How developing an Environmental Farm Plan can grow direct farm business.
Ask a member of the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association about the vision they have of their business and they would probably say something along the lines of "to respond to rapidly growing demands from Alberta consumers who want to experience the taste and flavour of rural Alberta."
Increasingly, there is a trend by urbanites to travel to rural destinations to eat, shop and take part in memorable activities including festivals, corn mazes, hayrides, farm stores, farmers markets and U-pick farms.
As well, today's consumer is more concerned than ever about the health value of the food they buy, and farm direct marketers are often identified as an alternative source of healthy, natural food grown in a fresh, clean environment.
So what can farm direct marketers do to maximize the opportunity to react to this trend? One way is to seek opportunities to show customers that the operation follows certain guidelines of excellence in the way it grows its produce. And one way to do that is to develop and implement an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP).
In the most general terms, an EFP is a voluntary, free and confidential process that helps producers identify and address the environmental risks and opportunities on their farms and ranches. Producers who develop EFPs are also eligible for up to $30,000 in funding from the Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP) for environment related improvements.
But at the same time, EFPs are much more than that. They also provide a way to demonstrate to customers that an exceptional amount of care has been put into the environmental considerations of an operation.
"EFPs are particularly valuable to direct marketing operations because many of our customers are environmentally conscious people who demand a lot in the way of environmental stewardship," says AFFPA administrator Joan Gregorwich of Camrose.
"And because many of our customers actually come to the farm to buy our products, they immediately see the results of the good environmental management practices that go hand-in-hand with developing an EFP."
Just as every farm direct marketing operation is a unique business with its own set of philosophies and goals, every EFP is tailored to the unique needs of an operation. That makes developing an EFP a good fit because direct farm marketers often target very specific consumers.
"With guidance from the provided EFP workbook, EFPs are something producers can develop to identify environmental strengths and weaknesses on their own operations," says Therese Tompkins, program director of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (AEFP) Company, the non-profit company that delivers the program.
"Farm direct marketers developing EFPs can determine what steps they want to take depending on their individual needs."
The process of developing an EFP starts with attending two community-based half-day workshops. The first workshop introduces participants to the EFP planning process, explains the procedure, reviews the contents of the EFP binder and provides them with the tools to complete the actual plan on their own time at home.
Once participants have completed the first draft of their plans, they attend a second workshop to review the process, ask any specific questions and share ideas on how to address identified risks.
The participants are then encouraged to submit their completed plans to a review committee for comment and recommendation. The review committee provides practical suggestions on any area of concern or question raised in the plan.
After the plan has been reviewed and deemed appropriate, the producer receives a farm gate sign and certificate acknowledging their participation and interest in making agriculture more environmentally sustainable.
Even if a marketer or producer is already doing most things right where it comes to environmental stewardship, Gregorwich says having that farm gate sign validates what the producer already knows.
"It's also a good way to reinforce to producers that they are doing their best to make their operations sustainable. It's really nice to come home, look at your farm, look at the sign on the farm gate and say 'Wow, we're doing lots of good things.'"
Farm direct marketers that complete EFPs are eligible for up to $30,000 per farm for environmental improvements through the CAFSP program. From February 2005 to May 2006, EFP participants in Alberta have been approved for over 1,470 beneficial management practice (BMP) projects, representing about $18 million. The CAFSP reimbursement for these improvements totals around $6.4 million.
This funding is another way the EFP program can add value to the burgeoning direct farm industry in Alberta, says Gregorwich. "Environmental improvements are a way to sustain the direct farm industry and this funding provides opportunities to do so."
Whether a direct farm marketer is looking to improve their business image, planning environmental improvements or both, Gregorwich says developing and implementing an EFP is a worthwhile time investment. "I just think these are wonderful programs," she says.
More information on the EFP program is available at www.albertaEFP.com or by calling toll-free at 1-866-844-2337. Information on CAFSP is available from the program office toll-free at 1-800-667-8567.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
