GrowNYC's Wholesale Greenmarket, in partnership with Family Farmed, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, hosted a Wholesale Success Workshop on February 17th 2011 at the Orange County Cooperative Extension Office. The workshop was broadcast via teleconference to participants at the Suffolk and Ontario County Cooperative Extension offices.

The one-day workshop explored successful wholesaling techniques for small and mid-sized farms, and included a "Meet-the-Buyers" session led by Jim Slama of Family Farmed in Chicago.  The workshop also included a farmer-friendly overview of current food safety issues and information on the certification process presented by Cornell's Good Agricultural Practices expert, Betsy Binh. 

The Meet-the-Buyers session provided attendees the opportunity to hear directly from buyers regarding their businesses, current produce sourcing practices, future expectations, and where local farms fit within the sourcing network.  Attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions of the buyers during that time.

Buyers attending included: 

Brooklyn Salsa – Brooklyn-based processor currently sourcing local produce
Chef Driven Restaurant Group -  Represents 17 restaurants in the New York City area
Pret A Manger Restaurant - Over 25 locations in New York City
Red Rabbit – provider of school meal programs
Riviera Produce Distributors - Operates over 30 trucks that supply around 600 customers
Youthmarket - Coordinates and supervises 10 youth-run farm-stands throughout NYC

COST: $10.00, included lunch. 

Each attendee received the comprehensive Wholesale Success Manual free of charge, a $50 value.