This year, the MarketReady program expanded its programming to include Buyer Tours. This will be the first set of in-person events for the MarketReady Training Program, post-Covid. Each Buyer Tour gives local food producers an opportunity to meet and chat with real buyers in the grocery, restaurant, and wholesale marketplace(s).  

The Louisville and Lexington tours took place on August 12th and 19th, respectively. We had a total of 13 producers attend our tour, which was fantastic given the newness of this type of event. The participants provided positive feedback and said they loved the opportunity to meet buyers in person. Following this event, we planned a Buyer Tour in Bowling Green. The Bowling Green Buyer Tour took place on May 25th. We had 11 participants for this tour alone. It was great to see the traction this event is having! MarketReady Buyer Tour participants repeatedly told us how unique and helpful this opportunity was for them. The participants loved this real-world experience! 

Our Louisville and Lexington tour stops were: Jefferson County Public Schools Nutrition Service Center, Rainbow Blossom Grocery, In Season Harvest Kitchen, What Chefs Want, Good Foods Co-op, FoodChain, Honeywood, and UKY Aramark Dining.  

Our Bowling Green tour stops were: Bowling Green High School, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, and Howard’s Harvest Market.  

Some responses to the post-survey question of, “What were your key takeaways from this event?” were:  

• Knowing what information farmers are most likely to want to know from buyers, and vice versa. 

• Hearing about demand from buyers. Making connections after the event with appropriate farmers. 

• There is enthusiasm from buyers to purchase locally grown products. 

• Interactions with the buyers and operators of the businesses. 

• Excellent source of information for small farmers who have questions facing their operations. 

Below are some group photos from the tour.