Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: December 27, 2007

Learn Marketing and Promotions at Farmers’ Market Workshop

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Beginning in Feb. 2008, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), in conjunction with the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association and AgriMissouri™, will be holding statewide farmers’ market workshops focused on marketing and promoting farmers’ markets and information on starting a market in Missouri communities. 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,” said Katie Smith, director of MDA. “Missouri’s agriculture is an economic engine for the state’s economy and farmers’ markets are an essential part of agriculture. These workshops will benefit markets by showing the proven do’s and dont’s 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

For more information or 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.

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