One:  Establishing an Online Food Cooperative 

Saturday, April 6, 2013
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Highland Community College’s Klinefelter Barn

1774 230th St., Hiawatha, KS. 
 
This workshop series will provide people who grow and enjoy locally produced food with information on how to form partnerships to develop food hubs and food cooperatives.  Due to high interest in both food hubs and co-ops, we’ve split the topic into two sessions.  Part 1: How to Start an Online Food Cooperative will be April 6th.  Part 2: Organizing Food Hubs will be announced shortly.  

What is a co-op?  
We all have childhood memories of parents, teachers and others encouraging us to work together.  A co-op is what "working together" looks like all grown up. From the outside, many co-ops look like any other business, since a co-op provides products and services like conventional businesses do.  But it's what goes on behind the scenes that makes it different.  A cooperative exists to serve its members, but what makes co-ops unique is that the members are also the owners.  So, in addition to getting the products and services you need, you also have a say in the business decisions your cooperative makes.  Rather than rewarding outside investors with its profits, a co-op returns surplus revenue to its members in proportion to how much they use the co-op.  This democratic approach to business results in a powerful economic force that benefits the co-op, its members and the communities it serves.

Why a local food co-op?  
A food co-op is good for both farm and rural economies; every dollar spent with the co-op sends money into the pocket of the farmer and back into businesses within the community.  Food co-ops deliver the farmers market to the consumer’s front door.  Local food is usually picked at the peak of ripeness, which brings better taste and nutrition; supplying fresh, safe and local food that helps build a self-sufficient community.

Joining us for How to Start an Online Food Cooperative will be the founders of several successful food co-ops who will provide education and answers based on experience.  This workshop is for anyone involved in local food production, marketing and consumption. Plan to attend this workshop…the room will be full of experts!


Nationally known speakers will participate, sharing the success stories from their regions. (See Speaker Bios)


A chuck wagon lunch and refreshments will be served. A $25.00 registration fee will be charged to cover expenses, food and handouts.  

Agenda for Part One: How to Start an Online Food Cooperative


Session Descriptions for Part One: How to Start an Online Food Cooperative

Food Hubs and Co-ops: How Local Family Farms Can Feed Our Communities Series
Part One: How to Start an Online Food Cooperative

Session Descriptions

Rebuilding Local Food Systems  Darryl Birkenfeld
For years, Ogallala Commons has worked to support local food systems in a variety of ways– hosting conferences on the topic, working to create Community Internships based on local food production, and providing education workshops and tools for gardeners. In 2011 OC began Project: Local Llano. Local Llano is a blog about all things local food in the Llano Estacado Region. It features nearly 60 stories about local food producers, gardening, recipes, restaurants, Community Supported Agriculture Programs, farmers markets and more. With support from Farm Aid, OC will begin the process of putting together a book about local foods in the Llano Estacado based on the Local Llano Blog.

Untapped Potential: Consumer Demand for Local Foods  Vincent Amanor-Boadu
Coming soon!

Co-op 101: What is a co-op?  Bob Mailander
We all have childhood memories of parents, teachers and others encouraging us to work together. A co-op is what "working together" looks like all grown up. From the outside, many co-ops look like any other business, since a co-op provides products and services like conventional businesses do. But it's what goes on behind the scenes that makes it different.
A cooperative exists to serve its members, but what makes co-ops unique is that the members are also the owners. So, in addition to getting the products and services you need, you also have a say in the business decisions your cooperative makes. Rather than rewarding outside investors with its profits, a co-op returns surplus revenue to its members in proportion to how much they use the co-op. This democratic approach to business results in a powerful economic force that benefits the co-op, its members and the communities it serves.

The Story of the Oklahoma Food Co-op  Kim Barker
In 2003, Oklahoma Food Co-op modeled a unique approach to connect local consumers and producers. Its approach was to bring consumers and producers together as owners of a cooperative. Through the cooperative, they created an online, virtual marketplace where local products could be ordered and distributed. Together, the consumers and producers shared the costs and risks, as well as the benefits, of establishing a new community food system. Since its launch, at least 16 others have started similar operations using the Oklahoma Food Co-op as a model to organize their operations and using the open-source software developed by the Oklahoma Food Co-op to support their operations.

Exploring the Insurance Needs of Direct Marketing Farms  Jeff Downing
As farms grow and expand into new markets, general and product liability coverage may become an issue. The Midwest Regional Agency, provider of KFU member insurance, is interested in developing appropriate insurance products for family farms who market their products directly to consumers and to restaurants, retailers and institutions. Jeff joins us to learn more about our farms and the type of insurance we may need in the years ahead.

High Plains Food Co-op: Creating New Market Opportunities for Small Northwest Kansas Family Farms  Chris Schmidt and Chris Sramek
Coming soon!

Starting an Online Food Coop: Tips from the Trenches  Bob Mailander
Starting a cooperative is a complex project. It begins with discussions within the community about the economic need that will be addressed by the cooperative. Next, the group analyzes the feasibility of the proposed co-op. If the decision is made that the cooperative is feasible, the group moves into implementation and the start-up of operations. In his previous position as Director of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Development Center, Bob supported the High Plains Food Co-op during its development and implementation.

Curbside Consulting 
Coming soon!