Beginning in February, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Missouri Farmers' Market Association and AgriMissouri, will be holding statewide farmers' market workshops focused on marketing and promoting farmers' markets. The workshops will be open to market masters, vendors and those interested in starting a farmers' market in their local community.
"Farmers' markets are great avenues for Missouri producers to sell their fresh produce to consumers across our state," says Katie Smith, director of MDA. "These workshops will benefit markets by showing the proven do's and don'ts of farmers' markets."
Missouri offers consumers more than 130 farmers' markets across the state that provides consumers fresh, local food. Markets are popular with farmers moving towards direct marketing of their products and with beginning farmers and immigrant farmers.
The Farmers' Market Workshops will be held in five counties across the state. The schedule is as follows:
* Tuesday, Feb. 26 -- St. Charles County Extension, St. Peters.
* Wednesday, Feb. 27 --Cape Girardeau County Extension, Jackson.
* Thursday, Feb. 28 -- Springfield Library Center, Springfield.
* Monday, March 3 --Cole County Extension Office, Jefferson City.
* Tuesday, March 4 -- Adair County Extension Office, Kirksville.
* Wednesday, March 5 -- Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Kansas City.
FYI
To obtain a registration form, contact Lane McConnell, marketing specialist with MDA, at (573) 751-4339 or Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov.
Informational brochures and registration forms can also be found at www.agrimissouri.com or www.mofarmersmarket.blogspot.com.