This Saturday, March 1, 2008, I will be speaking at the NOFA-NH Sixth Annual Winter Conference and will be an exhibitor at the Market Fair.

My talk will be on Growing a Unique Selling Proposition with Harmony for farm business owners and managers. The presentation will discuss how to market your farm business from the heart. You will learn how to grow your farm business with a strategy that builds on three key concepts allowing you to plan your marketing methods so you strengthen your connection to your customers while increasing your sales.

The Conference program describes the theme as follows:

Local and Organic: The Sustainable Future seeks to nudge you as an individual-and New Hampshire as a whole- a little further towards food independence. Our ultimate goal is to create a sustainable food system that starts in your backyard and extends to the entire planet. In order to achieve our goal, we need to increase the numbers of organic growers and producers in the state, educate buyers to demand and choose locally grown seasonal foods and encourage gardeners to grow extra to share, sell, and store for all-year use.

The conference is open to the public and will be held from 8:00-5:30 at Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton and you can register at the door.

My talk is applicable for any business owner that really wants to improve their connection with their customers.

Hope to see you there.

In this post, please allow me to support a friend of mine who is a fantastic artist.

Judy Doughty is an award winning mixed media artist and has a virtual gallery of her work on her website.

The site offers you a unique opportunity to view a variety of her work. From the flowers and landscapes to the birds and creatures you can easily click around the gallery and experience her talent.

Her work has appeared in juried shows across the U.S.A. and can be purchased directly from her or in several New England locations. Judy's pastel piece, Refraction won the prestigious Gammon award, in the best drawing category chosen by the New Hampshire Art Association in conjunction with the Currier Museum of Art.

In addition to the gallery, the site displays four of her pieces of work that are available in limited edition prints. Judy also offers commissioned pieces for anyone who wants to treasure a special place or part of nature for their home or office.

Everytime I see one of her pieces I say, "oh, that is my favorite" until she creates another. Take a look at the site and let me know which one(s) are your favorites.

Thanks for allowing me to share my friend's gift with you.

I live right down the road from Lori and Peter Corriveau of Jenness Farm. They make natural body care products enhanced with goat milk offering people a safe and natural choice for their body and home. Goat milk is naturally rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals and their products are of highest quality.

Some folks affectionately consider Lori the "goat lady" and Peter the "soap guy". I consider them pretty amazing entrepreneurs and farmers. They do a lot about running a business right, but right now I want to highlight what they do that helps others.

Each year, sometimes twice a year, they take a cause and work hard at helping raise money and awareness. They have helped families in need with heat in the winter, competed in a triathlon to raise money for Lymphoma, hosted bone marrow testing for a family whose son needs a donor and many other great causes both locally and nationally and this year they are supporting an international cause.

They do it all with little fanfare and in a very unassuming manner. They do it because they genuinely care. This Holiday season they are raising money for something very near and dear to them, for the protection of the rare breed, Arapawa goat. You can visit some of the Arapawa goats at Jenness Farm.

The Arapawa breed is from New Zealand from the island of Arapawa. In 1972, a couple from Pennsylvania, Walter and Betty Rowe, moved to Arapawa Island and began to work at protecting the goats from the government's actions toward extermination of the rare breed. In 1987, Walter and Betty turned 300 acres of their land into the Arapawa Wildlife Sanctuary. Betty, now 76, continues to run the sanctuary alone after her husband's passing in 2003.

At the end of December, Lori is heading to New Zealand to meet Betty for the first time and to personally hand her donations to help support the work and mission of the Wildlife Sanctuary. The donations will go directly to the upkeep of the fencing, housing, feeding and care for the goats. The Sanctuary is especially important because the New Zealand government is planning another cull of goats outside the Sanctuary soon.

If you would like to help preserve this rare breed you can make a check payable to the Arapawa Wildlife Sanctuary and send it or drop it off at Jenness Farm's store located at 77 Garland Road, Nottingham, NH 03290. The store is open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m (EST) everyday from now until December 24th, then they switch to their regular store hours.

Thank you.

Thanks to everyone who contacted me regarding my last two blog entries. I really appreciate hearing from folks.

Recently, I was interviewed for an article about developing business plans on The National Federation of Independent Business' website. Here is the link to the website then look for the October 17th article "Developing Your Business Plan" written by Pamela Mills-Senn. Enjoy