Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Fresh Facts
Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

What’s a Picnic without Ants???

Ants are incredible networkers. A colony can be as small as a dozen ants to over a million. They
can lift over 20 times their body weight and have 250,000 brain cells. They communicate by Newsletter #259
chemical signals which also help find food and defend their colony when threatened. When a fora- July 2010
Volume 25, Number 6
ger ant finds food he marks a trail which is then followed by other ants. These new ants then rein-
force the trail when they head back with food to the colony. When all the food is gone no new
trails are marked and the scent slowly dissipates. If an established food path is blocked by an ob-
stacle, the foragers leave the path to explore new routes. If
an ant is successful, it leaves a new trail marking the short-
est route. Successful trails are followed by more ants, rein- Inside this issue:
forcing better routes and gradually finding the best path.
Members News 2
Sound a little like networking with an OFFMA member? Love
finding the ‘best path’ for a new idea? Then don’t miss the Member Profile 3
picnic! This year’s annual networking picnic is on Tuesday,
August 10th at Whitty Farms in St. Catharines celebrating Learnings from 4
their 102nd year! Come tour their beautiful fruit and vegeta- NAFDMA
ble farm, ride pedal carts from Skelter Sales, see OFFMA’s
new puppet show, and network with the best. Hiring for the team 5

See you August 10th! 8 things I wish every- 6

one knew about
email
Jane Eckert Con- 7
sultations
Amy Strom
OFFMA President 2010-2011 Upcoming Events 8

You are invited

to
OFFMA Annual Potluck
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Whitty Farms
St. Catharines, ON

 the fun starts at 3:00 pm, check enclosed full page invitation for details
 Tour the farm bakery where delicious scratch pies and tarts are created
 Visit 13th Street Winery, bring a cooler to take your purchase home in
 Pls be sure to register to help us keep track of numbers, reg forms enclosed
 OFFMA lending library will be on site, bring a book you may wish to donate
 Try your hand at the pedal carts
www.whittyfarms.ca
Page 2 Fresh Facts

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Classifieds New Members
FOR SALE: Welcome to Ontario Farm Fresh..
Te-Em farm is for sale!
Beautiful farm business for sale. Check it out at Associate Members
www.te-emfarm.ca/forsale or contact Emma or Cara Epp Marketing Communi-
Ted Vander Wouden at 519-482-3020
cations
WANTED: Cara Epp
Small glass top freezer, new or used. Supplier Brampton, ON
recommendations also welcome. Contact Lynda 647-217-2835
at Nicholyn Farms, [email protected] or 705-
737-4498 Farmers’ Markets Ontario
Robert Chorney
Classified ads are free to all OFFMA members. Brighton, ON
Classified ads will be printed in the next newsletter and on
the web site in the classified ad section. Make use of this 613-475-4769
membership benefit, if you are looking to sell or purchase
an item, send the relevant information to the OFFMA office.
We’ll make sure it is posted.
Operating a CSA??
Do you run a CSA from your
farm in addition to your on-
Imagination was given to farm market? Let the OFFMA
office know. We are modifying
us to compensate for what the OFFMA web site so that
we are not; consumers will be able to
a sense of humour was search for members who offer
CSAs.
given to us to console us for
what we are. - Mack McGinnis
Outstanding On-Farm
Market of the Year
Nominations Required
A few years ago the Board decided to
Social Media Workshops create an award that would recognize
A few spots still left—act now! on-farm markets that were doing an
OFFMA will be offering a Social Media Workshop extraordinary job of marketing their
at Kemptville College on July 13. If you are won- business. Each year, you the member
dering how to make the most of Facebook and ship is approached to nominate an on-
farm market that would be worthy of
not sure if tweeting is really your thing, be sure to
this award. Nominations sheets have
sign up for this workshop. Cost is $90 + HST. been included with this newsletter. Self
Space is limited because we are in a computer nominations acceptable as well.
lab, we still have a few openings at this point. Deadline for nominations is Aug. 15th.
The participants at the Guelph workshop were
very impressed with the program and went away
with relevant information they could apply imme- Think Pink
diately to their businesses. If a pink sheet of paper
has been included in
All spots for Jane Eckert’s consultation have your newsletter, it re-
now been filled. A waiting list has been
started and you may add your name to the quires action on your
list by contacting the OFFMA office. part.
 Newsletter #259 Page 3

Member Profile: Roger & Vicky Morrison,

Grassroots Rural Retreat
Lucknow, ON
Vicky and Roger Morrison are the fourth the farm with special
generation to be working the family farm events and a Garden
just outside of the little village of Lucknow. Gossip newsletter.
The Morrison homestead is a Century Farm
and one of the few farms in Kinloss Town- The Farm School
ship which has remained under the same A number of work-
family name since it was taken out from the shops and programs
Crown in 1875. are offered as a
Roger farms full time feeding approxi- scheduled class or
mately 400 beef cattle and growing various can be customized for
cash corps on the farm. Vicky has found a special group or
ways to make money while she does what gathering. Examples
she loves; playing in the garden and sharing of the programs and a
her many skills with others. They both love sampling of the work-
to entertain people and have opened their shops:
home and farm to the public on many lev- Farm Chick Guild
els. -Rustic Ar-
ranging
Natural Health and Living Centre - Preserving
A separate building has been converted the Harvest
The Morrisons in the barn: daughter
into this amazing holistic health centre. A Farm Living Stephanie, Roger, Vicky, daughter-in-law
rural spa where massages, manicures and -Chopping Firewood Jessica and son Blair.
facials can be had while gazing out over the -Fence Building
surrounding fields. Culinary
-‘Fun’ damentals of Garden Gourmet
Bed & Breakfast Accommodations Tea Tastings & Talks
The Morrisons have taken part of the family -Tea Basics 101
home to provide 3 bedrooms to overnight -Health Benefits of Tea
guests. Accommodations can also be had -Tea around the World
at the Woodland cabin. Breakfast is a
hearty country meal made with local and Weddings on the Farm
organic produce whenever possible. The What better place to start a new life together
gardens around the house are immaculate than on the peaceful, rural surroundings of a
and the signage is all done with the cus- farm. Not only will the couple get a unique
tomer in mind. venue but Vicky is also trained to officiate
weddings. So she can work with the couple to
Community Supported Agriculture create a truly original experience.
(CSA)
CSAs are the ultimate way to develop a re- Fridays on the Farm
lationship with your customers. The cus- This year, Roger and Vicky decided
tomer provides cash upfront for the farmer to start a farmers’ market on their
when they need it to make their input pur- property as well. Each Friday after-
chases and the farmers provide fresh pro- noon, several other vendors come by
duce on a weekly basis. As a grower you to sell their unique wares and listen
know what you need to produce every week to some great music. One vendor
for your guaranteed sales. has created an outdoor woodburning
Grassroots Rural Retreat offers several pizza oven to add to the atmosphere.
types of CSA shares. Summer shares come The target audience for this venture
in different sizes. A Gourmet Share is also are the cottagers that drive by the
available and people can add on a Country farm on their way to the cottage.
Flower Bouquets Share as well. The Morri- They now have a opportunity to slow
sons have gone out of their way top make down and load up with great food
sure share owners feel like they are part of for the weekend.
Page 4 Fresh Facts

Guaranteed to Make a Difference

By John Stanley

One of the most commonly debatable ered under the guarantee. We stressed
subjects in my workshops is the role that the money was not the issue, but the
of a guarantee. There are those that principle was the issue, we had been mis-
think they are essential and those that guided in the first instance.
believe they are the curse of retailing
and that the consumer always At the start of the phone conversation we
abuses them. were genuine loyal customers and by the
end of the phone call we had become a
In my view a guarantee is disgruntled customer, who could have
part of the marketing been a lifetime customer, but which had
budget and should be now become a one time customer due to
looked on as a marketing a guarantee that we perceived as badly
exercise. It should be a communicated.
reassurance strategy in
the consumers mind, they The Guarantee Should Make a Differ-
should feel confident in ence
contacting you if they per- All retail businesses should train the team
ceive they have a problem. It is better in the value of the guarantee, that it is a
they come back to you than your com- marketing tool that should provide the
petitor. customer with reassurance. If there are
any costs involved when a customer con-
I recently had a situation where I had to tacts them over the guarantee it should
question a company guarantee policy. be mentioned to the client at the start of
Three months ago we purchased some the transaction.
blinds for our hallway. When we pur-
chased them the company installed them My view is that, for many products, you
and told us they were fully guaranteed for should not put a time limit on the guaran-
twelve months. Not long after the pur- tee, but empower the team member to
chase we noticed that the wood on the make a decision that is in the best inter-
blinds was starting to split and contacted est of the business and the customer. Let
the company. The repre- me explain, it is not unusual
sentative assured us that for a company to state that it
they were fully under cover guarantees for twelve
and there would be a $60 months, how does the cus-
call out fee to repair them. tomer feel if the product fails
When we informed her that on the first day of the thir-
we were under the impres- teenth month?
sion the guarantee was to A guarantee should be more
cover all costs, we were flexible. If a customer is a
informed that it was com- regular client and advocate of
pany policy to cover the your business and a genuine
costs of the repairs, but the lifetime customer then I
client should cover the cost of the re- would treat them differently to
pairer coming out to our premises. a one time customer who you perceive
has abused the guarantee. Each situation
I don’t know about you, but a sure way to should be judged on its merit, not one law
upset a customer is to tell them it is com- for all customers. Your team should be
pany policy. She continued to inform us it empowered to make a judgment and you
was only $60 and the rest would be cov- should support them on that judgment,
 Newsletter #259 Page 5

even if you would have tackled the situa- calls, then you must If you are looking for prac-
tion in a different way. ask yourself, “Are the
sales people providing tical retail resources,
Most of us have been on both the retailer’s enough information at check out John Stanley’s
side of the fence and the customer’s side the start of the proc- web site at
of the fence when it comes to guarantee ess?”. I am always
stories, ask yourself what annoys you as a coming across situa-
tions where it is rare JohnStanleyRetailGuru.com
consumer and then look at your own policy
sense to me, but I am
Consider the following points told, by the salesper- Some of the things you
I would argue that everyone of your team son, it is common will find are:
sense and therefore
should be empowered to make a decision
they do not need to in- - book reviews
up to the value of the average sale per
customer. Many customers get frustrated form the customer of - interviews with experts
when the “boss” has to be called over for that detail. But, we on hot retail topics
what should be a minor issue. The team have also seen cus- - John’s latest articles
member losses credibility in the eyes of tomers do some crazy
the customer and the customer often does things because they
not complain due to the time it takes to get have not had the same common
some action. sense. Common sense only becomes
common once you have experienced a
situation and grown comfortable and
You should have a policy, but do not use
familiar with it.
this as a tool against the customer. Train
the team to be more diplomatic and to
show some empathy to the customer. A I work with many companies where
comment like “I know how you feel” can they only promote the guarantee at the
defuse a situation very easily as long as it point of sale. I would be promoting the
is said genuinely. guarantee around the store. It should
be a point of difference over your com-
petitor and something that should be
Always support the team in front of the
promoted as a positive and that you
customer. I know of one business where
are proud of the guarantee you are
the owner insists the team abide by the
offering.
company policy, but if he is brought into
the scenario with the customer, he always
backs down and gives into the customer, If customers come back to complain,
to keep them happy. The result is the staff make sure your team look on this as a
are left to look foolish in front of the cus- compliment and that the customer ca-
tomer, they lose respect for the owner and res enough about your business to let
the turnover of staff is higher than the you know. It is more common for peo-
norm for this retail sector. ple to not complain, they just do not
come back to your business. Com-
plaints are a gift to you and you should
If you are getting a lot of complaints or re-
treat them accordingly. The important
thing is that you use them as lessons
If you missed John Stanley’s Work- to improve your business.
shop at the Ontario Fruit & Veggie
Look on the guarantee as a positive
Convention in St. Catharines in marketing tool for your business, but
February, there are audio CDs avail- do make sure the team know how to
able of the day long workshop. Con- handle customers when they re-
tact the OFFMA office, cost is spond to a guarantee query.
$40 + HST.
 Page 6 Fresh Facts

Conflict is for the Birds!

-by Gayle Oudech, Centre for Conflict Resolution

Unresolved workplace and family conflict costs Hummingbirds, finding middle ground allows
business millions of dollars a year in lost pro- everyone to “get” something in the situation.
ductivity. Companies spend even more money While it may not be the perfect solution, it’s
to curb it. But the fact of the matter is that “good enough” so that everyone can move
Thechallenge conflict is part of everyday life; we need to
recognize it and manage it – not avoid it.
on.

is to There’s no one right way to approach conflict.

The good news is that conflict can be re- Each style has its uses and its challenges.
consciously solved. The key is in your approach. How How do we decide which approach to take?
decide how to we respond to conflict will either escalate
the conflict or enable us to resolve the First, consider what’s important. Is this a
approach situation. There are five different ap- situation where the outcome is vital? Is the
proaches to conflict that you can take: type of relationship you have with the other
conflict. person important in the long run? The Wood-
The Woodpecker: Woodpeckers are clear pecker is a task-oriented approach. The Para-
on what needs to be done to resolve the situa- keet is more relationship-oriented. And if the
tion and will hammer away at their point until answer is that both the relationship and the
the other person agrees. Woodpeckers don’t task are important, then the Owl or Humming-
need to waste a lot of time on the niceties. bird approach is most appropriate. Deciding
Their concern is getting the other party to see between these two approaches will depend
things their way. on how much time you have. Is the conflict
worthy of a significant time investment? Or do
The Parakeet: Parakeets are focused on the you need a quick fix so you can move on?
relationship at risk in conflict. They are willing And then there are those conflicts that are not
to concede the point, so long as the relation- important at any level – that’s when the Os-
ship remains intact. Parakeets are likely to use trich approach is the most appropriate.
humour to lighten the moment or to insist that
the situation isn’t as dire as the other person Secondly, consider the other person’s style.
may think. You may have adopted an approach that is
appropriate to the situation but, because of
The Owl: Owls move slowly through conflict the way the other person is responding, you
because they want to are not able to resolve the situation. If your
make sure that they un- approach isn’t working because of their style,
derstand all aspects of consider what approach you can take that will
the situation, have heard allow you to work things out.
all pertinent information,
and have properly com- The challenge is to consciously decide how to
municated their perspec- approach conflict. Generally, the conflict man-
tive. They want to make agement style we use is simply a habit we’ve
sure that the solution is developed. Whether it is because that’s how
what’s best for every- our family dealt with conflict, or because
one. Owls are willing to we’ve been influenced by workplace expecta-
take whatever time is tions, we become so used to dealing with
required to work through conflict in a certain way that it happens with-
the conflict. out thinking. We’re on autopilot. Sometimes it
works for us, but other times it doesn’t. And
The Ostrich: Ostriches prefer to stick their the result is a debilitating, energy-consuming,
heads in the sand and pretend that conflict heart-wrenching, conflict situation.
doesn’t exist. They will ignore or avoid potential
conflict situations – to the point of physically But conflicts don’t need to be destructive ex-
leaving the room if that’s what is required. periences. When we make a conscious and
deliberate choice about how to approach a
The Hummingbird: Hummingbirds want to work conflict situation, we find that conflicts can be
things out quickly. They willingly create options resolved.
for resolution and are open to negotiation. For
 Newsletter #259 Page 7

Raspberries-handy reference
It’s raspberry season and people are looking for this tasty treat. Help your cus-
tomers make an informed purchasing decision with these RASPBERRY FACTS.

Miscellaneous Facts
Do you think you know your raspberries? Test your knowledge against these
quick facts:
 Raspberries can be either red, purple, gold or black in colour. Golden rasp-
berries are sweeter than the other varieties.
 The difference between raspberries and blackberries is that raspberries have
a hollow core in the middle while blackberries do not.
 There are over 200 species of raspberries.
 When picking raspberries, look for berries that are firm and dark in col-
our. They should not be soft or mushy. Gently pull on the berry; if it does not
come off easily then leave it on the bush, as the berry is not ripe enough yet.
 Once raspberries have been picked, they won't ripen any further.
2 pints (4 cups) of raspberries are needed for a 9” pie.

Health Facts
Everyone wants to eat healthier, and here's a food that is tasty and good for you
as well! The medical benefits of raspberries include:
 They do not have any fat, saturated fat, sodium or cholesterol.
 They are high in fiber. Half to one pound of raspberries per day can provide
twenty to thirty grams of fiber which is adequate for an adult’s daily nutrition
requirement.
 Raspberries are high in vitamin C, they contain about 50% of the recom-
mended daily allowance of vitamin C.
 Raspberries are high in potassium and folate.
 They are low in calories, approximately 64 per cup.
 They can help lower high blood pressure.
 Raspberries contain a natural substance called ellagic acid,
which exhibits antiproliferative and antioxidant properties.
 Raspberries have an anti-inflammatory property that may help
to reduce inflammation of the joints.

Food Facts
Raspberries can be used in a variety of food dishes. If you know someone
who doesn't like to eat fruit, simply add raspberries to the dish.
They taste great and the person won't even think about the
fact that they are eating fruit. Some of the food dishes
that raspberries can be used in include:
 They can be made into sauces (for poultry or
desserts), jams or jellies.
 They can be eaten fresh, either plain or on top
of food choices such as yogurt, ice cream, cereal
or salads.
 They can be baked in pies, cakes, breads or muffins.
 They can be in drinks, such as smoothies or punches.
 Page 8 Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
June 17 & 18 Comprehensive Elderberry Conference & Farm Tour, Jefferson City &
Hartsburg, Missouri For more info contact terry Durham at 573-999-3034
or visit riverhillsharvest.com
July 13 Social Media Workshop, Kemptville College, contact Cathy Bartolic at
905-841-9278
Ontario Farm Fresh
August 10 Annual Potluck Social at Whitty Farms, St. Catharines
Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director
2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9 Sept. 14-16 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ON, visit
Phone: 905-841-9278
Fax: 905-726-3369 www.outdoorfarmshow.com for more info.
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ontariofarmfresh.com Sept. 21-25 International Plowing Match, St. Thomas, Elgin County, for additional info
go to www.ipm2010.com
2010-11 OFFMA Board of Directors
Amy Strom, President Sept. 22-24 20th Annual National Compost Conference, Crowne Plaza, Ottawa, ON
Strom’s Farm
Jesse Lauzon, Vice President Oct. 6 & 7 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, International Centre, Toronto, ON
Springridge Farm Visit canadiangreenhouseconference.com for further info
Mark Saunders, Past President
Saunders Farm Oct. 20-23 International Maple Syrup Institute and the North American Maple Syrup
Paul Brooks, Brooks Farms
Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider
Council Annual Meeting, Arden Park Hotel, Stratford. For additional details,
Anne Just, Kurtz Orchards visit www.northamericanmaple.org/index.php/annual-meeting
Marg Land, Annex Publishing
(Associate Member) Nov. 5-14 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON Watch for
Colleen Pingle, Pingle’s Farm Market details at www.royalfair.org
Geri Rounds, Rounds Ranch
Steve Smith, Smith’s Apples Nov. 7-9 Bus Tour in Central Ontario, contact Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278
Dorene Collins, OMAFRA
(Advisor to the Board) Dec. 3 Haygrove Tunnel Conference, Lancaster, PA. Visit haygrove.com or call
1-866-HAYGROVE for additional information.
April 4-7, 2011 Bus Tour to UK, contact Cathy Bartolic at 905-841-9278

July 31st is the 8th annual Canada Food Day

Food Day is a national celebration of restaurateurs, suppliers, growers, farmers
and citizens joining together to show the world the depth and breadth of Canada
as a culinary nation.

Food Day is the time and place for Canadians to share their food and their stories
with each other while leading other nations in cultural diversity, food ethics,
magnificent flavours … and fun!

Food Day was founded by renowned culinary activist, educator, and writer Anita
Anita Stewart, Stewart. “Food Day is a showcase of my life’s work”, says Stewart in a recent
Food Day Founder interview. Since 1983, she has been traveling Canada’s vast expanse, identifying
and writing about Canada’s essential nature as a regionally diverse food nation.
Before “local, regional, seasonal” was in vogue, she was visiting the country inns, farm markets, First Na-
tions and lighthouses of Canada. Today, many of our top food leaders credit her with influencing their style
and philosophy. Stewart has 14 books to her name and hundreds of articles published in all major Canadian
news and food publications.

Plan an event at your market to celebrate...visit www.Foodday.ca if you need some inspiration.