SC Workshop to Help Growers Reach Their Markets

An upcoming workshop for farmers, growers and food producers will help launch a new program in South Carolina for businesses that want to sell to local restaurants and grocers.

The S.C. MarketReady program, a partnership between Clemson Extension, the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, is holding a one-day workshop April 22 to help food suppliers succeed in the modern marketplace.

The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cleveland Park Event Center, 141 N. Cleveland Park Drive in Spartanburg.

The cost to attend is $30 per participant, which includes lunch and program materials. Click here to register online. The registration deadline is April 15.

The MarketReady training program addresses the wide array of issues and challenges small farm and ranch operators must manage as they seek to develop supplier relationships with restaurants, grocery stores, wholesalers and foodservice buyers.

Training is based on business practices identified by buyers in these markets who are actively seeking to engage local suppliers. MarketReady helps vendors that sell dairy, fruits, meats and vegetables and other goods design and implement a successful business strategy.

Subjects covered during the workshop include communication and relationship-building, packaging, labeling, pricing, delivery, storage, invoicing, insurance and marketing.

MarketReady was developed by Timothy A. Woods of the University of Kentucky. Seed funding was provided to gather the best practices information from retailers from the University of Illinois, the University of Arkansas, the Kentucky Horticulture Society and Agricultural Development Board and the USDA Southern Risk Management Education Center.