Farm Focus Newsletter - 
February 2013


SAVE THE DATE:

NH Farm & Forest Exposition

Friday, February 8, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 9, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester

 

Admission price is $7 per person; age 15 and under admitted for free.  Save $1 off the admission price by bringing 2 non-perishable food items which will be donated to the NH Food Bank! 
 
At "New Hampshire's Greatest Winter Fair", there is always something for someone! 
There's the infamous FARMO game for kids of all ages, great exhibitors to visit, and interesting education sessions.  There will be student demonstrations, animals, and three silent auctions.  Click here for more information on the expo.  
Business and Nonprofit Coaching
 Working on your 2013 plan for your business?

Serving on a board and working on a strategic, fundraising or marketing plan? 

Schedule a free session with one of the professionals available monthly at Hannah Grimes:

 

Dave Chase of DRC Consulting
Nonprofit Coaching Every First Friday of the Month
Available for one hour sessions from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

 

Ann Connor of AdviCoach
Every Fourth Monday of the Month
Available for one hour sessions from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

 

Every First Tuesday of Every other Month, Beginning February 5
Available for one hour sessions from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

 

Nonprofit Coaching Every Third Monday of the Month
Available for half hour sessions from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

 

Rich Grogan of NH-SBDC
Every Monday
Available for two hour sessions from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

 

Every Second Wednesday of the Month
Available for half hour sessions from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

If you are interested, contact Jillian at Hannah Grimes or call 603-352-5063.

 

Events in the Monadnock Region:

Are you Interested in Growing Fruits and Vegetables in a High Tunnel?

Cheshire County Conservation District

DEADLINE: Friday, February 1, 2013

The Conservation District is looking to grant  funds to construct 1 high tunnel to a - school - community garden - food pantry - recreation center- etc. If your organization is interested in this, please complete the below Request for Proposals and submit them to the Conservation District by Feb. 1, 2013. Click here for the request for proposals. 

 

How to Create and Motivate a Team

With Maddie Weinreich

Thursday, February 7, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Hannah Grimes Center, Keene

Cost: free

People are your business's greatest asset.  Whether you work with a staff, a team, a business partner, suppliers, clients, or customers, how you work together influences everything!  Come join Certified Organization & Relationship Systems Coach, Maddie Weinreich, to learn some simple skills and tools to improve your work relationships. Click here for more information and to register.   

 

Tim Campbell Open Gallery Reception 

Thursday, February 7, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Hannah Grimes Center, Keene

Cost: free

Join us for a gallery reception for Keene's award winning, traditional folk artist, Tim Campbell. Campbell is a self taught artist also known as an "outsider artist." On view for the first time is Tim's rendition of Hannah Grimes with her farm animals in front of her home in Roxbury, NH. Campbell donated the painting to the Hannah Grimes Center. There will be sampling from different food producers who are members of the Hannah Grimes Marketplace. Come and enjoy the artist and his work for a few hours of fun, art and delicious treats from our local producers! Click here to register and for more information.  

 

Frozen Farm Fest

Stonewall Farm

Saturday, February 9, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Stonewall Farm, Keene

 Cost: free

The Farm doesn't shut down in the winter! Come see what we are up to even if the snow is falling. Live music, sleigh or hay rides, animals to visit, goodies for sale at the farm store, food and hot cocoa. This is a special event for all ages. Click here for more information.   

  

SMART Goals Workshop

With Rich Grogan

Tuesday, February 19, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Hannah Grimes Center, Keene

Cost: free

The SMART Goals workshop will start by defining SMART goals, and will also cover the reasons that a business might want to set SMART goals, and how these goals can be used as tools to help businesses both define and achieve strategic objectives. Participants will be given a tool that outlines a process to help them to write SMART goals on their own. Click here to register and for more information.   

  

2013 Harvest New England Ag Marketing Conference & Trade Show

Wednesday, February 27, 8:00 a.m. to

Thursday, February 28, 5:00 p.m.

Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center

366 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA

  Cost: $50 for one day registration, $90 for full conference registration

A hands-on conference dedicated to improving marketing techniques for your agribusiness. If you're a grower, value added producer, new farmer, farm store manager, farmers market manager, agriculture service provider or just interested in agriculture, this is the agricultural conference for you! Choose from 26 workshops on marketing, social media, agritourism, financing and more! Network with farmers market managers at the New England Farmers Market Managers Workshop, attend a full agricultural trade show featuring dozens of vendors, and listen to the keynote speaker, Roberta MacDonald, Senior VP of Marketing, Cabot Creamery. Click here for more information and to register. 

 

6-month Business Start-Up Program 

With Helaine Iris

Thursday, February 28, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Hannah Grimes Center, Keene

Cost: $600 with scholarship dollars available 

  The Hannah Grimes Business Start-Up Program is modeled after our proven 6-month business development program, the Entrepreneur Project but covers content relevant to new business owners. You will learn the skills and receive the support you need to reach your business goals - in the company of other like-minded entrepreneurs. At the end of the 6 months, you will have a workable business plan for your start-up business. Click here for more information and to register. 

 

NOFA-NH 

Winter Conference Farmer Intensive Day

Friday, March 1, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Laconia Middle School, Laconia

Cost: free

This year, NOFA-NH will host a pre-conference day for organic farmers, both seasoned and beginning, with three-hour workshop sessions specifically focused on:

  • Tractor Safety and Maintenance - Hands on with Steve Roberts and Andy Pressman
  • Small Scale Grain Productions in New England - Jack Lazor, Butterworks Farm, VT
  • High Tunnel Construction and Management - Ed Person, Ledgewood Farm, and Becky & Eric Sideman
  • Soil Health for Dairy Production - Tim Wightman, author of Raw Milk Production Handbook
  • Soil health for Vegetable Production - Rebecca Brown, Midwestern Bio-Ag Soil Consultant and Dairy Herd Manager
  • Revving Up Your Markets Panel Discussion - Red Tomato, Windham Farm and Food Network, and other regional aggregation projects

Contact Ray Conner for more information and to register. 

 

News & Resources to Inform & Inspire
Originally posted by Mary Peabody, 
Community Development Specialist, UVM Extension
You have a great product and your farmers' market is bustling with shoppers. So why aren't sales as good as you hoped? Having a great product is important, but only if you can successfully attract customers to 'try and buy'. In this publication we review some basic tips for arranging your space, display strategies that work, and a few other marketing tactics that will signal customers you are open for business. Click here to learn more. 

 Originally posted on HannahGrimes.com
The Business Incubator Program at the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship includes business development and educational services, professional networking and peer-learning, and supported, private and shared office space. Read more...

ORDER TODAY!
Cheshire County Conservation District 2013 Plant Sale
DEADLINE: Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Available this year: Wichland Woods Mushrooms, Fruit and Nut Trees, Edible Berries, Vines, Roots, Herbaceous Perennial Plants, Deciduous Trees and Shrubs, Conifers and a pollinator seed mix. Click here for a complete guide to Plant Descriptions and an Order Form. For more information, contact Amanda at the Conservation District or call 603-756-2988 ext. 116.

 Originally posted on FairFoodNetwork.org 
Fair Food Fund offers patient capital with a focus on providing subordinated debt and royalty financing in situations where financing needs cannot be met by banks, traditional equity sources, or philanthropists. We are also able to provide equity financing. The fund's target investment size is $100,000 to $500,000 and may be offered as a stand-alone investment or as part of a larger financing package.  If you are interested in applying for Fair Food Fund investment and your enterprise meets our criteria, please contact Alex Linkow, Fair Food Fund Program Director, by phone at  734-730-3558.

The Carrot Project: 
Creating Small-Farm Financing Solutions

Originally posted on TheCarrotProject.org

The goal of this project is to show how business technical assistance and financing improve a farm's bottom line and lead to farm success. Building on the work of The Carrot Project's micro-loan funds, project partners will work closely with 30 farmers interested in business and financial management technical assistance and/or financing, with a focus on improving a farm's financial position. Each farmer will be paired with a project coordinator for the duration of the project; together, they will track and discuss changes in the farm business over a two-year period. At the end of the process, the project will produce a report, case studies, and training materials describing when financing and technical assistance are appropriate and useful in improving a farm's financial position. If you would like to sign up, please contact Dorothy Suput at 617.674.2371 or dsuput@thecarrotproject.org.  

 

Kiva Zip: A Nonprofit Organization that Provides 0% Interest Loans to Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners in the US and Globally

Originally posted on Zip.Kiva.org

 Kiva Zip is a pilot program of Kiva. Through our 'crowd-funding' website, we are making interest free loans of up to $5,000 with a one year term, and connecting borrowers with individuals in their local community and our online community, who are willing to lend them $25. We have loaned over $100,000 in San Francisco, Oakland, L.A., Pittsburgh and St. Louis so far in 2012, and are looking to expand in New Hampshire. Businesses we have lent to include farmers, artists, coffee shop owners and businesses with a strong social mission. Our loans are changing lives by creating jobs in local communities and giving entrepreneurs the capital they need to launch or grow their business. 

If you are interested in receiving a loan, making a loan or sponsoring a borrower please contact us at contactZip@kiva.org or visit us at Zip.Kiva.org for more information. 

 

New Hampshire Community Loan Fund 

Business Finance

Originally posted on CommunityLoanFund.org

 Our Business Builder loans connect business owners with the risk-tolerant financing and expertise they need to compete in a changing marketplace. Loans range from $1,000 to $500,000 and are structured to fit the borrower's needs. Our lending team takes the time to understand business owners' opportunities, and will extend capital to businesses that may be seen as too risky by traditional lenders. We will also provide feedback and referrals to training and/or resources even when a loan is not appropriate for us. Click here for more information or call  603-865-0780.  

Vested for Growth provides risk-tolerant capital, business education, and peer-learning opportunities to help business owners increase profits and create higher-quality jobs. The only business financing program of its kind, Vested for Growth provides sub-debt and royalty financing when both banks and equity sources are unable to provide enough capital for the needs of the business. Vested for Growth also provides management assistance, industry contacts, CEO peer learning opportunities, and connections to additional sources of bank debt and private equity. Click here for more information or call  603-865-0780.

Since 1996, the Community Loan Fund has loaned more than $10 million to New Hampshire businesses.