September 8, 1997 AG OPPORTUNITIES *Small Farms *New Family Farms *Agricultural Alternatives Vol. 8, No. 2 Sept-Oct 1997 Correct Signage Can Bring Customers to Farm Markets (by David Taber, Cornell Cooperative Extension Published in The Great Lakes Vegetable Growers News, January 1997) =============================================================== Proper use of signs can help attract, snag, or entice more potential customers to become buyers: at roadside markets. Who are your customers, who do you want for customers, and who could be your customers, and how can use of signs be beneficial to them and your business? Or asked another way: who wants to buy from you, why do they buy from you and do, or how can signs increase the number of new customers you can get, help you (your business) maintain a good level of repeat customers, and facilitate a nice experience flow of buyers? Signs are just one important part of a marketing strategy. Whether used or not, signage (a system of signs) has an impact on customers, potential customers, and your efficiency of sales. How many potential customers have passed by and not stopped because of the signs, or lack thereof, displayed for your retail sales outlet? How many potential customers have remembered your business because of its signs? How many customers have enjoyed the experience of "doing business with you" partially because of your signs? What do signs do? * Signs guide people from highways to your business. * Signs make it easy for people to know what they should do: where to drive, when the business is open, where to park, how fast to go, what to expect, how to act, what alternatives exist for them, what prices to expect, and what is free. * Poorly made and/or maintained signs are likely to signify shoddy business practices and/or low prices. * Well-made, easy to read, and attractive signs that are of appropriate size for the context in which they are used (that is, do the job that is intended), by meeting customers' needs (and therefore your needs) is the goal of signage. Sign strategies In your marketing mix (based on marked evaluation and/or research), including advertising, pricing, services, products, and displays (eye catching arrangements of products and services), decide on signs. Content of signs, size of signs, placement of signs, and when signs will be posted, changed and removed. Also establish a schedule of planned maintenance or replacement for deteriorating signs. By the end of each season make plans to have the right, good signs available before they are needed for the next season. Consider having extra signs or at least blanks available in case of vandalism or unexpected damage. Have a source of last-minute signs for use when needed on short notice. Alternatives for obtaining quickly made signs provide insurance against unexpected situations. Cheap looking signs (e.g. poorly drawn on a torn piece of cardboard) convey a message to customers. Likewise, expensive looking signs (that seem luxurious) provide another kind of message. However the expectations created by signage may or may not be valid: consistent with the quality of goods and services for sale. Customers may be attracted or turned away by roadside signs and/or retail lot signs (or lack thereof); and their action may be mistakenly based. Signs help create an atmosphere for a business. Roadside signs R.A. Blakeley, a former marketing specialist at Cornell University, provided the basis for these recommendations and those that follow regarding size of words, visibility of colors, stopping distances and advanced placement locations for signs (based on data from some 30 years ago, as a frame of reference). * Novelty attracts attention. * Signs should be kept bright (unweathered) and undamaged. * Signs should encourage the motorist to shop your market. * A distinctive trademark (symbol) for your retail outlet will be remembered. * Place signs where they can be seen: where a driver's vision is directed. (Test it). * Give distances in tenth's of miles (to match a car's odometer reading). * Symbols convey meaning without words. * Signs that can't be read are of questionable value. Color and visibility The most legible color combinations suitable for roadside markets are bottle green on white, scarlet red on white, black on white and navy blue on white. Colors should also be selected to contrast pleasingly with the background against which the sign will be viewed. Signs should be five feet above the roadway to be in the normal field of vision of motorists. Having practical signs that accomplish your intended goals is the key. Utilizing known, research based, or proven successful signage techniques will help you be successful. Now that you have reviewed this guide, make your evaluation. What thoughts do you have? Jot down your reflections about your situation. Talk with others, complete your evaluation, and then take action to test your decision. Evaluate the results of changes you implement. Then make adjustments, over time, as appropriate. Roadside Sign Recommendations Words and letter size for roadside signs Distance from which Max. # of words on signs Min. height sign must to be fully read of letters be visible 30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph inches feet -------------------------------------------------------------- 4 2 1 0 1-3/4 50 8 5 4 3 3-1/2 100 15 11 8 6 7 200 22 16 13 10 11 300 *Letters on signs should be made using lines at least 1/5th as wide as the letter height. Advanced placement of signs based on traffic speed Min. distance from sign to parking entrance for retail store speed of traffic ---------------------------------------------------------- 0.2 miles 30 mph 0.25 miles 40 mph 0.3 miles 50 mph 0.4 miles 60 mph In The News =============================================================== The MO Dept of Agriculture and the University of Missouri Extension will be offering sustainable agriculture demonstration awards once again for the fourth straight year. A maximum of 23 projects will be funded in the amount of up to $3,000 each. On farm experiments or demonstrations, which reduce dependency on nonrenewable inputs, will be considered for awards. Farmers must document production and financial information which may be presented through farm tours or meetings. Applications will be available in mid-October through local University Extension Centers or by calling the MO Dept of Ag at 573-751-2462. Small Farm Today Trade Show and Seminars "Marketing for Success" will be held Nov 7-8 in Columbia, MO. The Trade Show this year includes: Five three-hour workshops (organic farming, sheep & goats, fruits & vegetables, marketing plans, cooperatives); 12 one-hour seminars (farm promotion, vermiculture, elk, bees, agroforestry, gamebirds, hydroponic tomatoes, cut & dried flowers, grass seed production, pastured poultry, medicinal herbs, shiitake mushrooms); along with stock dog and draft animal demonstrations; community supported agriculture panel; and 1880 broom making and soap making exhibitions. The MO Organic Assn and the Organic Crop Improvement Assn will be holding their annual meetings during the show. One-day admittance, $5; two-day admittance, $8; workshops, $15 each. For more information about the show, call 800-633-2535. The North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is requesting applications from researchers, educators, nonprofit organizations and others for competitive grants addressing environmental, economic and social agricultural improvements. The Region currently has two applications available: 1) Annual Call for Preproposals, due Sept 12, 1997; 2) Special Call for Proposals on Innovative Marketing Strategies, due Jan 23, 1998. For more information or to obtain application materials, contact NCR SARE, 13A Activities Bldg, UNL, Lincoln, NE 68583, 402-472-7081. For the seventh year in a row, US organic industry sales grew more than 20%, to $3.5 billion in 1996 from $2.8 billion in 1995, according to a recently published survey in Natural Foods Merchandiser. "It's been a typical growth year of a relatively youthful industry," said Bob Scowcroft, director of Organic Farming Research Foundation, a non-profit organic advocacy group. The organic market experienced strong sales in many product categories, including dairy, baked goods, ready- to-eat products, and fruits and vegetables. The market also grew in regions of the country where organic foods have traditionally sold less well, including Montana, Iowa and Kansas. (Pesticide Action Network , Aug 21, 1997) Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced the formation of a national commission to study the problems of small and limited resource farmers and recommend ways to help them. Glickman directed the commission to look at a wide range of programs and issues, including credit, risk management, education, and outreach, and to recommend improvements to better serve small and beginning farmers. The commission will also look at ways in which USDA can ensure that small farms are treated fairly and have an equal opportunity to compete in vertically-integrated agricultural systems, and at ways to encourage small farms to adopt farm operations and production practices, such as value-added cooperatives or direct marketing, that can help to improve their profitability. Glickman said, "The average age of an American farmer today is 58. We need to do more to encourage the younger generation to farm, and we must continue to find ways to help small and disadvantaged producers find ways to make a decent living, keep their land, and make their small farms economically viable." Sunflower market prices climbed another 5-10 cents. Increasing demand, especially from China and India, coupled with declining world oil production is one of the major reason for the price increase. (BioOptions, Spring 1997) The US leads the world in the production and marketing of flowers, cut foliage, potted plants, bedding plants and other nursery crops and turfgrass - known collectively as the "green" industry. US growers' cash receipts for these products are projected to reach $11.3 billion in 1997, an increase of more than 8 percent over last year. (Agricultural Outlook, July 1997) Vitamin-rich sweet desserts and drinks from America's largest native fruit, the pawpaw, could become available within the next decade. ARS scientists and more than a dozen universities are testing 28 existing pawpaw cultivars to find the best to develop into commercial varieties. Ripe green pawpaws weight up to 2 pounds and are about 5 inches long. The bright yellow flesh has a custard-like consistency suitable for baby food and ice cream. The taste has hints of banana, avocado and pineapple. Kentucky State University is leading the effort to commercialize the fruit, in collaboration with the private PawPaw Foundation. ARS researchers are providing technology to propagate and preserve the germplasm. Contact Kim Hummer, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR, 514-750-8717. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) Imagine ordering a caro-salad sandwich at your favorite deli. That scenario may be just around the proverbial corner, according to studies by ARS and University of Arkansas researchers. More than 60 percent of participants in consumer taste panels preferred the mild taste of canned bighead carp over tuna. They also said they'd pay at least as much for the product as for tuna. As prepared for this research, bighead carp is also healthful. Analyses show that it's lower in fat than white meat tuna packed in water. Plus, about 40 percent of the canned carp's fat is omega-3 acids, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and relieve their inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. What's more, it's loaded with calcium. Bighead carp are a boney fish, which has kept them out of US fresh fish markets, except those frequented by Asian shoppers. However, canning softens the bones, making them edible. Worldwide, this Chinese delicacy is the most eaten fish, and its' considered the Cadillac of fish in Asian countries. In the US, it is already swimming in many commercial catfish ponds, helping to control the growth of algae and other plankton. Bighead carp flourish on plankton, preferring it to fish food. So they don't compete with catfish at least in the pond. Contact Donald Freeman, Aquaculture Systems Research Unit, Pine Bluff, AR, 501-543-8128. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) Venom from a tiny parasitic wasp may lead to an effective biocontrol agent for agricultural insect pests that cause hundreds of millions of dollars annually in crop damage. Venom from Euplectrus comstockii stops larval growth of a variety of devastating crop pests, including cotton bollworms, tomato budworms, tobacco budworms and corn earworms. The venom is particularly useful because leaf eating Heliothis insects are most damaging during their larval or caterpillar stage. ARS researchers have isolated and identified the active ingredient in the wasp venom. The next step is to insert the venom into an insect virus. When applied to crops, the virus will carry the venom to the pests without harming the plants. This process makes use of two biological means (the venom and the virus) to control pest insects. Contact Thomas Coudron, Biological Control of Insects Research Lab, Columbia, MO, 573-874-5361. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) Codling moth, the world's most destructive pest of pome fruits, is being controlled in the western US through a cooperative program based on ARS technology for disrupting the pests' mating. Now in the third year of the 5 year Codling Moth Areawide Suppression Program, some growers have eliminated the need for insecticide sprays. The principal method of control is mating disruption, a technology that was developed by ARS researchers. Growers place a synthetic female sex attractant, or pheromone, in dispensers that emit the chemical throughout orchards. Male codling moths, confused by the pheromone, can't find the females. The areawide programs initially involved 2,800 acres. This year it has grown to include more than 10,000 acres. Contact Carroll Calkins, Yakima Agricultural Research Lab, Wapato, WA, 509-454-6565. (Quarterly Report April to June 1997) Honeybees fare better against deadly varroa mites if the bees build smaller versions of the six-sided cubbyholes, called cells, in which they rear their young and store honey. Beekeepers predetermine the cell size bees will make by giving them wax sheets with the base cells imprinted on them. From these "starter kits," the bees build layers of cells to make the honeycomb. ARS scientists learned that when bees built combs from starter kits with a smaller cell size, those bees infested with the mites had a much higher survival rate 40 percent instead of near zero with the standard size cells. Researchers suspect the smaller cells result in lower stress on the bees, increasing the bees' ability to withstand mite infestations. Some beekeepers have lost half their hives to mites in recent years. Honeybees annually pollinate US crops worth $10 billion. Contact Eric Erickson, Carl Hayden Bee Research Lab, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-6481. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) With the pull of a string-operated weed whacker, corn and soybean farmers can save surface water from possible chemical contamination and cut crop production costs, too. ARS studies of the Goodwater Creek watershed in Missouri indicate runaway herbicides are more likely to wind up in surface water rather than groundwater. But farmers can slash their herbicide use and expense by applying the chemicals only in a narrow strip over the crop grown, then using a weed whacker to mow weeds between rows of corn or soybeans, the researchers say. Four years of ARS field tests showed this technique reduced herbicide sue by 60 percent, while producing crop yields equivalent to those from weed free fields. Contact William Donald, Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research, Columbia, MO, 573-882-6404. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) One hundred fifty alfalfa leafcutter bees perform as well as 3,000 domesticated honeybees when pollinating carrots in screened enclosures or greenhouses, an ARS study in Idaho has shown. The ARS study was the first to pinpoint precisely how efficient leafcutter bees were in comparison with honeybees for pollinating carrots in enclosed cages. Carrot breeders developing new, tastier or more nutrition varieties use the screened enclosures to keep out unwanted pollen. Alfalfa leafcutter bees are gentler than domesticated honeybees and aren't vulnerable to two mite species that have destroyed many commercial honeybees in recent years. Plus, the honeybees can become irritable when confined in large numbers to small spaces like greenhouses. Alfalfa leafcutter bees generally don't buzz annoyingly close to or land on people working in the enclosures. Contact Vincent Tepedino, Bee Biology and Systematics Lab, Logan, UT, 801-797-2559. (Quarterly Report, April to June 1997) A Food Marketing Institute (FMI) study reports that 52 per cent of Americans say they are concerned about environmental issues: Although only seven percent are committed to "environmentally sound" consumption. According to the FMI, 23 percent of Americans are concerned about the environment but do not consistently reflect their concern in their purchasing decisions. (The Packer, June 23, 1997) In Print =============================================================== *Source Book of Sustainable Agriculture* lists 559 resource materials covering the vast breadth of agriculture, from how to market sustainably grown vegetables to locating the latest sustainable research findings on the www. Sustainable Agriculture Publications, Hills Bldg, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405-0082, $12.00. *The Good Guys!* Natural Enemies of Insects is a set of 31 laminated cards that provide full-color photos and life history information on beneficial natural enemies. Produced by Mike Jeffords, Sue Post, Rob Wiedenmann, and Cliff Sadof. Available for $8.00 from the Distribution Office, IL Natural History Survey, 607 E Peabody Dr, Champaign IL 61820, 217-333-6880. *Linking Biodiversity and Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Food Security* 1997. Lori Ann Thrupp. Examines importance of agricultural biodiversity to sustainable agriculture and describes challenges to conserving biodiversity. Discusses problems resulting from biodiversity loss, including increased vulnerability to pests and diseases. Briefly outlines tactics that could prevent agrobiodiversity loss. World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave, NW, Washington DC 20006, 202-662-2596. *Farm Programs: Efforts to Achieve Equitable Treatment of Minority Farmers* 1997. US General Accounting Office. Testimony by USDA before House of Representatives on efforts by USDA to promote fair treatment of minority farmers. Discusses lending, hiring and county committee representation by people of color and women. Briefly describes reasons farmers are approved or denied moneys from USDA loan programs. 11 pp. No charge for one copy. US General Accounting Office, PO Box 6015, Gaithersburg, MD 20884-6015, 202-512-6000. The Soil and Water Conservation Society's web site http://www.swcs.org *Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook* 1997. Covers insect, weed, and disease management in strawberries, brambles, blueberries, and grapes. Also included are chapters on pesticide selection and use and on tissue analysis. It has many black and white illustrations of insects, disease cycles and symptoms, and weeds. $5.50. To order, send a check payable to the Univ of IL to Rick Weinzierl, Department of Crop Sciences, AW-101 Turner Hall, 1102 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. Or find it on the web at: http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~sfgnet/ *Small Business Financial Resource Guide* FREE. Information guide on loans and other aspects of small business. Small Business Center, US Chamber of Commerce, 1615 H St NW, Washington DC 20062, 202-463-5503. *Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers* 1997. 126 page guide for crops from asparagus and beets to turnips and watermelon. Univ of IL, ACES Information Service, 1401-NR S Maryland Dr, urbana, IL 61801, 217-333-2007, $8.50. *Marketing Your Produce* 114-page compilation of the best marketing articles from Growing For Market newsletter. Available from Growing For Market, PO Box 3747, Lawrence, KS 66046, $25.00. *Great Lakes Great Lawns: A Homeowners' Guide to Growing Lawns without Pesticides* 1996. Presents straightforward information about how to make lawns grow and thrive without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Describes range of problems caused by lawn pesticides, focusing on North American Great Lakes region. Gives guidelines for choosing grass, mowing, watering, fertilizing and managing weeds, insects and other pests. Includes suggestions for encouraging beneficial insects and wildlife. Wisconsin's Environmental Decade Institute, 122 State St, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-7020; email ehanson@itis.com. $5.00 On The Calendar =============================================================== Sept 17 Nursery and Landscape Field Day, Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, New Franklin, MO. Contact Sara Woody Bibens, 816-369-3115. Sept 19-21 Mutton Hollow Heritage Days, Branson, MO. Contact John Hedrick, 417-357-6812. Sept 23-25 Sustainable Beef Management Workshop, Linneus, MO. Contact Ron Morrow, 800-346-9140. Oct 3-4 MO State Beekeepers Assn Fall Meeting and Beginning Beekeepers Class, Lake Ozark, MO. Contact Ray Nabors, 573-333-0258. Oct 4 MO Nut Growers Assn Fall Meeting, Butler, MO. Contact Philip Moore, 816-540-3169. Oct 6-8 National Shiitake Mushroom Symposium, Huntsville, AL. Contact Cathy Sabota, 205-851-5710. Oct 10-12 Living History Festival, Lathrop, MO. Contact Jim Plowman, 816-528-3511. Oct 31-Nov 1 Great MO Ostrich Assn Annual Fall Meeting, Kansas City, MO. Contact Larry Brewe, 314-932-4140. Oct 31-Nov 1 14th Annual Hydroponic Grower's Conference, Orlando, FL. Call 330-769-2002. Nov 7-8 Small Farm Trade Show & Seminars, Columbia, MO. Call 800-633-2535. Nov 22 Greenhouse Vegetable Production School, Waterloo, IA. Contact Marva McCarty, 515-276-4525. Dec 5-6 Value Added Agriculture Conference, Osage Beach, MO. Contact Matt Nichols, 816-665-9866. Dec 7-10 Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Milwaukee, WI. Contact Gerald Bartelt, 608-221-6344. Dec 9 IL/IA Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference, Moline, IL. Contact Bill Whiteside, 815-748-5200. Dec 14-16 MO Governor's Conference on Agriculture, Tan-Tar-A. Contact Rosalie Bealer, 573-751-3376. Jan 8-10 Illinois Specialty Growers Convention and Trade Show, St Charles, IL. Contact Lowell Lenschow, 309-557-2107. Jan 9-10 Great Plains Vegetable Conference, St Joseph, MO. Contact Keith Hawxby, 816-279-1691. Jan 9-10 17th Annual Oklahoma Horticulture Industries Show, Tulsa, OK. Contact Lara Ervin, 918-647-9123. Jan 18-20 Midwest Grape and Wine Conference, Tan-Tar-A. Contact Jim Anderson, 573-751-6807. Jan 22-25 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group 7th Annual Conference and Trade Show, Memphis, TN. Contact Jean Mills, 205-333-8504. Jan 27-28 Mid-America Fruit Conference, Kansas City, MO. Contact Michele Warmund, 573-882-9632. Jan 30-31 17th Annual Organic Conference, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Contact Tomas Nimmo, 705-444-0923. Feb 10-12 Managing Manure in Harmony with the Environment and the Society, WNC Manure Management Conference, Ames, Iowa. Contact Bob Ball, 573-876-0900. Feb 26-28 North American Farmers Direct Marketing Assn Conference, Victoria, British Columbia. Contact Vance Corum, 360-693-5500. Feb 26-28 North American Strawberry Growers Assn Conference, Victoria, British Columbia. Mar 5-7 Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Columbia, MO. Contact John Ikerd, 573-882-4635. Mar 5-6 National SARE Conference - Building on a Decade of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education: Sharing Experiences to Improve Our Agriculture, Austin, TX. Alternative Opportunities =============================================================== Opportunities may be available for: Oak Creek is seeking producers who grow or would be interested in growing blue corn. For more information contact Deborah Cohen, 410-472-9158. Horseradish Root - Bulk user is looking for steady supply of horseradish root. For more information contact A. Stanger, 718-855-2207. Value Added Processing and Marketing Training =============================================================== Value added processing and marketing training will be offered from mid-Sept to late Oct throughout the state. For additional information contact Deni Durham, Project Coordinator, 573-657-1177, ddurham@gte.net