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Kansas Rural Center announces Savor the Season program
Kansas Kansas farms and farmers markets looking to attract more customers with fresh fruits and vegetables this summer will have a new tool thanks to the Kansas Rural Center's "Savor the Season" program, featuring a variety of materials, recipes, and grower training information about 10 feature crops for this year. Farmers markets and producers can receive funding and other assistance for promoting these specialty crops. Kansas farmers markets have until March 15 to sign up. For markets, Savor the Season provides a unified voice in the promotion of diversity and sales of local produce, and funding opportunities through mini-grants up to $250 targeted at new or smaller markets interested in testing a special events program. For markets with existing special events programs, cost-shares will match up to $400 for specialty crop promotions. Markets interested in joining the Savor the Season program can register for a toll-free Q&A call at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 and find applications online at the KS Farmers Markets website, www.ksfarmersmarkets.org. The application deadline for both programs is March 15. For producers of fruits and vegetables, Savor the Season partners with K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Vegetable Growers Association, Kansas Master Food Volunteers and other local agencies to provide resources and specific guidance on production, post-harvest handling and marketing. Savor the Season also provides promotional materials--cards, banners and tip sheets on nutrition and preservation--for display at market booths, along with online resources and webinars. For consumers, seasonal cards available at farmers markets provide details on selection and storage of fresh produce along with preparation tips and recipes. Cards will be shipped to area markets by April 18. Consumers, chefs, master food volunteers and others interested in the program are encouraged to submit favorite recipes using these 10 crops by March 1. Volunteers and food businesses interested in distributing materials and partnering for events should contact their local farmers market. The mission of the Savor the Season program is to improve the diversity of fruits and vegetables grown in Kansas, and to increase the sales of those crops. The crops for 2012 are spinach, arugula, snow peas, rhubarb, basil, bell peppers, garlic, spaghetti squash, turnips, and pumpkins. The Kansas Rural Center works to strengthen rural communities and cultivate grassroots support for policies that encourage family farming and stewardship of soil and water. Savor the Season is part of Our Local Food, made possible by a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
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