MarketReady Producer Training Program

08/24/2026

We are hosting a Buyer Tour in Eastern Kentucky! This program gives growers and producers a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to sell to a restaurant, grocery/retail store, or school. Attendees can ask questions, talk with buyers, and enjoy a local lunch (provided by the program). This program is free to attend, but registration IS REQUIRED. Register here 👉 https://marketready.uky.edu/events/marketready-food-connection-buyer-tour-eastern-kentucky

08/19/2026

Save the Date 👉 MarketReady and The Food Connection are hosting Buyer Tours this fall! Buyer Tours are free events that connect local food producers with local food buyers. Registration and more information will be available soon.

08/18/2026

Interested in small ruminant production? Gabriel Cassone and Brett Wolff talk through some of the questions you might have when considering small ruminant production. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEL6mKsNd_Q

08/03/2026

The SBDIIC team, led by Gabriel Cassone, Tim Woods, and Brett Wolff, is conducting research on how different types of social media promotion affect audience engagement. Read more 👉

The SBDIIC team, led by Gabriel Cassone, Tim Woods, and Brett Wolff, is conducting research on how different types of social media promotion affect audience engagement. One set of posts features value-added dairy businesses and is being shared through the Kentucky Dairy Development and Kentucky Prou...

08/02/2026

LAST CALL: Only a few days left to get your products in front of wholesale buyers!
The deadline to apply for the 2026 Kentucky Proud Expo is Monday, August 3rd. Don’t miss your chance to pitch directly to major retail and wholesale buyers on September 18th in Shelbyville.

Only 40 members will be selected and spots are filling up fast! Selection preference will be given to applicants who submit payment and all required documentation.

Booth Options: Standard Booth - $150; with Electric Access - $200.

Don't miss the deadline. Log into the member portal now at kyproud.com and click "KYP Vendor Expo" on the main navigation bar to apply.

For full event details 👉https://www.kyagr.com/marketing/documents/KYP_Expo-Event.pdf

Sign-in to your online account 👉 https://portal.kyproud.com/Login

07/31/2026

Our July edition of The Marketeer just hit your email inbox! Read it in your inbox or check out the full newsletter here 👉 https://mailchi.mp/uky/the-marketeer-july-2026

Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter here 👉 https://uky.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=28f9631e0fbcfa144782d1753&id=ea8ab6c95a

07/23/2026

The Kentucky Proud Vendor and Expo are returning on Friday, September 18th from 1-4 p.m. at the Shelbyville Conference and Welcome Center!

This business-to-business event connects retail ready Kentucky Proud vendors with wholesale buyers from across the Commonwealth, creating opportunities to grow business, build partnership, and help bring more Kentucky Proud products to store shelves.

Click the link for further information and registration: https://www.kyagr.com/Ky-agriculture/PressRelease/2026/Kentucky-Proud-invites-buyers-sellers-to-Retail-Ready-Vendor-Expo-in-Shelbyville

07/07/2026

Recently, we attended the Kroger Louisville Division Local Food Show in Louisville, Kentucky. This is an annual, invitation-only trade and vendor event that connects local Kentucky producers with Kroger buyers. At the show, over 80 local vendors were set up! While we didn't capture many photos, we enjoyed lots of yummy samples 😋

Pictured here are B.T.Leigh's Sauces and Rubs and Mama Jan's Soul Food. They both attended our Retail Readiness Marketing Workshop earlier this year and are putting some of the things they learned to work! Stay tuned for a location and date for our 2027 Retail Readiness Marketing Workshop.

06/29/2026

We are still feeling the excitement from our trip to Charleston, West Virginia, earlier this month for our Train-the-Trainer program with the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition. Read more about the program here 👉

Last week, Savannah Columbia and Dr. Timothy Woods traveled to Charleston, West Virginia, for a two-day program to train West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition technical assistance providers on the MarketReady Producer Training Program material and to facilitate a MarketReady Producer Training for valu...

06/26/2026

Last week, we traveled to Charleston, West Virginia, to facilitate a MarketReady Train-the-Trainer program with the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition.

During our two-day program...
🔵 Fifteen technical assistance providers were trained to lead & facilitate MarketReady programming.
⚪️ Fourteen value-added producers were educated through the MarketReady Producer Training Program.

It is always exciting to see our extension work travel across state lines. We hope each participant was able to take at least one thing away from our presentation in order to take the next step toward growing their businesses.