Value Chain Management Workshop – New Ideas, New Opportunities

The best lessons tend to come from those who have done it themselves, and the Canadian Farm Business Management Council’s latest workshop will bring the innovators and trend setters to you.

The CFBMC and regional partners across the country are bringing the Value Chain Management Workshop to three cities across Canada in the coming months. The Workshop will provide the tools anyone in the agriculture sector needs to create a value chain of their own. These aren’t just theories; these are actual steps towards building a network of processors, distributors and retailers to build their business.

“CFBMC is very pleased to be working with some great regional partners to bring the Value Chain Management workshops to Canadian agricultural communities this year. We are confident that those involved in agribusiness will find value in this program,” says Arlene Kennedy, project manager, CFBMC. “After just a few years, we have seen the popularity of these sessions grow and we are proud of the information we are able to provide.”

A highlight of the one-day session is a panel discussion combining the first-hand experience of a grower, a CEO and a retailer who will discuss how they have used value chains to build their business. Martin Gooch, the workshop leader, is one of Canada’s premier authorities on the creation, operation and optimization of agricultural value chains. He is currently the Director of the Value Chain Management Centre at the George Morris Centre and will share his insights and chair the panel discussion.

Attendees of the Value Chain Management Workshop will be entered to win a one-day, on-farm consultation with a professional business consultant. This kind of mentorship can be the turning point in growing a business; the winner of this prize will be receiving an important service. All workshop attendees will also receive a Value Chain Management CD-ROM.

At the end of the day, attendees will understand:

• the concept of value chains
• how value chains add profit and stabilize markets
• why the best value chains outperform the rest
• the operational pitfalls that must be avoided
• how to integrate your product into a new or existing value chain

The workshop schedule for 2009-2010 is as follows:
Courtney, BC– October 28, 2009; partner, Agrifood Comox Valley
Saskatoon, SK– November 5, 2009; partner Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce 
Kitchener, ON– March 5, 2010; partner, FoodNet Ontario

These workshops have helped more than 1,000 participants find ways to capture more value from what they produce in the last few years. Register early as space is limited. For more details go to www.farmcentre.com/workshops and contact your local partner to register.