By BILL BERRY
of The Gazette
Linking farmers and their products directly with consumers is the goal of the first Mid Wisconsin Agri-Fest Saturday, July 8, at the Plover Mall. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Organizer Dave Sikorski of S&D Farms, Highway Y, said the goal is simple:
"Farmers have a lot of things to sell, and local consumers don't know anything about it," Sikorski said. "We want to get people out there to see what's for sale."
"With direct marketing, farmers get a lot more money for their product," Sikorski said. The vendors have something else in common, too. "Most of the products have no antibiotics, no growth hormones."
He described the event as a one-day farm market. Many of the farmers will provide samples and products for sale. About 15 farmers will have displays. A craft show and flea market are also planned, as are horse-drawn carriage rides.
Farm products on display will include:
Beef, vegetables, bison, flowers, ostriches, cranberries, honey, maple syrup, poultry, lamb, herbs, pork, fruit, organic products and Christmas trees.
"I think we have everybody covered. We're working on fish farmers yet," Sikorski said.
Sikorski, who raises piedmontese beef, sells his products direct-to-market.
Farmers have long struggled with how to effectively market what they grow, Sikorski said. "Every farmer I talk to, no matter what they're growing, like venison, the growing of the animal is easy, the marketing is the harder part," he said.
The direct-to-market farming concept has been growing in popularity across the U.S. Variations range from farmers markets like the Public Square in Stevens Point, farm stands along country roads and farming agreements between growers and customers in which the customers are guaranteed a supply of fresh produce throughout the growing season.