Thursday, April 05, 2012
Farmers market: Celebrating 20 years of growing on Saturday - Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader - Port Townsend, Jefferson County & Olympic Peninsula's news website - Port Townsend, WA
2001-2005 Port Townsend Farmers Market Director, Harvindar Singh, takes a stroll through the last market of the season and his career.
Seeds of the Port Townsend Farmers Market were planted 20 years ago in a gravel lot downtown between Elevated Ice Cream Co. and the Cotton Building.
Vendors at that market, such as Denise Joy, remember that the wind swept in so hard off the bay that even on a hot summer day, “it felt like 40 degrees in the wind tunnel.”
Consequently, the market was relocated to another lot, a block away behind City Hall, which offered shelter from the wind. Tended by a community keen on going local and organic, the market blossomed, so much so that it needed to be transplanted yet again – to an entire block of Tyler Street in Uptown.
And that is where it blooms again on Saturday, April 7 for what is being touted as the market’s 20th anniversary season, though some who’ve been around for longer than that roll their eyes and say the market really is a more mature 21 years old.
But who wants to quibble with anniversary dates right before Easter?
Market director Will O’Donnell, who was a sophomore in high school, eager to get his driver’s license, 20 years ago, is looking forward to the day and the 2012 market year.
Farmers market: Celebrating 20 years of growing on Saturday - Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader - Port Townsend, Jefferson County & Olympic Peninsula's news website - Port Townsend, WA
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
New York Apple Growers Unveil QR Codes For Produce Aisle - PerishableNews
The New York Apple Association is promoting a new retail program that allows consumers using smart phones to scan QR codes on point-of-sale cards to get instant information about New York apple varieties right from the produce aisle.
“We’re trying to delight that sophisticated shopper not only with our fruit, but also with up-to-the-minute information technology,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
“Smart consumers make smart choices when they have the right information,” he said. “These same consumers want information quickly.”
The Apple Association’s new POS material all contain prominent QR codes, which link to online videos that show how New York apples are grown, packaged and delivered.
The video series, which consist of six different segments showcasing how the apple goes from the tree to the table, were unveiled at the PMA show in Atlanta this fall, with much positive response from retail produce buyers.
“These videos take the viewer from seeing the blossom pollinated and follows it all the way to the produce shelves,” Allen said. “Foodies and localvores want to put a face to the farmer. We accomplish that with this video series.”
The videos contain high production values and were shot in New York orchards and packinghouses this spring and summer.
Retailers across the nation are using the new POS cards. When consumers scan the QR codes, shopping data goes back to the association.
“We continue to get a positive response from retailers,” Allen said.
“For those retailers who want to reach out to their customers, we can give them cutting edge materials that we hope will lead to the sale of more New York apples.”
New York Apple Growers Unveil QR Codes For Produce Aisle - PerishableNews
“We’re trying to delight that sophisticated shopper not only with our fruit, but also with up-to-the-minute information technology,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
“Smart consumers make smart choices when they have the right information,” he said. “These same consumers want information quickly.”
The Apple Association’s new POS material all contain prominent QR codes, which link to online videos that show how New York apples are grown, packaged and delivered.
The video series, which consist of six different segments showcasing how the apple goes from the tree to the table, were unveiled at the PMA show in Atlanta this fall, with much positive response from retail produce buyers.
“These videos take the viewer from seeing the blossom pollinated and follows it all the way to the produce shelves,” Allen said. “Foodies and localvores want to put a face to the farmer. We accomplish that with this video series.”
The videos contain high production values and were shot in New York orchards and packinghouses this spring and summer.
Retailers across the nation are using the new POS cards. When consumers scan the QR codes, shopping data goes back to the association.
“We continue to get a positive response from retailers,” Allen said.
“For those retailers who want to reach out to their customers, we can give them cutting edge materials that we hope will lead to the sale of more New York apples.”
New York Apple Growers Unveil QR Codes For Produce Aisle - PerishableNews
Sunday, December 18, 2011
What are you going to miss about the Port Townsend Farmers Market? (VIDEO)
On the last last of the Port Townsend Farmers Market 2011 season, eight people were asked what they would miss about the weekly community event.
1) Charlie Bodony, Some Like It Hott, http://somelikeithott.wordpress.com
2) Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend mayor
3) Charlie, a Port Townsend resident
4) Paul Richmond, attorney ( http://olympicpeninsulalaw.com )
5) Har Gopal S. Boyd, Mama's Harvest ( http://www.mamasharvest.com )
6) Kayla G. Boyd, Mama's Harvest
7) Jennifer Michele McCoy, Chocolatiere ( http://www.jmichelechocolat.com )
8) Carlos Roberto Costa Ribeiro, silver alchemist ( http://www.galery-9.com )
What are you going to miss about the Port Townsend Farmers Market? (VIDEO) -Peninsula Daily NEWS
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sprouting Healthy Kids - Sustainable Food Center - YouTube
Sprouting Healthy Kids is an Austin, Texas-based farm-to-school project that encourages lifelong healthy behaviors. The program introduces elementary-age students to healthy food and food systems, and offers hands-on, after-school gardening and cooking activities.
Sprouting Healthy Kids - Sustainable Food Center
Farmer's Market Using QR Codes To Help Business
The Farmer's Market may not be the first place you think of using new technology.
But Harriet Kattenberg with Seedtime & Harvest knows QR codes could benefit business.
"It's a technology that seems to be coming and we decided to just use it and see what the feedback would be,” said Kattenberg.
Customers can scan QR codes with a smart phone and an app.
For Seedtime & Harvest, when customers scan the code, they get directed to a website with information on how to prepare Swiss chard.
"I don't always have time to talk to everyone, so the common questions that I get asked all the time are what I put behind the QR code,” said Kattenberg. (Read More, Watch Video News Report)
But Harriet Kattenberg with Seedtime & Harvest knows QR codes could benefit business.
"It's a technology that seems to be coming and we decided to just use it and see what the feedback would be,” said Kattenberg.
Customers can scan QR codes with a smart phone and an app.
For Seedtime & Harvest, when customers scan the code, they get directed to a website with information on how to prepare Swiss chard.
"I don't always have time to talk to everyone, so the common questions that I get asked all the time are what I put behind the QR code,” said Kattenberg. (Read More, Watch Video News Report)
4 Ways Farmers’ Markets Are Going Digital
2. QR Codes and Mobile Marketing
The Sustainable Food Center (SFC) Farmers’ market in Austin joined forces with QR code mobile mapping company Walking Papers to be part of a printed street map of downtown Austin that combines mobile functionality through the use of QR codes. A code sends users to the Farmer’s Market mobile site — also designed by Walking Papers — and the print product is distributed free at popular locales throughout downtown Austin. The SFC Farmers’ brand is featured on the printed map, building brand awareness and driving traffic to their mobile site.
“Using a mobile platform from TappInn.com, the Walking Papers site leads to a main page that acts like a regular website home page, with information about all of our programs, but that is edited to suit the briefer engagement times and informational interests of the mobile site user,” explains Oliver Franklin, co-founder of Walking Papers.
QR codes that lead to the main SFC mobile home page appear on physical signage at the farmers’ market as well and will soon appear on a local coffee packaging promotion with local roaster and café Progress Coffee. They’re also working on adapting the mobile site to become the default destination when people access the website via mobile devices. The next major project is a network of mobile sites for each of their farmers and vendors.
“These pages would be accessed via QR codes on booth signage at each farmer/vendor’s booth at SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown as well as on those farmers’/vendors’ product packaging,” says Susan Leibrock, community relations director for the SFC. The pages will include contact information, product information and market schedules as well as links to websites, Facebook and Twitter and email capture features as well.
Coventry Farmers’ Market also uses QR codes, generating them through a free code generator. The codes appear on signage at market booths and share information, direct customers to websites and even lead to videos of vendors at work. Scanning QR codes can make waiting in line at popular booths more enjoyable, says Caplanson.
4 Ways Farmers’ Markets Are Going Digital
The Sustainable Food Center (SFC) Farmers’ market in Austin joined forces with QR code mobile mapping company Walking Papers to be part of a printed street map of downtown Austin that combines mobile functionality through the use of QR codes. A code sends users to the Farmer’s Market mobile site — also designed by Walking Papers — and the print product is distributed free at popular locales throughout downtown Austin. The SFC Farmers’ brand is featured on the printed map, building brand awareness and driving traffic to their mobile site.
“Using a mobile platform from TappInn.com, the Walking Papers site leads to a main page that acts like a regular website home page, with information about all of our programs, but that is edited to suit the briefer engagement times and informational interests of the mobile site user,” explains Oliver Franklin, co-founder of Walking Papers.
QR codes that lead to the main SFC mobile home page appear on physical signage at the farmers’ market as well and will soon appear on a local coffee packaging promotion with local roaster and café Progress Coffee. They’re also working on adapting the mobile site to become the default destination when people access the website via mobile devices. The next major project is a network of mobile sites for each of their farmers and vendors.
“These pages would be accessed via QR codes on booth signage at each farmer/vendor’s booth at SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown as well as on those farmers’/vendors’ product packaging,” says Susan Leibrock, community relations director for the SFC. The pages will include contact information, product information and market schedules as well as links to websites, Facebook and Twitter and email capture features as well.
Coventry Farmers’ Market also uses QR codes, generating them through a free code generator. The codes appear on signage at market booths and share information, direct customers to websites and even lead to videos of vendors at work. Scanning QR codes can make waiting in line at popular booths more enjoyable, says Caplanson.
4 Ways Farmers’ Markets Are Going Digital
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