June 21, 2017
Dr. Kim Morgan and Ben Garber, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech
Market Ready Farm to Restaurant is a program developed specifically for producers who would like to get started or expand current operations to sell direct to restaurants. Participants will gain a working knowledge of what restaurant chefs and retail managers are looking for in purchasing food products directly from Virginia producers. Participants will be introduced to seven topics, including: Explore current food policy legislation; Build relationships to better communicate with managers & chefs; Design effective packaging and labeling; Develop marketing strategies; Craft alternative pricing structures; Address regulatory concerns; and Use Virginia’s Market Maker portal to conduct market research.
The Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition is a state-wide and coalition-based Extension program, housed in Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. Funding was sponsored by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Award #2023-49400-40885. For more information about the program, contact Katie Trozzo, Program Coordinator, at vabeginningfarmer@vt.edu or (540) 232-2233. For other questions, contact Kim Niewolny, Program Director, at niewolny@vt.edu.
For website updates, such as broken links, please contact vabeginningfarmer@vt.edu
