source: Farm and Food Report
The future looks as promising as it ever has for organic producers, which could partly account for the success of the first two editions of the Organic Update. But this year’s offering, scheduled to take place at the Prairie Ursuline Centre in Bruno on February 22 and 23, has something special cooking in the oven — so to speak.
Don Perrault is an Agri-Business Development Specialist with SAFRR in Prince Albert:
“We have gradually been building a network of growers and organic agri-entrepreneurs with obviously common interests over the years. And this year, we are testing the waters to find out if there is enough interest among them to use the Prairie Ursuline Centre as a long-term use organic education centre.”
Building capacity and making more training available within the industry seems increasingly to gain favour as a priority among industry stakeholders. Judging by the 100 or so Organic Update participants who braved a blizzard last year to attend the event in Melfort, the interest appears to be there.
The Organic Update combines a first day of general and technical information on topics like organic standards, soil ecology, how to prepare for crop inspections, Agricultural Policy Framework renewal programs, and a basic orientation on marketing for new growers or marketers. A trade show, organized in tandem with the meetings, adds a further dimension to the event.
“This year, for the first time, we are also planning to have a fully organic supper at the end of day one,” adds Perrault. “For this meal, we seek out local ingredients as much as possible. It gets everyone in a fine mood for the following bear pit session. But the second day is seriously geared toward marketing, with more in-depth sessions. Let’s face it: making it as an organic producer often hinges on how expert you are at marketing your products.”
As more and more conventional producers look for alternatives, organics look very attractive. With markets that grow on average 15 to 20 per cent a year, organic producers are doing reasonably well when compared to others.
“This is a fairly young industry,”explains Perrault, “with lots of opportunities in terms of retail sales, and the cost of entering new markets is not as high as in other more established markets. This is why the industry is attractive, and why there is a need for more education and marketing skills training.”
Something the Organic Update addresses with program topics like the Theory of Marketing presentation by University of Saskatchewan Agricultural Economics Professor Tom Porter.
Lawyer Craig Zawada will tell producers what they need to know about production contracts in another session.
Later, Melanie Boldt of Pineview Farms in Osler — a 2004 Outstanding Young Farmer — will talk about marketing one’s farm in today’s economy.
Ian Cushon, an organic producer from Oxbow, will make a presentation on developing a market plan for grain commodities, and Glen Millard, a specialist on international finance and logistics with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, will talk about risk management and export marketing.
Getting paid for your crop is very important, but learning how to open new markets and tapping into them is just as crucial to being successful. That is what Organic Update 2005 is all about.
For more information, contact:
Don Perrault
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 953-2361
Leroy Bader
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 878-8841
The future looks as promising as it ever has for organic producers, which could partly account for the success of the first two editions of the Organic Update. But this year’s offering, scheduled to take place at the Prairie Ursuline Centre in Bruno on February 22 and 23, has something special cooking in the oven — so to speak.
Don Perrault is an Agri-Business Development Specialist with SAFRR in Prince Albert:
“We have gradually been building a network of growers and organic agri-entrepreneurs with obviously common interests over the years. And this year, we are testing the waters to find out if there is enough interest among them to use the Prairie Ursuline Centre as a long-term use organic education centre.”
Building capacity and making more training available within the industry seems increasingly to gain favour as a priority among industry stakeholders. Judging by the 100 or so Organic Update participants who braved a blizzard last year to attend the event in Melfort, the interest appears to be there.
The Organic Update combines a first day of general and technical information on topics like organic standards, soil ecology, how to prepare for crop inspections, Agricultural Policy Framework renewal programs, and a basic orientation on marketing for new growers or marketers. A trade show, organized in tandem with the meetings, adds a further dimension to the event.
“This year, for the first time, we are also planning to have a fully organic supper at the end of day one,” adds Perrault. “For this meal, we seek out local ingredients as much as possible. It gets everyone in a fine mood for the following bear pit session. But the second day is seriously geared toward marketing, with more in-depth sessions. Let’s face it: making it as an organic producer often hinges on how expert you are at marketing your products.”
As more and more conventional producers look for alternatives, organics look very attractive. With markets that grow on average 15 to 20 per cent a year, organic producers are doing reasonably well when compared to others.
“This is a fairly young industry,”explains Perrault, “with lots of opportunities in terms of retail sales, and the cost of entering new markets is not as high as in other more established markets. This is why the industry is attractive, and why there is a need for more education and marketing skills training.”
Something the Organic Update addresses with program topics like the Theory of Marketing presentation by University of Saskatchewan Agricultural Economics Professor Tom Porter.
Lawyer Craig Zawada will tell producers what they need to know about production contracts in another session.
Later, Melanie Boldt of Pineview Farms in Osler — a 2004 Outstanding Young Farmer — will talk about marketing one’s farm in today’s economy.
Ian Cushon, an organic producer from Oxbow, will make a presentation on developing a market plan for grain commodities, and Glen Millard, a specialist on international finance and logistics with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, will talk about risk management and export marketing.
Getting paid for your crop is very important, but learning how to open new markets and tapping into them is just as crucial to being successful. That is what Organic Update 2005 is all about.
For more information, contact:
Don Perrault
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 953-2361
Leroy Bader
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 878-8841
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