Source:  NCDA&CS, 3/3/10

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Marketing Division will hold a one-day workshop Wednesday, April 21, that will focus on boosting traffic and sales at farmers markets and also include management tips for markets.

“A Successful Season” will be held from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Western N.C. Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Cost is $25 and covers materials and lunch. The deadline for registering is April 14. The class is expected to fill up quickly, so early registration is advised.

“More and more consumers are looking for locally grown products and we are seeing more interest on many levels in farmers markets,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This workshop is designed for vendors and market managers of existing farmers markets, growers interested in selling at farmers markets and community leaders interested in starting a market.”

Topics to be covered include maintaining good vendor relations, updates on good agricultural practices, sales-tax collections for value-added products, liability insurance, regulations on homemade products, using Women, Infant and Children vouchers and Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, customer service, product presentation, point-of-sale merchandising, and creating and maintaining market bylaws.

For more information or a registration form, go to www.ncagr.gov/markets/agbizmarketing.htm, or call Annette Dunlap in the NCDA&CS Marketing Division at (919) 733-7887, ext. 257.