| Public Awareness & Education |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM ALLIANCE CAPE FARM |
| Public Awareness & Community Involvement |
I. SITUATION ANALYSIS / INTRODUCTION
The farms of Cape Elizabeth are in a fight for survival. With increasing costs, decreasing profit margins, a decline
of a key consumer groups and increased pressure from development; farms need to grow awareness of their
products and services to remain viable into the future.
Concurrently, there is a strong public sentiment in favor of supporting local businesses and buying local food in
particular. The Outreach & Public Awareness Team seeks to take advantage of this window of opportunity and
capitalize on the current consumer mood to the advantage of agricultural activities in Cape Elizabeth.
II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This team, and the Cape Farm Alliance as a whole, seeks to bring community members together to ensure the
viability and sustainability of Cape Elizabeth's unique and valued agricultural assets. Through this effort the local
community will be able to continue enjoying the open space, fresh local products, rural scenery, and recreational
opportunities available in Cape Elizabeth – amenities which help to define the town.
This team, specifically, is charged with identifying and implementing actions that will
educate community members and consumers about what they can do to ensure the sustainability of Cape Elizabeth
farms and agriculture. It will oversee outreach activities to raise awareness and to help create opportunities for
local agricultural entities to increase revenues and become more economically viable.
III. ACTION STRATEGIES
In order to keep community members and consumers in touch with local agricultural products and services – and
motivated to support local agriculture with their purchasing decisions - the Outreach & Awareness Team is
adopting a multi-faceted approach. This approach centers around, but is not limited to, the Cape Farm Alliance
web site (www.capeelizabethfarms.com) and will include various elements, such as:
• Website
o Consistently updating the website to provide current information for
Fresh locally-grown products
Recreational opportunities
Agricultural news and information
Importance of a local food source
Events and educational programs
• Networking
o Utilizing opportunities to work alongside similar organizations and reach out to their similar member base and
introduce the Cape Farm Alliance and its goals and activities.
• Press Releases
o Consistently present stories to the media to bring more attention to the work of the Cape Farm Alliance.
• Collateral material
o Develop printed materials to support outreach and enhanced public awareness about local agricultural
activities, products and services.
• Public Announcements
• Events – Participating in public events that are consistent with our mission and goals.
• Email communications to individuals who would like to receive updates about seasonal produce and other
agricultural products and activities.
Through these means the Outreach & Public Awareness Team will:
• Introduce the local community to many the farms of Cape Elizabeth, highlighting available products and
services.
• Ensure that potential consumers can easily locate and contact farms.
• Promote the availability of seasonal produce and other agricultural products and services.
• Raise public awareness about the benefits of buying local food and other agricultural products and services.
• Create a way for consumers to make a personal connection to local farms and farmers.
• Communicate to interested community members on topics related to local agriculture.
• Support the Cape Farm Alliance in creating real, measurable benefits to the community in general and to
those involved in agricultural activities in particular.
IV. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
The communications plan, which will drive traffic to the web site as well as motivate actual purchases, will include
several strategies, such as:
• Pursuing earned media opportunities with traditional media outlets such as newspaper, radio, TV, cable,
website banners, etc.
• Organizing distribution of announcement flyers, coupons, newsletters, etc. to both current consumers and
potential new consumers
• Posting signs or posters in areas frequented by target consumers
• Participating in or hosting of community, regional, or state special events for exposure and contribution to
market area
• Participating in public interest events - events with community groups which builds a relationship and
reputation as a generous and involved community member
• Utilizing the internet and available web-based tools to disseminate information, gain feedback and support the
mission and goals of the Cape Farm Alliance.
VI. EVALUATION
Several other communities across North America have implemented successful “buy local” campaigns to raise
awareness about and increase revenues to local agricultural entities, thus helping to ensure future viability.
Evaluation tools from those other communities have already been developed and our local group will most likely
borrow some of the same methods, such as:
• Determining, year over year, if there is an increase in public awareness about local farms, products and
services
• Determining, year over year, if agricultural businesses in Cape Elizabeth see increased customer numbers,
increased average sale amounts, and increased revenues overall.
VII. BUDGET
This team will carry out its efforts with the smallest possible budget, seeking pro bono and in-kind support for as
many elements as possible. The balance of expenses (web domain registration, email communications, etc.) will be
covered by modest fund raising and donations over the near term. This arrangement will be evaluated as we
approach 2009 activities.
The farms of Cape Elizabeth are in a fight for survival. With increasing costs, decreasing profit margins, a decline
of a key consumer groups and increased pressure from development; farms need to grow awareness of their
products and services to remain viable into the future.
Concurrently, there is a strong public sentiment in favor of supporting local businesses and buying local food in
particular. The Outreach & Public Awareness Team seeks to take advantage of this window of opportunity and
capitalize on the current consumer mood to the advantage of agricultural activities in Cape Elizabeth.
II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This team, and the Cape Farm Alliance as a whole, seeks to bring community members together to ensure the
viability and sustainability of Cape Elizabeth's unique and valued agricultural assets. Through this effort the local
community will be able to continue enjoying the open space, fresh local products, rural scenery, and recreational
opportunities available in Cape Elizabeth – amenities which help to define the town.
This team, specifically, is charged with identifying and implementing actions that will
educate community members and consumers about what they can do to ensure the sustainability of Cape Elizabeth
farms and agriculture. It will oversee outreach activities to raise awareness and to help create opportunities for
local agricultural entities to increase revenues and become more economically viable.
III. ACTION STRATEGIES
In order to keep community members and consumers in touch with local agricultural products and services – and
motivated to support local agriculture with their purchasing decisions - the Outreach & Awareness Team is
adopting a multi-faceted approach. This approach centers around, but is not limited to, the Cape Farm Alliance
web site (www.capeelizabethfarms.com) and will include various elements, such as:
• Website
o Consistently updating the website to provide current information for
Fresh locally-grown products
Recreational opportunities
Agricultural news and information
Importance of a local food source
Events and educational programs
• Networking
o Utilizing opportunities to work alongside similar organizations and reach out to their similar member base and
introduce the Cape Farm Alliance and its goals and activities.
• Press Releases
o Consistently present stories to the media to bring more attention to the work of the Cape Farm Alliance.
• Collateral material
o Develop printed materials to support outreach and enhanced public awareness about local agricultural
activities, products and services.
• Public Announcements
• Events – Participating in public events that are consistent with our mission and goals.
• Email communications to individuals who would like to receive updates about seasonal produce and other
agricultural products and activities.
Through these means the Outreach & Public Awareness Team will:
• Introduce the local community to many the farms of Cape Elizabeth, highlighting available products and
services.
• Ensure that potential consumers can easily locate and contact farms.
• Promote the availability of seasonal produce and other agricultural products and services.
• Raise public awareness about the benefits of buying local food and other agricultural products and services.
• Create a way for consumers to make a personal connection to local farms and farmers.
• Communicate to interested community members on topics related to local agriculture.
• Support the Cape Farm Alliance in creating real, measurable benefits to the community in general and to
those involved in agricultural activities in particular.
IV. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
The communications plan, which will drive traffic to the web site as well as motivate actual purchases, will include
several strategies, such as:
• Pursuing earned media opportunities with traditional media outlets such as newspaper, radio, TV, cable,
website banners, etc.
• Organizing distribution of announcement flyers, coupons, newsletters, etc. to both current consumers and
potential new consumers
• Posting signs or posters in areas frequented by target consumers
• Participating in or hosting of community, regional, or state special events for exposure and contribution to
market area
• Participating in public interest events - events with community groups which builds a relationship and
reputation as a generous and involved community member
• Utilizing the internet and available web-based tools to disseminate information, gain feedback and support the
mission and goals of the Cape Farm Alliance.
VI. EVALUATION
Several other communities across North America have implemented successful “buy local” campaigns to raise
awareness about and increase revenues to local agricultural entities, thus helping to ensure future viability.
Evaluation tools from those other communities have already been developed and our local group will most likely
borrow some of the same methods, such as:
• Determining, year over year, if there is an increase in public awareness about local farms, products and
services
• Determining, year over year, if agricultural businesses in Cape Elizabeth see increased customer numbers,
increased average sale amounts, and increased revenues overall.
VII. BUDGET
This team will carry out its efforts with the smallest possible budget, seeking pro bono and in-kind support for as
many elements as possible. The balance of expenses (web domain registration, email communications, etc.) will be
covered by modest fund raising and donations over the near term. This arrangement will be evaluated as we
approach 2009 activities.
