Use downtime to attend industry conferences and webinars
I enjoyed connecting with a variety of agricultural people from every corner (or field) of the province at this year’s Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies Conference. My favourite session was There is No “I” in Team. Yes, we have heard that before, but this session provided a humorous twist on engaging our teams. Have you ever considered participating in your local Ag Society….check them out!
One of the first webinars that I participated in was for Food Recall. Unfortunately, this is something that any food manufacturer can encounter and NOT necessarily because of something that they have done, or failed to do, but by simple association or the transferring of product. It is critical that producers are equipped to work through all the steps necessary within the challenging and stressful situation. The new Safe Food for Canadians Act assists those that are new to producing, making it easier to understand and create plans for such incidents. However, these ordeals can affect producers, customers, relationships with customers and suppliers and how business is conducted moving forward.
This is a great time of year to take in as many learning opportunities as possible. In addition to those already listed, I participated in the webinars Preparing your Business for Change (a 4 part series) and Board Governance (3 part series). I have a few still approaching too, Food Regulations for Farmers Market Managers and Vendors and Alternative Markets to Retail & Food Service which should be interesting.
We are passionate about Farmers’ Markets and what they do for their communities and vendors in this province. We are proud to announce that Colina received the Perennial Vendor Award.