Happy New Year from Slow Food Portland;
I hope this snowy holiday week finds you rested and looking forward to the approaching growing season.
Last year, MOFGA, Maine Council of Churches and Slow Food Portland ran a wildly successful CSA fair in Portland on Sunday, March 11. Over 350 people attended and the shares sold at the fair were numerous – not to mention the terrific advertising and familiarity that the fair generated for Community Supported Agriculture.
This year, we are doing it again, only in multiple locations.
The CSA fairs will be held on Sunday, February 10, from 1 – 4 pm.
(Set up for participating farms will begin at 12:30 pm)
At your request, we are expanding the CSA Fair to 4 locations!
Portland: First Parish Church, Parish House, Congress St.
Augusta area: St. Matthews Episcopal Church on the Town Green in Hallowell
Lewiston/ Auburn: (the location is in the process of being finalized)
Bangor: (the location is in the process of being finalized)
The CSA fair will be your opportunity to help Maine families learn about CSAs andbecome acquainted with local seasonal foods, buy a share in a farm's weekly harvest, and discover how they can grow a relationship with a Maine farm.
Some things to consider from last year’s experiences:
Grabbing people’s attention last year was the key for success – farmers who brought food samples, pullets for children to hold, pictures, slide shows on laptops, posters, etc., really caught the attention of the fair goers.
Speaking of product…Last year’s farmers found that products such as eggs, honey, preserves, yarn, etc., sold well. Samples of meat from meat-only CSA’s were also quite a hit.
Even if you have no shares to sell at the fair, we hope you will still attend. This is also an opportunity to advertise, so consider attending with lots if stuff - product to sell, info on your CSA and your farm store, tastes of your farm’s bounty, etc. Let me know if you have no shares to sell and I will make sure to help position you well at the fairs.
Admission to this event is free for farms and the public.
Light refreshments will be provided by Slow Foods Portland.
Publicity for this event will consist of press releases to state wide media outlets, notification to Maine’s Slow Food membership and list-serve of 300 families, a poster campaign in local businesses and mailings and posters to each of the members of the Maine Council of Churches (comprised of hundreds of churches representing 8 denominations throughout the state). Last year we had front page coverage on the Portland Press Herald’s Food section; we are anticipating similar coverage state-wide this year.
Please respond by email and let me know:
· If you are interested in participating in this event.
· Which location you will be attending
· Your 1st choice location if you would like to attend more than one location – we will give you space in your lower priority locations if there is space available…which we are planning on!
· Are you interested in a peer-to-peer session after the fair on CSA business models, marketing and general questions? If so, let me now and we’ll organize such a session.
Once I hear from you with your location, I will then contact you to determine your space needs and work with you to insure a successful experience. Publicity closer to the event will mention the number of and names of farms attending so it is important that we get a commitment from you as soon as possible.
I look forward to hearing from you. Email or call me with questions, info, …whatever you need.
Beth Richardson
Slow Food Portland Events Committee
207-767-1929