Step It Up...today for tomorrow!

Wednesday and Thursday
February 18 -19, 2009
Black Knight Inn, Red Deer, Alberta

Registration Form

Co-hosted by:
Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association
& Alberta Farmers' Market Association

Step it Up 2009 will be two days packed with enthusiasm and information which will tickle your senses, gear you up for the exciting season ahead and plant some seeds for the future! Conference sessions have been developed for farm direct marketers, farmers' market managers, vendors and supporters. If you are an old hand, a newcomer or considering opportunities, Step It Up is for you!

Conference Agenda

Wednesday, February 18

9:00 am | Continental Breakfast & Registration
9:00 am - 4:30 pm | Exhibit Hours
10:00 am | Step It Up Conference Opens
10:30-11:30 am | Opening Keynote Address
Jane Eckert, Eckert Agri-Marketing, St Louis, MO

"Knowing the Direction You are Heading Will Grow Healthy Profits"

Most farmers and farmers’ market managers today are familiar with using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to lay out the farm fields or to reach an address by car.

Now, marketing consultant Jane Eckert realizes that there is also a GPS for laying out your business path to achieve healthy profits. In both cases, GPS is essential to tell you how to reach your desired destination.

Recognized with the Hall of Fame Award in 2008 by the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association for her knowledge of the industry, keynoter Jane Eckert will be talking about a different GPS system for direct farm marketing, and how you can use this technology to keep your business headed in the right direction!

11:30 am-12:30 pm | Lunch and Alberta Farmers' Market Association Annual General Meeting
1:00-2:30 pm | Sessions A & B

Session A - Jane Eckert "Today's Town Square - The Internet"

A website isn't just important, it's mandatory for a successful farm marketer. In today's world, this is the new "town square" for meeting your customers and telling them about your produce and activities on the farm. A well-designed site can make a big difference in cash flow, whether you use it to sell products or to promote on-farm events. Beginning with a specific identification of your target audience, this session will look at online examples that enable you to define step by step what elements successfully give your customers what they want to see. You'll also learn some of the most important writing and design tricks you should know to help your website place higher on search engine rankings.

Finally, Jane Eckert will share with you effective e-newsletters, and how you can target your messages to your loyal and best customers. This session is designed to put your business as the "talk of the town."

Session B - Brent Warner on Cross-Canada Farmers' Market Research

Brent Warner of Victoria, BC, Executive Director (Interim) with Farmers' Markets Canada, will share the results of the cross-Canada research conducted on farmers' markets and farmers' market customers. Brent will share how Alberta compares to the rest of Canada and will also talk about the trends and opportunities in farmers' markets as a result of this research.

2:30-3:00 pm | Coffee Break, Networking, Visit Exhibits
3:00-4:30 pm | Sessions C & D

Session C - Farmers' Markets: Issues & Briefs Join a panel discussion on a variety of topics pertinent to farmers' market managers and vending. Marie Beliveau with Alberta Health and Wellness will talk about food safety in our farmers' markets from a public health perspective. Bill Zurawell from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will share the latest information on food labelling and nutrition guidelines. Brent Andressen, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, will talk about his Seed to Salad program. This program helps bridge the urban-rural divide with school children.

Session D - Communicate, Cooperate, Collaborate

This lively panel will certainly stimulate your imagination and pique your curiosity! We've tied together three different entrepreneurs from three distinctly different areas in Alberta! Each panel member will weave a key to success story focusing on communication, cooperation and collaboration. Panel members include:

Jessie Radies of Original Fare dot com and owner of The Blue Pear Restaurant, Edmonton. Original Fare is a select group of independent restaurants committed to promoting, preserving and protecting culinary diversity. Original Fare restaurants are avid supporters of regional cuisine and local products. Jessie will share thoughts about local foods, branding and the ins and outs of dealing with restaurants.

Heather Porrill, Bay Tree, AB is a founding member of Learn Agrifood Network, board member of the Branding the Peace Country Association, farm direct marketer and ag tourism operator. Heather owns and operates Star Bright Farm in Bay Tree. Old fashioned gourmet caramels are her specialty! Heather will share first hand collaborative experiences with the Peace Country branding initiative, how it has affected her business and keys to her personal success in branding her products and farm.

Colleen Cyr of The Bloomin' Inn Ranch in Pincher Creek, AB will share her unique farm direct marketing perspectives. Bloomin' Inn is an award winning Centennial Ranch which features 12 rooms, with accommodations for up to 43 guests. It's also the home of High Country Meats, selling meats naturally raised at Bloomin' Inn Ranch; The Pantry, an in-house farm store selling Alberta food products; Our Country Store and a Scrapbooking Store. This diverse operation communicates, cooperates and collaborates!

6:00 pm | Banquet and Evening Program
The Power of the Land features some of the Peace Country's finest visual artists, writers and musicians who combine narrative, poetry, music and visual imagery to create a story about the land that will touch you in ways that you may not expect.

Award Presentations: The Honourable George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been invited to attend and present the Industry awards.

Thursday, February 19

8:00 am | Continental Breakfast, Networking, Visit Exhibits
8:30 am - 4:00 pm | Exhibit Hours
9:00 am | Step It Up Conference Opens
9:30-11:30 am | Round Table Discussion

Don't miss the opportunity to share ideas, network and learn from experts! These round table discussions promise to be a highlight of the conference, giving delegates the opportunity share success stories, make new friends, solve problems and take home scores of profitable ideas!

11:30 am-12:30 pm | Lunch and Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association Annual General Meeting

1:00-1:45 pm | Keynote address
Jim Hole of Hole's Greehnouses and Gardens

"Building Customer Loyalty & Beyond"

Jim will share his thoughts on achieving top notch customer service, building customer loyalty and developing connections. He will also talk about the future of Hole's and their new facility.

Jim Hole is everyman’s gardener. He works nearby at his family’s greenhouse and garden centre in St. Albert, where he divides his time between writing about what he does and doing what he writes about. Explaining what makes plants tick is Jim’s specialty, and he does it without ever losing sight of the beauty and wonder that make gardening enjoyable. In addition to writing bestselling books, weekly newspaper columns and a twice-yearly magazine.

Jim’s current challenge is the relocation of Hole’s Greenhouses to a new state-of-the-art, environmentally sensitive facility next to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park—the first of its kind in North America. To read more from Jim Hole, visit www.enjoygardening.com.

1:45-2:00 pm | Coffee Break, Networking
2:00 pm | Closing remarks and Conference Wrap up

Delegates from last year said...

"All in all, I found the conference awesome!!

Great speakers, great people, great planning committee. Thank you for having me!

"Even if I have heard the messages before, I think a conference forces us to stop and analyze our business and even gives an opportunity to redirect, recharge. I find I 'hear' the message differently and respond differently depending on 'at what point we are in our business."

"Great to combine two associations for this conference."

"This year's conference was excellent!"

"Networking is so important, there could be more in a day!"

"Great time!"

Register today!

Registration Deadline

Early bird registration deadline is Jan. 28, 2009. Early birds have an opportunity to win one of two great prizes! See registration form for details. The final deadline for registration is February 11, 2009. Registration fees may be paid by cheque, money order, Visa or Mastercard. Fees are non-refundable.

Complete the  registration form.

Please make cheques/money orders payable to:

Alberta Farmers' Market Association (AFMA) and mail to:

Gwen Flipsen, Making Cents
15007 - 133 Street NW,
Edmonton, AB T6V 1K9

or...
Phone: 780-482-7622 Fax: 1-866-736-5619 E-mail: gwen@albertamarkets.com

Accommodations

The Black Knight Inn features 98 spacious rooms throughout their newly renovated interior.

The Black Knight Inn is located at 2929-50 Ave., Red Deer. Reservations must be made by directly contacting The Black Knight Inn, Red Deer. Please use the booking reference number 29569 when making reservations. Standard rooms are $120 per night plus GST and taxes. A block of rooms has been reserved until Jan. 16, 2009.

Call 403-343-6666 or 1-800-661-8793 and make your reservation today!

NAFDMA 2009 conference

The 2009 Networking Association for Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism (NAFDMA) Convention will meet February 1-7 in Historic Savannah, Georgia. Go to their website to find out more.

 Awards 

Best Practices Awards

Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for the Best Practices Awards. Three customized business development packages valued at $10,000 each will be awarded to three applicants who submit their business plan for a new and innovative idea that will add value, diversify or strengthen their existing farm business. The application deadline is 4 p.m. on January 8, 2009.  

In addition to a chance to win a Best Practices Award, all applicants will receive a free registration to the AgChoices 2009 Conference, where the three Grand Prize winners will be profiled.  The conference will be held Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at the Capri Centre in Red Deer.  Be sure to attend the conference to experience big ideas and celebrate the spirit of innovation!

Go to www.agriculture.alberta.ca/renewal for more information or call the Ag-Info Centre at  1-800-387-6030 for an application and details.

This program is funded through the Agricultural Policy Framework, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative that aims to make Canada the leader in food safety, innovation and environmentally responsible agriculture production.

Market Motivator of the Year Award!

ENTER TO WIN!!

If you currently publish a market or vendor newsletter, here’s your chance to be rewarded for this priceless market communication! Enter your market newsletter today to win the MARKET MOTIVATOR AWARD!  The winner will be announced at the STEP IT UP CONFERENCE 2009. Send one copy of your newsletter to:

Darlene Cavanaugh

Alberta Farmers' Market Association

Room 201, 7000 - 113 Street

Edmonton, AB T6H 5T6

Or by Fax: (780) 422-7755

Submission deadline: December 1st, 2008

Market Manager of the Year Award

Nominate your Manager Now!

In order to nominate your manager for the Manager of the Year award to be announced at the step it up conference in February, 2009, download the nomination form and send it in.

Nomination deadline is December 1st, 2008.

2007 Awards

Market Manager of the Year Award

We know that Alberta has some of the best farmers’ market managers to be found and thanks to the sponsorship of the Co-operators Leduc Branch, AFMA honoured the 4th Annual Award to not 1, but 2 Alberta Approved Farmers' Market Managers. 

 The 2008 Market Manager of the Year Award was awarded to two outstanding Managers - Ann Toderian of the Rycroft Farmers’ Market and Cornell Rusnak of the Beverly Towne Farmers’ Market in Edmonton

Market Motivator Award

We know that some of our Alberta Approved Farmers’ Markets use newsletters to communicate important information with their vendors. AFMA acknowledges the farmers’ markets that use this handy tool by running this annual contest.

Congratulations to Doreen Gunderson, Medicine Hat Farmers’ Market for creating a fantastic newsletter called “Vendor Vittles”