Sell What You Grow

1. “10 Ways to Market your Products… Locally and Regionally” Sell What You Grow Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching

2. The Basics of Direct Marketing • Capture more of the profit • Reduce agricultural risk • Develop unique product identity www.sare.org

3. “Direct to Consumer” Connection • This works to the advantage of both • Both develop relationship – TRUST • Producer can provide fresh product tailored to customer needs • Customers can provide input to grower and refine the product line based on what they purchase

4. Direct Marketing Skills • “Relationship marketing” - need people skills • More intensive management • Produce the highest quality of product

5. Marketing Strategies Click on image to start video

6. 10 Ways to Market your Products • Farmers’ markets • U-Pick • Farm stands • Ag Tourism • Community supported agriculture (CSA)

7. 10 ways…continued • Grocery stores • Restaurant sales • Cooperatives • Mail order catalogs/ Internet • Custom sales

8. Direct Marketing Click on image to start video

9. Farmers Markets • One of the most common methods of getting your product to the people who want to buy it • Good starting point – can help develop customer base for other methods such as subscription sales (CSA).

10. People are seeking out locally grown products.

11. Farmers’ Market Growth Increasing in popularity in US. Numbers of markets have increased and sales have increased. In 1994, there were 1,755 markets. In 2009, there were 5,274 markets.

12. Market tips: Colorful, layered displays of your products are enhanced by signs and packaging.

13. Market Tips: Click on image to start video

14. Market Tips: Click on image to start video

15. Market tips: Prices in round numbers to speed sales and eliminate problems making change

16. To learn more about farmers markets, visit: www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets

17. Marketing Tips:packaging, increasing customer base, and bringing people to the farm Click on image to start video

18. U-Pick Operations “People don’t come all the way out here to get cheap food. They come because it’s fun and the berries are absolutely fresh.” -- Ernie Bohner, Persimmon Hill Berry Farm

19. Producers consideringpick-your-own will need: • Liability insurance • Space for parking • Ability to supervise customers • Farmside manners

20. The success of pick-your-own is in the details: • Good signage location • Targeted advertisement • Effective answering machine message • Creating a pleasant and safe setting for families

21. Farm Stands Customers develop loyalty to the farm Consider costs to build your “stand” structure No transportation cost

22. Farm Stands • Feature high-demand items, such as fresh-picked sweet corn • Pick locations near busy roads • Familiarize yourself with regulations governing food products

23. Ag Tourism • Agri-tourism or Entertainment farming • Great diversity in what farms can offer • Provides an “on-farm” experience

24. Ag Tourism http://www.10000trails.com/agritourism/

25. Entertainment Farming Tips • Producers need good “people” skills • Tourism offices can help bring customers • Contact the state Dept. of Agriculture for help with farm festivals and other events

26. If considering an Ag Tourism enterprise… Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) has an excellent publication www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ress/altenterprise/

27. Community Supported Agriculture • Subscription farming • What? • How often? • Where? • Cost? • Requires advanced planning • Experience in production

28. Community Supported Agriculture “We want our customers to be more sensitive to the farm situation. The more they understand the connection of family farms to healthy communities, the better for us.” -- Molly Bartlett, CSA farmer, Hiram, OH

29. Check out Helsing Junction Farm athttp://www.helsingfarmcsa.com

30. When evaluating CSA, consider: • Proximity to customers • Willingness to give customers something extra • Variety of products • Ability to distribute produce

31. CSA information • For more information and to view the directory visit the “Robyn Van En Center for CSA Resources” http://www.csacenter.org/

32. Cooperative Marketing • Group of farmers pool their products to meet a demand for a specialized product • Legal cooperatives or collaborative agreements • Someone to lead the marketing and management efforts

33. Cooperative Marketing One successful example: Oregon Country Beef

34. “… Individual family ranchers are directly responsible to the meat manager and end customer for both eating quality and claims on growing practices.” - Quote from the Oregon Country Beef web sitehttp://www.oregoncountrybeef.com/

35. More information on rural cooperatives: • Visit USDA Rural Development site www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs

36. Do adequate market research and business planning • Join a marketing club or networking group to pool skills • To learn more about cooperatives, visit the National Cooperative Business Association at: http://www.ncba.org/

37. Wholesale Marketing Click on image to start video

38. Direct Sales to Restaurants Upscale restaurants and specialty stores pay top dollar for quality produce and hard-to-get items.

39. http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/cdpp/selldirect.pdf

40. Mail Order/Internet • Develop a plan before you start • What is the purpose? • How will you manage the site? • How will you ship the products?

41. Let the Internet work for you • Promote your products and availability • Sell your products • Have your own web site or get listed in a online guide or directory www.localharvest.org and www.eatwellguide.org

42. Custom Meat Sales • Sell whole, half or quarter animals • Use custom meat packing places in your location

43. MeatProcessing Issues • When you get higher volume and/or want to sell by the cuts – you will need to find a local processing facility. • Mobile meat processing unit owned by Lopez Community Land Trust http://www.lopezclt.org/sard/mpu.html

44. For more information about meat processing regulations in Idaho: Idaho Health and Welfare http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/ Look under “Health” and then “Food Protection” – go to “Food Safety” for a link to local health district

45. Resources: • USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) www.sare.org / (301) 504-5230 • Alternative Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) www.attra.org / (800) 346-9140

46. Resources (continued): • USDA Farmer Direct Marketing www.ams.usda.gov/directmarketing • North American Farm Direct Marketing Assn. www.nafdma.com

47. Credits Presentation developed by Cultivating SuccessTM: Sustainable Small Farms Education. Photos provided by Cultivating Success staff, unless otherwise noted. Video segments taken from: “Affinity Farm: A Small-Acreage Farm Shares Strategies” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2005, University of Idaho. “Meadowlark Farm: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2005, University of Idaho. “Riley Creek Blueberry Farm: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2002, University of Idaho Extension. “Nothing But Herbs: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2001, University of Idaho Extension.