Direct Marketing, Local Food & Farm-to-School

Pickle Bill Fact Sheet – Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Before you plant your first seed, answer this question: How will you sell your crops? A good marketing plan is an absolute must for a successful farm business. Know your market and your customers. Start by growing vegetables that are popular with people in your area. Make sure you grow enough of each crop, and make the quality of your vegetables good. Then consider the best way to sell them to your customers.

Local Food & Direct Marketing

Minnesota Grown
Direct Marketing Options - ATTRA
Farmer Direct Marketing - USDA
Farm Direct Marketing Guide - SARE
Working with Retail Buyers – University of Wisconsin
Developing a Roadside Farm Market (PDF:2 KB / 6 pages) – Penn State Extension
Locally-Grown Produce Food Safety Guide (PDF:136 KB / 2 pages) – Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture
Marketing Local Food – MISA
The ABCs of Marketing to Restaurants – New Farm

Farm to School/Farm to Cafeteria

Farm to School Toolkit - University of Minnesota
Minnesota Farm to School Programs - National Farm to School Network
Farm to School Network – National Farm to School Network
Legal Issues Impacting Farm to School and School to Gardens in Minnesota (PDF: 349 KB / 7 pages) – Public Health Law Center
Serving Locally Grown Produce in Food Facilities (PDF: 299 KB / 2 pages) – Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Bringing Local Food to Local Institutions - ATTRA

Meat and Poultry Marketing

Meat and Poultry Product Retail Sales Fact Sheet – Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Meat and Poultry Direct Marketing Information for Farmers - Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
How to Direct Market Your Beef (PDF: 2 KB / 98 pages) – Sustainable Ag Network
Shell Egg Retail Fact Sheet – Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Fruit and Vegetable Marketing

Simple and Successful Vegetable Farming: Marketing – University of Minnesota Extension
Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-scale and Part-time Growers (PDF: 109 KB / 4 pages) - Penn State
Marketing Alternatives for Fresh Produce - Oregon State University

Farmers Market

Operational Guidelines for Vendors at the Farmers' Market (PDF: 295 KB / 4 pages) - Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Starting Your Own Farmers' Market - Minnesota Farmers Market Association
Farmers' Market Fact Sheet – USDA, ARS
Understanding Farmers Market Rules – Farmers Legal Action Group
Pickle Bill Fact Sheet – Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture - ATTRA
Community Supported Agriculture Resources – AFSIC
CSA Farms: Management and Income - Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
Managing a CSA Farm 1: Production, Labor and Land - CIAS, University of Wisconsin
Managing a CSA Farm 2: Community, Economics, Marketing and Training - CIAS, University of Wisconsin
CSA Farm Directory – Land Stewardship Project

MDA Contact

Meg Moynihan, Principal Administrator
Meg.Moynihan@state.mn.us, 651-201-6616
Minnesota Farm Opportunities

Ag Marketing & Development Division