"Speed Dating" Farmer Style

Yesterday I attended the 3rd Annual Chico Ag 2013 Speed Dating event.

I was contacted last week, through the Farm Bureau and asked 

if we would be interested, that they didn't have any orange growers.

Not sure what to expect, I agreed to come.

The participants consisted of buyers, sellers and sponsors.

Buyers such as markets, restaurants and caterers.  Sellers, citrus 

growers, beef and poultry, cheese maker and many others.

Sponsors, irrigation, banking, Ag building and logistics.

The sellers were divided into two groups, red and blue, 

five minutes on and off.   The five minutes on going to each buyer,

selling yourself and your product.  Five minutes off talking to sponsors

and other sellers.   This repeated for about two hours.

I'm not sure how many sales, if any will come of all of it,

 but it made me stop and think about what was important that

I wanted to tell them about our orchard and operation.

These kind of events are way out of my comfort zone,

 so if nothing else good practice.