GFP011: The Importance of Online Farm Marketing, Interview with Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station, Ohio

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Adapting to new technologies can sometimes be a good thing, and sometimes be a bad thing. Adapting to the internet is a good thing. It can, as it has for me, do good things for your business.

I have been marketing my CSA through my farm website, social media, and out on the streets in person. Even with the people I meet in person, a good percentage of them like having the website to send to friends, review at home, or join my CSA when they decide to.

Besides marketing my farm I have been busy working on it in other ways. I have redesigned my chicken tractors, started seedlings, and added more content to the Farm Marketing Solutions website.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • The importance of online marketing.

  • The importance of building a community and what that means in terms of true sustainability.

  • I love chinese Kung-Fu.

  • Alternative housing options.

  • Green buildings.

  • Sustainle energy.

Interview with Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station, Ohio

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On the eve of the birth of their grandchild (Catlyn), Jay and Annie Warmke looked out over the foothills of the Central Appalachian Mountains in Muskingum County Ohio and felt they had come home. They bought the 38-acre tract that makes up Blue Rock Station in 1993, and dreamed of creating a retreat for their extended family.

A few months later, while listening to WMNF public radio (Tampa, FL), Annie heard architect Michael Reynolds of Solar Survival in Taos, New Mexico talking about a new type of home he designed that used clean waste like old tires and bottles. He called his design an "Earthship." The seed had been sown.

Construction of the original 1,650 square foot house began in 1996. During a nine-week period, 1,200 tires were brought in from an illegal dump site cleaned up by the Environmental Protection Agency near Roseville, OH. The tires were rammed with earth and used to create the walls of the single-family dwelling. Most of the wood used in the construction of the roof trusses and window framing was re-claimed from local barns.

Annie served as the contractor and project manager for the building of the original structure, with Jay serving as the support person and weekend carpenter.  They worked on this project during summers and vacations, taking a three-year break in 2001 to move to Europe.  In August, 2004 they returned to Blue Rock Station to live full time and create the premier green living center in Ohio.  Over 25,000 visitors have walked through the living room of the Earthship.

The goal is to merge engineering, art and re-use of existing materials. This is accomplished by creating buildings made out of re-used materials to demonstrate a series of alternative building techniques, including the Earthship, straw bale structures, earth bag walls, and whatever else seems to make sense.

In addition to the buildings, workshops and publications, Blue Rock Station is open periodically for llama trekking around the beautiful hills of Southeastern Ohio, special events like Earth Day and special open house tours, plus skill building weekends.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

House of Trash Video:

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MTV Cribs Kids Edition:

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Chicken Tractor Design:

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"The Wilds" Ohio Safari

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Blue Rock Station

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Take aways:

Do you have a farm website? Are you using it effectively?

What have you done recently to develop a community around your farm?

Can you learn to live with less?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP010: Adapting to Suit Your Market, Be Genuine, Interview with Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily

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It is really important in your farm marketing efforts to adapt to meet the needs of your market. That means more than just growing what people want. It also means growing it the way they want it grown. I recently switched my feed because my customers were asking for organic non-GMO feed. I would have been feeding my chickens that anyways, I just didn't know I could get it near my farm. When someone pointed it out, it was a natural switch.

It is also important when marketing your farm to listen to your demographic, and go where they are to market to them. More and more people are on Facebook these days. Of all the farmers I know, that is the most widely used form of social media. Why? Facebook has over 900 million people using it on a global scale. While your aim might not be global, in today's farm podcast I explain how I am using it to market locally. I am seeing results in the form of new members to my Chicken and Herb CSA. There's your return on investment.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Best practices for engaging you audience on Facebook.

  • Ideas to monetize your blog or farm website.

  • The importance of creating a solid brand around a particular niche.

  • Why you have to promote yourself to be seen online.

Right Click to Download MP3

Interview with Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily:

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In addition to writing for the blog, hosting the Facebook pages and managing an etsy shop, Lisa makes sure that her ever-tolerant and supportive husband, 21 laying hens, rooster, 8 ducks, 2 horses, tuxedo cat, and German Shepherd puppy are happy and well fed.  She grows herbs, berries and vegetables and enjoys gourmet cooking and baking using the fresh ingredients from their farm.  She also enjoys reading, knitting, DIY projects and crafting in her spare time.

She has recently been featured in Hobby Farms Chickens Magazine as well as Hobby Farm Home magazine and mentioned in Mother Earth News and Southern Living magazines. She recently crossed the 'pond' to be featured in the UK-based Your Chickens magazine as an up-and-coming blogger/chicken keeper, as well as the New Zealand-based Lifestyle Block series How to Care for your Poultry.

The list goes on for Lisa's media exposure. One this is for certain. She knows a lot about chickens, and she knows how to relay that information to an audience and keep them coming back.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What ways have you adapted your farm business to meet the needs of your customers?

Are you using Facebook? You don't have to spend all your time on Social Media, but Facebook is a good start with definite return on investment.

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP009: Making Sound Investment for the Future, Rebecca Thistlethwaite Author of Farms With A Future

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Show summary:

Farming is as much about business as it is growing things. Time spent outside should be balanced by time spent inside. Both places require you to make smart investments for your future. Those investments might be to buy equipment, spend time connecting with customers, or growing your agricultural business in any number of ways.

The weather is warming up a bit and I get to spend some more time making investments outside of the office. That is not only good for the business, but good for the soul too. Honestly, I don't like talking about money. I would rather be out farming. This week I started building chicken tractors, I ordered baby chicks, and my seeds came in the mail. Big things happening!

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • What to think about when making investments in your farm.

  • Some commonalities between me and other farmers.

  • Creative ways to find funding.

  • Money management "outside the box".

  • Long term farm investing.

Interview with Rebecca Thistlethwaite Author of Farms With A Future:

Rebecca grew up in suburban Oregon, near small berry farms that eventually were populated by homes and not crops. She then went to Colorado State University to study skiing, climbing, and a little bit of everything else about natural resources. There she received her B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management/Conservation Biology.

Since then she has worked on various organic farms around the Northwest and California, before ending  up back in school at UC Davis to study agroecology and International Agricultural Development for her Masters. She went on to study crop biodiversity and traditional Mayan agriculture in Guatemala and Honduras.

Since then, Rebecca has been working in natural resources management, developing and directing programs, sustainability consulting and farming part time with her husband at TLC Ranch on the Central Coast of California and now on a little farm in Washington overlooking the mighty Columbia River.  "Farms with a Future: Creating and Growing a Sustainable Farm Business", was published in November 2012 by Chelsea Green, Rebecca's first book!

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

 

Take aways:

How do you plan when making investments in your farm?

What questions do you ask yourself?

Do you differentiate between capital investments and operating budget?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP008: The Most Important Decisions I Have Made To Date and Some Farm Financial Planning

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Show Summary:

Solid financial planning is critical to the success of any small business, and farming is no exception. If you do not have a clear picture of where you are, how can you know where you are going? In this episode I stray from my normal format to bring you more insight into the difficult decisions I have had to make lately.

I discuss how important it is to create a Profit and Loss Statement, and I even discuss some of the details of mine. In the interest of full disclosure, I am including a link to download the Excel Spreadsheet detailing my Chicken CSA.

Chicken CSA Financial Breakdown (Click to Download)

I hope this helps you in creating you own financial planning. Later on on this year on FarmMarketingSolutions.com I will post a video where I walk you around the sheet to show you the equations I used in creating the statement, and how I arrived at some of those numbers. I don't want to overload you with too much information in one go.

I want to share my information because a friend shared his with me. I was able to create mine using a similar structure to his, and a little of my own deductive reasoning and Excel skill (though I'm not whiz at Excel). I chose not to include the tabs for what our fixed expenses are and what some of the other income streams might produce. I have nothing to hide, as I shared the numbers on the podcast, but I think this is surely enough to get you started.

Right Click Here to Download the Full Episode

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • The importance of financial planning.

  • How Profit and Loss Statements will help you plan for a more profitable future.

  • How I arrived on the business strategy that I am implementing.

  • How much you feedback on social media and iTunes means to me.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Note: Some of these links are affiliate links. I earn a very small commission if you purchase something through them, at no extra cost to you.

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chicken spreadsheet

Take aways:

Do you know what you fixed personal expenses for the year are?

Do you have an idea of where your business stands financially?

What are you doing to plan for the future?

Thank you!

Thank you so much for tuning in week after week! It is a pleasure to bring you the podcast, and I truly hope it helps you find success.

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think of my farm podcast. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP007: Anne Burkholder of Will Feed, Traveling Outside Your Comfort Zone to Gain Perspective and Reduce Stress

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Show summary:

Fresh perspective is always necessary. It doesn't matter what type of business you run or even what type of life you lead. Looking at what you do from another person's perspective, and getting their advice based on their experiences can be hugely beneficial for you.  I know it is for me.

I am not a farmer to make money. I farm because I love working outside, I love growing my own food, and most of all I love the community of people that naturally gravitate toward sustainable farming. At the end of the day, my bills come in just the same as everyone else's. We have car payments, rent, student loans, phone bills, the list goes on... If I am going to be able to keep farming and having that positive impact on my food system I have to look at my farm as a business.

In this episode I talk about how I went outside the farming community to get some really good advice. Not only was the advice and perspective helpful to me as I write my business plan, but it was inspirational as well. The professional I met with got me all fired up, and inspired me to take some of the steps that I was fearing to take.

Then in my interview I travel outside my normal realm of agricultural businesses, and I had one of most fun conversations about farming that I have had yet.

Right Click to Download this Farm Podcast Episode

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Helpful resources for business advice

  • How a cattle feed lot operates

  • The ratio of cattle to humans in Nebraska

  • How being a psychology major helps you work with cattle

  • You don't have to be a big person to work with big animals

Interview with Anne Burkholder of Will Feed in Cozad Nebraska:

Anne Burkholder is the “boss lady” of the cattle feedyard and spends her days in blue jeans and boots.  In 2009, she was awarded the Beef Quality Assurance Producer of the Year Award for the volunteer work that she does promoting beef farmer education in cattle care (animal welfare), and food safety.  She is a member of the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Advisory Committee, a Director of the Nebraska State Beef Council, and an avid advocate for the cattle industry.  She greets each day’s challenges with a smile knowing that she is using the gifts and talents that were bestowed upon her to both improve the welfare of the United States cattle herd and the safety of the beef that they produce.

She is both mentally and physically tough from her days as a competitive swimmer and runner growing up. She uses her degree in psychology to better understand the cattle she works with, and to reduce the stress in their lives.

It was a pleasure interviewing her, and refreshing to here the perspective she brings to farming.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Never stop asking questions. Never stop learning. Very very important in life. I am glad that I have the natural curiosity that drives me to constantly seek out more knowledge.

Who else can you talk to about your farm business?

Who can offer advice outside of the agricultural realm?

What steps are you taking to reduce stress for yourself, your workers, and your animals?

Call to action!

I ask a question at the end of the episode, "How should I sign off?" Write in with your opinions on how I should end the show.

  • Tag line?

  • Just stop talking?

  • Catch phrase?

  • Fancy jingle?

  • Call to action?

  • I'm open to ideas...

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP006: Farm Aid, National Young Farmers Coalition, Beginning Farmers, Managing Information and Quality Farmer Resources

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Show Summary:

There is a growing wealth of knowledge about farming on the internet. With more farmers becoming comfortable behind a computer, it takes a certain someone special to bring everyone together and keep things organized. While there are a couple of really great websites that successfully do this, I chose three that I have used many times in the past to interview and share with you. These three people are dedicated when it comes to getting the right information to the right people.

I have been spending a lot of time doing my own research for my own farm. I am not only researching, I am starting to do. I am making investments, plotting out where my beds of herbs and chicken tractors are going to go, and I am setting up the business while trying to put into action everything I have learned over the past few years. I am even doing some serious farm marketing as I do my best to sell 50 shares of my Chicken and Herb CSA.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Three websites where you can go for great farming information.

  • The back-story to those websites to give you perspective.

  • Yet another reason to connect with farmers.

Interviews with:

Hilde Steffey from Farm Aid

Hilde Steffey is Farm Aid's Program Director and serves as the organization's principle issue analyst and program liaison. She joined Farm Aid after spending close to a decade gaining perspective and exposure at various levels of the food system from the halls of Congress to school cafeterias, even on the seat of a tractor. Hilde has a Masters degree in agricultural science and policy from Tufts Friedman School and spent a number of years teaching about agriculture, nutrition and environmental science. Some of Hilde's earliest memories are on Grandpa Pete's farm just outside Lincoln, Nebraska, and trawling for vine-ripened tomatoes in her mom's salsa garden back home in Salt Lake City, Utah both experiences inspiring a life-long passion for food, farms and the outdoors.

Wes Hannah from National Young Farmers Coalition

Wes Hannah is an organizer and communications coordinator for the National Young Farmers' Coalition, a grassroots coalition of beginning farmers and ranchers. He and his fiancée also operate an organic vegetable CSA in upstate NY.

Taylor Reid from BeginningFarmers.org

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Taylor Reid is a Doctoral candidate in Community, Food, and Agriculture at Michigan State University. His dissertation focuses on the values and learning processes of first-generation farmers. His other research interests include agriculture standards, ag.  history, ag. politics, and ag. social movements. Taylor is National Policy Coordinator for Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance, and sits on the ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard Development Committee.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take Aways:

Are you getting overwhelmed with the amount of information you can find online?

Do you have a specific topic you would like more information on, but you're not sure where to get it?

Are you looking for a place that aggregates this information for you to easily come back to it?

(It's funny, the "take aways" this week kind of sound like a commercial. Only, the product these people are selling through their free information is a better future!)

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP005: Zoe Bradbury of Valley Flora Farm, Marketing Yourself and Overcoming Financial Obstacles When Farming

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Show Summary:

There are constant hurdles to overcome when you are growing your farm. Whether you are just starting out, or you have been farming for a while, there is always some sort of issue. The best thing you can do for yourself and your business is to stay positive, work things through, adapt, act, and survive. This farm podcast episode travels to Oregon to speak with a farmer about some of those obstacles and the clever ways she has found to overcome them.

Things are progressing nicely for me on the farm front. I share my update on the search for farm land, my big projects to tackle, and my outlook on the future. No farm experience is going to be the same for any two people. There are too many factors when it comes to putting together a farm business. My hope is that you can glean some helpful information from my experiences and those of the guests on the show.

In this farm podcast you will learn about:

  • Quickbooks as a tool for managing several farm enterprises.

  • The benefit of using draft horses.

  • Stream-lining work to maximize efficiency.

  • Financial obstacles when starting or growing your farm.

Interview with Zoe Bradbury of Valley Flora Farm:

Valley Flora is nestled on the banks of Floras Creek near Langlois, Oregon. They are a diversified family farm producing over 100 varieties of vegetables, berries and fruit for local restaurants, grocery stores, foodbanks, our farmstand & u-pick, and a community-supported agriculture program.

As a mother-and-two-daughter trio deeply committed to ecological farming practices, their passion is growing good food with an eye toward the artful. Their love of land, place, fertile loam, and the next generation inspires them to use cover crops, compost and crop rotations instead of synthetic fertilizers and sprays, and to do most of their work by hand - with the occasional help of a couple of tractors and a draft horse.

They adhere to all organic practices, principles and regulations, but are not third-party certified organic. Whether you're biting into a crimson strawberry, savoring a vine ripe tomato, or heaping your plate high with Abby's Greens, you'll know you're getting the freshest local produce a person can find in this neck of the woods. They love what they do so much, you can taste it.

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Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe

2 c sugar 2 c flour 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 c oil 4 eggs 3 c shredded beets 5 oz unsweeted chocolate

  • Oven to 325

  • Mix together dry

  • Melt chocolate in a double boiler, then cool

  • Blend chocolate with eggs and oil

  • Mix wet with dry, alternating in the beets

  • Pour batter into 9 inch cake pans (2 pans, greased)

  • Bake 40-50 minutes

  • The cake is great with a coffee cream cheese frosting: 8 oz. cream cheese mixed with 3 Tbs. brewed coffee and sugar to taste, blended in a food processor.

Take Aways:

What are some obstacles that you are facing? What can you do to overcome them?

Are you selling your story? Do your customers know who they are buying their produce or meat from?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP004: Berni Ortensi of Ortensi Family Farm, Learning to Appreciate Success When Faced With Burnout

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Show summary:

There are times in life that you need to stop and smell the roses. It is important whether you are running a small business, or you just generally lead a busy life. It is important to take stock of why you are working so hard, and to appreciate your accomplishments.

I often find it is in these moments of reflection that good things happen. I firmly believe that the harder you work, the luckier you get (not my saying, but I'll borrow it). While it is good practice to work hard at what you do, it is also good practice to take a step back once and a while so you do not burn out.

Today's farm podcast talks about burnout and appreciating success. It is about those moments when the planets align, and things lok up for you.

That leads me into my interview with Bernadette Ortensi, of the Ortensi Family Farm.

In this farm podcast you will learn about:

  • The importance of taking time to "stop and smell the roses"

  • Appreciating successes both large and small

  • Avoid burnout! What to do when you feel it coming on.

  • Free choice for animals

  • Why should you choose to grow organic?

Interview with Bernadette Ortensi of the Ortensi Family Farm:

Bernadette and Gregory Ortensi farm on 450 organic acres in Richfield Springs, NY. Their family farm is home to grass-fed cattle, pigs, turkeys, working dogs, chickens, and horses. Not to mention a slew of grains and crops. They are certified organic through NOFA NY.

The wonderful thing about Berni is that you can know her for only a few minutes, and she'll feel like a life long friend. She takes pride in the welfare of her animals, the cleanliness of her farm, and the transparency of a truly sustainable family farm.

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Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

When was the last time you got close to throwing your hands up and walking away from what you are doing? Are you there now? DON'T DO IT!!!

Take a real hard look around your farm property. Is there stuff laying around? Rusted old farm implements, broken tools, dilapidated buildings, rubbish? It is important to work in a clean place for your mental health, as marketing for your customers, and for the environment in general. That time spent making your farm beautiful pays off in more way than you know.

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I need you!!!

Do you or someone you know own or work on a farm? Are they making a living from that farm? It doesn't matter if they are organic, conventional, 1 acre, or 10,000 acres. I do not discriminate. I have a whole lot of interviews lined up, but I want to make sure I really front load my recordings while it's winter and farmers have a little more time.

If you're up for a chat, CONTACT ME, and let me know. Give me some details:

  • Your (or their) name and contact info

  • Farm Website (if you have one)

  • A summary of why you should be on the show and what you have to share

  • How you heard about the podcast

You can also reach me through Facebook and Twitter. The Growing Farms Podcast is as much my farm podcast as it it yours.

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP 003: Jesse LaFlamme of Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, Diversifying Your Farm Income, and Telling Your Story

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Show Summary:

The third episode of the Growing Farms Podcast brings you a quick update into my life starting a farm. I briefly discuss the work that goes into producing the podcast and keeping the website as functional as possible. I have been putting in some serious hours to make sure I bring you the highest quality content.

The topic of the episode then turns to our main theme, diversifying your farm income. There are two ways that I have seen this successfully done. Either you take a look around your farm and figure out what business ventures can compliment each other, or you hire other farmers to work for you. I give examples of both, which leads into the interview for this episode.

In this farm podcast you will learn about:

  • Diversifying Farm Revenue Streams

  • Fantastic Business Opportunity in Organic Egg Production

  • Telling Your Story to Market Your Farm

Interview with Jesse LaFlamme of Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs:

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pete and gerrys organic eggs

Jesse is an inspirational farmer and businessman. Jesse (and family) own and operate a medium-scale organic egg farm in Monroe, NH.  Pete & Gerry's has been in the family for four generations, starting in the late 1800's. They have changed the face of the farm through the years, adapting to meet the needs of the market.

Today Pete & Gerry's produces organic, cage-free eggs for sale in grocery markets around New England. Not only do they farm themselves, but they are responsible for keeping 37 other family farmers in business. By defying convention and seeking horizontal integration instead of vertical integration (as most commercial farms do) they have kept more farmers on the land, and provided a better habitat for their hens.

I have strict standards on the food I buy at the store. When I cannot get eggs at a farmers' market or from a farmer friend, I buy Pete & Gerry's. Jesse will be the first one to tell you to buy from the farmers' market first, but if you cannot make it, he'll be there to fill the gap. Happy chickens lay better eggs!

Right Click Here to Download the MP3

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What else could you be doing to diversify your income?

Are you telling your story? Why not? Everyone has a story, and they always think it is boring. Truth is, it's not, and people want to hear it.

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP002: Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm: Innovative Farm Marketing Techniques, The Importance of Community Building, Balancing Life, and A Life Long Learning Process

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Show Summary:

With the success of the first episode, I am really excited to be bringing you the second episode of the Growing Farms Podcast. The podcast is meant to do two things: follow my story as I start a farm so that we can learn from each other, and to share advice from other farmers from all over the map.

I start this episode with a look into what my life is like right now, winter 2013. I am on the hunt for land, and I am at it tirelessly. I am speaking with land trusts, meeting with land owners, other farmers, and anyone whose ear I can grab for a minute or two. I am making every effort to keep it all organized with my computer, my paper maps, my trusty notebook, and my white board (see picture below). I am sharing this experience because I know I am not the only one out there looking for farm land. Whether you're just starting out, or your expanding your farm, I know I have helpful advice to share.

Then begins the featured interview I did with Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm out near Portland, OR. Josh has a lot of wisdom to share, and is doing some very interesting and innovative things when it comes to running his farm.

In this farm podcast you will learn about:

  • How I intend to monetize the site through affiliate links.

  • How I go about finding land based on a proven system.

  • A reality I am facing in a poor job market.

  • Networking with other farmers and building a community.

  • Innovative farm marketing techniques.

  • Setting prices and farm planning.

  • Balancing life by farming part time.

  • Accepting that life is a learning process.

Interview with Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm:

Josh operates a 40 member vegetable CSA which services the city of Portland, OR. In addition to his farming efforts, he also runs a consulting business to help get farmers off the ground (no pun intended). Josh is an all around good guy and has great advice when it comes to running a farm, whether you do it part time or full time.

Plus, Josh shares with us his innovative farm marketing technique that is helping him connect with his customers and build a community around his farm.

Right Click Here to Download the MP3

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take Aways:

How good is your book keeping? Are you able to track how well a crop is doing? Is there something you can be doing to make your life easier and your work more beneficial toward increasing your bottom line?

What simple yet innovative marketing techniques can you apply to your farm? A little bit goes a long way.

What are you doing to build a community around yourself and your business? What more can you be doing, even if it just to smile a little more often?

farm headquarters

farm headquarters

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP 001: Show Introduction | How do you define success as a farmer? Why is it important to do so?

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Show Summary:

This is the very first episode of the Growing Farms Podcast. You may have caught the sneak preview, and now it is time for the real thing! I will be bringing you episodes and interviews each week from farmers from across the country.

This episode introduces  me, the host. It introduces the show, it's concept, and I conduct my first interview with Connecticut farmer Erick Taylor on how he defines success as a farmer.

I am thrilled to be bringing you this podcast. I feel like my life's work so far has culminated in bringing these projects to you: Farm Marketing  Solutions, the Growing Farms Podcast, and starting a farm of my own.

In this farm podcast you will learn about:

  • Your host, me, John Suscovich. You will take brief look at me, where I've been, where I am, and where I am going, so you know who you will be listening to every week.

  • The show, the Growing Farms Podcast. I'll give you an overview of what the show is about:

    • Sharing notes on getting started in farming and agriculture.

    • Highlighting the different types of farming through interviews with farmers from across the Country.

Interview with Erick Taylor of Devon Point Farm:

How do you define success as a farm and why is it important to do so?

  • Personal Success

  • Economic Success

  • Environmental Success

  • Community Success

Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

Erick & Patty Taylor own and operate Devon Point Farm in Woodstock, CT. They run a 200 member vegetable CSA, a closed herd of grass-fed Red Devon beef cattle, and raise a few other animals on their 93 acre farm.

Right Click HERE to Download the MP3

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take-Aways:

What is your definition of success?

Is success the fast car, big house, and slick suit jacket and tie? Or do you prefer working outside, spending time with family and friends, and doing work that is fulfilling?

What mark are you going to leave on the world with the work you do?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

Why Farm Marketing is Important to Your Business

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farm marketing uncle sam

Putting Your Farm On The Map

In order for you to succeed as a small farm business, your products or services must be known to potential buyers. Without the awareness that marketing your farm creates, your products may go unseen, or worse, unsold. The goal of your farm is to produce healthy food for your community, and to support you and your family by doing something that you love. By using marketing to promote your products, you give your business that exposure it needs to increase sales, survive, and flourish.

Today’s businesses are thriving by building communities around their products and their brands. Building a community starts with you. You build a reputation around your brand through involvement in your community, producing quality products, and educating the consumer about what you do differently and well. Farm Marketing can help you become a name and a face that people can trust.

It is easy for a consumer to go to their local grocery store and buy something that looks exactly like what you are selling, but at a cheaper price. Farm marketing is primarily education based. You need to educate the customer as to why you are better. Make the name of your farm synonymous with health, quality, and a better life. Let people know why they are spending $5 for a dozen eggs and not $1.29. After all, they often look exactly the same on the outside.

Increase Sales Organically and Sustainably

Marketing your farm puts you on the map and builds your reputation. That gets people talking. Word of mouth marketing is the strongest and highest quality marketing there is. When customers find out about your products and feel loyal to you, word will spread.

Repeat customers will increase your bottom line in a number of ways.  Firstly, through the products or services they buy. Next is through the friends they recommend to you through word of mouth marketing (which costs you nothing). And finally, there is the decreased time and money you will have to spend to get new customers. I know several CSAs that, after years of marketing properly, now have waiting lists and do not have to work as hard to get customers. They got those customers through marketing their farm, and they kept them by providing a superior product.

Healthy Competition Between Farmers

The end goal of sustainable farming is to have the world’s population fed and happy without destroying the Earth. Your farm marketing efforts help foster an atmosphere of competition in the slow food marketplace. Competition is healthy no matter what type of business you’re talking about. Competition allows prices to remain fair, it forces businesses to re-invent themselves to the betterment of the customer, and it gives farms/businesses/companies of all sizes room to grow.

Lots of Work Now, Cheaper and Easier Marketing Later

Marketing takes a lot of effort up front. No one ranks #1 in Google the first day their website is online. No farm starts with 300 CSA members knocking on their door waiting for them to open. Not every value added producer has a line around the corner at the farmers’ market they first time they show up. With time, your hard work will pay off by way of increased sales and decreased required effort.

Websites require a lot of work to get up and running. They can be costly to initially build, they take time to populate with quality content, and they take even more time to be found in search engines. However, all that hard work only has to be done once. Once your website is up and running, you do not need to rebuild it, unless you choose to redesign. Once all your information is there, all you have to worry about is keeping it up to date.

Unless your CSA is terrible, you will probably have a lot of repeat customers. You will not have to spend as much time and money advertising to get customers, but you still have to get there in the first place. Once you have them there, it is up to you to produce a superior product and a superior experience. Remember that when a customer is joining a CSA, they often are not just doing it for the food. They want to know what goes on behind the scenes. That is part of the experience. Update them through newsletters, face to face interaction, your website, or social media.

Start Marketing Your Farm Today

The worst type of marketing is no marketing. Start small, think big, and don't get overwhelmed. Good luck and have fun.

4 Easy Tips To Take Better Farm Photos

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Not everyone is a skilled photographer, but everyone can improve their skills. Taking good photographs is not a born-in talent. It takes time, a critical eye, and practice, practice, practice. Photography is a great way to market your farm or food business. When the term "food porn" is officially part of the industry, you know consumers are clamoring for photos of edible delights.

It does not matter if you have a film camera, a digital camera, or your use your phone; these four steps will help you take higher quality photographs that will help draw customers.

1. Framing, The Rule of Thirds

Follow the rule of thirds. Your photograph is a rectangle. Divide that rectangle into three horizontally, then vertically. Those four dividing lines (two vertical, two horizontal) will give you four intersections. Place your subjects on one of those intersections. This can give your photograph direction as well as make it more dynamic and interesting. You want to avoid photos where the subjects head is at the bottom or middle of the picture with a million feet of head space above them.

rule of thirds

2. Interest, Point of View

You see the world from one vantage point, your own. Somewhere around 4'6" to 6' high, and at a comfortable distance. To add interest to your pictures get up close and personal, take them seated very high up (get on the roof), or very low to the ground. Looking at the world from a different perspective will give your photos interest and attract more attention.

cow photo point of view

3. Lighting, Too Bright or too dark?

Where is the sun? Is it shining in the person's face causing them to squint? Is it at there back causing them to show up like a shadow in the middle of a bright sky?

Are you inside? If so, where are the light sources? Is the focus of the photograph pulled toward a bight lamp in the background? You want to make sure your subject is properly lit and is the focus of the photograph.

proper lighting photo2

Lighting is a HUGE factor in photography. When shooting indoors, beware of low-light that will blur your images. When shooting in direct sun, be aware of harsh shadows on people's face that make them less attractive. You can save a picture by asking the person to turn a little.

proper lighting photo

4. Keep Shooting, Practice Practice Practice

Keep shooting! Good or bad, the only way you learn is to keep doing it. Your pictures might be terrible in the beginning, but learn from them.  Ask others for advice. The only bad picture is the one you did not take. Digital photography lets you keep shooting cheaply.

Here are some questions you can ask to assess how good your photo is:

  • Where do your eyes go first? Do they land on what you meant to be the subject of the photo?
  • Is your subject blurred? Based on the information presented in the photograph, what can you change next time to ensure a crisp clean photo?
  • Is there a lot of weird extra space around your subject? Can it be cropped out?
  • Would the subject of your photo look more interesting at another angle?

How To Find An Internship or Apprenticeship On An Organic Farm

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Now that you have WWOOFed on one farm, two farms, a few farms, and you are ready to take the leap and become a farm apprentice, let's take a look and see where and what you need to start that process.

Why Become an Organic Farm Apprentice?

farm apprentice vermont cartFarming is a trade just like plumbing, carpentry, or electrical. Just like any trade there is trade school, apprenticeship requirements, and a steep learning curve. Your farm apprenticeship is the next step to either realizing your dream of becoming a farmer, or realizing that this may not be for you.

Unlike most trades, you have to know just about every trade to make a halfway decent farmer. Even being a bike mechanic can come into play while working on a farm. Our Vermont Cart which is used to haul things around the farm got a flat tire. Since I have changed dozens of bike tires in the last year riding across the country, it was my job to fix the wheel.

Whether you are looking to start your own farm, or you are looking to be a hired hand at an existing farm, you need experience in the field. A farm internship will give that to you. You are building a new resume, and this is a good place to start.

Depending on your dedication to looking, your luck at finding a place, and the opportunities available, you do not have to lose money learning how to farm. Some farms offer housing, others housing and food, and still others (though fewer) offer housing, food, and a stipend. Stipends can range from $50 a week to around $200 a week. You're not going to buy a Mercedes, but when you consider that you have no rent to pay, and most of your food bills are covered, it's a pretty good gig. Besides, you're there to learn, not to make money. Knowledge is wealth.

Where to Find Organic Farm Internships / Apprenticeships

There are a lot of places and ways to find internships. Some lay it right out there for you, some you will have to dig for. To find the one you want, it is definitely worth being persistent. You are going to probably spend most of a year working very closely with a stereotypically eccentric group of people. You want to make sure you mesh with the farm, the surroundings, and the people.

The first place I would start is with your local farms and the people that you know. If there is a farm that you love to buy from at the farmers' market or you are subscribed to their CSA, do not be afraid to ask if they have volunteer or internship opportunities. What's the worst they can say? No? Then you move on and find somewhere else. Finding a place close to home means you can stay local and you might not have to sleep in a tent for the summer as "intern housing".

The second place to start is Google. Do a Google search for "farm internship" or "farm apprenticeship" and see what comes up.  Add in the name of your state, or what you think you might want to grow.

WWOOF.org

wwoof dot org

WWOOF or WWOOFUSA is not a bad place to start looking. If you have done some volunteering on farms, you are already a memeber ($20 a year) and are familiar with the website. Some WWOOF farms prefer or even require a year long commitment. In general the WWOOF relationship between you and the farmer is that you are a volunteer. If you are looking to make at least a few bucks off your apprenticeship it might be tougher to find going this route. Though, it is not unheard of and you can find paid opportunities.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)

Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships Begin ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

I used the ATTRA website a fair amount while looking for my apprenticeship. A lot of the listings in here offer housing and a stipend. Not all of them do, but certainly more than the WWOOFing website. They are organized pretty well into regions and states. Figuring out what area of the country (or which country) you want to farm in before you go looking helps you narrow your search by a lot.

Spend some time reading the descriptions for each place. After a while, you will get good at skimming for the details you really want to find. When you find a farm, do a Google search on them. Find their website, find any news articles they may be in online. Believe me when I say that it is no good for anyone involved if you end up at a place where you are not happy.

BeginningFarmers.org

Jobs and Internships in Farming Food and Agriculture

Certainly bookmark this page. As you merrily skip down that path toward becoming a family farmer, you will be visiting the Beginning Farmers website more than a handful of times. Their Jobs and Internships page is a seemingly disorganized organized amalgamation of links that will bring you to any number of websites with job listings. Not all the websites will be what you want, and some of them are terrible. But there are also a lot of great links there, and this page alone saves you hours of searching Google.

GoodFoodJobs.com

good food jobs

Just because you spend a season working on a farm does not necessarily mean you have to become a farmer. It's a tough row to hoe, believe me. I'm neck deep in it as I type this. If you work your season on the farm and decide it's not for you, there are a lot of other opportunities out there you can take advantage of to capitalize on your farm experience.

Jobs "in food" are becoming more popular, and more available. Good Food Jobs is a job posting board that will have listings for farm work, office work, and everything in between, all relating to "Good Food".  You might find a farm job here, and you might find a job as a sales associate, or even a food services manager. My friend Chad was a chef in New York City, spent a year working on a vegetable farm, and now has started his own restaurant.

Besides, Taylor and Dorothy the co-founders of Good Food Jobs are fantastic people. They have done a lot of good work through their site and I would love to see it continue.

My Experience Applying for A Farm Apprenticeship

american foodcyclist gothicNothing good comes easy, and I am proving that constantly. Finding not only the right farm, but a farm that would take a married couple was no small feat. While exciting and fun, it was also frustrating at times. I did not keep track of the hours that Kate and I spent looking, but we were determined to find the right farm.

We used the above strategies and websites to track down farms to apply to. The ATTRA site was especially helpful. I think in total we applied to 18 farms. Some never returned our e-mails or calls and some out-right rejected us. Others told us that our timing was off and that they were either not to that part of their planning yet and not hiring, or they had just hired another young married couple from New York City and did not have any open positions.

At that time, I was market testing for Farm Marketing Solutions and I was exhibiting the company at various trade shows and slow food conferences around New England. It was at the CTNOFA conference in Connecticut that I finally found the farm I was looking for. One of the workshops was on using your website to market your farm. This is a specialty of mine and I was interested in what the presenters had to say, and more importantly what questions the audience had.

Erick & Patty Taylor of Devon Point Farm were hosting the workshop. Long story short, I knew after hearing them present that I knew I had to work at their farm. After the presentation, I went up and asked them if they had any openings for internships. Patty told me they did not take couples, but I could talk to Erick.

What ensued was the most elaborate hiring process I have ever experienced. Kate and I sent them resumes, cover letters, and photos. Over the next week, we talked on the phone a few times. They told us that they did not want to hire a couple, it was against their policy. (Hey, it's a volunteer position, they can make whatever rules they want). The reasoning, and I agree with it, is that if one person does not work out for whatever reason then they lose two people. That's two people they will have spent extensive hours training and would have to replace. I knew we wouldn't leave no matter what came our way so I was persistent.

found my best fit jobI wrote e-mails convincing them we were awesome. I even went so far as to Photoshop WWII propaganda. We had an in person interview which took half a day, after which they were still not sold on the idea of a married couple.

We Skyped, we talked with past interns, they talked with the interns that talked to us, and we talked via e-mail some more.

Finally, we wore them down. We got the apprenticeship, we had a place to stay, a beautiful farm to work on, knowledgeable farmers to work for, and a life changing experience.

Not everyone goes through that though. I have friends who just called the place, chatted for half an hour and they were hired. Simple as that. Not every case will be the same, far from it.

The moral of the story is, if you know what you want go for it!

Make Sure Farming Is For You, Volunteer On A Farm First

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By now you have seen Food Inc. You have read Michael Pollan's Omnivoure's Dilemma. You are all amped up about slow food and you are ready to go out and start a farm of your own! Well, it's time to pump the breaks and take a look at how serious of a decision that is. Growing food and working the land is nothing short of amazing, but there are a few steps you should take before making a career change.

Starting a farm is a major life change, in more ways than you can imagine. The toils and troubles that come with the territory can never be accurately portrayed in any documentary, on the screen or in print. Before you dive headlong into the hardest thing that anyone can choose to do, start by taking baby steps. You will be happy that you did.

volunteer on a farm

More and more people are doing the same thing that I chose to do. I left my job in New York City. I left my apartment, benefits, paycheck, carbon-fiber racing bicycle, and solidarity of routine life for the endurance sprint that is farm life. I took my time to get here though, and I took some very necessary steps to ensure that this is something I want to do for life.

The wonderful thing about gardening is that really anyone can do it. Anyone can, in theory, buy seeds, put them in the ground, add some water, and hopefully something will grow. The difference between farmers and gardeners is that gardeners can have an entire crop fail and they still get a paycheck, because it is a hobby. If a crop fails on the farm, that means a major hit in income resulting any number of things including the loss of your livelihood.

You may crawl down the rabbit hole and figure out that farming is the most rewarding thing you can do with you life, like I did. Or you may stop short of that extreme and realize you're going to be a heck of a gardener. You may also decide that you place in slow food is better suited working for a non-profit, working the office of a farm, or doing one of the other thousands of jobs that this movement is creating.

Farm Volunteer with WWOOF.org

The best way to volunteer on a farm is to try WWOOFing. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. WWOOF is an organization that helps to pair organic farms with volunteers that are looking to learn more about sustainable lifestyles. There are WWOOFing farms in just about every country all over the world. Which is great, because if you like to farm and want to travel on the cheap, you can schedule a stay at a WWOOFing farm and you meals and housing will be taken care of (usually) for the duration of your vacation.

wwoof dot org

Why WWOOFing works so well with people who want to farm, like you, is that there is already an understanding about accepting volunteers on the farm. Training inexperienced people takes time and effort, and can often be more trouble than it is worth. I know a farmer who had a WWOOFer that thought her baby carrots were weeds and picked out all of the seedlings in the bed, ouch. On a WWOOF farm the understanding is already there that you may not be experienced, but you are willing to learn, and the farmer is willing to teach.

A WWOOFing Experience to Suit Your Needs

I have visited dozens of WWOOFing farms. They are not all created equal. Some only ask that you work a couple of hours a day, some the entire day. Some offer an air conditioned bedroom and a flush toilet, some offer a place for you to pitch a tent with an outdoor composting toilet. For the most part the details are laid out in the individual  profiles of the farms.

There is not just a difference in accommodations. There are also big differences in the types of farms you can work at. You can find a WWOOF farm that specializes in vegetables, beef cattle, mushrooms, dairy goats, and everything in-between. The most common are organic vegetable farms.

I used the WWOOF USA website to arrange most of my farm

WWOOF-USA® - Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, USA

Alternatives to WWOOFing

While I think WWOOFing is one of the best ways to find a farm experience, it certainly is not the only place. You can find a farm near you on LocalHarvest.org and write to them asking about volunteer opportunities. If you are a member of a CSA you can approach them about opportunities at their farm. You may even be able to find a farm at your local farmers market.

Things to Keep In Mind

You are there to volunteer. You may be pushed a little out of your comfort zone, but that is farming. That being said, this is the first step and you do not want to be taken advantage of. If you feel like a host farmer is treating you poorly let them know, or just leave. It goes the other way too. You do not want to take advantage of the farmer. It would be bad form to sit in the field and dream the day away not getting anything done, only to stuff your face full of free food at dinner that evening.

Be Prepared to Farm

Come prepared to get dirty. Wear sturdy pants or decent shorts if it is hot out. Bring your own work gloves. On really hot days light weight button long sleeve shirts are cooler than any cotton t-shirt. the Buttons let more air in, the fabric won't stick to you as much and will dry quicker, and the long sleeves keep the sun off your arms. That is why people in the dessert dress is light-colored loose clothing. You don't have to worry to much about looking fashionable. I buy all of my farm clothes at the Good Will, especially the long sleeve work shirts. What better way to stick it to your corporate job than to wear a work shirt on the farm?

Sun block, sun block, sun block.

You Are There To Have Fun

Farming is incredible. It is fulfilling both in mind and body. There is nothing better than sitting down (with a beer) at the end of a long day of work and kicking your feet up. Remember that. Whether you are working for two days or two hundred (you can WWOOF for over a year at some places) you are there to enjoy the experience.

What's next in farming for you?

After you have volunteered once, twice, a dozen times, and you still love it, it may be time to consider an apprenticeship. Looking for, applying to, and surviving a farm apprenticeship deserves a blog post all of it's own.

Farm Marketing Solutions

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I started out by bicycle across the United States in June 2011 to figure out what I could do to help farmers. Together with my wife, Kate, we traveled around 6,000 miles over 7 months, in addition to over 2,000 miles I rode solo in 2010. We did our best to raise awareness, fund raise for Farm Aid, and even pitch in and volunteer our time weeding, seeding, and harvesting at various farms across the nation.

When you spend long hours on a bike, you have a lot of time to think. I would constantly think up ways to help family farmers thrive. I wanted to encourage people to eat healthier, live more active lifestyles, and buy local. Then one day I had an "ah-ha" moment! Often the reason people do not buy locally is more a problem of supply than lack of personal motivation. More people are willing to buy local, if only they could find a farmer to buy from.

My life's mission became to help farmers get the word out about themselves, and to see their businesses prosper. If farmers could find more success, they would continue to grow their business and multiply. If they grew and multiplied, more people would have access to locally grown good quality food. If more people had access to good food, we might just solve a lot of bigger issues like obesity, diabetes, a weak economy, and a dying planet. (Hey, a man can dream right.)

Farm Marketing Solutions was created by gathering successful marketing techniques from across the country. In addition to visiting dozens of farms and farmers' markets, I have conducted hundreds of hours of research on marketing techniques that are directly applicable for farmers.

It is my hope that the materials that I amworking on right now, as well as the community that I hope to build around this website, will facilitate positive growth in America's sustainable farmers. I invite you to follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Google + as this project grows throughout the years.