Monthly mixer
Monthly meetings featuring industry leaders
Prairie Food Link hosts monthly meetings at Boffins Event Centre, Innovation Place, Saskatoon. Members are welcome to attend in person or join virtually (if available). During the meetings, we strive to provide relevant presentations, and networking is always an important part of each event.
Over the past year, we have heard from industry leaders with regards to various aspects of the food and ingredient processing sector.
- Local Partnerships create big results (Gold PURE Oat Beverage) Panel discussion with Sav Bellissimo (FCL), Brett Casavant (C-Merak), Jeff Gross (Pacific Ridge Corporation: Facilitator Blair Knippel (TBase4)
- How FCL works with growers, processors and manufacturers to bring local products to Co-op stores. Shelley Revering – Manager, Farm to Fork. Sav Bellissimo – Store Brands Manager
- Fermentation February (Sponsored by FEAD) Panelist: Tyler Kaban (Parkerview), Heather Huienson (Naturally Amped), and Kara Friesen (USask Researcher in Fermentation) Moderator: Kendra Wack
- How to sell on Amazon (online sales) Tom Harrison -Amazon CPG Food Brand Specialist | We Help Food Brands Grow On Amazon!
- Government Relations – Navigating Election Season: Insights and Strategies for Prairie Food Link members; Lindsay Brumwell LB Strategies
- Economist – A review of Food Processing sector-specific headwinds to be cautious of as consumer shopping habits change amid high inflation and elevated interest rates (Sponsored by FCC) Graeme Crosby, FCC Senior Business Intelligence Analyst; Farewell to Kendra Mueller
- Partnership for Growth (P4G) and City of Saskatoon discuss infrastructure and utility rates
- MNP Report: Prairies Agri-Food Sector Skills, Competencies and Training Profile
- Retail sector (Federated Co-op Limited)
- Government resources (Sask Ministry of Trade and Export Development (STEP); Invest in Canada; Sask Polytech)
- International exporting (STEP; Black Fox Farm and Distillery)
- Excess Processing Capacity (Bioriginal; World Trade Centre Saskatoon)
- Transportation (Aero Delivery; NorQuin)
- Fermentation Capacity (Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre)
- International Supply Chain (Ghost Transportation)
- Insurance (NFP Canada)
- Sustainability (Meewasin Valley Authority)
- Expansions and New Direction (Great West Brewing)
- Student/youth labour force engagement (FCC; Sask Polytech; Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies)
Member events & opportunities
Building Strong Partnerships: Collaborating for Success With Sobeys
On November 20, Prairie Food Link, in partnership with FEAD Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development), hosted Gary Hughes (Sobeys) for the Monthly Mixer. Learning how to sell to Sobeys, getting your foot in the door, getting your product on shelves, and how to stay there!
Get your product on shelf, and in customer’s carts with Peter Chapman
On October 28, Prairie Food Link, in partnership with FEAD Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development), hosted Peter Chapman for the Monthly Mixer. Learning the insider secrets to breaking into the retail world and discovering how to prepare for that crucial first meeting, nail your pitch, and impress food companies with your product.
Link and Lunch: Time Management with Shawna Nelson
From September to November, Prairie Food Link, in partnership with FEAD Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development), hosted a three-part lunch and learn series with special guest from Boost Strategic Coach.
This session walks you through putting systems in place so you can focus on the things that are the best use of your time and that will bring results. We’ll teach you how to eliminate, automate, and delegate to truly elevate your business. If you feel like you’ve reached the limits of your time but want to achieve more and enjoy your time more, this is a course you won’t want to miss.
Link and Lunch: Goal Setting for Professionals with Daria Malin
From September to November, Prairie Food Link, in partnership with FEAD Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development), hosted a three-part lunch and learn series with special guest from Boost Strategic Coach.
In this session, we will be focusing on applying measurable goals to your business development and marketing strategies. By assigning weekly and monthly action steps to each goal, we will enable you to track your progress and prioritize activities that will have the greatest impact on the growth of your business. Through tracking the right things, you will be able to make timely adjustments and course corrections when you’re not seeing the outcomes you’re looking for.
Link and Lunch: Building Champions with Daria Malin
From September to November, Prairie Food Link, in partnership with FEAD Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development), hosted a three-part lunch and learn series with special guest from Boost Strategic Coach.
Every professional wants introductions to qualified prospects. While a lot of professionals feel like they have a strong network of referral sources in place, that network tends to disappoint when looking carefully at what they actually produce. The process of building champions is a systemized way of getting your existing network educated, engaged, and producing for your business model. When done correctly, the average champion produces one qualified prospect per month. This decreases your time spent on business development, increases your profitability, and has a positive impact on your bottom line.
From Guidance to Funding: Navigating Support and Capital Solutions
On Sept, 18 2024, Nafisa Mahabub (Program & Operations Coordinator) lead a panel discussion with Rachel Smith (CEO, Bannock Express) & Melanie Morrison (CEO, BeterCart Analytics) all about how to navigate through the business world, where to get support, and how to access mentoring and capital for your start-up.
Changes & Challenges in the Food Processing Sector
On June 26 2024, Graeme Crosbie, FCC Senior Business Intelligence Analyst, shared his views on what the food processing sector should watch for with consumer shopping habits changing.
Navigating Election Season: Insights and Strategies for PFL Members
On May 22 2024, Lindsay Brumwell (LB Strategies) presented the upcoming provincial, municipal, and federal elections and how to navigate through the season. This presentation will provide crucial insights into the electoral landscape specific to Prairie Food Link members businesses and organizations. To follow along with the presentation, please click the link below to download a copy of the slide deck.
Presentation Download
Recipe For Success: Selling on Amazon for CPG Food Brands
On April 24 2024, Tom Harrison (TNT E-commerce) presented the essential ingredients for launching and scaling your Amazon business to maximize success!
Prairie Food Link Month Mixer: Fermentation February
On February 21 2024, Kendra Wack (Executive Director, FEAD) moderated a panel discussion where they discussed the nuances of operating a small-scale fermentation business with a dynamic panel of female entrepreneurs from across Saskatchewan. Amy Kaban (Founder, Parkerview Brews), Heather Huenison (Co-Founder, Naturally Amped), Kara Friesen (Founder, Cultured Bites), Emma Laing (Project & Program Specialist, Food Centre)
Prairie Food Link Month Mixer with Federated Co-op
On January 24 2024, Shelley Revering (Manager, Farm to Fork) and Sav Bellisimo (Store Brands Manager) from Federated Co-op explain how they work with growers, processors and manufacturers to bring local products to Co-op stores in Saskatchewan Communities
Prairie Food Link Panel at National Supply Chain Conference
On October 20, 2023 four Prairie Food Link members participated in a panel discussion during the National Supply Chain Conference.
Sustainably Improving Agricultural Productivity to Meet Increasing Demand
Panelists:
- Brett Casavant – CEO, C-Merak
- Sav Bellissimo – Store Brands Manager, FCL
- Jeff Gross – Co-founder Pacific Ridge Corporation & Farmer
- Bryan Kosteroski – Executive Director, ACS
Ready to become a member?
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