The Rural Voice, 1994-03, Page 34where you go in the world, he said.
Asked about the worry that big
companies would jump on any
upstart he told
delegates "You
can't worry
about being
beaten. If
you're small
enough and
you're making
a decent living
you'll be all
right. You have
to believe in
your market
and you have
to establish it.
You establish
your market
and you are the
leader. If you
lose it, you lose
it on your own merits."
Even if a giant decides it wants
your market it will try to buy you out
before it tries to trample you, he said.
While tourism is important to the
region, Ziegler called for more
processing and packaging of local
goods. "We need a harmonious mix.
Anything that adds value will add to
the mix."
itch closed with an
inspirational view of the future
of the region. "In my
estimation in 10 years you
won't know the Bruce," he predicted.
"It's just sitting there, waiting to be
used." Grey County has begun to
develop with ski chalets and resorts
but Bruce has still to be discovered.
"If I had a million dollars I would
buy a whole lot of property."
Tying tourism into a total package
was the the subject of a presentation
by Kate Finley Woodruff, marketing
specialist with the Vermont
Department of Agriculture, Food and
Markets Division and Bobbe
Mayncs, Commissioner of the
Vermont Department of Travel and
Tourism.
Woodruff explained how Vermont
tries to package its farm products,
specialty foods, furniture and other
manufactured goods along with
tourism as a total image of quality,
marketing everything to the same
clientele under a "Vermont Makes it
Special" slogan.
Many producers are aware of the
potential in the state's tourist
industry. The Cabot Creamery
opened a visitors' centre and a retail
centre which it
shares with
retailers of
other commod-
ities. Ben and
Jerry's Ice
Cream plant in
Waterbury,
maker of one of
the most
famous
gourmet ice
creams in the
U.S., has
hxome a major
tourist stop. A
cider mill in
Waterbury is
now one of the
top five
attractions in the state and a maple
museum attracts customers who can
learn more about maple syrup and
maple products, and of course
purchase some. There's even a wild
flower farm.
Vermont has adopted a "Vermont
Seal of
Quality"
program.
The seal
can be
applied to
nearly
anything
made in
Vermont,
but each
product
must meet
quality
standards
before it
can win
that seal.
Thirty-
four states
in the U.S. have seals but only six
have a quality assurance program
with it, she said. "To guarantee
quality you have to have inspectors
there." There's no problem with a
product like milk which is regularly
inspected anyway. Something like
maple syrup production is inspected
once a year.
A small state with a population of
700,000, Vermont doesn't have a lot
of money to spend on promotion of
Charlie Fitch
you won't k
Bruce'."
30 THE RURAL VOICE
"in 10 years
now 'The
food. In fact, she said, the
Department of Agriculture only has a
$150,000 marketing budget. Most of
the promotion is done in conjunction
with producer organizations. For
instance maple syrup producers gave
the state police maple syrup to give
out to motorists in trouble on the
roads. The program cost only $700
but it received nation-wide media
coverage.
Promotions are producer -driven
because the producer boards are
providing the funds. The Department
of Agriculture acts as a co-ordinator,
she said.
Through the AgVenture
program, the Department has
been promoting pick -your -
own facilities and farmers'
markets.The number of farmers
markets in the state has jumped from
10 to 28 in recent years, sometimes
against the opposition of local
municipal officials and merchants.
The markets tend to be small, with as
few as eight vendors, and now are
welcomed by those who once
opposed them. Many of the markets
are located in tourist areas, but the
clientele comes
mostly from the
local area.
While in the
beginning the move
to tie in local food
production and
manufacturing was
perceived as an
opportunity only for
small companies,
now even the largest
companies want to
get on board,
Woodruff said. "I
think we're seeing
that it's not so much
the size of the
company but tying
into the Vermont
Dave Zeigler: M
product unique
ake your
image."
Joint efforts at promoting the
state's products has been extended to
supermarket displays in New Jersey
and Houston, Texas where
everything from Vermont's skiing to
its colleges, furniture and food were
promoted.
Vermont has been a leader in
specialty food production, the
small producers of jams and
jellies and other processed