Marketing Small Potatoes

Martin Butts is a local entrepreneur helping CNY producers plant their seeds in medias that where once hard to sow. Martin founded this business idea while working as the Merchandising Manager at Syracuse's Real Food Co-op. He found that local producers that would bring their produce into the store in Ziplock bags had a hard time competing with producers, such as Kashi, that came dress and suited up in commercially designed packages.

So in 2009 Martin started Small Potatoes, a "boutique marketing, advocacy, and consulting firm that specializes in working with small-scale and start-up food product companies to launch and grow their businesses." Small Potatoes, fuelled by Recess Coffee, is introducing local farmers to local chefs, writing up press releases or social media posts, and getting them into the community through farmer's markets and community events.

In October Martin spoke at an independent TED event in Utica. And although you see most entrepreneurs out to sell their product or advertise their business at an event such as this, Martin didn't mention anything about Small Potatoes. Martin spoke about the bigger goal, Refining our Food Culture; see what he had to say in the video below.

Redefining our food culture: Martin Butts at TEDxUtica