Articles : Spring 2005 Newsletter

Spring - Summer 2005 Newsletter

Hello!
Farm to Chef Express continued strong through out the winter and will celebrate its one-year anniversary of delivering products at the end of June. In this newsletter, I would like to update you on a variety of important items.

A second grant from NYSDAM was receive in early spring to help FCX become its own business entity, work with a promotion and marketing consultant, and continue farmer and chef networking opportunities. The funding of the grant is targeted to conclude in January 2006.

Search for New Project Coordinator
CCE is currently accepting applications for the FCX Project Coordinator position. This is the position that Judith Kleinberg is currently doing for FCX. Although the title has changed, the duties are the same: marketing and administrative duties in coordinating FCX. The position is 20 hours a week, part time, and temporary. The intent is for the position to continue under the new FCX business entity at the end of the grant period. Applications are due to Paula at CCE by July 8. See the Job Description for details.

Many thanks to Judith for all of her hard work on the project and getting it to where it is. Judith will continue as Marketing Liaison until the new person is hired. Judith plans to concentrate on some state poultry issues and continue to enjoy her retirement from her state job.

Business Future for FCX
The FCX steering committee has been continuously meeting and researching the future of FCX as its own business entity. The steering committee members Kevin Bowman, Alan and Nancy Brown, Art Place, Glen Rowse, Lisa Saunders, and Mike Yezzi with assistance from Judith Kleinberg, Remus Preda, driver, and Paula Schafer have been working with Cornell on possible business structure and developing the business plan. Very soon it is hoped that the entity will be established.

Monthly Sales Update
An important part of the FCX project has been to track the weekly and monthly sales of product farmers have been selling. As the business plan develops, these numbers are key to determining the future of the project. It is very exciting to see the increase in sales, farmers and chefs.

Sales by Month for FCX 2004 - 2005

Poultry
After speaking with Ag and Markets recently, it is my understanding that chicken can only be sold to restaurants when it is processed in an inspected facility. Your article 5A exemption for on farm processing only allows you to sell direct to consumers, not to restaurants.

Chickens must be processed at a facility that is state inspected. These would be the facilities that do the 20,000 limit of chickens or USDA. The only place I am aware that is doing processing for producers and has the 20,000 exemption is Dines Farm.

Dines Farm, John Payton
Dingman Road, Oakhill in Greene County
239-8203
Please adhere to these rules by Ag and Markets. Any chicken sold through FCX must meet the proper inspection rules. We cannot put the project or Cornell Cooperative Extension at risk, nor should you put your farm at risk.

I currently have a call in to NYSDAM and will be asking them for documentation or reference to what code this falls under from the health department or them for this rule. I will keep you posted and update you if anything changes.

If you have questions about this, they can be directed to John Arnold at NYSDAM at 457-5459.

Delivery Contribution
Thanks to the grant, for about a year participants have been fortunate enough not to need to contribute to the delivery costs. But for FCX as a business to be successful and to match the cash amount agreed to in the grant, it is time for farmers to contribute to the trucking. The steering committee has determined to start the contribution on the July 6 delivery and will be 7 ½ % of your weekly sales. Farmers will be billed at the end of each month. You can anticipate the delivery contribution to increase as the project gains new expenses such as a refrigerated truck and one check payment for chefs. Be sure to evaluate your products costs and make adjustments to your prices as best you can.

Summer Farm tour with Chefs
A farm tour is being planned for FCX chefs either on August 14-15 or 15-16 to visit participating FCX farms. All farms are invited to participate. And if you are not participating yet with FCX, you are encouraged to attend and meet the NYC chefs. A dish to pass dinner will be held in the evening at a farm. Anyone interested in hosting a chef in their home are asked to contact Paula. More details will come soon by mail and email.

Website Farm Page
Our Washington County summer intern will be contacting all FCX farmer members for information to add to your farmer web page on the FCX website. Please help our intern out by responding to them quickly and providing the necessary information. These pages will promote your farm to chefs and others how visit the website. Those that do not have their own website are encouraged to promote their page on the site.

Renew Membership and Over $500 in Sales
It's hard to believe a year has almost gone by. We are asking by members to renew their $100 membership as their anniversary date comes up. Also, some farmers have reached their $500 in sales and owe the remaining $60. Enclosed is a letter to those who need to renew or pay their $60 or both. Please do so immediately and support the project that is helping your farm business grow and expand.

FCX Membership
FCX offers farmers a variety of services:

• Vigorously markets individual farms and farm products to chefs in NYC.
• Provides guidance and technical assistance to farmers regarding wholesale pricing, packaging, quality standards, chef's' expectations, etc.
• Provides weekly web-based and/or faxed transmittals to chefs of farm-specific products available for sale.
• Provides printed packing slips to each restaurant and each farm.
• Provides cost subsidized product transportation to NYC chefs for the duration of the grant.
• Works with farmers and transporters to minimize transportation inconvenience.
• Features each farm on an individual page on the Farm to Chef Express website.
• Provides or helps access technical assistance and marketing guidance for development of website information/advertising, etc.
  

All participants must pay the membership fees to participate in FCX. Membership fees are $40 up front and signing the commitment form and then an additional $60 after you sell $500. See the Farmer Page for the sign up paperwork. Farmers need to pay their $40 before product will be marketed to NYC Chefs.

If you have any product to sell to NYC please contact the Judith at liaison@farmtochefexpress.org or 371-5592. More producers and products are need.

We look forward to continuing to work with you in 2005.

Paula Schafer
885-8995 or 746-2560

Judith Kleinberg
371-5592