In August, the FOSTER project partners Kislépték Association and PLP (Pannon Helyi Termék Nonprofit Kft.) organised jointly the SFSC mentor training – a two-day event for members of the We Are Local trademark network.
The aim of the SFSC mentor training is to build a supportive professional community and to train professionals who help local producers and market organizers: by transferring legal knowledge, building sales channels, business development, marketing and community building and supporting consumer awareness-raising activities. With the acquired knowledge, SFSC mentors and SFSC organizers can help primary producers and small producers at the local level, whether it is about market access, business development or SFSC organizers (market organizers, local producer store operators, etc.).
The mentoring program aims to strengthen the role of short supply chains (SFSC), support local producers and communities, and involve qualified mentors in the development of local food chains.
The first day of this two-day event was a communication training with group work, case studies and creative problem solving. The participants learned about the different elements and types of the communication process. They discussed the communication process in a specific SFSC situation and what helps effective communication and how to develop this skill. They also learned what listening is and how to promote active listening. The day ended with a nice game, the communication distortion game, where the participants experienced how the content of a story can change if several people independently tell it to each other.
On the second day, the participants learned about the Innovation Spiral theory. The Innovation Spiral promotes agricultural innovation and capacity building of advisors by bringing innovation processes closer and more accessible to those working in agriculture. The afternoon program is to get to know the DISC personality model, which describes four basic forms of human behaviour. This model can also help SFSC mentors and organizers better understand communication, leadership and teamwork. Self-awareness, communication and conflict management were promoted by the closing exercise of the day, the completion and discussion of the assertive communication test (Thomas-Kilmann model).
The third day of the training led to the We Are Local trademark certified Levendula Porta, at Kékkút, close to Lake Balaton, Hungary where the task of the SFSC mentors and advisors participating in the training was to try out the tools learned in the previous two days in practice in a consulting situation. The hosts Enid and Tibor told the story of their porta, their achievements and their future plans without hiding their hesitations and doubts. The team applied what they had learned the previous day well. They collected the strengths and challenges of Levendula Porta, grouped their activities and formulated activity priorities. The Innovation Spiral could be used well in this work.
The SFSC mentor training and the current Sümeg meeting are another step towards strengthening local products, sustainability and community cooperation in the PLP operating region, and towards making the “we are local” approach an everyday thing in more and more settlements.
