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> Better sales, happier customers: Making Their Day with Jurek Leon

> Visit Stroud: farmers' market of the Year

> Learn from the UK's top PYO

Continuing this year’s series of ‘What Makes A Winner’ events, Tuesday 20 May is a great opportunity to see Rectory Farm, Stanton St John, Oxford, winner of the FARMA Pick-Your-Own of the Year, 2008.

In addition to a wide range of crops for PYO, farmer Richard Stanley has introduced a seasonal farm shop with a butchery and café, both operated by independent, top quality businesses. Richard applies rigorous science to his horticulture meaning that he is willing to try many types of growing and irrigation techniques and is innovative in his variety choices.

The day includes a farm walk with Richard, growing manager Paul Clark and ADAS soft fruit advisor, Janet Allen. Learn from the best!

Ticket price just £55 +VAT for FARMA members!
Ticket price £80 +VAT for non-members

Click here for more information and booking info

This workshop will provide you with easy-to-remember life-skills that will change your approach to selling. Find out:

• Where your touch-points are
• How to answer a question (and it’s not about telling people all that you know)
• How to turn a complaint into something positive – for you and your customer.
• How to offer customers valuable ‘extras’ that cost very little or nothing.
• And how to match your products to what customers need.

It’s not rocket-science. It’s not management mumbo-jumbo. It’s simply a new way of looking at yourself and other people. And it really works.

Who should attend?
Farm shop proprietors, farmers, farm shop managers, farm shop staff, farmers’ market managers, and stallholders at farmers’ markets.

Ticket price includes a workbook with exercises that can be repeated again and again.

Ticket price just £55 +VAT to FARMA members!
Ticket price £70 +VAT to non-members.

MONDAY 19 MAY 2008
09.45 - 16.00
Elveden Estate, Thetford,
Norfolk, IP24 3TQ

Click here for more information and booking info

Getting into a rut with your farmers’ market ideas?
COME TO STROUD FARMERS’ MARKET AND BE REFRESHED!

Stroud farmers’ market, winner of the 2008 FARMA Farmers’ Market of the Year, has brought new life to a fading town centre and is the centrepiece of the community. It is run by Clare and Kardien Gerbrands whose energy, passion and creativity has pushed the frequency of the markets to weekly on Saturdays, and grown the number of stallholders to over 50. Although the farmers’ market no longer receives any funding, it enjoys the support of the town centre management, District Council, Stroud’s MP, David Drew, and many local businesses.

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US ON FRIDAY 30 MAY from around 19.00
for a sociable dinner at a local restaurant to meet stallholders and supporters of the farmers’ market. There are plenty of hotels and B&B close by for an overnight stay.

It is an early start on Saturday 31 May.
The market is set up and trading by 09.00 in the Cornhill Market Place and adjoining streets. Following a tour of the market (and take a look at the Made in Stroud shop in Kendrick Street nearby) we will adjourn to the Imperial Hotel in the centre of the town for presentations, discussions and lunch. You are also warmly invited to take a look at the farmers’ market offices and storage facilities, about a mile away.

WHAT WILL YOU GET FROM THE EVENT?
Lots of take-away ideas for organisers or stallholders:
How to make the farmers’ market matter to local people. Rise to challenges. Get sponsorship. Use the media. Market organisation, and the software running it. The concept of ‘Made in Stroud’ to showcase local producers. Friends in high places. Make time to attend if you can, it could be just the refreshment you need!

Ticket price just £40 +VAT for FARMA members!
Ticket price £60 +VAT for non-members

Click here for more information and booking info

The FARMA National Awards are unique.
They reward excellence in a number of different categories related to farm retailing and direct sales and, in order to enter them, FARMA members put in a great deal of effort. We ask about business performance, staffing and training; about marketing and publicity; what they are doing as a business to reduce their environmental impact; and what they believe they contribute to their community. These are not everyday questions but they are questions that FARMA believes everyone involved in farm direct sales should be asking of themselves and their team...

Click here to find out more more

The 2008 Award categories are:

• Farm Retailer of the Year rewards all-round business excellence (sponsored by Tyrrells Potato Chips)
• Certified Farmers’ Market of the Year rewards business excellence in farmers’ market management (sponsored by FARMA)
• Own & Local, a new award designed to reward a high proportion of own & local products sold (sponsored by FARMA)
• Best Newcomer rewards a strong business performance from businesses with less than three years trading history (sponsored by G7 Computer Services Ltd)
• Pick Your Own Farm of the Year (sponsored by Tozer Direct)
• Best Bakery is a new award this year, looking for distinction in farm shop bakeries (sponsored by Mantinga)
• Best Butchery is another new award this year, rewarding own production, on-farm butchery skills and presentation (sponsored by Bizerba UK Ltd)
• The FARMA Environmental Award speaks for itself, identifying best-practice in reducing environmental impact in addition to low food-miles (sponsored by Canby)
• The Marketing Award rewards promotional activities linked to strategic objectives, which have a demonstrable impact on the business (sponsored by Reddipak)
• In addition, there are two occasional, individual Awards presented by the FARMA Council, one is for Lifetime Achievement and the other is called Community Spirit. Both are presented this year.

Click here to find out more more

BBC Countryfile visited Stroud Farmers' Market, winner of this year's Certified Farmers' Market of the Year award and talked with Clare Gerbrands, market manager, and our own Gareth Jones. Sandy Boyd of Ludlow Food Centre was also interviewed in the programme on the topic of farm shops.

See the programme below:

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