Find Something to Eat and Something to do on MarketMaker

Click on MarketMaker and a whole new world opens up. MarketMaker can put you in touch with farmers, agritourism operations, retailers, wholesalers, etc. This one stop shop has all the information you need to get in touch with farmers/ranchers, places to go and places to eat and drink. Take advantage of this service for the holiday weekend.

Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture or CSA's as they are commonly referred to are growing in popularity. Not everyone can provide their own home-grown produce nor can everyone live near a year-round farmers market. CSA's are a great way for farmers to share the cost of producing fruits and vegetables with consumers who agree to monetarily support their effors. There are a number of ways CSA's are run and for a more complete definition and understanding, read this article from Local Harvest.

It's blueberry season and if you don't have a blueberry bush, log onto MarketMaker to find a place to purchase these berries. Select find a "farmer." Then further define your search by selecting "fruits and nuts" then click on "fruit product type" and select "blueberries." A listing of farms that sell blueberries will appear.

It's the Law

A special Louisiana law, La R.S. 40:4.9, passed in 1991 and amended in 1995 and 1997, provides an opportunity for an individual to make jams and jellies in their home instead of a commercial kitchen if their sales do not exceed $5,000 in a year. The state sanitary codes do not apply to these individuals, but the law should not be construed to imply that any unwholesome foods should be sold. Louisiana has lots of luscious berries that can be used to make jellies. The mayhaw, a fruit that measures about 1/2" to 1" in diameter and is bright red to reddish yellow, is plentiful from mid-April through early May. While some people can remember harvesting mayhaws in sloughs or river bottoms, they are now grown in commercial or home orchards created with grafted mayhaws. Several years ago, mayhaw producers were instrumental in having mayhaw jelly declared the Louisiana state jelly. To locate a mayhaw producer in your area, contact your local LSU AgCenter office or log onto the Louisiana Mayhaw Associations’s website and click on the “where to buy" tab or log onto MarketMaker at http://la.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/

Farm Toys

Kids Villiage is the first of its kind in New Orleans. The village targets children in pre-school through fifth grade. The teaching garden shows children how to plant their garden, raise farm animals and learn science skills. The farming toys in the picture are also part of the learning experience to teach how to create and maintain a garden. To learn more click here. If you have a farmers market or agritourism operation featuring gardening there are some good ideas on this website.

Join Louisiana Ag Coalition Today

The Louisiana AgCoalition is a statewide voice promoting and emphasizing the importance of agricultural research and extension services in Louisiana, representing 4-H, agriculture industries, producers and consumers. The organization is dedicated to ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of agriculture industries within the state for future generations. Click here to become a member.

Pick-Your-Own Operations

Pick-Your-Own operations are an excellent way to sell your produce directly off your farm. Entrepreuners who choose this method of sales should be aware that pick-your-own farms generally have the most business on weekends, require a friendly farm staff to meet and greet customers, requires less labor costs and necessitates the need for more liability insurance. This is a great option for the person who can meet all the needs above. Generally the season for pick-your-own crops are short. Pick-your-own opertaions require lots of marketing to bring customers to your farm. There are numerous marketing methods that have proven successful. Try any or all of these: -MarketMaker website -Pick-Your-Own website -Local Harvest website -Social media outlets: Facebook or Twitter

Fair Oaks Farm in Indiana

Fair Oaks Farm is a Disney experience in Indiana. Located just one hour south of Chicago this dairy farm has an adventure center that provides interactive displays to learn where milk comes from and its importance. The farm is one of the largest working dairies in the U.S. They milk 32,000 cows a day and 80 calves are born daily at the farm. A special room walled with plexi glass allows visitors to the farm to see calves being born every day. This U-Tube clip provides you with the experience. This is a great illustration of what agritourism operators can do on the farm.

Dutch Oven Cooking

Allow your agritourism visitors to cook their own food from the garden. Use a dutch oven and show them how to harvest, prepare and cook what they find in the garden. Detailed instructions for dutch oven cooking can be found at Trails.com or by clicking here. For suggestions on "what's for dinner" go to MarketMaker for a listing of vegetables in season.