Six locations will be host workshops for local foods entrepreneurs to learn about food safety, business practices, sales tax and more. This is a brought to you by K-State Research and Extension, Kansas Department of Agriculture, and the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops.
Thanks to those who attended the 2024 Local Food Producer Workshop in February!
If you were not able to attend, there are recordings from the Olathe sessions available for you to view. The recordings are on the From the Land of Kansas website at https://www.fromthelandofkansas.com/page/farmers-market-regional-workshops. We look forward to offering these workshops again in 2025.
The growth of local foods and farmers markets has been evident across Kansas. To help small food producers prepare and sell foods safely, a publication entitled Foods Sold Directly to Consumers in Kansas: Regulations and Food Safety Best Practices is a comprehensive guide for anyone selling food products direct to consumers. This publication also includes information on selling eggs, poultry, live plants and much more!
This publication gets updated every January, and the 2024 edition is now available. This is a joint project between K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Lodging Division, and Kansas Department of Agriculture Meat & Poultry Inspection Program.
If you need assistance with the food products you would like to make and sell, the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab is a great resource for technical assistance and guidance.
We’re back in person! These workshops were formerly known as Regional Farmers Market Workshops. Registration is now open. Sign up now!
Select the link below for registration at a location near you.
Learn more at the Kansas Local Foods Systems website.
Great Plains Growers Conference (GPGC) is a great local conference for commercial fruit and vegetable producers from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and other Midwest states providing research-based information, from both vegetable research specialists and local growers, to help your farms grow and thrive.
When: January 11-14, 2024
Where: Missouri Western University, St. Joseph, MO
We’re back in person! Planning is taking place to have in-person Regional Farmers Market workshops in early 2024. Save the dates below for locations and plan to attend. More information will be coming soon and will be available on the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab website.
Locations and dates include:
Olathe—February 9 at K-State Olathe campus
Hutchinson—February 10 at Hutchinson Community College
Parsons—February 23 at KSRE Southeast Exension Center
Hays—March 1 at K-State Agricultural Research Center
We’re back in person! Planning is taking place to have in-person Regional Farmers Market workshops in early 2024. Save the dates below for locations and plan to attend. More information will be coming soon and will be available on the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab website.
Locations and dates include:
Olathe—February 9
Hutchinson—February 10
Parsons—February 23
Hays—March 1
Scott City—TBD
These workshops are beneficial for anyone selling products direct to consumers, such as farmers markets, as well as market organizers.
It is time to starting planning for the next season of farmers markets in Kansas!
Save the dates for the 2023 Farmers Market workshops to be held February 6-10, 2023. These will be held via Zoom from Noon to 1:00pm each day. Many topics are on the schedule to help you with many aspects of a farmers market.
Details will be coming soon and registration. Look for this information, and view the 2022 workshops, on the From the Land of Kansas website.
The Farmers Market/Direct-to-Consumer Sales Conference, held in partnership by K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, will be held January 31-February 4, 2022.
This year, participants can join the conference virtually from their location or join with others at one of 17 “watch parties” at various Extension offices across Kansas. We thank those locations for offering to host these sessions.
January 31, 2022: Food Safety for Value-Added Food Products
February 1, 2022: Sales Tax, Food Packaging, and How to Care for your Certified Scales
February 2, 2022: Meat and Poultry, Kansas Value Added Meats Lab
February 3, 2022: Accepting EBT/SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks
The half-day workshop on February 4, 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will cover topics such as How to Market your Market and Booth, How to Identify Common Legal Risks, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Vegetable Production, From the Land of Kansas program, and resources available from KSRE. Keynote speaker Brian Coppom, Colorado Department of Agriculture, will discuss Best Practices for Business Success for farmers’ markets.
KDA’s weights and measures program will offer free scale certification with a paid registration to an online workshop.
Do you go to your local farmers market and just drool over all the fresh produce? How will you prepare those brussels sprouts or kale?
The From the Land of Kansas (FLOK) website has recipe ideas to help you out. Some vendors may have these available for you to pick up as you shop. But they are also available on the FLOK website.
Local farmers markets are great ways to find new foods to try. Ask vendors what their favorite recipe to use an item new to you.
Learn more about the FLOK program and visit their booth in the Pride of Kansas building at the Kansas State Fair.
Find a farmers market near you in this online directory.