A New Agriculture for the 21st Century   

• Kent Mullinix, PhD, Director, Institute for Rural Innovation and Stewardship

We can create the kind of agriculture and economy we want. In fact, our agriculture and food system should be modeled similar to an ecosystem, diverse, adaptive, dynamic, resilient, and regenerating. We should envision an agriculture and food system where neighborliness, community, land and resource stewardship, and citizenship are all of the utmost importance and rewarded, a system were profits support farm families and rural communities.

Working On Your Business or In Your Business? A business planning & development perspective

• Diane Gasaway, Executive Director, Northwest Cooperative Development Center
• Linda Nuenzig, Owner, Ninety
  Farms and Certified Trainer, NX Level Business Planning
• Roland Chaiton, V.P./Loan Officer, Community Capital Development

Gain exposure to excellent resources for cooperative development, business planning for small to mid-size agricultural entrepreneurs who are seeking new ventures not tied to large scale commodity-style production, and access to capital for business start-ups or expansion.

Creating New Markets: Direct marketing strategies for success

• Jennifer Hall, Executive Director, Chef’s Collaborative
• Abbi Little, Owner, Abbi’s Northwest
• Jeff Voltz, Executive Director, Farming & the Environment

Learn from experienced perspectives about what it takes to build successful programs for direct selling to restaurants and grocery stores, as well as innovative distribution partnerships.

Creating More Value From Your Raw Product

• Bruce Dunlop, Owner, Lopez Island Farm
• Andrea Pipitone, Owner, Pipitone Farms
• Diane Moody, Director, Community Seafood Initiative

Learn about capturing increased value from livestock, row crops, and tree fruit. This session will also give you exposure to the “Stage Gate” process of developing and bringing value-added products to market.

Okanogan Producers Marketing Association: A case study

• Okanogan Producers Marketing Association members
  

Members of the Okanogan Producers Marketing Association will share  their experience and lessons learned in the formation of their  cooperative, and their first season working together to market their  products locally, and in the Spokane and Seattle markets. (N. Central WA conference only)

Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative: A case study

• Chris Fullerton, General Manager, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative

 In his bio, Chris states that he is an MBA (Market Box Arranger). Chris will present the history, background, and current business activities of the Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative, established in 1988 and currently representing 20 growers with annual sales of just over $1M. (N. Central Puget Sound conference only)