Take a look at some of the KCARD staff's favorite holiday recipes - such as Logan’s pumpkin roll! And don't forget to give the gift of local this holiday season.
Check out some favorite holiday recipes from the KCARD staff! Remember to also give the gift of local this holiday season.
Farming is a risky business with significant costs, and one of the most expensive mistakes is failing to plan or oversimplifying the transition of the farm. At its core, successful transition planning boils down to clear, honest communication and planning ahead. When communicating across generations, consider addressing key issues early to build mutual understanding and ensure a smoother transition.
A well-hosted class or workshop can be one of the more profitable (and fun!) ways to engage visitors on your farm and offer agritourism opportunities. However, they can be quite labor-intensive and require lots of planning and thoughtfulness. Check out these tips to get you started!
KCARD works specifically with farmers markets on a wide range of topics, including where to find funding, how to structure the market, and how to think of the farmers market as a business entity. In this post, Terryn Varney, KCARD Business Development Specialist who specializes in farmers market assistance, answers questions about how and when KCARD can help your farmers market.
Olivia Vogel, KCARD’s new Local Food Project Coordinator, took a little time to answer some questions about herself, the new Local Food Initiative Expansion Project, and give some helpful tips for producers interested in expanding their markets.
The name of the game these days is social distance. So how do you accept payments from customers without getting closer than six feet or having to handle cash? Digital wallets are financial accounts that allow users to store funds, make transactions, and track payment histories by computer or phone. Here are some of the most popular options that will allow you to take payments without having to get a credit card reader (and some that connect with Square).
If you’re in the business of selling local food right now, you might be in a unique situation with an uptick in sales and an increase in new customers. We are hearing from businesses that they are getting orders from folks who have never purchased food anywhere other than the grocery store, who suddenly want to buy in bulk from a local farmer. New customers can be a lot of work. You can spend a lot of time and energy patiently giving answers to endless questions. Here are 3 tips on how to turn a new customer into a regular.
This week we are featuring the USDA Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Grants. If you're interested in applying, check out the three webinars we have shared! These webinars will give you an inside scoop into crafting your grant proposal and government statistics on local food.
You can easily “fall into” a marketing channel or a product that you did not plan because you want to take advantage of every opportunity you can in an effort to make your farming business work. Unfortunately, all too often an “opportunity” may not be as good as it first appears, and you end up with lots of things your business is doing that really do not match where you want the business to go. And you may be doing a lot of things that actually cost the business more money than they make.
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural businesses in Kentucky. We are supported primarily through grants provided by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Additional support is provided through our work with partners around the state and through fees charged for select client services.
