Farm Markets - January Newsletter
Farmers' Markets of Nova Scotia (FMNS)
2010-2011 development program is now underway.
Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia Cooperative Ltd
Newsletter for producers, January 2010
Hello Everyone, Happy New Year !
Thanks to the support of the NS Dept of Agriculture, the NS Co-operative Council, and the NS Federation of Agriculture, FMNS is pleased to announce that our 2010-2011 development program is now underway.
The program will allow FMNS to provide full support to a limited number of groups of direct sale producers or managers who want to pursue a business development opportunity that will strengthen the NS local food economy.
Because available funding is limited, we will concentrate on working with groups of people with a mutual-interest project related to:
• Producer business development
• Member market development
• Product development and / or marketing
Support for the groups chosen will include the services of a coordinator, and access as needed to specialists in such things as project and business development, accounting, marketing and fundraising.
Producers or managers in groups chosen for the first year of the program will be enabled to fully participate, regardless of their location, schedules, or access to the Internet.
The first step in service delivery will be to identify the groups who will participate.
FMNS is now open to email or fax applications that only need to include the names, business names and contact information of the people in each group, and a brief description of their objective. Send to: Don Black, coord@nsfarmersmarkets.ca, or by fax to: (902) 425-0632.
To start with, maximum group size is seven people. At least three in each group should be direct sale primary agricultural producers. Beyond that, groups can include primary producers who are not currently in any member market, and secondary producers.
From the applications, and in consideration of the available funding, FMNS will choose the first participant groups, and meet with them as soon as possible. We will keep in touch with all applicants.
NOTE: the funding agreements that will make this program possible are not yet finalized. We are asking for these applications now in order to put the details in place that will allow us to do that.
This is a one-year pilot project to use the limited amount of funding we have, to prove a delivery system that will serve more groups as time goes on. FMNS will choose the groups, and arrange the delivery system, so that the groups we choose have the greatest chance of achieving their objectives.
Our goal is to make them successful, so more groups will have access to real help as we continue to work together to build the infrastructure that supports the growing NS direct sale local food economy.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Cheers.
Don Black, Coordinator
Farmers' Markets of Nova Scotia Cooperative Ltd
(902) 425-9776
nsfarmersmarkets.ca