Schedule for the January 27 & 28, 2012

7:30-9:00 - Breakfast

9:00-9:45 - Assessing Maine's Agricultural Future – 2025 We will present results of work done with 15 focus groups of farmers, including one at the 3rd annual MFMC, and the implications for Maine agriculture as we look to the future.This research is supported by funding from the University of Maine Board of Trustees.

  9:45-10:30 - Round Table Discussion - facilitated by Deb Burwell

10:30-12:00 Workshop breakout (choice of one from below)

• Market Managers Round Table - facilitated by Deb Burwell
• Social Networking Strategies - Monique Bouchard will discuss if social networking is right for you
• EBT - Panel discussion with Suzanne Briggs, Tracy Weber and Amy Carrington
• Introduction to QuickBooks - Gretchen Henn will discuss if QuickBooks is the right choice for you.

12:00-1:30 - Round table lunch 

1:30-2:30 - Keynote Diane Eggert

2:30-3:00  - Break

3:00-4:00 - Workshop breakout (choice of one from below)

• Winter Markets - Tanya Swain of Western Mountains Alliance
• Farmers' Markets Innovations - Jay Friedlander will examine what are the latest innovations happening in farmers' markets? How are customer expectations changing?  How can farmers use these changes to grow sales, increase loyalty and improve returns?
• Social Networking 2 - Monique Bouchard will take social networking (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc) to a new level
• So you've already got QuickBooks, now what? - Gretchen Henn will offer learning opportunities about financial reports, reconciling, invoicing and cover the ten mistakes most ofen made with QuickBooks.   Feel free to bring your questions.

4:00-5:30 - Workshop breakout (choice of one from below)

• Insurance - Greg Warren will cover insurance options
• Slow Money - Linzee Weld
• Social Networking 2 cont.
• So you've already got QuickBooks, now what? Cont.

** Registration is open throughout the event

7:30-9:00 - Breakfast

9:00-12:00 - Workshop 1 (choice of one from below)

• Managing Conflict - Craig Freshley will explore effective communication in resolving conflict.
• Food Safety - Nada Haddad will discuss food safety in relation to marketing: Consumers expect safe food.  Maintaining Customers' Confidence: Food Safety Approach and Beyond". Nada Haddad, Agriculture Extension Educator with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension will discuss through visuals how to safely display fruits and vegetables, meat and specialty food products at the farmers market. She will also discuss food tasting, product quality and safe surroundings at the market
• "Truth in Advertising" Mary Yurlina and Dave Colson of MOFGA are joined by Hanne Tierney, Cornerstone Farm and Clayton Carter, Fail Better Farm to lead a discussion about the rules for advertising certain foods and how to help your members market their products fairly, legally and safely!

 12:00-1:00 - Lunch with U. S. House Representative Chellie Pingree

1:00-3:00 -  Afternoon Session (open to the public)

The first annual meeting: Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets

** Registration is open throughout the event