2009 Farmers’ Market Promotional Mini-Grant Available Through Kansas Rural Center

Please note, the deadline for 2009 mini-grant applications has passed.

Do your market’s shopper counts need a boost? Vendors want to increase their sales? Are you seeking new ways to garner media attention?

KRC offers Market Promotion Workshops which provide education, training, video, handouts, and facilitated business planning targeted to assist your market in developing a successful promotion plan. And to make a good thing even better, qualified markets become eligible for promotional mini-grants of up to $950 sponsored by Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Mercedes, a former market manager, will work with your market to explore which promotional strategies could be most effective in your community. Your market can then submit a budget and mini-grant application to put the plan into action this year.

Eligible markets must meet the following requirements:

• Have a sponsoring organization, management team or board which provides management and oversight of the market
• Participated in a promotion workshop facilitated by the Kansas Rural Center
• Have a checking account and means of accounting for minigrant expenses
• Signed a contract with the KRC specifying terms of agreement for the minigrant
• Agreed to report back to KRC to fulfill the state project outcomes

Additional mini-grant details include:

• Successful individual farmers markets will receive approximately $950.
• Farmers markets can apply for a second year of funding but priority will be given to first time applicants.

For more information, or to schedule a workshop in your town, contact Mercedes: (785) 840.6202 or mercedes [dot] taylorpuckett [at] gmail [dot] com.