MEET YOUR MAKER VANCOUVER 2012
Where local, small-scale food producers and food buyers meet -
and get business!
Monday February 27, 2012 9:30am to 3:30pm (Registration starts at 9:00am, coffee & muffins provided)
Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver (3250 Commercial Drive.)
Brought to you by FarmFolk CityFolk and Local Food First with support from the Vancouver Farmers Market, Vancity and Canadian Linen & Uniform Service.
Tickets $50 – on sale now until Thursday February 23 at 8am. (see below.)
Meet Your Maker is a networking event tailored to small businesses. Meet Your Maker is about building a new BC tradition by scaling up production and consumption of local food. Meet Your Maker is modeled after Portland’s annual Farmer-Chef connection event that started in 2001. Since then, their network has grown to over 250 producers and 150 buyers who are collectively doing more than $19 million in annual business. Meet Your Maker has expanded the idea to include farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors, distributors, retailers, food delivery, restaurants and caterers. They are all part of our food system. Total sales & business deals generated at our previous MEET YOUR MAKER event was $268,000 … And, we’re growing!
Here’s what Meet Your Maker guests say about the event:
-Suzanne Fielden, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, Vancouver
http://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/
Thanks to Meet Your Maker, we are now exclusively selling our lamb at Whole Foods Markets in Vancouver. I loved the casual and fun atmosphere at the event.
I love how supportive our city folk are of our farming folk. The moral support is a tremendous boost when the day to day burdens of trying to make a living farming are overwhelming. I love how I attended Meet Your Maker just out of curiosity but was gifted with an unexpected wonderful new relationship with the Forager for Whole Foods Market, Denise Breyley.
-Nicola von Rosen and Dennis Clausen from Outlawmeats in Clinton BC
http://www.outlawmeats.com/
If you are a farmer, fisher, rancher, food processor, distributor, wholesaler, retailer, restaurant, caterer, or food delivery business, this is your event. Meet Your Maker is where you come to learn, share, network and get business! It’s a business investment in local food. Bring your business cards!
Producers: Bring information and products – display tables are available.
Click here to watch a clip of our 2008 event.
Click here to see some photos of our 2011 event.
Why come to Meet Your Maker?
Around the world, food systems are being re-localized and communities are recognizing the benefits of regaining consumer power. Reducing food transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing local food security, enhancing the local and agricultural economy and keeping BC farmers on the land begins with increasing public and industry demand for food grown in BC. Changing awareness leads to a change in demand. Be part of the leading edge.
Reducing our Food Miles
The average North American dinner travels 2,000 km from field to plate. On an international scale, the import and export of food have tripled in the last 20 years. Consumers are increasing becoming aware of the environmental pollution caused by food miles. Consumers want food that is fit to eat, not to travel.
Increasing the Regional Economy
When local products are purchased, up to 90% of the consumer dollar is re-circulated in the local community. Buying 10% of your food from local producers could enable an additional $2 billion consumer dollars circulating in our region’s economy.
Room to Grow
The 2005 Fraser Health Authority completed its Vancouver Food Assessment Report. The report states “Estimates of the amount of food consumed in the province or Lower Mainland that is produced here vary widely (from a low of 20% to a high of 60% or more), though it is widely acknowledged that the province could produce 60% of its own food and the Lower Mainland as much as 85%.” More recent government reports have similar results.
Be part of BC’s Local Food Movement
You can help create a strong market for BC farmers and encourage new farmers to grow. With solid consumer and business support, small-scale growers can increase production for the local market. Consumers are hungrier than ever for local food. Let’s grow the local market and invest in the business of local food.
Meet Your Maker – where local, small-scale food businesses grow
Not many small-scale food producers can afford the booth fees, staff-time and travel costs associated with large industry trade shows where buyers are searching for quantities beyond your capacity. Meet Your Maker is where you’ll meet food producers that can grow for you and where you’ll meet buyers who can form direct relationships. You’ll meet businesses searching for local ingredients and producers who can produce what the corporate sector can’t. Meet Your Maker is a networking event for businesses like yours.
This year, in addition to our fresh, new speed-dating and networking format, registrants will be sent their registration package a week before the event with a list of who will be there. We will also have the following workshop presentations to select from:
* Local Food Plus (Amber Cowie, Coordinator) Local Food Plus certification system can open and grow markets for farmers, help restaurants and retailers guarantee they are selling an ethical and sustainable product and ensure consumers understand the role their decisions have in strengthening BC’s food system.
* New City Market: (Darren Stott, Business Plan Lead) Learn about Vancouver’s proposed Food Hub and offer feedback on its distribution and aggregation service.
* Green Table Network: (André LaRivière, Executive Director) Learn how the Green Table Network can help green your restaurant.
* Social Media: (Kate Colley, Kate Colley Communications) Learn how to market your business using Facebook and Twitter.
MEET YOUR MAKER – EMAIL ALERT LIST
If you’d like to be notified each year when registration opens, please subscribe to our MYM Vancouver Email “Alert” list by sending an email to:
meetyourmakervancouver+subscribe@googlegroups.com
TICKETS $50 PER REGISTRATION – ON SALE NOW
IMPORTANT: When purchasing tickets, there will be a set of questions to complete. Read through the questions carefully and fill out all that apply to you and your business. The information you enter about your business will be included in the printed program and will help you make connections.
ALSO NOTE: This transaction will show on your credit card statement as “FoodConnect” – that’s EzTix, our new online ticket company, located right here in Vancouver!
Please register as early as possible, giving us ample time to coordinate the fabulous lunch! (Erin Nichols will be coordinating the lunch.)
For more information about this event, contact Bonita at FarmFolk CityFolk
bonita@farmfolkcityfolk.ca
604-730-0450 ext 304 (toll free 1-888-730-0452 ext 304)
Please note, we also organize a Meet Your Maker Okanagan.
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