Webinar Preparing Small Farms for Current Market Demands, Use Alternative Marketing Strategies, Farmers Markets & Farmers Health During Covid-19 Health Crisis

Wednesday, June 3, 2020     12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.
Online

This webinar meeting is intended to provide information to small farmers (and extension agents working with small farmers) to use available resources to market their products, reach out consumers, and use alternative marketing strategies (potentials) to sustain and grow their businesses and use online business opportunities for farm sales during and after Covid-19 health crisis. We aim to provide glimpse of what small farmers can do and what is available to them and what strategies may work for their farms. Webinar also includes linking farm vitality and health with a focus on how the success of your farming operation depends on paying attention to one’s own health, accessing/using the health care system and health insurance options. This webinar provides information and resources to minimize obstacles that block success in production agriculture or agriculture-related occupations targeting farmers and workers who are limited by a physical or cognitive disability, illness or injury that make it difficult to perform agricultural tasks. By sharing information and discussing solutions, we will extend ideas around the region. A brief updates on farmers market protocols for Delaware will be provided by DDA. During the Q&A session, we will identify common problems most farmers are facing, what they are planning to do, why the plan works/or doesn’t, how will they stay in business and grow, and how extension programs can assist the farmers to go through this difficult time.

Agenda

12:00–12:25 p.m.
Buy Local – Demand Potential in a Challenged Food System
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist Fruits and Vegetables, Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Delaware.

12:25-12:50 p.m.
Linking Farm Vitality & Health
Ms. Maria Pippidis, AFC FFC, County Director & Extension Educator, FCS, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

12:50-1:15 p.m.
Emergency Preparedness for Farm & Family
Ms. Inetta Fluharty, WV AgrAbility Program Specialist, West Virginia Extension Service, Farmers Health & Business

1:15-1:30 p.m.
Brief Update on the Farmers Market Protocol for Delaware
Ms. Kathy Jackson, Communications & Marketing Specialist II, Delaware Department of Agriculture, Farmers’ Market

Please register at the following link & zoom link to webinar will be e-mailed to all registered attendees!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10xCfXREXfHA_KoklhGPAfZlAyqr4WuehH6LdHl9Vs68/edit

This webinar is organized by Delaware State University Cooperative Extension (contact Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay – gozbay@desu.edu) & sponsored by the Northeast Climate HUB.