Farmers are accustomed to dealing with weather – and it’s a good thing!  When 700 direct farm marketers from all over North America and beyond tried to gather in Lancaster, PA in early February, weather was very prominent!  The Mid-Atlantic area was hit hard by record snowstorms on the two key arrival days for the 2010 NAFDMA conference, but that didn’t stop most of us from trudging through the snow, taking planes, trains, and automobiles to attend.

The three-day bus tour was excellent – even in the worst of weather!  We missed the first morning of the tour while the roads were being cleared in Lancaster, and hit the road by lunchtime.  There is some amazing direct marketing going on in central Pennsylvania – even in February!  We stopped at several large agritourism destinations including Cherry Crest Farm, Country Barn Market, and MaizeQuest and learned much from the experience of these long-time entertainment farms.  Kitchen Kettle Village showcased retailing at its finest (beautiful signage…..excellent sampling of their value-added products….drawing in customers of all ages).  Established farm markets like Weaver’s Orchard and Brown’s Farm Market are perennial favorites in that area, and were destinations themselves.  We also visited several other farms, orchards, markets, and wholesalers – all of whom went out of their way to welcome us and let us learn from their experiences and mistakes.

While the bus tour offered excellent opportunities to visit agri-tourism destinations, the real value is spending three days on a bus with 45 other progressive farm marketers.  The idea-sharing is phenomenal, friendships and networking circles are formed, and the fellowship is unparalleled.

Once the bus tour was over, we got down to business – literally!  More than 100 vendors were set up in the trade show, showcasing everything from value-add products for a farm market, to packaging supplies, to bakery products, technology, consultants, and more.  There is something for everyone – farms big and small can benefit from spending several hours at the trade show.

The next day was spent in ½ day and full day workshops.  The topics were wide and varied – social media, pricing, hiring and management, family dynamics on the farm, CSA’s, retailing – you name it, you could spend several hours delving into the topic.  We spent the final day of the conference in breakout sessions, with NAFDMA members sharing their experiences and thoughts in many areas.  There were also many networking opportunities each day, including meals, social hours, and impromptu round table discussions.

I left Lancaster exhausted and full of energy and ideas at the same time!  I invite all our membership to seriously consider attending a NAFDMA conference and/or bus tour one year.  You’ll be completely overwhelmed with ideas and information, and wonder how you ever considered NOT going!  In the next two years, we in Virginia have an excellent opportunity to attend and even participate in NAFDMA.  The 2011 conference will be held in Baltimore, MD in early February, with the tour taking place in Maryland and Pennsylvania. 

2012 will be a special year for us, as the conference and tour will take place in Virginia!  The location for the Virginia conference will be determined later this year, and the tour stops will be scouted out later this summer and fall.  This is an excellent opportunity for our membership to be able to attend without too many travel expenses.  If you have any questions about NAFDMA, or suggestions for the 2012 tour, please feel free to contact me at Cynthia@CarterMountainOrchard.com.