Marketing Resources

Marketing your products and services is a necessary part of your overall business success. It is important to understand the issues relating to the marketing and sales of your products in order to maximize your profits. The following resources will help keep you one step ahead of your competition.

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
Agricultural Information Contact Centre
Tel. 1-877-424-1300
Northern Ontario Regional Office toll free 1-800-461-6132
www.ontario.ca/agbusiness

OMAFRA Food Industry and Business Management Staff
Tel. 1-519-826-4474 or 1-519-826-3166
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/export/index.html

Marketing - General

Agribusiness eCampus
Marketing Concepts and Overview, Niche versus Brand Management, Managing Market Information to Manage Market Risk, Global Marketing, Commodity Marketing
www.agribusinessecampus.com

Canadian Farm Business Management Council
Tel. 1-888-232-3262
www.farmcentre.com

Guelph Food Technology Centre
Tel. 1-519-821-1246
www.gftc.ca

Small Business Enterprise Centres
www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/st_sbec_loc_en.jsp

Commodity Exchanges

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT)
www.cbot.com

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
www.cme.com

CME Group (CME and CBOT)
www.cmegroup.com

ICE Futures Canada (ICE)
www.theice.com

Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT)
www.kcbot.com

Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX)
www.mgex.com

New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX)
www.nymex.com

Commodity Marketing

OMAFRA Factsheet: Agricultural Marketing Boards in Ontario
Approximately 60% of the value of all agricultural products produced by Ontario farms is marketed through twenty-one provincial marketing boards and three representative associations.

OMAFRA Factsheet 08-053: Managing Commodity Price Risk Using Hedging and Options
This Factsheet provides an overview of commonly-used price risk management tools and definitions of terms used by those providing risk management advice.

Grow Our Farms
www.growourfarms.ca

Daily Livestock Report
www.dailylivestockreport.com

DTN
www.dtn.com

Farm Forward
www.farmforward.ca

Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council
Tel: 1-519-821-3564

George Morris Centre
Tel: 1-519-822-3929
www.georgemorris.org

Farms.com
Tel. 1-877-438-5729
www.farms.com

Farm Credit Canada
Tel. 1-888-332-3301
www.fcc-fac.ca/en/index.asp

University of Guelph
(links to agricultural commodity information)
www.lib.uoguelph.ca/

Ridgetown College
(University of Guelph Agrilink and Farm Market News including commodity markets)
www.ridgetownc.on.ca/agrilink

Timing Charts
www.timingcharts.com

Direct Farm Marketing

Canadian Farm Business Management Council
Tel. 1-888-232-3262
wwww.farmcentre.com

• Marketing on the Edge - Processing and Marketing Your Own Products
• Building Added Value Through Farm Diversification
• Cultivating Agri-Tourism - Tools and Techniques for Building Success
  
  

Farmers' Markets Ontario (FMO)
Tel. 1-800-387-3276
www.farmersmarketsontario.com

North American Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA)
Tel. 1-888-884-9270
www.nafdma.com

Alberta Agriculture
(Agri-Tourism)
www.agri.gov.ab.ca/

Regulation and Legislation Affecting Direct Farm Marketing - Related Sites

OMAFRA Factsheet 06-087: Managing Risk on Farms Open to the Public
There are safety risks and hazards involved with any business venture. Operating an agritourism business is no exception. This Factsheet will identify the types of risks and outline several ways to minimize them.

OMAFRA Factsheet 99-013: Customers First! -- Leading Edge Principles and Trends
Current trends tell us that successful businesses focus on building customer loyalty above all else. This Factsheet will introduce a number of customer service strategies to compliment a business marketing plan.

Food Processing

1. Nutritional Labeling
   www.inspection.gc.ca/english.fssa/labeti/nutrition-pagee.shtml

2. OMAFRA List of Approved Provincial Abattoirs
   www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/meatinsp/licenced_operators_list.htm

3. OMAFRA On-farm Food Safety
   www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/food_safety_qual_insp.htm

4. Local Health Units
   www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/phu/phuloc_mn.html
   

Taxation

OMAFRA Ag Business Financial Management website
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/finance.html

Municipal Property Assessment Corp.
www.mpac.ca

Zoning/Bylaws

Jurisdictional Analysis and Best Practices for Land Use Planning Affecting Direct Marketing and Agri-tourism Operations in Ontario
www.ontariofarmfresh.com/assoc/files/ByLawReport2006.pdf

Association of Municipalities of Ontario
www,amo.on.ca

Liability/Insurance

Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal
www.ofm.gov.on.ca

Insurance Canada
www.insurance-canada.ca

Signage

Tourism Directional Signage
www.canadiantods.ca

Marketing and Business Assistance

Community Futures Development Corporations
www.ontcfdc.com

Small Business Enterprise Centres in Ontario
www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/st_sbec_loc_en.jsp

ServiceOntario
www.serviceontario.ca

Other Resources

Sell what you Sow! The Grower's Guide to Successful Produce Marketing,
Eric Gibson, New World Publishing, 1994

Organizing Your Roadside Market, Bob Cobbledick - Consultant to the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

The following OMAFRA staff contributed to the development of the Growing Your Farm Profits Marketing section:

Dorene Collins
Marketing and Customer Service
dorene.collins@ontario.ca

John Bancroft
Marketing Strategies
john.bancroft@ontario.ca

www.ontario.ca/agbusiness