MN Fruit & Vegetable IPM News - Vol. 2, No. 3

Spring. Spring turning to summer. This is the time of year when things get busy and new opportunities abound. For everyone who farms, this is also a time when plans have to be made and risks have to be assessed. Because though we’re infused with spring, we know that it takes a lot of work and some cooperation from Mother Nature to bring home a crop. Maybe that’s why we plant several, or take other measures to spread the risks.

In short, there are lots of risks associated with farming. From squash bugs to hail, there are many risks just getting crops and livestock in the door. Added to these are the risks of marketing – of not being able to get your products to the right customers at the right price. And the risks of financing and cash flowing throughout the year. If we talked with our parents and grandparents, it’s likely they would confirm all these worries. They don’t seem to go away.

So if there’s little new under the sun with respect to these worries, is there anything new to better deal with them? The answer is – yes. One of the new ways of dealing with farming risks is third-party certification. The basic strategy is to certify what you do on your farm in order to distinguish your products in the marketplace and add value to them. When consumers connect with your certification, you improve your marketing and you reduce your risk. Some farms – e.g. organically certified farms – having been using this successful strategy for years.

One of the newer and more inclusive certifications available to help farms reduce risk is Food Alliance certification. Food Alliance certification tells consumers that your farm is environmentally and socially responsible and that it’s local. And it does this for a wide range of farms.

There are several unique features to Food Alliance certification:

Reducing Market Risk

Food Alliance certification opens the door to new and growing markets for your products. Farmers have traditionally marketed commodity products through conventional channels. Reliance on a few, limited markets can be a risky proposition. Food Alliance certification provides you access to important food buyers who understand the integrity of your products. And your products can be differentiated from others in the marketplace – differentiated at a premium price.

Reducing Environmental Risk

Food Alliance certification leads to a greener environment. As agriculture becomes further scrutinized by regulators and the public, farmers may have to modify their operations to meet these new expectations. Food Alliance certification pro-actively addresses environmental expectations and provides third-party verification that standards are met. Food Alliance farmers report that certification positions them favorably to a public that is increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and how it was grown.

Reducing Production Risk

Food Alliance producers make use of sound production practices that buffer farms from some of Mother Nature’s tricks. For example, Food Alliance certified farms that use water-conserving crop rotations are less likely to suffer from drought. Likewise, if you’re using traps and degree-day models in your IPM program, you’re not only a good fit for Food Alliance certification, you’ll likely avoid pest damage to your crops.

Reducing Financial Risk

Food Alliance certification is an integral component of your business plan. If your business is growing or transitioning, access to credit is essential. Lenders place great importance on a thorough business plan that addresses marketing goals and commitments. Food Alliance certification – and your ability to work with Food Alliance market partners – may be the final piece of the puzzle that moves your business plan forward. Your marketing plan, coupled with a strong Food Alliance environmental scorecard, forges a compelling story for any lender or investor.

So when you certify with Food Alliance, you get risk management on all sides of the farm fence – certification helps you manage production and environmental risks; it also helps you manage marketing and financial risks. Food Alliance works for you whether you direct market, you sell to the natural food co-op in town, or you want your kids at the local college to have better dinners.

A national certification program that works locally to help you reduce production, environmental, marketing, and financial risks. Now that’s something new under the sun.

Ray Kirsch is the Midwest Certification Coordinator for Food Alliance. For an application or more information about Food Alliance, contact Ray at 651-653-0618, ray@foodalliance.org.

You can also learn more (and download an application) at the Food Alliance website: www.foodalliance.org.

Editors note: This article and issue of the MN Fruit and Vegetable IPM News is sponsored, in part, by the Midwest Food Alliance, St. Paul, MN. As with all sponsors, reference to products or services mentioned in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may be similar.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison ( hutch002@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Management and Development Division, and Suzanne Wold-Burkness ( woldx018@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota

The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Wednesday to Jeanne Ciborowski, 651-297-3217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us , MDA, 90 W. Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107-2094. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf format at: www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/fruitreports/

Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (MFVGA) and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA). These institutions are equal opportunity providers.

DISCLAIMER

Reference to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current manufacturer directions.

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