‘Calculating & Controlling Transportation Costs from Farm Gate to Consumer’ July 18 in Lanesboro
CONTACT: Caroline van Schaik, LSP, 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org
6/29/11
LANESBORO, Minn. — A free public Land Stewardship Project (LSP) workshop on calculating the costs of transporting farm products to customers will be held Monday, July 18, at Pedal Pushers Café in downtown Lanesboro. Breakfast and registration start at 7 a.m., and the workshop will take place from 7:30 to 10 a.m. An RSVP is required because of the meal and limited space. For details and to RSVP, contact Caroline van Schaik at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
Joining the workshop will be orchardist and berry producer Jackie Hoch, who will discuss how Hoch Orchard decides when to use its own trucks and when to contract with a carrier to ship apples from the La Crescent area farm.
Research has shown that it isn’t just the price of fuel that contributes to transportation costs of farmers who direct market their meats, vegetables, fruit and more. Participants will learn how even small shifts in such variables as the length of a route, tire replacement or cost of fuel impact the real cost of moving their products from the farm to a customer. Using their own numbers or general examples, participants will learn exactly where they can find significant savings.
Alternatives to self-delivery that are either in place in southeast Minnesota or could be implemented will be discussed as well. The goal of the workshop is to save area farmers fuel, time and money without sacrificing their connections to customers. Farmers are encouraged to bring whatever transportation numbers they have. Worksheets will be confidential but the more real the numbers, the more useful the workshop will be – the costs of fuel, insurance, monthly payments, repairs, labor, etc. will be relevant.
“When farmers began developing these direct-from-the-farm markets a few years ago, the attitude was ‘Do whatever it takes to make it work,’ ” said Terry VanDerPol, LSP’s Community Food Systems Director. “But as this sector of the economy grows and matures, it’s become clear activities such as transportation can benefit from closer scrutiny and maybe even some pooling of resources.”
