About Us

Direct Marketing Assistance for
Local Food Providers

Marketing Workshops for Farmers:
 

Consumer Marketing: Embrace the Opportunities
March 1, 2011
Presentations on branding, restaurant trends, displays, online marketing, and social media.
(Photo by Ryan Hulvat)

Facebook for Farmers
January 12, 2012

Promotional Materials to Distinguish our
Greater Lehigh Valley Locally-Grown Foods from Imports:
 

                   
Local Foods Guide      Producer-Only Farmers' Markets of the Greater Lehigh Valley

Education and Outreach

CSA in the Classroom Farm-to-School Program
Students are educated about the many benefits of choosing locally-grown foods. They are also introduced to a local farmer who describes their farm and brings fresh food samples for the children to taste. In 2011, this program was presented in a spring and fall session to 960 third-grade students in six elementary schools in the Easton Area School District by The Kellyn Foundation and several of our BFBL-GLV farm partners.
This program is based on work supported by the Farmers' Market Promotion Program (FMPP) Grant Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, under Award No. PA-228-2010-G-1189.

Buy Local Challenge
We held a Buy Local Challenge during the month of September, 2011, containing several different components: a series of film screenings; Farm to Table Dinners; cookbook signings with Rita Calvert, author of "The GrassFed Gourmet Fires it Up"; potluck dinners; 'Buy Local' Bingo; silent auction; and photo contest. 120 people took an online pledge to eat more locally-grown foods during the month of September.

Movie Screenings

        
     Fresh                Farmageddon           What's Organic    Vanishing of     Queen of the Sun  
                                                              About Organic        the Bees

In 2011, we were selected as one of 50 farmers' market organizations to participate in the Discover You Can™ Summer Canning Education Program sponsored by Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball® Brand Fresh Preserving Products, and the Farmers Market Coalition. This program provided canning tools, samples, and marketing materials to support efforts at six of our producer-only farmers' markets to educate communities on the benefits and simple techniques of canning.

Taste of the Lehigh Valley
Held in September for the past four years, over 500 people gathered at Melt restaurant to taste the offerings of 25 restaurants and other local food providers using at least two locally-grown ingredients from local farms.
(Photo by Christopher Elston Photography) 

Lehigh Valley Farmers' Market at Lehigh Valley Zoo
April 14, 2012
As part of Farm Fest, we hosted a one-day Lehigh Valley-wide Farmers' Market. This market ushered in the new growing season and promoted the re-openings of all of our producer-only farmers' markets in the Greater Lehigh Valley. We helped the 1500 attendees find the farmers' market that is most convenient for them.

Presentations
Our PowerPoint presentation, "Choosing Locally-Grown Foods in the Greater Lehigh Valley", illustrates the many benefits of eating locally-grown foods (taste, freshness, health, food security, improved local economy, job creation, and supporting family farms) and how easy and rewarding it is to choose these foods. A farmer often joins in the presentation and offers a taste of locally-grown foods.