The West Virginia Sustainable Fair is looking to purchase food from a few WV farmers for their banquet on April 17. Their signature annual “Taste of West Virginia” benefit dinner, 2009 theme: “Farmers and Their Chefs” will kick off the weekend.
Any farmers that have food available please email the following information to Annie Seay
Your name
Your Farm Name
Phone Number
Products Available
Whether or not you're listed on the website: WVfarm2u.org
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
More musings from the WV Small Farm Conference
Congratulations are in order for the Clarksburg Farmers Market and Elkins Farmers Market on winning the one month of PayPal's Virtual Terminal which was sponsored this year by WVfarm2u.org.
Virtual Terminal is a fee based program from PayPal that allows anyone with a verified business account from PayPal to use their internet connection, cell phone, land line or fax machine to take credit and debit card payments. Our first test of this system was on Monday, February 23 at the Winter Blues Farmers Market when WVfarm2u.org sponsored Monkey Dance Ranch's booth.
The market on Monday was jam packed with customers trying to purchase locally grown foods from farmers in the area. In today's world, it seems more and more people carry less and less cash and rely on plastic be it either credit or debit. As I walked around the market, marveling at the "sold - out" crowd who were happily purchasing free range eggs, I couldn't help overhear some key comments. These comments included key phrases:
"Uhhh, the ATM is out, we'll have to just get this - but I really wanted to get the bread too"
As I stood purchasing my cherry wood wooden spoon made by Monkey Dance Ranch, a woman walked up to their booth and said, "I wish you all accepted credit cards I never carry cash anymore".
I wished I had a siren or a bell because at that moment, Monkey Dance Ranch exclaimed they accepted credit cards and a sale was made.
If your farmers market has access to a landline, cell phone reception or wireless internet connection, it may be beneficial for you to consider the Virtual Terminal from PayPal. It's not without fees: It costs $30 per month, but with no contract so if you want to try it for a month, you can without any cancellation fees. There are 3% transaction fees, Monkey Dance Ranch tacked on a service fee to cover the cost of the transaction fee to the price of the product, this is only one way to deal with credit/debit transaction fees.
Click Here to learn more about PayPal's Virtual Terminal.
Virtual Terminal is a fee based program from PayPal that allows anyone with a verified business account from PayPal to use their internet connection, cell phone, land line or fax machine to take credit and debit card payments. Our first test of this system was on Monday, February 23 at the Winter Blues Farmers Market when WVfarm2u.org sponsored Monkey Dance Ranch's booth.
The market on Monday was jam packed with customers trying to purchase locally grown foods from farmers in the area. In today's world, it seems more and more people carry less and less cash and rely on plastic be it either credit or debit. As I walked around the market, marveling at the "sold - out" crowd who were happily purchasing free range eggs, I couldn't help overhear some key comments. These comments included key phrases:
"Uhhh, the ATM is out, we'll have to just get this - but I really wanted to get the bread too"
As I stood purchasing my cherry wood wooden spoon made by Monkey Dance Ranch, a woman walked up to their booth and said, "I wish you all accepted credit cards I never carry cash anymore".
I wished I had a siren or a bell because at that moment, Monkey Dance Ranch exclaimed they accepted credit cards and a sale was made.
If your farmers market has access to a landline, cell phone reception or wireless internet connection, it may be beneficial for you to consider the Virtual Terminal from PayPal. It's not without fees: It costs $30 per month, but with no contract so if you want to try it for a month, you can without any cancellation fees. There are 3% transaction fees, Monkey Dance Ranch tacked on a service fee to cover the cost of the transaction fee to the price of the product, this is only one way to deal with credit/debit transaction fees.
Click Here to learn more about PayPal's Virtual Terminal.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
WVfarm2u.org at WV Small Farm Conference Day One
A big thank you to Tom McConnell of WVU Extension for letting WVfarm2u.org participate again this year! It's our third year here: Three's a Charm as they say.
The Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia sponsored a PayPal Virtual Terminal during the Winter Blues Farmers Market for Jason & Sigrid Teets of Monkey Dance Ranch who sold lamb, handmade wooden spoons and wool pelts. With the Virtual Terminal from PayPal they were able to use their wireless internet connection and take credit and debit cards from customers. They're sales increased by at least 50%. More data to come on that later.
This year at the Small Farm Conference here in Morgantown, the Collaborative is giving away 3 one month service to Farmers Markets who are registered and listed on WVfarm2u.org.
If you are going to attend the Small Farm Conference Feb. 24 - 26, stop by our booth and get registered or we can help you to determine some of your online marketing needs.
The Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia sponsored a PayPal Virtual Terminal during the Winter Blues Farmers Market for Jason & Sigrid Teets of Monkey Dance Ranch who sold lamb, handmade wooden spoons and wool pelts. With the Virtual Terminal from PayPal they were able to use their wireless internet connection and take credit and debit cards from customers. They're sales increased by at least 50%. More data to come on that later.
This year at the Small Farm Conference here in Morgantown, the Collaborative is giving away 3 one month service to Farmers Markets who are registered and listed on WVfarm2u.org.
If you are going to attend the Small Farm Conference Feb. 24 - 26, stop by our booth and get registered or we can help you to determine some of your online marketing needs.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Small farms are gowing everywhere!
MUNCIE, Ind. - Rising consumer demand for locally grown, organic produce is fueling a surge in the number of small Indiana farms, boosting their numbers nearly 80 percent over five years, a new farm census report shows.
The number of Indiana farms under 10 acres soared from 5,436 in 2002 to 9,720 in 2007 -- a 79 percent increase -- said Greg Preston, director of the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.
"It's skyrocketing. We are getting a lot of newer farmers coming in that are smaller -- going into direct marketing, specialty products, organics, locally grown, this type of stuff," Preston told The Star Press.
For the ag census, taken every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold.
Read more here...
The number of Indiana farms under 10 acres soared from 5,436 in 2002 to 9,720 in 2007 -- a 79 percent increase -- said Greg Preston, director of the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.
"It's skyrocketing. We are getting a lot of newer farmers coming in that are smaller -- going into direct marketing, specialty products, organics, locally grown, this type of stuff," Preston told The Star Press.
For the ag census, taken every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold.
Read more here...
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