Agriculture marketing expert Jane Eckert is returning to headline Minnesota Grown, a winter event and this time she’ll help direct marketers navigate social networking sites. A Day of Marketing workshop will be held March 11, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture offices at 625 North Robert Street in St. Paul. Additional interactive video conferencing will be provided at Central Lakes College in Staples and Lake Superior College in Duluth.Eckert’s presentation will focus on how to bring more customers to website and convert site visitors to more on-farm customers. She will offer ideas on how to successfully direct market agricultural products in the current economic climate.
Eckert is credited with developing her family’s apple orchard into one of St. Louis, Missouri’s most popular tourism destinations, attracting over 400,000 guests each year. She is the recipient of many agritourism and marketing awards and is a past president of the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association.
The event is sponsored by Minnesota Grown and the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association. Direct marketers representing garden centers, orchards, berry farms, farmers markets, CSA farms, wineries and producers who direct market meat, dairy, honey and maple syrup are encouraged to attend.
Advance registration is required by March 4. Registration information is available on the “Upcoming Events” online at www.mnla.biz or by calling 651-633-4987.
