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• Honey sold by the producer directly to the consumer at a honey house or residence or at an
Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market does not have to be graded. It must be fit for human
consumption and free of foreign material.
• Farmers can sell their unprocessed horticulture products directly from their farms. There are no
requirements for grading of those vegetables.
Look for farms with an On Farm Food Safety Program (a complete list of programs is given in the
resources section at the end of this document). Ask your potential suppliers questions about their
food inspection and grading.
Seek Potential Partners
Planning your event with others is helpful; many hands make light work. Fast track your first time
event by partnering with a pre-existing event to benefit from their experience and expertise. Here
are some suggestions of where to look for partners.
Community Groups
Agricultural societies – there are nearly 300 active agricultural societies in Alberta and they help
organize more than 1,000 fairs and events across the province each year. These groups have event
planning experience, facilities with commercial kitchens that are often under-utilized, sometimes
dollars to spare, and a mandate to ‘host’ agriculture events.
4-H
– “for my community” is part of the 4-H pledge. Seek members to help in your events and help
clubs find easy ways to support local. 4-H members may be willing to work at your event in
exchange for project support or a chance to share their stories.
Small Businesses
There are both immediate business and future profitability reasons for businesses of all types to be
involved. Ask how they can help your event and ask what they need from you. The following
business people might be win-win partners for your event: caterers, chefs, restaurants, meeting/
event planners or printers/copy shops.
Media
The media are useful in promoting your event and all media need and want a good news story.
Your challenge is to get their help in advance for promotion. There are many ways to involve them
and make a story of the planning process:
• Invite them to a 15 minute planning session where there will be food to taste and photograph.
• Deliver snacks to the radio stations with a description of your event including a contact name
and phone number, as well as the event date.