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Agriculture>Northwest Colorado Branding Project>Idea Garden
Idea Garden
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| Web/Internet Marketing |
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Start distributing local products via the web at wholesale level, decreasing the need for a retail outlet, staff and more.
Set up a website with inventory (that's modified as eggs, meat, etc. come in) that retail outlets can use to order local products. This consolidates the products available in one "go to" location and could possibly be run from a central "warehouse" area with one inventory/order taker and one distribution/delivery person.
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| Agricultural/Food Products and Arts/Crafts Products |
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Concept is to link artisan/crafts products with ag/food products but keep them as two separate entities and identities.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2005
Contact: Jim Rubingh (303) 239-4114
Grants Available for Ag Processing Studies
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Local governments can receive up to $15,000 to help
private enterprises in their areas. The Colorado Agricultural Value Added
Development (CAVAD) program is offering these grants to help Colorado
companies find ways to add value to their commodities and determine the
potential of expanding new agricultural processing operations.
"The purpose of this program is to help add value to agricultural products
produced in Colorado," said Jim Rubingh, director of the Markets Division at
the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "Selling value-added products is
often more profitable for the producer, and it helps to create more jobs."
Local governments apply for the grants on behalf of the companies, so
private enterprises should approach their local government with an idea to
add value to an agricultural product. The CAVAD Board reviews all
applications and selects grant recipients. The money can be used to finance
research on management, marketing, financing and processing.
The application deadline is March 31, 2005, and $50,000 is available. For an
application form and guidelines, contact the Colorado Department of
Agriculture Markets Division at (303) 239-4114 or visit
www.coloradoagriculture.com.
CAVAD was created to help facilitate the processing of agricultural products
and commodities within the state and to serve as a resource for the state's
agricultural industry. Administered by the Colorado Department of
Agriculture, CAVAD was established in 2001 and is led by a board of seven
individuals who are appointed by the state legislature and the Governor.
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Linh Truong
Colorado Department of Agriculture
Director of Communications
700 Kipling St., #4000
Lakewood, CO 80215-8000
(303) 239-4190
fax (303) 239-4176
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| Farm Viability Programs--Jay Healey |
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[From Marcy Allen] I sent a email to a gentleman that kept appearing when I searched for
working landscapes. He recently presented at the American Farmland Trust
conference. Well it turns out that he was the former Ag commissioner for
Mass (I know CJ, an east coaster!) He call me back and had some interesting
info.
He started something called the Farm Viability Programs, funds for this were
secured through a state bond money that was set aside for PDR. He went to
the legislature with this Farm Viability program, and got approval to use
20% of the PDR bonds money.
The program works like this.
A farmer/ rancher, has a value added or new business idea, they apply to the
program. When they are accepted they work with the state on a business plan.
The state used both private and Mentoring programs to assist in the writing
of the business plans.
If the farmer and state are happy with the business plan they can sign a
short term contract, 5-10 years, to not develop their land. Upon signing
this they receive 20-40 thousand dollars a year to apply towards this plan.
The difference between this and a PDR program is that the money must be
spent on the plan hence in the community.
Of 250 farms served by this program over the last 10 years only one farm has
closed!
A lot of these farms use this money as seed money to secure big bank loans!
This is a large problem for mass farmers as many of the banks that they are
going to have no agriculture knowledge and are looking for the seed money.
I thought this was a creative way to keep money in the community, preserve
the landscape, and save the farms.
He now holds workshops across the country to help train people to do
business plan etc, and is training trainers too.
His contact info is
Jay Healy, President
Hall Tavern Farm, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
(413) 625-9008 FAX (413) 625-9753 jhealy6387@aol.com
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This concept is develop an "expo" or gathering with all the local producers of products with local restaurants, retail and other to sample what's being raised in our area and its availability.
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| Local Products Benefit Dinner |
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A gala type dinner in which all locally raised products and crafts are featured, from the meat to potatoes to wine/beer.
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[from Lyman Orton]
I came across this producer by an ad in Westword Newspaper. http://www.lgbeef.com/index.html. Have we searched for all Colorado grass-raised beef outfits? Probably should so we know what they are all doing. I can see, if this becomes popular, that everyone will be featuring grass raised beef, even the supermarkets. I note this site claims grass raised and finished.
Doug told me he finishes his Highlanders with grain for three weeks. Both are dry aging.
The story is longer new but at least there is a baseline of standards and marketing. CJ, is there something about the grass in Northwest Colorado (I heard you say it was high in protein) that would make it better, different, special? How much does it vary from say Craig to Steamboat? This might start to look like cheeses and wines; different flavors, style, texture from different regions.
I don't have Doug's email yet so you might pass this on. It seems to me one goal would be to create a NW Colorado grass-raised beef-yak,highlander, etc. strategy that would identify what it would take to make a significant difference. We don't have to invent this all and hopefully CSU already has some information. The trick is making it distinctive and of very high quality.
I suggest our next meeting might be to gather everyone who may be interested in this after gathering more information. Then we can have separate meetings for the soap and jewelry folks, another for grain growers, another for sheep.
What about grain grown here? Could that grain be fed to finish "beef"? That in itself is another marketing story.
Thoughts?
By the way, how about setting up blogs for interest groups?
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This page last updated on 2/7/2005.
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