As harvest season peaks across Canada, most retailers are eager to profile their partnerships with local growers by profiling them in point of sale (POS) material. During the growing season, flyers also include photos and thumbprint information about the growers.

Retailers create these local grower programs to assure consumers how their food is produced and to get credit for their farmer relationships. 

If your business is a supplier to any retailer with a local grower program, you need to be prepared to participate. Your customer is depending on you to be a part of their consumer marketing.

We also have to be honest: some retailers try to generate money with these programs too. They charge fees to participate. Usually, these fees are proportionate to the size of the supplier. In other words, the large national suppliers pay more than regional suppliers. It can be frustrating to ‘pay to play’, but there is a cost to the POS and advertising space they devote to local grower programs. The fees paid in produce are a fraction of the fees paid by the consumer-packaged goods companies for the same exposure in the flyer.

Your customers, the retailers, expect you to participate in these programs and reinforce their support of local growers. You should expect them to ask and be ready with an answer. You can always negotiate if you believe there is an opportunity.

Communicate with the right people

The request to participate in the program will come from the category manager or merchandising group. These people own the relationship with suppliers. One challenge is that they usually know very little about the details required from suppliers. You should negotiate the fees and any in-store space or ads you want to include with them. Once the deal is done, you need to communicate with other people in their organization. 

People who work in marketing and advertising are responsible for creating POS and flyers. They understand the details, timelines and file formats required. Ask your category person for the contact in this part of their business. You have a much better chance of everything appearing as it should, when you communicate with the right people.

Make it easy for them

When I was working in retail one of the biggest challenges was to get a decent photo from suppliers. Certainly, technology has changed and the quality you can achieve with a smart phone is probably acceptable. Determine the correct file size and what they are expecting. Do they want you to focus on the people or perhaps more on the field or orchard trees or greenhouse?

Consider the image you want in the store or the flyer for your business. Working in agriculture is not a suit-and-tie job, but you also want to present a clean, professional image. Consumers want to have confidence in the people producing their food. I can remember receiving one photo from a grower wearing coveralls and it looked like he had just crawled out from under a tractor. They might have, but we needed a better photo.

Create a numbering system for your photos. You can use the name of your business and a year and a letter. For example, the first photo you share in 2025 is ABCFarm2025A. Include a good description with each photo. You want the names of any individuals to be clear. Focus on two brief points per photo that reinforce the positioning of your business. Include information such as how many generations of farmers, sustainability initiatives or new variety trials. They might not use it all but give them some content to work with.

Transferring files can be a challenge, especially if they are large. Use a common resource such as Google Drive to keep it simple. Get familiar with the technology prior to the deadline to submit the photos. The people working at the retailer have deadlines to meet to get POS printed or flyers completed. It is very frustrating for them to wait for a photo that should have been sent and confirmed prior to the deadline.

Be prepared with some content about your business

There is more interest in Canadian suppliers than ever. Take the time to write some copy for your customers that can be used in flyers or other applications such as social media. Keep the writing brief and consumer focused. Don’t assume that consumers understand practices such as integrated pest management or other industry terms.

Explain some of your growing strategies and the benefits to the end user. You might have changed all the lights in your greenhouse to provide 12- month supply of Canadian product. This is copy being written for consumers, not retailers. When you create copy, it is advisable to write a short version and a longer version. The retailers’ marketing folks can always cut and paste your own words – a better situation than if they’re writing their own. They do not understand your business.

Remember, this an opportunity to promote your business. You never know who might see it. If you share some work on sustainability initiatives, you might pique the interest of a young student interested in a career in agriculture. Thousands of people read the flyers and shop in the stores every week.

Offer to proofread the page

There is always a final sign-off process before printing. If you can get a quick look, ensure the copy is correct. This is not the time to revise copy you sent or update the photo. All of that should have been accurate and up-to-date in the initial stages. Double-check that they do not have another farm name or brand with your picture. Believe me, it happens every year.

Participate in the conversation online and in store

Many retailers are using social media to reinforce their position with consumers. Become part of the conversation if they are including your business. When you comment and share their posts, retailers appreciate the exposure and it all helps to build trust with consumers and your customers.

The store is where the consumer makes the decision to buy. Retailers want stores to be entertaining and engaging. Demos with local growers are often part of these programs. They are a challenge because you are busy, and they always want you there when you are busiest. If possible, find some people who can represent your business. They should have some basic knowledge and be personable. You could investigate to see if there is financial support to promote agriculture and perhaps a program with local agriculture students. You can also work with other farms in close proximity so you sample some of their products and the next week they include yours to spread the hours around. You might not sell more, but it should have a positive impact on your relationship with your customers. 

When you’re not in full production, work on refreshing your story and recipes. Local grower programs not only educate consumers, but they build relationships between retailers and suppliers.