The
Kansas Department of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension will offer
virtual workshops January 31–February 4, 2022, to assist farmers’ market
vendors and managers, and also for those wanting to sell food products directly
to consumers. The workshop series includes four online Lunch and Learn
sessions, followed by a half-day virtual workshop. Some K-State Research and
Extension offices will be offering in-person watch parties for the February 4
half-day workshop.
“Over the past two
years, we’ve seen an increase in people’s enthusiasm for locally sourced food,
and these workshops will address common questions and concerns for farmers and
small businesses who are embracing these opportunities to reach local
consumers,” said Londa Nwadike, food safety specialist with K-State Research
and Extension and the University of Missouri. “It’s also important for farmers
to understand certain legal, safety and financial parameters before choosing to
sell either directly to the consumer or at a farmers’ market.” In 2021, 89
farmers’ markets were registered with KDA’s Central Registration of Farmers’
Markets.
Dates and topics
for each Lunch and Learn online session are as follows:
Monday, Jan. 31,
noon to 1 p.m.:
Food Safety for Value-Added Food Products
Tuesday, Feb. 1,
noon to 1 p.m.:
Sales Tax, Food Packaging, and How to Care for your Certified Scales
Wednesday, Feb. 2,
noon to 1 p.m.:
Meat and Poultry, Kansas Value Added Meats Lab
Thursday, Feb. 3,
noon to 1 p.m.:
Accepting EBT/SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks
The half-day
virtual workshop on Friday,
Feb. 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will cover topics such as How
to Market your Market and Booth, How to Identify Common Legal Risks, Senior
Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Vegetable Production, From the Land of Kansas
program, and resources available from KSRE. Keynote speaker Brian Coppom,
Colorado Department of Agriculture, will also be discussing Best Practices for
Business Success when it comes to farmers’ markets.
KDA’s weights and
measures program will offer free scale certification with a paid registration
to an online workshop.
Registration for
the January/February virtual workshops is now open. The cost is $5 per
participant. Register at www.fromthelandofkansas.com/FMWorkshop.
For more
information, contact Janelle Dobbins, KDA’s From
the Land of Kansas marketing manager, at 785-564-6759 or fromthelandofkansas@ks.gov.
The workshops are funded by the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and
Alternative Crops, the Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
KDA is committed to
providing an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth of the
agriculture industry and the Kansas economy. Kansas farmers’ markets not only
provide a fresh food source, but also stimulate the local economy. The Kansas
Ag Growth Strategy has identified training for small companies via workshops as
a key growth outcome for the specialty crop sector. The farmers’
market/direct-to-consumer workshops will provide education through partnerships
to help make Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses more successful.