16th Annual FMO Networking Symposium/AGM held in concert with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention & Trade Show. Over 1,100 delegates for the main convention...FMO attracted crowds of up to 90 people during two-day sessions. 2006 Convention theme “Learning, Sharing, Growing” submitted by Catherine Clark. World-renowned speaker, Barry Siskind’s presentation “Dare to be Different” was hugely popular. The session on Food Safety Guidelines attracted much attention. Barbara Lovitt, Iowa Department of Agriculture was a featured speaker.

Fall 2005 - Major Market Research conducted in partnership with 12 Farmers’ Markets. 3,066 shoppers interviewed. AgriFood Consultant, James Farrar, Jayeff Partners engaged for the project.

Spring 2005 - The strong partnership between FMO and OMAF continued. The six year Memorandum of Understanding negotiated in 1999 was renewed for three more years.

February 16 & 17, 2005 - 15th Annual FMO Networking Symposium/AGM held in concert with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention and Trade Show. FMO was not a Trade Show exhibitor, for budgetary reasons. Over 1,000 attended the main convention...50-80 Farmers’ Market leaders, managers and vendors attended the two days of FMO sessions. Topics included "Risk Management and Pets"; "Food Safety"; "Producer-based Markets...are we gaining or losing ground?"; a "Managers’ Forum" and a two hour "Model Farmers’ Market" presentation from Philip Powell and Robert Chorney. That session was later modified and converted to a Workshop Series entitled "Sharing the Harvest" and it was offered across Ontario during the week of April 25 to 29... at Ottawa (Bells Corners/Nepean); Peterborough; Cambridge; Orillia and Sudbury. Over 250 Farmers’ Market leaders, managers and vendors participated, at a cost of $10 each.

February 2005 - The first-ever Canadian "How-To" book for Market leaders, managers and vendors was released by Farmers’ Markets Ontario. This 175 page book entitled "Sharing the Harvest" - How to Build Farmers’ Markets & How Farmers’ Markets Build Community! was co-authored by Mary Ann Colihan, London, Ont. and FMO Executive Director, Robert T. Chorney. Selling price $19.95 plus gst and shipping. Over 100 copies of the 500 printed were sold almost immediately. Complimentary copies were sent to some 50 friends of FMO.

February 18 & 19, 2004 - 14th Annual FMO Networking Symposium/AGM held at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont., again in concert with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention and Trade Show. FMO was a Trade Show exhibitor. About 1,000 registrants at the Convention...some 70 at the FMO sessions. Topics included "Rules & Regulations That Work"; "The Magic of Special Events" and more.

Summer 2003 - FMO launched "Project TEAM"....Train, Expand, Ally, Market. The main program elements were:

1. Focus on Food Safety
2. Market and Merchandising Equipment
3. Market Leadership Development
4. Marketing Initiatives to increase sales, and
5. Direct Marketer (farmer-vendor) Related Initiatives.

The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association partnered with FMO and the $824,004 initiative was funded at a 66.6% level by the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing’s Rural Economic Development Program, Ontario Small Town & Rural Development Initiative (OSTAR-RED). Government funding totalled $549,611 with FMO’s portion at $431,000 and OFFMA’s at $118,000. The project was originally scheduled to run from summer 2003 to December 31, 2004, however, an extension was granted and the new program deadline changed to December 31, 2005.

February 18 & 19, 2003 - 13th Annual FMO Networking Symposium/AGM held at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont. in concert with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention & Trade Show (OFVC). OFVC is a partnership of the Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and Horticultural Crops Ontario (the successor to OHCC...Ontario Horticultural Crops Conference). Over 900 participants. FMO participated as a Trade Show exhibitor. Sixty (60) Farmers’ Market leaders, managers and vendors participated in the FMO sessions.

February 15 & 16, 2002 - 12th Annual FMO Networking Symposium/AGM held at Radisson Hotel, Mississauga, Ont. A Friday evening and all day Saturday event. Conference theme: "Let’s IMPACT in 2002". The main thrust of the sessions revolved around our Healthy Futures for Ontario Agriculture 2001-2002 funding program entitled "Project IMPACT". The symposium offering to members was generous...hotel accommodation; breakfast and luncheon; refreshment breaks; conference materials and a special 2002 FMO calculator all for the low price of $49. Foodland Ontario sponsored the luncheon. Fifty (50) people attended.

January 14-20, 2002 - FMO collaborated with Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association and the North American Direct Marketing Association in staging "Progress North Toronto 2002"...the annual conference and trade show of the North American Direct Marketing Association. FMO handled the Farmers’ Market pre-conference bus tour (about 20 people); the one-day Farmers’ Market Workshop and the two days of Speaker Sessions. The Workshop had a core group of 47 participants and the six speaker sessions attracted a total of 398 people or an average of 67 per session. Over 1,000 Direct Marketers from across North America participated in this annual event, usually held in the United States. The next Canadian hosts will be Alberta in 2007