Effort 'Underway To Revitalize State Direct Marketing Group
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) A number of Pennsylva
nia producer-retail marketers are
in the process of revitalizing an
idled, statewide direct-marketing
association and are making an
offer difficult to pass up join
for a year at no cost, and then
decide if it isn’t worth paying dues
to continue as a member.
That was one of the actions
approved during an organizational
meeting held at the Pennsylvania/
Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing
Conference and Trade Show, at the
Willow Valley Resort and Confer
ence Center, Feb. 17-20.
During the meeting, a new
bylaw was adopted and temporary
leadership installed.
The name is to remain the
same the Pennsylvania Retail
Farm Market Association Inc.
(PRFMA), an incorportated, non
profit association.
The cote group, comprised
mostly of those active in planning
and supporting the annual multi
state Mid-Atlantic Direct Market
ing Conference, has been working
since last year with John Berry, a
multi-county Penn State Extension
marketing agent in southeastern
Pennsylvania, and with the support
of the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture.
Bcny was named the acting
executive secretary of PRFMA.
There are two positions left
open on the board of directors
the group is looking for one per
son from the western region, and
one from the northern region of the
state.
Anyone interested in serving as
a director should call Berry at
(610) 391t5840. The board has
scheduled another meeting for
noon, March 23, in Room 309 of
the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture Building in
Harrisburg.
It’s no surprise that the associa
tion is receiving a jump-start effort
by those already heavily involved
in the business.
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Direct marketing represents a
segment of the agricultural busi
ness community that has been
growing in recent years, primarily
by branching out and away from
the typical roadside stand at the
end of the farm lane.
The marketing environment has
changed for all agricultural
products
National, continental and global
agricultural mass marketing com
petition has pressured farm-gate
prices below cost of production in
many instances', forcing out those
unwilling to adopt new high pro
duction, low-return, management
intensive techniques, assume addi
tional debt, or get involved in
contracts.
There is little room in most of
the traditional bulk-commodity
production agricultural industry to
successfully start-up an indepen
dent operation that focuses on
generating income through tradi
tional, mainstream raw-product
sales.
Among all commodities, there
are fewer, if any, opportunities to
break into mass marketing today.
But, the alternative to mass
marketing niche, or direct
marketing has allowed many to
cam enough to pay expenses and
generate a decent standard of
living.
Orchard operators who hold fes
tivals, or extend some type of inti
macy or special experience to cus
tomers, along with offering high
quality products, are among those
finding success.
Some arc working dirccdy with
urban sprawl neighbors to grow
produce for them fresh, same
day picked vegetables and fruits.
Those producing vegetables and
fruits, or meat and dairy products,
through organic farming practices
have found some measures of suc
cess as an alternative to main
stream production.
In fact, the organic industry is
growing to the point that some
companies have formed, as well as
smaller cooperatives, to move bey
ond direct retail to mass
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Pennsylvania representatives on the Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing Conference
Planning Committee review bylaw proposals and other materials prior to presenting
them for consideration in the revitalization of the Pennsylvania Retail Farm Market
Association Inc. (PRFMA). From the left is Warren Mathias with the state Department
of Agriculture Bureau of Market Development; John Berry, PSU Extension multi
county market agent and acting executive secretary of PRFMA; Robert Ferber, presi
dent of PRFMA; David Hodge, treasurer; and William Lelik, an agricultural marketing
specialist with the PDA Bureau of Market Development, serving as an informal
advisor.
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Others produce quality product
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Some vineyard owners have dis
covered that, in addition to market
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thetics of their farms can be used to
set the stage for providing some
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Bob Zook, VP
Ag Lending
Serving
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since
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