National Association Of Produce Market Managers (NAPMM) Holds 70th Annual Conference

The City Market in Kansas City, MO, will host the NAPMM 70th Annual Conference April 6 – 9, 2016. Twenty years since the last NAPMM conference in Kansas City, the location is central to many of the member markets, both wholesale and retail, in the country including: Pike Place Market in Seattle, Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Eastern Market in Washington, DC, San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market and Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market. Conference organizers are expecting more than 75 attendees of the organization’s 113 members.

Attendees will be welcomed Wednesday evening, April 6, at the NAPMM President’s Reception at Boulevard Brewing Company, the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest with distribution to 31 states.

During the 3-day conference, participants will visit the City Market, home of the largest farmers’ market in the Midwest, where they will explore more than 40 full-time merchants, 140 growers and crafters and take in the City Market’s signature eclectic atmosphere filled with diverse people, products, sights, food, music and activity. Since 1857, the historic City Market has been connecting people directly to farmers in an open-air setting overlooking downtown Kansas City.

Attendees will also travel to The Overland Park Farmers’ Market, a suburban market in Overland Park, Kansas. The focal point of a vibrant and historic neighborhood where all are welcome, this seasonal market began in 1982 and was named “2015 Best Farmers' Market in Kansas” by Cooking Light Magazine.

“This conference promises to be a very enriching experience for our organization,” Rose Harrell, NAPMM President and Director of Facilities of the Maryland Food Center Authority, said. “In addition to gaining insight into the role of agriculture and food as it relates to markets in Kansas City, it also provides valuable information-sharing and networking opportunities among our membership.”

Attendees will tour nearby farms and agri-business operations, many of which are market vendors, including:

•  Shatto Milk Company, a successful family-owned dairy, in Osborn MO
•  Hank’s Windy Ridge Greenhouse, a Farmers’ Market produce vendor, in Plattsburg MO
•  New Roots For Refugees located at Juniper Gardens in Kansas City KS
•  Bird’s Botanicals Orchid Farm in underground caves in Kansas City MO ? C&C Produce, a wholesale produce distributor in Kansas City MO

Between tours, market professionals will attend industry-specific educational and best practice sessions for both retail and wholesale markets covering a variety of topics including:

•  Managing SNAP and Matching Grant programs
•  Planning for the Future
•  Marketing & Events
•  Consumer Trust
•  Trends in Employment Law for Market Managers
•  History of Missouri Wines
•  Commercial Leasing: Understanding Lease Differences and Enforcing Rules & Regulations

The conference will culminate in a closing banquet featuring a special performance from home grown “agritainers,” The Peterson Farm Brothers, from Assaria KS in central Kansas.

Founded in 1947, NAPMM is an all-volunteer group of managers of retail, wholesale and public markets from across North American and beyond. The association meets annually to share best practices, exchange ideas between members and partners, learn about new regulations and trends, and to recognize outstanding achievements in the industry. Visit www.napmm.com for more information.

Source: National Association of Produce Market Managers (NAPMM)