Marketing

Market Overview

Who Owns What? - charts showing corporate ownership of organic companies
Consumer Perceptions of Pasture-raised Beef and Dairy Products (Leopold)
Marketing Intelligence (Cyber-Help)
Sustaining Organic Farms in a Changing Organic Marketplace (OFRF '04)
'04 - Organic Agricultural Products: Marketing & Trade Resources (USDA)
The State of Organic Farming in Canada in 2002 (COG/ pdf - 551kb)
Manitoba Organic Report 2002 (A Canadian Overview)
Organic fruit and vegetable production: Is it for you? (Vista/pdf)
Canadian Organic Food Industry Report (USDA-FAS/pdf)
Organic Ag Worldwide '02 - Stats & Future Prospects (BioFach-IFOAM/pdf - 1.93 MB)
Recent Growth Patterns in the U.S. Organic Foods Market (ERS/pdf)

The Organic Consumer Profile
Nationwide Survey Reveals More Than Half of Americans Have Sampled Organic Foods and That Food Labels Matter (Whole Foods Market, PDF)

Identifying Market Gaps

Manitoba Organic Report 2002 (A Canadian Overview)
Organic Growing Practices Establish A Clear Market Position VISTA/September 2000 (page 5-7/pdf)
Attracting Consumers With Locally Grown Products (UNL/pdf)
Profile of The Canadian Game Bird Industry (Agri-food Canada).
Approaching Foodservice Establishments With Locally Grown Products (UNL/pdf)
Saanich Organics - a model for sustainable agriculture through co-operation
The Victoria region, an epicentre in Canada for small organic farms that are directly marketing in their communities, may have answers on how to revitalize the agricultural sector and to encourage youth entrepreneurship in agriculture. What follows is a case study of three organic farms on the Saanich Peninsula, run by women under 40, who are making their living farming. A key to their success is their ability to work co-operatively together. Their co-operative enterprise is called Saanich Organics.
Read the full paper [PDF 9.5MB]

Evaluating the Market

Profitability on a Small Farm by Paul and Sandy Arnold (COG 114kb pdf)
A Marketing Guide for Farm Product (Kootenay Organic Growers 2003/pdf)
Evaluating a Rural Enterprise (ATTRA)
Market Guide for Alberta Food Processors (ALAg)
US Organic Dairy Industry Profile 2003 (AgMRC-ISU/pdf)
Entertainment Farming & Agri-Tourism (ATTRA)
Planning Procedures for Marketing Organic Fruit and Vegetables (TAMU)
Marketing Organic Grains (ATTRA)
Organic Feed Study Evaluates market opportunities for organic feed in the USA and Europe
The Hot 50 Farm Marketing Tips

Checking Fruit/Vegetable/Medicinal Herbs Price and Trends

Organic Fruit and Vegetable Prices (Cyber)
Organic Farmgate and Wholesale Prices (USDA)
Agricultural Products - Economic and Market Information (AgCan)
InfoHort - Email Notifications (Montreal & Toronto Daily Price, Apple & Potato & Vegetable Storage) (AgCan)
Monthly Medicinal Herbs and Spice Prices (AgCan)

Checking Grains/Oilseed Price and Price Trends

Bi-weekly Bulletins from AAFC's Market Analysis Division
Canadian Wheat Board
Manitoba Markets - Grains and Oilseeds
Saskatchewan Ag and Food Market Trends
USDA - Grain and Oilseed Reports

Checking Feed/Forages Price and Price Trends

Eastern Canada Feed Grain Prices
USDA Feedstuffs Report
USDA Hay Reports

Traditional Marketing Options

Most Western farm systems rely heavily on cheap fossil fuel to cultivate, processes, store, package and get crops to market. While organic producers use almost half the energy that conventional producers use for cultivation (through the elimination of artificial fertilizers and pesticides) most rely on fossil fuel powered mechanical cultivation and harvest methods. Canadian organic producers supply approximately 30 per cent of the domestic market so large quantities of organic food are imported from south of the border, eliminating any energy savings provided by organic cultivation and management. - From Proximity & Petroleum by Derek Masselink

Direct Farm Marketing
Direct Marketing (ATTRA)
Direct Farm Marketing (BCMAFF/pdf)
CSAs
Small Farm Success Project (Mid-Atlantic Region)
CSA: More for your money than fresh vegetables (Wisc)
Community Supported Agriculture (ATTRA)
Farmers' Markets
BC's Association of Farmers' Markets
22 Lessons in Running a Successful Farmers Market Stand (New Farm)
Farmers' Markets: Marketing & Business Guide (ATTRA)
Cooperatives
Producer Procedures from the Oklahoma Food Cooperative