Promotion Committee Update

Wow! Wasn't the Fall Tour enjoyable? Larry and Joyce Haigh did a wonderful job coordinating it; and our four hosts, Brodbecks, Pennocks, Haighs and Haighs, were most cordial. That coupled with the weather made for a splendid day.

A lot has been happening with the Promotion Committee since the Fall Tour. First of all, committee member Steve Youdes underwent kidney transplant surgery and is recovering just fine. It must be the maple in his blood that is helping him recover so quickly!

At the Fall Tour, we announced that we wanted to create an advertising page for our web site. The purpose of this page is twofold -it provides a service to our members and it will take our web-master out of a sometimes-uncomfortable situation. No longer will this person have to answer the question, "Where can I buy some syrup?" All they will have to do is refer the potential customer to the advertising page. At this point, we will be offering four categories, each of which would be a separate list: producers who are retailers, producers who are wholesalers, producers who have mail order businesses, and Michigan equipment vendors. Some of you, like myself, are only retailers. However, I can think of several who would fall into three or even all four categories. Right now, our thoughts are to charge ten dollars to be on a list. A producer who is only a retailer would pay ten dollars to be on the Retail list while a producer who qualifies for all four lists would pay forty dollars. If you have any thoughts on this please contact your nearest Board member, as this will be reported out of committee for action at the next Board meeting.

The big news is the Strategic Plan project. As you know from the Fall Tour we had entered into a project with a student group, OPT Consulting, at Lansing Community College to develop a strategic plan for MMSA. A strategic plan is kind of a road map for an organization's long-range development. OPT met with several of us for an historical as well as current view of MMSA to include budget, staff, membership, activities and projects. Then they performed an analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats followed by a competitive analysis. They even developed a survey for the membership and one for the Board. From this they developed a series of strategies and objectives, all supported by action steps.

This project was reported out to us on December 2, so you are getting the following information at the same time as many of the Board members. Please bear in mind that neither the committee nor the Board has yet to digest this information. Here is their "Summary of Objectives" -To increase consumer awareness of pure natural maple syrup products; to implement a Michigan Maple Syrup Ambassador program; to urge association to actively pursue state and federal grant programs; to address the possibility of the producers forming a cooperative; and to make producers more aware of the benefits the Association has to offer.

Several of the action steps are a request to the governor to declare a Michigan Maple Syrup Week, partnerships with local schools to promote maple syrup products, and applications to community foundations to assist in funding for a Maple Syrup ambassador program.