Well, it’s
official, I’ve survived my first trade show season. Whew! What
a crazy time. When I first started this job, I couldn’t have
imagined what the winter would bring. But I’ve learned more
in the last three months than I could have any other way – and
a heck of a lot more than I learned in a whole semester of some of
my college classes.
Some of these things I learned came more from the dozens of individual
growers I met than they did from some of the educational sessions.
I haven’t shaken so many hands in my whole life as I have in
the last few months. And I surely haven’t ever met so many open,
honest people. Everyone I met or was introduced to had a story to
share or advice to give. And to someone as fresh in the industry as
I, that advice was sure welcome.
People offered suggestions about our publications: include more feature
stories. People offered praise: “I really enjoy reading your
publication every month.” And some people just wanted to chat.
Then there were all of those educational sessions. It was like being
back in school – but better because I learned a whole lot about
an industry I’m coming to enjoy more every day. I will admit
that I don’t know all that much on the grand scheme of things,
but attending educational sessions on wide varieties of topics –
farm marketing, irrigation, greenhouses, tree fruit, peppers, organic
– has offered me a chance to add more pages to my mental notebook.
I’ve been in California, Washington state and, of course, Michigan
for three pretty big trade shows. My first trade show/conference was
the Washington State Horticultural Society’s annual conference.
I had never been to Washington, so I felt like the stereotypical tourist
in awe of the majestic mountains. The whole drive from Seattle to
Wenatchee I was dumbstruck with amazement at how beautiful the area
is. And then I arrived at the conference. This was my first real experience
with the Washington industry, and now I know why they are so well-known
and respected – these growers really know what they’re
doing. I wish I had had more time to spend in Washington traveling
around and talking to different growers.
My second show was the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market
Expo right here in my backyard in Grand Rapids. My boss and co-workers
had warned me about this show, and I must admit, I was a bit nervous
going into it. When I arrived at the new conference hall, I was overwhelmed.
What a diverse group of growers! And so many of them! I had no idea
how big this industry was – but still so small. I recognized
a lot of faces from my grandpa’s house and even some from the
Washington show that I had attended the week before. I met so many
people during this three-day whirlwind. It was an amazing experience,
and I am already looking forward to doing it again this December.
(The Expo is Dec. 7-9 this year.)
My last conference was the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing
Association annual meeting. And, despite coming down with a nasty
cold – which I’m pretty sure I caught on the plane ride
out there – I had a great time. From the second I walked in
the door of the conference hall, I knew this show was going to be
different. For one, there were a lot more couples at this show than
there were at others, and some of them even seem younger than at the
other farm shows. People were dressed up like fruits and vegetables
and a whole slew of other characters. It was utter chaos – but
in a good way, the kind of way that family dinners are chaotic. There
was no way for me to have been prepared for what I would find. I’m
still trying to process everything I learned while I was at the NAFDMA
show. I had no idea how big the farm marketing industry is –
and how big it can continue to grow. These people are sharp! And I
can definitely see farm marketing and agritourism as the wave of the
future. I even came back with big dreams of what I could do with a
farm if I ever had one of my own. I’ve already written three
stories on the different talks I heard at the show, and I have an
ever-growing list of more ideas. This conference was definitely my
favorite. Besides, at what other shows was it OK to play games and
eat yummy snacks during the educational sessions?
There are some other things I learned while attending trade shows,
conferences and meetings this winter. The biggest thing I learned
is that there is a whole heck of a lot more to learn. Another thing
I learned is that the line at the men’s bathroom will be longer
than the line for the women’s – good news! Seldom can
a woman ever walk right into a bathroom at events like these. And
I know I’m not the only one who noticed this difference. The
one downside to this is that there aren’t as many women involved
in farming as I feel there should be. Maybe this could be what prods
us women to get more involved in the farms. For this, I’ll sacrifice
a quick trip to the bathroom.
Another thing I learned is not to do all of my Christmas shopping
before going to trade shows. There are a lot of cool things out there
– from pens to bags to baseball caps, there’s a gift for
every member of the family. There were even stuffed animals and toy
tractors for even the youngest members of the families. I saw a number
of kids at each of these events stocking up.
Speaking of children, I was so pleased to see how many kids were at
these events. Trade shows and conferences apparently are a family
affair, with dads (mostly) including their young sons and daughters
in the show.
And the final thing I learned about the trade show and convention
season is to take my vitamins, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables,
carry water with me and stock up on sleep ahead of time. With longer
papers and busier days, I sometimes felt like a chicken with its head
cut off. But when I look through my ever-expanding files of story
ideas, I understand why those crazy, crazy winter days are worth it.
