Farm Talk

Gave a presentation to a class of aspiring farmers at the invitation of Dave Alexander, who runs the Everdale Farm Visioning and Planning Courses.  The theme of the presentation was sales and marketing techniques for farmers' market vendors. The idea is to borrow techniques from the world of corporate sales and marketing.

Garlic Giveaway

I've given away several hundred bulbs of garlic this fall, to community gardens in the Toronto Area. Also got several dozen bulbs from garlic farmers at the garlic festival, which were given away.

Garlic Breath Contest Winners Announced

The contest measured contestants for the highest parts per billion of CH3SH (Methanethiol), as measured by the Oral Chroma machine generously donated by Advanced Sensor in Markham, was announced today.
The 1st Place winner of the garlic breath contest is Talla Roushan, who won a $200 gift certificate at the Chefs' House Restaurant in Toronto, generously provided by the Chefs' House.

The contest was officiated by the Ontario Science Centre. Talla had a reading of 20.06 parts per billion.When she got home she made her boyfriend eat garlic too!

The Garlic Breath Super Hero



Anthony Morgan from the Ontario Science Centre



2nd Annual Toronto Garlic Festival

Despite the weather the festival was a great success, with about 2,500 garlic lovers visiting from across the GTA and southern Ontario.

Chef Luis Valenzuela





Garlic Tuna Sashimi





Garlic Farmer Simon de Boer

Tita Flips

Garlic Breath Super Hero

Garlic Farmer Warren Ham

Alchemy Pickle Co and 13 Cloves Garlic

Fusia Dog

Gushi Toronto

Ont Science Centre

The BaconWich





Garlic Chocolate Brownies on Breakfast Television

They were pleasantly surprised.

Don't Stink and Drive

This campaign is running on half of all downtown Toronto streetcars in the four weeks prior to the garlic festival. The idea is to encourage festival visitors to take the free shuttle to the festival. The advert sponsors are Steam Whistle and Tonic Magazine.

Tying the Strings Together

Getting things ready for the final countdown to the garlic festival coming up - this years' festival is more complex than the first year.

Garlic Powder at Bloor Cinema

Toronto Garlic sponsored Garlic Powder is now available at the Bloor Cinema. Our co-sponsor is Augusts Harvest. Warren Ham from Augusts Harvest supplied the garlic powder.

Toronto Garlic Festival Chef Sanjiz Preps a Hakka Chinese Dish for His Demo at Harbourfront

His Chicken Manchuran was fabulous.

Here's My Version of Chicken Manchurian

I made this from Chef Sanjiz recipe (he'll be making this at an upcoming demo at Harbourfront). Pretty good, but I doubt it will be as good as Sanjiz demo.

A spectacular lightning storm - I stepped out from the barn where I was bundling garlic, to snap this shot.

Garlic Harvest

I was late getting some of the garlic harvested. WHen I get down to the last plants it feels immensely gratifying.

Now For Something Different

Dropped in with some friends to a bar that was playing host to a party of science geeks celebrating the live news report of the successful landing of the Mars over.

I'm trying a faster harvesting method this year: Johann is driving over the garlic beds with an attachment that digs about 10" below the soil, lossening the garlic. It is faster, but more garlic is getting bruised than with the forking method.

A garlic elf prepping the garlic for hanging

Monique Pays a Visit

My friend Monique, who was at Whole Circle when I was an intern, drops in while we're prepping garlic.  Monique and I sort of first met at the 2010 Guelph Organic Conference, at a panel discussion, when I questioned the CEO of Stoneyfield Yogurt on their hi sugar content yongurt. He gave me a blah blah answer about helping to avert the problem of building up fertilizers in rivers, but that didn't answer the question about why they put sugar in their yogurt. Anyway, a month later I went to Whole Circle Farm for the first time, to interview for an internship position, and Monique, said, "Hey, you were at the Guelph Conference!"

Sometimes When I'm Harvesting I get Distracted By The Bursting Bulbils

Bulbil Jewellry

Courtney at Whole Circle Farm has plans to create a line of jewellry made with garlic bulbils.

At the Iron Chef Competition the "Secret Ingredient" is...

Garlic! -- at the Harbourfront Iron chef-off, where I talked about the virtues of Ontario garlic while the chefs prepared their dishes. Most of the garlic I brought for the display was pilfered by the contest judges!

A Bird's Nest in the Garlic Patch

I left this area alone, until the chicks matured and left the nest. I hope they like garlic.

Celebrity Chef Elizabeth Rivasplata at Harbourfront Demo Sponsored by Toronto Garlic Festival

Zach from Highmark Farms at ING Bank

More people than I expected forgot about buying shoes to spend some time and buy some produce from Zach, who set up his table at Yonhge and Shuter streets. Despite the high traffic this proved to be not a profitable venture for Zach.

Cookie Roscoe assists Zach

Asian Night Market in Markham

This is giving ideas for the garlic festival....

Dropped in at the Aberfoyle Farmers' Market

Nathan Klassen is one of the great produce vendors at the market.

Winchester Garden Community Centre Members Get To Work

Visiting prospective chefs for the garlic festival

I'm trying to convince Jean and her husband to cook at the garlic festival. I'm hoping that I can sway them with these fresh garlic scapes.

Canada Day Food Demo at Harbourfront

Chef Anne Sorrenti doing a demo for Pizoccheri Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto at Harbourfront, sponsored by Toronto Garlic Festival

This Years' Garlic Recipe Brochure Is Fresh From The Printer

I especially like the recipe "To Dress Eggs with Garlic," from Fort York. The brochure will be distributed to 100 farmers' markets in the GTA and southern Ontario, with help from the Greenbelt Farmers Market Alliance. The other recipe brochure sponsors this year are The Chefs' House and The Big Carrot.

How does your garlic grow?

FARMERS’ MARKET VENDOR SALES TIPS

I created this list of sales tips for the recent Greenbelt Farmers' Market Newsletter.

FARMERS’ MARKET VENDOR SALES TIPS

By Peter McClusky

The sales tips below will both enhance your sales and help your customers to better appreciate
the superior value of your products.
YOUR TABLE
Create a visually cohesive display - Make it easy for passing customers to understand what you sell. Place like products together.
Abundance – Continually re-stock your table to give the impression of abundance. If you're
running low on products, transfer them to smaller containers, so they look full.
Packaging and display – rustic or fancy? When planning your packaging and display,
consider the market where you sell and who your customers are. Selling vegetables out of
cardboard boxes works well, but prepared food products, such as baked goods, may sell better in formal packaging and displays.
Different levels – use inverted baskets or risers to create graduated levels on your table. This
is a better use of your table space, and brings your products closer to your customers' eye level.
Colours – use vibrant colours in different parts of your display to draw the eye to less popular
items. For example, if you sell vegetables, use red bell peppers and tomatoes.
Samples – providing free samples is a great way to acquaint new customers with your products or introduce your current customers to a new product.

EFFECTIVE SIGNAGE AND LABELS
Prices – Show your prices. Customers are more likely to buy if they see a price.
Discourage price comparing - Charge prices that can't easily be compared to the weights and
measures used by supermarkets. For example, sell 200 grams of garlic by the bag, not by
weight. In any case, always keep prices clearly marked.
Product name and info - Providing information adds to the perceived value of your products.
For example, if you sell three types of potatoes, indicate how best to cook each type: boiled,
baked, etc. If your products are from heirloom seed or are particularly high in nutrients, etc, add
this valuable information to the display.
Other signage ideas – use phrases that remind customers that you're local, and give
interesting information, such as “harvested yesterday” or “delicious in salads.”
Take-home info – Remind your customers where they bought your products. For example, if
you're selling frozen chicken, label each package with the farm name and a description of your
farm. When your customer later cooks the chicken they'll have a reminder where this delicious
bird came from.
Recipes – display printed recipes, to encourage customers to buy something new.

MARKET RELATIONS
Partner with other vendors – create free samples that combine ingredients from other stalls in
your market. For example, if you sell cheese, ask the nearby bread vendor to give away
samples of their bread with your cheese. If there is a prepared food vendor in the market,
suggest how they could use your products in their menu.
Your market manager – Provide content for their market newsletter. Offer recipes that use your
products, and tell them about new produce you'll have for the next market day. Your manager
will appreciate it – you're making their job easier, and you'll bring more customers to your stall.
Ask your manager what else you can do to help to further improve the market.

YOUR PRODUCTS; YOUR STORY!
A 2012 farmers' market survey suggests that once customers know their farmer and better
appreciate the hard work that goes into producing local food, their concerns about prices tend to disappear.

YOUR CUSTOMERS
Start a conversation - Find ways to tell your story to your customers: Why do you farm?
What's special about your products? What challenges do you have? When was each item
harvested? What farm methods do you use? How many hours a week do you spend weeding?
Clearly indicate any certifications or affiliations. Show pictures of your farm, including images of you and your colleagues working in the field. If they're looking at your stall but seem unsure, ask them what they're planning to cook. Are they cooking for children? Are they an adventurous eater? With this information you can suggest recipes that include your products and the products of other vendors in the market.

As they leave, say, “Next week tell me how your dinner went”. Are they on a budget? One vendor says she watches for customers that reach into their pocket to check their change, as they may not have enough money to make a purchase; she's willing to offer a lower price.

Finally, talking about the weather or other issues with Mother Nature and your farm is not only a
great way to start a conversation, but it allows your customers to better appreciate the
connection between nature and farming. Hearing that your spinach crop is diminished because
of heat or the kale tastes sweeter because of an early frost helps to build a picture of your farm
in the customer's mind.

Build a customer email List - Send out a weekly email newsletter. Phrases like, “next week at
the market get the first greens of the season,” teach your customers about seasonality and
encourage customers to hold off on their weekly shopping until they can visit your table.


Learn to engage and disengage - Much as we like to chat with market customers, and it's the
social experience that makes the farmers' market a special place, it can hurt sales if other
would-be customers are intimidated into feeling that they're interrupting. Most customers
understand this, but some require a gentle nudge. If customers walk past your stall while you're
already busy with another customer, make brief eye contact and smile. You might tell them, “be
with you in a minute,” and point to a tray of samples. They'll be more likely to wait their turn than
to drift away. This also sends a tactful message to your current customer that someone else is
waiting.

Be friendly – People come to farmers' markets because they want to interact. Stand, don't sit,
keep your hands out of your pockets, smile, and say “thank you.” These are simple rules, but
they'll help to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Get a friend to take a candid picture of your stall so you can see how you appear interacting with customers.

Stay Off the Smartphone - Focus on your customers.

Guarantee your products – if a customer complains about a product, offer to replace it or to
give their money back.

Offer a discount – Reward frequent customers or big purchasers with an occasional extra. This
is another great way to create customer loyalty and it's a chance for them to try something new.

Provide a basket for customers to place your products into - Offer to hold the basket for
them. If they don't know how heavy it is, they're more likely to buy additional items!

Take emailed orders – Taking a customer's emailed order ahead of market day saves them
from getting to the market early and creates customer loyalty. If you're not able to show up on
market day be sure to call the customer so they can make alternate plans.

Be encouraging, not pushy - If a customer asks for a small package of an item, ask “Would
you like two?” If they're buying items for a salad, suggest complementary items that they haven't
tried. But don't badger customers who're just looking.

Dress the part – If you're selling farm produce, farm clothes are appropriate. But for some
value-add food products, customers may be more responsive if you dress the part. For example, if you're selling ready-to-eat food, consider wearing an apron or chef whites. Take a look at successful vendors who sell products similar to yours.

Be hygienic – This is especially important with recent food scares. In addition to the importance of adhering to applicable health regulations, take extra care to follow sensible hygienic practices. Your customers will appreciate it.

LEARN FROM OTHERS

Watch other successful vendors - including their dress, display and signage, how they
interact with customers, and their manners. Also, pay attention to any business that leaves you
with a good impression, including your mechanic, local bank teller or your favorite waiter.

Perhaps they're doing something you can adopt for your business.

ENGAGE YOUR TEAM

Get your colleagues to participate - Discuss what you all can do to create a better customer
experience. Role play. Ask them to share constructive criticism of your sales techniques and
table display.

So many new things to do! Start with just a few suggestions, and make them part of your
routine. By adopting a few new sales methods, your customers, new and old, will have a better
appreciation of your hard work and the superior value of your products.

I'd appreciate hearing any comments or feedback on these suggestions. I can be reached at
Peterm@torontogarlicfestival.ca.

Peter McClusky has worked as a farm intern, farmers' market manager, and market vendor, at various times selling pancakes, and vegetables and meat. He serves on the board of the Aberfoyle Farmers' Market. He grows heirloom garlic and manages the Toronto Garlic Festival. Prior to getting into farming and local food he ran the international sales department of a digital media company in NY.

These People Farmed Before I Could Walk

I had an inspiring visit to a Senior Home in Scarborough, where we shared stories about farming and cooking with garlic. They want to come help with the garlic!

Ontario Garlic Map is Live

The Garlic Map is live at www.torontogarlicfestival.ca. The idea is to show Ontario garlic lovers where they can buy local grown garlic. There are currently 120 locations, from Timmins to Toronto, and from Kanata to Tecumseh, including farms, farmers' markets, independent stores and supermarkets. As long as they're selling Ontario garlic they can go on the map.