NEW! Online Marketing Tip Sheets
Looking to create or improve your online marketing? Download one of these four tip sheets for pointers and guidance. They're full of useful tips and real-life experiences from local farmers.

Looking for more help? Local Hero members can call Program Director Kelly Coleman for one-on-one consultation at 413-665-7100.

Creating a farm Web site
Online Stores
Blogs
Email Newsletters

Tip Sheets for Farm Businesses: Marketing to Enhance Farm Viability CISA's series of marketing tip sheets, "Marketing to Enhance Farm Viability," provides valuable information on a variety of topics for growers and agricultural businesses. The tip sheets include information from our work with Local Hero members and the expertise of experienced farmers, including several active in the Women in Agriculture Network. New tip sheets will be added over time; to suggest a topic, email Program Director Margaret Christie. Tip sheets can be downloaded here: Tip Sheets in Color Customer Service Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm Merchandising Using Paid Advertising as Part of a Marketing Plan Working with the Media: Public Relations and Publicity Workshops and Classes as a Marketing Strategy Tip Sheets in Black & White Customer Service Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm Merchandising Using Paid Advertising as Part of a Marketing Plan Working with the Media: Public Relations and Publicity Workshops and Classes as a Marketing Strategy

Technical Assistance for Local Hero members

CISA offers technical assistance to farmers as well as the general public. We focus on marketing and business management as risk management tools. Technical assistance is provided through special programs, workshops, one-on-one training sessions, farm visits, and referrals. We’ve created and hosted workshops on a wide range of topics from farm transfer to agritourism; farm stand merchandising and display to writing press releases. Select from the links below to learn more about CISA's technical assistance activities.

Women in Agriculture
Agritourism
Grass-fed Beef Marketing Cooperative
Agricultural Commissions
Consulting Services

Workshops and trainings

Winter Workshop Series on Selling to Restaurants, Retailers, and Institutions

Selling directly to restaurants, retailers and institutions can be a great way to expand your business and develop a reliable customer base. This workshop series is designed to help farmers respond to the unique challenges in reaching out to and maintaining relationships with direct wholesale purchasers. Local Hero members pay $6/per workshop or $15 for the series; non-members pay $12/workshop or $30 for the series. Dinner is provided.

Building Direct Wholesale Relationships. Feb 25, 6:30-8:30pm at the CISA office. Come learn how to approach and begin selling to restaurateurs, retailers, and institutional purchasers. Alden Booth from The Peoples’ Pint, Gary Colec and Chris Cavallari from Serio’s Market, and Matt Perpetua from Baystate Health will provide their perspectives on buying directly from farmers. Please register with Claire by February 20th.

Packing, Labeling and Handling Standards. March 10, 6:30-8:30pm. Standards for packing, handling, delivering, and labeling products for direct wholesale can be less flexible than for other markets. This workshop will focus on those logistical details of selling directly to wholesale customers.

Pricing, Invoicing and Record-Keeping. March 24, 6:30-8:30pm. Learn how to price your product in a way that is competitive but realistic about your costs. Also learn how to develop strong invoicing and record-keeping systems, which is vital to keeping direct wholesale relationships going smoothly.

Stay tuned for details, and contact Claire at claire@buylocalfood.com or 665-7100, ext 16 with questions and to RSVP.

Most CISA workshops are open to the public; Local Hero members are admitted free or at a reduced cost. Many workshops take place between November and April which is most farmers’ slower season.

To suggest a workshop topic email Program Director
Margaret Christie.

Read how USDA income insurance can help small diversified farmers survive disasters, crop failures, marketing problems and more. Click here.

Thank you to FarmAid for its generous support of our technical assistance programs.