The Kansas Department of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension (KSRE) will offer virtual workshops February 6-10, 2023, to assist farmers’ market vendors and managers, and also for those wanting to sell food products directly to consumers. The workshop series includes five online Lunch and Learn sessions.

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 KSRE 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 2022, more than 95 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, Feb. 6, noon to 1:00 p.m.: Accepting EBT/SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks
• Tuesday, Feb. 7, noon to 1:00 p.m.: Meat and Poultry Regulations; Kansas Value Added Meats Lab
• Wednesday, Feb. 8, noon to 1:00 p.m.: Kansas Sales Tax Information
• Thursday, Feb. 9, noon to 1:00 p.m.: Food Safety Regulations; Kansas Value Added Foods Lab
• Friday, Feb. 10, noon to 1:00 p.m.: Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
  

KDA’s weights and measures program will offer free scale certification with a paid registration to an online workshop.

Registration for the February virtual workshops is now open. The cost is $5 per participant. Register at www.fromthelandofkansas.com/FMWorkshop.

For more information, contact Sammy Gleason, 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 and the Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, as well as by sponsors KSRE and KDA.

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.