Grasshoppers Distribution

Grasshoppers Distribution is a wholesale food distribution business in Louisville, KY that purchases products from over 70 farmers in Kentucky and Southern Indiana; they were able to purchase around $550,000 worth of products from local farmers in 2011 alone! They purchase local produce, meats, cheeses, breads, and more from local producers and distribute these products to local consumers, restaurants, and growing institutional markets. Grasshoppers Distribution provides a reliable market that guarantees local farmers a certain amount of business each year through continuous planning and support. They are dedicated to supporting local farmers and to connecting consumers with local foods. To learn more just follow the link below to watch an interview with Ellen McGeeney, the President of Grasshoppers Distribution!

 Grasshoppers Distribution Video

Check out the Grasshoppers website:

Grasshoppers Distribution 

Bath County: Kentucky Market Pavilion

The Kentucky Market Pavilion

The Kentucky Market Pavilion is a non-profit market that helps Kentucky producers to market their local products. This dream was able to become a reality thanks to grants from the State of Kentucky. The market sells food products, arts and crafts, candy, and much more!

The Kentucky Market Pavilion also has a fully equipped kitchen, The Lunchbox, which serves delicious food for lunch and dinner daily! The Lunchbox serves hot lunches for just around $6, and if you are in a rush you can grab a box to go. On Friday and Saturday they also serve mouth watering, homemade cinnamon rolls!

Don’t Miss It!

Many community events are hosted by The Kentucky Market Pavilion throughout the year. Here are some upcoming events:

The Kentucky Market Pavilion One Year Anniversary

Saturday, April 21^st

• Vendors will be sampling and selling products
• Vendor demonstrations
• Square dance lessons at 2pm by Kentucky Old Time Music Inc.

The annual Ale-8 celebration

July, 13^th

• Celebrating years of business with Ale-8 and Ruth Hunt Candies
• Will be giving away FREE caffeine free diet Ale-8’s and Ruth Hunt Candies
• Local Vendors will be selling their products
• Door Prizes from local businesses and Ale-8

Farmer’s Market

June-October

• Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings 8am-noon

Produce Auctions

May – October

• Monday and Thursday evenings 6-8 pm

Here are some of the popular products sold at the Kentucky Market Pavilion:

Candles

Art

Crafts

Meats

Jewelry 

Ruth Hunt Candies

Gluten Free Mixes

Soaps     

                             

Glasswork

Woodwork

Ale-8 Products

Jams/Jellies

Candy & Treats

Dog Treats

Books

Check out the new Kentucky Market Pavilion website: www.kymarketpavilion.com

Who to Contact:

Annalyn Slade, Director

Kentucky Market Pavilion

(606) 674-6688

kentuckymarket@gmail.com

2914 E. Hwy 60

Owingsville, KY 40360

Farms to Food Banks: Connecting Local Foods With Local People

Keeping it Fresh

What do you do when you have a surplus of edible produce?

What if you have healthy 2-grade produce that you can’t sell in retail markets?

Contact Kentucky Association of Food Banks (KAFB) and provide healthy produce for your fellow Kentuckians. Through its Farm to Food Banks program, KAFB provides fresh produce for hungry Kentuckians, reduces financial losses for local farmers, AND reduces unnecessary spoilage of healthy foods.

How it Works:

1) Maximum prices are set each season in order to pay farmers fair prices (through UK Cooperative Extension Services), which helps local farmers recoup losses for produce that would have gone to waste.

2) Produce auction & cooperative managers oversee purchase and delivery of the produce to food banks, OR farmers can make direct sales to KAFB.

3) Kentucky Food Banks work with partners to distribute the produce to local families / individuals in need!

Each year 1 in 7 Kentuckians are reached by KAFB, last year alone the Farms to Food Banks program was able to distribute 792,225 pounds of produce to hungry Kentuckians in 108 counties! It was also able to provide 202 local producers with an average of $677.82!

In 2011 the types of produce included: apples, beats, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, greens, okra, onions, peaches, peas, peppers, potatoes, romaine lettuce, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon, winter squash, yellow squash, and zucchini.

Who to Contact:

Tamara Sandberg, Executive Director

Kentucky Association of Food Banks

859-358-6719

Tamara@kafb.org

Announcing the “Friendly Market” of Northern Kentucky

Kentucky Proud Producers Needed!

Announcing the “Friendly Market” of Northern Kentucky

Construction is underway to create a 100,000 square foot public market space featuring all types of Kentucky grown or produced merchandise!  The “Friendly Market” is planned to be located within an existing shopping center at the “gateway to Kentucky” in Florence, Kentucky at exit 178 (Mt. Zion Road) off I-75. 

Phase one will create an environmentally controlled indoor space which will house three sections, including, (1) the Kentucky Vinery, (2) Butchers, cheese makers, bakers, and (3) the Kentucky Proud General Store; it will also create an accompanying outdoor Farmers’ Market space.  The Kentucky Vinery will consist of Kentucky wines alongside a tasting room and a small restaurant.  Several small merchants skilled in butchery, cheese making, and baking will comprise a good portion of space within the store.  The Kentucky Proud General Store will house all other Kentucky Proud merchandise.  Space for perishable and non-perishable items will be available. 

All vendors must meet the criteria for the Kentucky Proud program to provide merchandise to the store.  Vendors will sell merchandise on a consignment basis, and will be paid monthly.  Display space will be rented to vendors per cubic foot and includes fees for employees and utility costs.  Vendors will only pay a display space rental fee and will receive 100% of the product proceeds.  All merchandise consigned must have a UPC code (the Friendly Market staff can help with this), and vendors must possess product liability insurance.  Vendors must agree to sign a minimum two year rental agreement and provide merchandise as necessary during those two years. 

The “Friendly Market” will operate six days per week, 52 weeks per year.  The hours of operation will be:                    Tuesday – Friday         9 am. – 6 pm.

                                Saturday                      8 am. – 6 pm. 

                    Sunday                        10 am. – 5 pm.

The “Friendly Market” is set to open May 1, 2012.  For more information, contact Jack Berberich at n.berberich@insightbb.com or 859-760-8973. 

Beyond Farmers Markets

There will be an excellent "meet the buyers" program for the Louisville area at St. Catherine's College in Washington County on October 20, 2011.  MarketReady folks should be dialed in.


The program offers the following - -
"In conjunction with Louisville Farm To Table and Market Ready the Washington County Extension Service is hosting a Beyond Farmers Market Program directed at bringing volume local food buyers from the Louisville area to a centrally located area (Washington County) to meet interested producers that are looking to enter the larger market of Metro Louisville and surrounding areas.  Registration is free and there will be a free locavore breakfast and lunch!" 


The slate of buyers looks great.  Farm to school, direct beef marketing, wine, GAP and insurance.  Restaurant and popcorn buyers.  Buyers from Churchill Downs.  A nice peek into the Louisville buyer community.  Hope to see you there.

Title:	Beyond Farmers’ Markets: Making Money with Growing Food Products
Training Date:	October 20 2011
ID:	P128
Location:	St Catharine Mother House
Time:	8:30 - 3
Description:	8:30 to 9:00 – Registration and continental breakfast Here's a link to the flyer - http://ces.ca.uky.edu/washington-files/beyond_farmers_market.pdf Register at: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/washington/ The registration is free - but please register by either contacting Dennis Morgeson at (859) 336-7741 or his e-mail: dennis.morgeson@uky.edu

Really funny over-the-top view of local foods

Is this how people view local?  This is worth a few grins.              

  http://www.hulu.com/watch/208808/portlandia-ordering-the-chicken-part-1#s-p1-sa-i0

Head over to the Incredible Food Show

Saturday, October 8

Lexington

Rupp Arena

(see link for program details and complete list of exhibitors)

http://incrediblefoodshow.com/aboutTheShow/theMarketplaceExhibitors.php

Here is a MUST GO TO event for our MarketReady alumni and future students.  The Food Systems Innovation Center will be there.  More importantly, Kentucky food entrepreneurs of all types will be exhibiting.  What a great forum to meet folks, ask questions, see new ideas.  I promise you will be inspired.

Over 80 exhibitors already registered.  Great way to spend part of your Saturday.  Several of these folks have been through the MarketReady program.

Hope to see you there.