GFP045: How to find farm land

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Wouldn't it be nice if the perfect piece of land just fell into our respective laps? I know I would love it. Since that kind of miracle doesn't happen every day we must resort to more conventional land-locating techniques. In today's farm podcast I highlight my strategy for finding land. Since my farm is currently very very wet, I will be looking for some dry pasture nearby where I can run some chickens until my pastures dry out. I will be applying these techniques myself in the weeks to come. They've worked in the past, they will again I'm sure.

Since my farm is still very young I have found a number of websites that have been very helpful. Even with all the online "stuff" that you can do now-a-days. We're keeping an eye out. That being said, having my website up and running has made life a little easier for me.

Find land can be a lot of fun. The trick is to not let it become stressful. You can listen to the episode to get all the tips and tricks Kip and I have to share.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to think outside the box to maximize results

  • Having a business plan is important when you find that perfect piece of land and you're talking to the customers.

  • What a mentor can do for you

  • My custom method for finding farm land

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Interview with Kip Kolesinskas

Kip Kolesinskas joined American Farmland Trust in January 2012 as a consulting Conservation Scientist for the New England Office. Kolesinskas will spearhead conservation projects and identify opportunities for collaboration on conservation and farmland initiatives across the region.

For 20 years, Kolesinskas served as USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State Soil Scientist for Connecticut and Rhode Island, where he brought his scientific expertise and programmatic knowledge to numerous state, regional and national NRCS projects and initiatives. From 1995 to 2011, he managed the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) in Connecticut, which contributed $38.6 million to protect over 10,000 acres of farmland.

At NRCS, Kolesinskas worked closely on several projects with American Farmland Trust and other partners, including theFarmland ConneCTionsproject, the Planning for Agriculture and Conservation Options guides, and the Working Lands AlliancePlowing Ahead conference and white paper. In addition to this wealth of professional experience, Kolesinskas  is an avid fisherman, cook, gardener and local foods advocate.

Upon receiving an A.A.S. in Plant Science from SUNY Cobleskill, Kolesinskas received a B.S. in Soil Science from Cornell University and completed additional coursework at Texas A&M and Lancaster University and Schumacher College in the United Kingdom.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

In any kind of marketing, including finding land, how comfortable are you meeting with and talking to new people?

How did you find your land? Share your story in the comments below.

Cheers!

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

How to Start a CSA Days 8 Through 14

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While I did a few things to continue to build my marketing infrastructure this week I did start to put the farm's name out there and gain interest. The following videos highlight the strategies I used this week to work towards filling out my CSA. Not every day focuses on selling. I have accomplished a lot while marketing my farm. It's a necessity after all that I grow the products in order to sell them. It's obvious for me to say that growing and marketing go hand-in-hand but I have found that a lot of farmers tend to ignore the marketing part. That is the goal of this series, to highlight farm marketing as a necessary part of business, but to do it in a way where everything else gets done on the farm as it should.

I have a lot planned for the coming weeks. I find great joy in meeting and interacting with other people. Marketing my farm helps me meet new faces and learn new names. It just so happens that those faces and names become customers and support the farm through their purchases. You are not just building a customer base, you are building a community.

Shares sold:

Full: 8

Half: 1

Fliers are an effective way to grab a potential customers' attention. There are some easy tips and tricks that you can use to make them more effective. Since initially hanging up some fliers I have gone back to check and there are tabs missing. Some customers have contacted me and I am waiting for more. I will let you know how it goes as the weeks roll on. Have you tried hanging fliers? Where would you go to hang them?

Local businesses can benefit each other in so many ways. I share a guerrilla marketing strategy for finding other local businesses to work with. You should always look for the win-win-win in any situation. A win for you, a win for the other business, and most importantly a win for the customer. What local businesses are around you that serve the same demographic as you?

The focus of this week has been building community. I will be building community through all of my marketing. When you extend a helping hand instead of an asking hand you will get more in return. It's counter-intuitive but it works. What can you do to benefit others and may (or may not) directly help your business? Build relationships not because it is good business, but because you are a good person and friends and family are important.

Creating a logo or video is easy if you have a design background, but if you don't here's a cheap solution. I have used Fiverr.com a number of times to much success. The intro and outro for all these videos came from Fiverr. The point is that all you need is an idea and $5 and you can get many services that you might not be able to provide yourself. What design project have you been putting off that could be solved with $5?

Local bloggers have become a great source of marketing for food-related businesses (like farms). Reaching out to these people and starting a relationship can benefit you and them in several ways. Since creating this video the owner of HappeningInTheHills.com has contacted me and is coming to the farm to see for their self what is happening on the farm. They are also adding me to the site. I will continue to search for websites to network with. the more relationships I build the more businesses I can recommend and the more that can recommend me. Remember the "win-win-win". What blogs cover food topics in your area that would benefit from befriending you?

If you are planning on any on-farm sales it is essential that you register with Google Places. This will help people find you on Google Maps, plain and simple. Google is the most powerful search engine and working within their system to increase your farms' visibility is a good thing. I take you through all the steps in this video. What does your listing on Google Maps look like?

The video intro that I sent out for earlier in the week came back in. It is simple, professional, and fits my branding. I will incorporate it with my video branding in the future. More on that in the weeks to come. If a picture is worth 1000 words, what is a video worth? Are you prepared to do video for your farm?

Stay Connected

Like me on Facebook: Every day I re-post the YouTube videos on Facebook with some exclusive content on what else I did on the farm that day.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: Every day I post a new video in the evening after Mabel goes to sleep. That’s when I have a little computer time.

Visit the Hub: I will be keeping all of this content organized at the How to Start a CSA hub on FMS.

How to Start a CSA Days 1 - 7

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The first week of my CSA marketing was spent primarily on setting up my sales infrastructure. The same way you wouldn't buy cows without buying any fence, or plant vegetables without buying seeds or preparing bed space, you marketing needs preparation as well.

CSA shares sold:

Full: 7

Half: 1

Below are the videos from the first week of CSA marketing.

There are many ways that you can market your farm. Having a diverse marketing strategy is as important as maintaining diversity on your farm. If you only count on one ting to bring you all of your business you are not prepared when that one thing falls through.

I have also found over time that people digest information in different ways. Some people read bulletin boards, some people just walk right by, some people spend half their day on Facebook, some people don't have accounts. You get my point. The thing is, everyone needs to eat. Defining your target demographic and then strategically planning different marketing strategies to advertise to them is an important first step.

Creating a marketing timeline will help keep you on track. The effort you spend up front to create a timeline will pay off when you don't have to think of "what do I do next?" You already know.

I create timelines for my pasture rotation, planting schedule, and other business objectives. Having a marketing timeline ensures that my CSA marketing is an important part of my day and I dedicate time to it.

I found that setting goals when I am doing anything is important to keep me focused and on track. Without a goal there is nothing to shoot for, and you don't know when or how you are progressing. SMART goals will help keep your marketing where it should be.

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Timely

You e-mail list will become your business year to year. I already have a jump start on my CSA marketing because I put effort into creating my e-mail list in the past. These are people that have given you a hugely valuable way to get in touch with them. With access to e-mail on computers and on cell phones it has become the best way to reach some people. Think of how often you are near someone that hears their phone beep and checks it because "it might be important". Just think, you could be that e-mail and that sale of your farm goods could be what's important.

Having a  farm website to handle the information and sales for your farm is a very valuable thing. How many times have you had the same conversation, "we grow this, it's available at these times, here's a picture of the farm, etc..." Putting all of that information online doesn't take the place of that conversation, rather it prepares the customer for a conversation with you where you are already one step closer to the sale.

We live in a digital age, and if you aren't willing to adapt you are going to have a tough time competing with those who have adapted. This is one area of farming where technology has worked wonders with no foreseeable negative effect.

I got my very first CSA member on the first CSA I started in a new town from Facebook. No lie. Since that day I have used Facebook and YouTube in conjunction with my farm website to engage with my customers, build value into my products, and increase customer retention.

As a farmer I found that my target demographic is mainly on Facebook and YouTube. I also use Instagram to take photos, add fun filters to them, and then share them to Facebook.

Registering your farm with websites like Local Harvest and Real Time Farms increases your exposure online and also helps with Search Engine Optimization. Both sites are free to join and help people find you. Why not do it?

Thanks for Following

I have had a lot of fun doing this project so far. It's more work creating a video a day but I am getting more efficient every day. At the end of it all I'm planning on putting a tutorial together on how to easily create YouTube videos like the ones I am creating here so that you can add video into your marketing efforts as well. YouTube is the second largest search engine online, so it certainly helps with website traffic.

Stay Connected

Like me on Facebook: Every day I re-post the YouTube videos on Facebook with some exclusive content on what else I did on the farm that day.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: Every day I post a new video in the evening after Mabel goes to sleep. That's when I have a little computer time.

Visit the Hub: I will be keeping all of this content organized at the How to Start a CSA hub on FMS.

GFP044: Behind the Scenes of Farm Marketing Solutions

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It's not secret that farming is hard work. What if you want to be a farmer and an online entrepreneur? That's a whole new level. In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast I share what my schedule is and how I produce the content that I do. In addition to giving you a look at the man behind the curtain I share some updates on what is going on with the podcast, I introduce my latest video project, and share my philosophy on work/life balance that keeps me sane.

Welcome FatCow as a sponsor of the Growing Farms Podcast!

In order to keep providing you content I have been looking around for just the right sponsors for the show. I have personally used FatCow web hosting since 2009 and I am very happy with them. Since I talk about having a farm website all the time on Farm Marketing Solutions I saw the opportunity to bring you value along with the content in the form of a deal for you.

FatCow is offering 60% to listeners of the Growing Farms Podcast. Simply go to http://FatCow.com/farm to see more details and sign up. You save money with that link, and I earn a commission. That will help keep me going with the podcast. Honestly though, no pressure. Only sign up if it makes sense for your business.

100 Days to Sell Out My CSA

I have created a project to help share valuable content with you through another medium. During the 100 days leading up to my first CSA pick-up I will do a video each day highlighting what I have done that day to market my CSA and get my shares sold.

You can follow on YouTube or Facebook as I make my daily posts.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to set SMART goals and why.

  • What my schedule is as I farm full time+ and produce the content on FMS

  • Information on my addition of a sponsor on the podcast

  • My philosophies on work/life balance

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Would being more transparent help your business?

What marketing strategies have worked for you in the past and how will you replicate that now?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP043: What to do before you start planting

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"Anybody can grow stuff. It is selling that is the skill." I love that quote from my guest on the Growing Farms Podcast today. George does a great job at cutting to the chase. If you want to make a living farming you have to sell what the customers want and you have to stay on your toes. Selling is one of the more difficult things we have to do as farmers, in my opinion. I have a passion for making my farm viable so that I can stay here for the rest of my life. That being said, I wish I could do everything in barter and not have to have any money exchanges. But alas, that is not how my world works, so I add salesman to the long list of hats I wear on farm.

With selling my farm products a necessity it also has to be a priority. As much as the chickens have to get fed and the plants need water your business needs money coming in to thrive. How do we do that though?

There are a hundred different answers to that question. Do I sell at a farmers' market? Do I start a CSA? Do I sell everything to restaurants? The answer to those questions lies in careful planning and good market research. Then once you know where you are going to sell it you need to know how to sell those CSA shares, set up for a farmers' market, or develop relationships with Chefs in your area.

Lucky enough for you I am doing all three this year! I have my CSA pick-up at a farmers' market and I am selling to restaurants in my area. I will be sharing what I am doing, what works, and what doesn't as I go throughout the year so that you can build your farm business with me.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Cash cropping grain on 44 acres

  • How to make the best of grains that don't pass for human consumption

  • How to set prices for your goods

  • Reverse engineering grocery store prices

  • Where to find farm equipment

  • The effectiveness of recipes at the market

Interview with George Wright of Castor River Farm:

George and his family farm 44 acres  20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, Canada. He was a great guest to have on the show as he is growing and selling grain off of those 44 acres.

George set out to meet a need in the market, keep it fair to the customer, fair to himself, and fair to his farm. Through business savvy, good insight, and proper planning George enjoys tending to the long lines at his table at the farmers' market.

Castor River Farm concentrates on growing grains but also produces, eggs, chicken, pork, and beef. As I think about my grain bills I am a little jealous of George being able to grow it himself for his animals.

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Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Sell out my CSA in 100 Days:

I love sharing what I am trying so that others can learn, and so I can get feedback. Starting March 13th I will be posting 1 video per day on my YouTube channel detailing what I am doing to sell out my CSA shares for my chicken CSA.

I will simultaneously be selling at a farmers' market and a few other avenues, but the videos will concentrate on the CSA. You can follow along on YouTube or Facebook for daily updates. I will also post a weekly digest of the videos here on FarmMarketingSolutions.com.

Take aways:

Are you growing what you want or what the customer wants?

How can you better serve your customers, and thus better serve yourself?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP042: Starting a farm podcast with The Beginning Farmer

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Podcasting is becoming hugely popular as a method of entertainment and education. Marketing professionals and non-marketing professionals around the world are getting into podcasting as another way to reach their audience. A very in-depth article from Social Media Examiner outlines how and why podcasting is a "must" for marketing professionals and business owners. I could go over the statistics and examples here, but my site focuses on farming. What can a podcast do for your farm?

The answer is, it can do a lot for your farm.

Farmer & customer interaction is crucial to building valuable relationships to increase customer retention and repeat business. You don't want a customer to buy just once, you want them to buy over and over, year after year. At some point a tomato is a tomato and a chicken is a chicken. What sets you apart in business are the relationships that you forge along the way.

I brought a guest on the show today to talk about those relationships and what they have done for his farm. Ethan Book of Crooked Gap Farm created "The Beginning Farmer Show", a podcast about his journey into agriculture. On his show he is honest, down to earth, and it feels like you are sitting down for a drink talking about how the farm is doing.

My favorite story that he shared on the episode is from one of his customers at the farmers' market. His customer had a friend in from out of town, over 12 hours out of town. The out of town friend insisted that they go to the farmers' market because he knew Ethan would be there, and wanted to meet him. How cool is that?

Now, podcasting isn't going to be for everyone. It takes a lot of time and effort. I spent about 5 hours per episode, which is a lot. But, it is part of my business plan, and quite frankly I love it. One late night every two weeks spent doing something I get a lot of joy and fulfillment out of is not bad.

If you want to know more about the technical side of podcasting check out the links that I have below as well as the Powerpoint and video that I embedded in the notes below. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments section and I will get back to you.

Something to consider:

Podcasting doesn't have to be expensive and doesn't have to take a long time. You can do a weekly podcast that is 15 minutes long without a musical intro or anything and just do a quick update on your farm. It might even be a good thing to start very simple to get the hang of it. You can always choose to grow it later.

Farm marketing is important to set you apart, increase value, and build a community. Podcasting can be a powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal.

Right click to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • What a farm podcast can do for your business

  • Some motivations for starting a podcast

  • What exactly podcasting is

  • The story behind two popular farm podcasts (you're listening to one)

Interview with Ethan Book of The Beginning Farmer Show:

Ethan Book grew up on a quaint little street in Cedar Falls, Iowa playing with toy tractors on his bedroom floor and pretending to farm with his John Deere pedal tractor in the driveway.

Weekends were often spent on his dad’s farm or the farms of his uncles and extended family. As Ethan grew up his dreams of being a farmer faded a little bit, but never truly went away.

Ethan has pursued that dream of becoming a farmer and has done a great job of documenting his journey through his blog and podcast over at The Beginning Farmer. I am honored to call him a friend. Though we have never met in person I feel like I know so much about him through the stories he shares on his podcast, through his writing, and in conversations I have had with him "off air".

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Is podcasting something that you could start to build value for your customers?

Are you the most popular guy or gal at the farmers' market? Have people told you that "you should get into radio". Well, here's your chance!

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP041: Publishing your first farm book

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One thing we all love as farmers is learning new things about our trade. Wouldn't it be awesome to become an author of one of those books that sits on shelves around the world? That is exactly what we cover on today's farm podcast episode. When I got into farming I knew at some point I was going to write a book, but I had no idea what I was going to write it on. While I didn't have the idea for the book yet, I had my eyes open waiting for that topic to present itself. As my agriculture career started to take shape my topic ended up presenting itself. I found that through my Facebook page, through my website, and a few other places (primarily on the internet) people were asking for the plans to my chicken tractors. Well, when enough people ask, it makes sense to deliver.

It has been an amazing journey not only in farming, but in becoming an author as well. I really enjoy the process of writing, though it can be really scary. Even the show notes, that I am writing right now, are enjoyable to create. I also really enjoy what the book has done for me and my business.

As a farmer the winters are slow months for income. I have been working on season extension for vegetables. I'm encouraging my chickens to lay a few more eggs. I am also finding those winter markets that I can then turn around and sell this food. I have also been getting money in from my published eBook. While I'm not going on any vacations any time soon, the income generated from my book is helping me cover my bills in these chilly months.

Writing a book is a lot of work. What in farming isn't a lot of work? But like sowing seeds, moving cattle, or collecting honey, writing a book can be very rewarding. I have plans to continue writing about what it is that I am doing on the farm. I am taking a unique approach on several different areas of my farm and sharing those unique approaches is part of my business plan. Creating the case studies as I go is my plan. What is yours to get your first book written?

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How much time you need to be spending on any marketing

  • How to create your book outline

  • What are the two areas that you absolutely must spend money on in order for your book to succeed

  • How the barter system can be used in farm book creation

  • How to define your audience's needs and why that is important

  • Creating a road map for someone else

  • How to "double monetize" your book

  • Several strategies for marketing your book once it's written

  • Strategies and tips for pricing your book

Interview with Tara Alemany of  Aleweb Social Marketing:

Inspirational author, speaker, social marketing consultant and self-publisher Tara Alemany is the author of the eBook “The Plan that Launched a Thousand Books” (a DIY guide to marketing books online). She also co-authored The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution… One Person at a Time, and contributed to My Love to You Always and Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude (2013 ed.). Her latest book, The Best is Yet to Come, was released in November 2013.

Tara speaks frequently on social media topics, and has been a speaker or panelist at local events as well as to larger audiences, including the School for Startups business radio show and The Power of eMarketing conference.

She is the host of The Survivors Summit, a virtual inspirational conference held in November, where she brings together powerful speakers with amazing stories of overcoming adversity to create incredible lives. At The Summit, and elsewhere, she shares her own story of the lessons learned while overcoming the unexpected death of her fiancé in October 2011 so that her listeners can find the gift in grief.

Tara is also the owner and founder of Aleweb Social Marketing, a consulting company that helps authors, speakers and entrepreneurs achieve their online business goals. Aleweb offers services ranging from book preparation (editing, formatting, cover design, and conversion) through to website and social profile development, and the training and strategies required to reach your target market with your unique message.

She is a recognized thought leader in her industry, and is known to her clients as “The Teacher of Technophobes and Trendsetters.”

In addition to consulting, writing and speaking, Tara serves on the Board of Directors of two organizations, is Chaplain of her local Word Weavers chapter, is on the faculty of the 2014 Unicorn Writers Conference, and is also a martial artist, a short-term missionary, a juggler and Mom to 2 teenagers (one of each).

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What topics do you feel like you can write a book about?

What resource have you been looking for but haven't been able to find? Maybe it's time YOU wrote the book on that topic.

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP040: What I earned as a pastured poultry farmer in 2013

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Life is a series of successes and failures. I judge my year farming in 2013 to be a success for a number of reasons. I was able to build a farm business without going into debt.

Now, that comes with a very important clarification. I did find off farm income to help pay my rent, pay for my car, and cover some of my other bills. When I say that I was able to start my farm without going into debt I don't want you to think I supported myself completely from on farm income the first year. That's a little crazy.

When anyone starts any business it takes a while for the business to become profitable. I see that as the least taught lesson with people starting a farm or just getting into agriculture. There is always an exception to every rule, and everyone's situation is different. All I'm saying is that unless you have a huge savings account, keep your job when you try and start a farm.

In this episode I share exactly what my numbers are, down to the last cent. While I did my best to track my inputs and outputs there were flaws in my system that I am fixing in 2014.

Besides starting a farm it was a big year for me. My daughter Mabel was born, I bought a car, started a job outside the farm, and moved twice. I also created and solidified an online presence including blog posts, social media, this podcast, and an eBook. That is a lot to fit into one year.

So am I going to kick back in 2014 and relax? Heck no! I'm going to try and out-do myself in 2014. I have an aggressive plan for the farm I am managing now as well as my online content. The pressure was on last year, and it continues this year.

One of my favorite quotes of all times is from Leonard Bernstein. "To achieve great things two things are necessary, a plan, and not quite enough time."

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • What my gross and net numbers were for 2013

  • What I plan to do with that information

  • How knowing what it costs to farm benefits you

  • Things to keep in my when starting your own farm

I have found a true love in agriculture. Yeah yeah, my wife Kate and my daughter Mabel come before work. That's a given. I do realize however that our lives cannot always be vacation and that I need to do something to support my family. If I am going to have to work just as hard as everyone else is these days I might as well love what I do and eat well.

Farming is an ancient and noble profession. But at times, it awful. There are ups and downs just like anything else in life. If you are smart, dedicated, passionate, and willing to create a few spreadsheets when you're not seeding or planting you'll be alright!

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

How do you plan to balance life and farming? Believe me, it's not easy.

DO you feel like you have a handle on your numbers? Where is the money going?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP039: Getting Investment to Start A Farm

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Are you trying to start a farm and you are looking for investment capital? What would you do if you had an extra $10,000 to invest, how about $100,000, how about ONE MILLION DOLLARS!?!? The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about successful people trying to make a living at organic or small scale farming. My thought would immediately be that if they found success in another area of business some of that should translate over to farming. Wouldn't that makes sense after all?

The answer is, "Yeah, probably." But it is not going to be ANY EASIER to farm than it is if you are starting your farm on a shoestring. There are still all the issues of huge capitol investments, mother nature, getting to know your land, working with others, and perhaps balancing your day job on top of it.

Through whatever act of luck or some higher power I have been afforded a unique opportunity both for myself and for Farm Marketing Solutions. In 2013 I started a poultry farm from scratch on a shoestring budget. It is the farm I have been talking about on the podcast all year. As we move into 2014 I am now farm manager of another farm start-up that has the benefit of a land-owner and some start up investment capital.

It is not an "infinite budget" and a lot of the capital has to be paid back. Even so I am able to purchase some things that I wish I had in the past and would like going forward as well as make improvements to the land and create something great.

In 2014 Camps Road Farm is going to be my main focus. I am rolling my farm operation in with theirs because I am running the whole show anyways. I will smartly (hopefully) use the resources at my disposal to bring a about a successful future for the farm.

Right Click to Download MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • The risk the wealthy are taking getting into agriculture

  • What you can do to encourage investors

  • What is the business structure of my farm

  • The story behind Camps Road Farm (my farm)

  • An important perspective from a successful entrepreneur getting into farming

Interview with David Birnbaum of Camps Road Farm:

David comes from an IT and telecommunications background. He goes into detail about his journey through life that eventually led to farm ownership in the podcast and I suggest taking the time to hear it from his perspective.

One of the things that I have greatly enjoyed about working with David on Camps Road Farm so far is that he brings a highly efficient and analytical work ethic to the farm. He spends his work weeks in Manhattan doing stuff that's above my technical understanding, and he spends his weekends on the farm, well, doing whatever I tell him to, haha.

His work on the farm allows me to have a day off here and there to spend with Kate and Mabel and for that I am grateful. The great thing is, while his expertise is not in agriculture, he has the ability to take my "to-do lists" and not only accomplish them, but add in his own problem solving as he goes.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Take aways:

Are you doing anything on your farm that might inspire an investor?

If you are planning on starting a farm of your own do you have the capital to get off the ground? If not how can you creatively structure your business plan to make yourself desirable for someone looking to invest in local agriculture?

Happy Holidays!!!

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I cannot thank you enough as my listening audience for all the support that you have given me this year. It has been an amazing journey through 2013 and it looks to be even more wild going into 2014.

I created this podcast for you and I continue it for us. I am thankful for so much and so moved by all the feedback I get from the podcast and from Farm Marketing Solutions. Thank you for coming along with me!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP038: Agricultural Hospitality Through Farm Stays with Scottie Jones of Leaping Lamb Farm

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A smart farmer looks for every way he or she can use what they already have on farm to help make the farm money. Farm Stays are a great way to use the infrastructure that you already have to increase your profits, diversify your income, and add a little more security. On my farm, the farm I am farm manager of, I have a little bit of start-up capital, but I still have to worry about making the most of what I have available to me. One of the assets to this property is that there is an old farm house that would be perfect for a Bed & Breakfast. Of course since the B&B is on a working farm, I have something to offer my guests that no other business in the area can, a farm.

Farming is the new "hip" thing to do. I know that bothers some of you. There are some fears that it may be a fad. Something that is here today, gone tomorrow. I don't think that's the case.

As I see it, there are two unique opportunities that you have with farm stays:

  1. As a farm you can capitalize on agriculture's current popularity.

  2. As a Farm Stay host you have the ability to nurture that popularity and ensure its longevity by providing a great experience to those who are interested.

Starting your own Farm Stay doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be difficult. Scottie Jones joins us today to talk about how simple and how profitable it really is. It is a really good idea for farmers who don't already have good road frontage. Another way to get people to come to the farm.

Scottie is not only a great resource for farm stays, but she has created a great resource for farm stays. FarmStayUs.com is the website to go to if you're looking to register your farm and increase exposure.

Right Click to Download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to get your farm started as a Farm Stay

  • The profit margins on a particular farm stay

  • How a Farm Stay can work in unison with your other farming ventures

  • What animals are best on wet pasture

Interview with Scottie Jones of Leaping Lamp Farm and FarmStayUs.com:

Farm Stay U.S. founder Scottie Jones and her husband Greg raise grass-fed lamb at Leaping Lamb Farm in the green hills of Oregon's Coast Range.  Since 2006 they have also operated a thriving farm stay, where they've hosted guests from near and far.

Scottie brings years of entrepreneurial experience to Farm Stay U.S., having been the Arizona franchisee for the socially-responsible British company, The Body Shop, and having worked in retail services and marketing at the Phoenix Zoo, where species survival and conservation were critical components of zoo education.

Now through Farm Stay U.S., she hopes to provide an economic, educational, even spiritual bridge for rural and urban Americans eager to renew a healthier food and farm system, and access to memorable and wonderful guest experiences.

In her own voice: from KATU and Edible Portland

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Is hospitality something you can bring onto the farm?

How can you fit Farm Stays into your current operation?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP037: Farming Veterans or Veteran Farmers?

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There are few others for understanding order and efficiency better than our veterans. Today's guest is no exception. Terrell Spencer "Spence" of Across the Creek Farm in West Fork, Arkansas has a great many things to say about what it takes to be a truly sustainable farmer. "The real sustainable farmer is a profitable farmer."

Profit does not have to come at a sacrifice to the quality of your plants or animals. Rather it comes as a product of good planning and better record keeping. Spence has really been able to drill down into exactly what his net profit is per chicken, and that is helping him work toward his goal of financial success.

While the concentration of this discussion if that of finances and record keeping I think it is important to take stock of what I chose that topic. I did not get into farming to make money, but I do see it as a necessity to keep farming.

First and foremost in my life come my new daughter Mabel and my wife Kate. The most important duty I can serve is to be a good provider for them not only in bringing home the bacon, but making sure that bacon was raised in a healthy manner, haha. Hooray farm metaphors!

I farm because I love it, and I love my family. I focus my efforts on financial stability because I want to keep farming and I want to support my family. That is definitely something Spence and I have in common.

During the interview Spence shares with me his strategy for growing his farm as well as more information on a great organization connecting veterans with agricultural resources called the Farmer Veteran Coalition.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Supporting other farmers while cutting your own grain costs

  • 10,000 pastured broilers and growing

  • Creating a solid core to your farm business

  • Knowing your demographic and connecting with them

  • One way to find out what works for you

  • How to help a veteran(s) with your farm

  • Where to go to get more info if you are a veteran looking to get into AG

Interview with Spence of Across the Creek Farm in West Fork, AR

Across the Creek Farm is the Spencer family farm located in Northwest Arkansas. They focus on raising free range poultry on pasture. They're steadily transforming a rocky, highly eroded Boston Mountain holler into a place where life echos and good food is grown for good families like theirs and yours.

Spence is a US Army Vet and works with the Farmer Veteran Coalition to help other veteran farmers like himself.

Special thanks to Mark Widhalm!

Take aways:

At what point will you have "made it"?

Remember life is a journey, but it does help to work toward a goal. Keep records and make educated decisions.

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP036: Innovative CSA Farm Marketing Strategy

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In farming you not only have to do what is best for your business, you have to do what is best for you as well. Sometimes that means changing what you grow, sometimes that means down-sizing, and sometimes it means scaling up. Other times is simply means you need to change the way you manage sales to take the stress off yourself. In today's farm podcast episode I speak with Dan Heckler from Jack's Farm in Pennsylvania who has done just that. In today's interview he tells us how he markets his CSA vegetables to best serve the customer and himself.

Innovation is a cornerstone of business. Companies that are constantly thinking of new ways to either produce or market their goods are the companies that are continuing to see growth.

You can be the country's oldest apple orchard or be a third generation vegetable farmer, but you cannot relay on what was done in the past to get you through tomorrow. You farm might not have to change, but the market will change, and you have to change how you market to them.

Also, your values may shift as well. I know when Kate and I had Mabel my values shifted greatly. Now everything I do is for Mabel and Kate. I am making decisions to ensure I have more time with them, be able to support them, and provide healthy food from the "backyard".

Right Click Here to Download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Dan's innovative CSA marketing strategy that takes some of the stress off his shoulders

  • Insight on farming in two locations at once

  • Investing in passive income to help pay farm bills

  • How much money per acre in commercial vegetable production is considered viable?

  • How to engage CSA customers and increase sales

  • Organizing and cleaning your e-mail list

Interview with Dan Heckler of Jack's Farm

"Dan" works on "Jack's Farm?" That's right. The name Jack's Farm actually came about from the notion that you have to be a Jack-of-all-Trades to be a farmer (I agree!).

Jack's Farm is located in Pottston, PA NorthWest of Philadelphia. In addition to farming 10 acres with his wife, Dan has also started a podcast interviewing other farmers. Here about the podcast in his own words:

At JACK’S FARM RADIO I record casual conversations with folks in the food industry; from local food producers, to food and farm educators and advocates, food executives, chefs and more.

There’s a lot of talk about getting to know your farmer and food provider yet where and when do you really get the opportunity to do that? Maybe if you’re a member of a CSA farm you can spend some quality talking time with the farmer or an employee. If you’re a Farmers Market shopper you get some attention during your transaction; but from my experience as a farmer and owner of a USDA Certified Organic vegetable farm, on the “other side of the table”, conversation is really dictated by how busy things are at the market. And if you like shopping at a grocery store you really don’t talk to anyone do you? Well, maybe the cashier and the deli person.

It’s time to really get to know the folks who are providing you your food. As the weeks go by you’re going to hear from all sorts of people involved in all sorts of food businesses. You’ll get to know a bit about how they think, hear some of the struggles they endure, vicariuosly live the joys they experience and sneak a peek at some of the behind the scenes efforts that happen; all to provide your food. I hope that through listening you’ll get an honest view of the food industry.

I’m not here to advance any specific food agenda. I will give you my personal opinions and experiences as a farmer and business person, though.

Most importantly, I am here to talk to real people in a real industry. I’m here to ask, hopefully, some entertaining and thoughtful questions so you can form your own opinions about an industry that impacts literally every person on earth.

So come along for the ride. Listen each week as I talk with hard working people in this multifaceted, interesting and essential industry.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What ways are you adapting to keep in touch with your target market?

What can you change about your business that would benefit both your customers and yourself?

Come say hi!

Have a comment on today's podcast or any other podcast? Join me on Facebook and let's start a discussion.

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP035: So you think you want to start a farm?

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There is so much more to starting a career in agriculture than growing vegetables or herding cattle. It is a common misconception that anyone can farm. That is where the important distinction between gardening and farming comes in. To be a farmer takes true grit, a steel sense of resolve, and the willingness to smile in the face of any and every adversary.

Almost once a week I get a very inspired e-mail from someone who is today where I was a few years ago. My own thoughts were, "I am going to give up the City life and start my life as a farmer." I love getting these e-mails. That passion is contagious and I totally encourage it. That said, today's podcast deals with the reality of that decision as it plays out through my very own farm.

While I love what I do, and I will do what I can to encourage others to follow in my footsteps, my encouragement comes with a note of caution. Farming is way more than just growing vegetables. Most farmers who are making a living from the land spend more time doing paperwork than hoeing potatoes, moving chicken tractors, or herding cattle. They have other people to do that for them and they are dealing with the business side of things.

Now as a small farmer you are going to have to deal with weeding those rows of veggies AND the business side of the farm. The best advice I can give to those of you thinking to leave it all behind and reconnect with the land is to pump the breaks! There is a lot to learn and if you just jump into it you might find yourself in over your head.

Than again, you might now, sometimes you throw caution to the wind and what happens happens. There are different paths for everyone and you will end up choosing the one that is right for you.

I have laid out more of my advice and strategies on the How to Start A Farm section of this website.

Right click here to download the MP3 to your desktop

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • The over-view of my year so far as a poultry farmer

  • What precautions to take when starting a farm

  • The insanity of running a farm, having a baby, and taking a second job

  • Hard decisions that we must face as farmers

  • How your career in agriculture should start like my daughter Mabel

Flying solo with me, John Suscovich

Farming is amazing, and I love it. For better or worse, I love it. While it is my name next to "owner" on my farm, FoodCyclist Farm belongs to way more people than just myself.

Without the support of Kate, Mabel, my family, friends, CSA members, volunteers, processing crew, and you all my dreams would not have come true the way they have this year.

I love what I do and I am going to continue to work very hard to ensure I can keep doing it in the future!

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Is your passion worth waiting for to make sure it succeeds?

What can you do today to prepare for your new life tomorrow?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP034: Advice on beginning a farm with Shawn Scott of Hoosier Roots Farm

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The single most important thing when starting a farm is research. This podcast covers some great research information used by myself and my guest Shawn as we start and run our own farms. It does seem at times like there are a million things to learn and get done when starting and running a farm. It takes copious amounts of planning, diligent note-taking, and a whole lot of luck to get it right. In the end, "getting it right" is entirely up to you.

There are as many types of farms as there are farmers to work on them. I am doing my best to talk with as many types of farms as I can through the podcast and even just for my own personal growth. I have found that as the market shifts and changes there are three things that many farmers use (at least one of) and that I use in my farm marketing.

  1. Farm Website

  2. E-Mail List

  3. Printed Materials

My farm website acts as a digital brochure for my farm letting everyone who visits know what I produce and where they can buy it. I also build value into my products and my business by sharing my story and updating visitors.

My e-mail list has been a money-maker for me. With just a small e-mail list I managed to sell out all of my chickens every week. In my e-mails I update people when I have chicken available, what vegetables I may be selling, and I also include recipes and farm news.

Printed materials work the good old-fashioned way. Whether it's business cards that someone can take home to remember to visit the website, or a flier in a store window announcing the beginning of my CSA and the start of my farm, printed materials have surely helped me build an audience. After all, not everyone spends a lot of time online.

Right click to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How your background plays into starting a farm

  • The importance of supports systems

  • When to do research and when to take action

  • Balancing finances and investments when starting a farm

  • Unexpected expenses of time and money

  • Tough lessons learned year one on the farm

  • How to set your prices

  • How to find your market

  • Reaching out to other farmers

Interview with Shawn Scott of Hoosier Roots Farm, Bedford, IN

Shawn was born and raised in Cicero, Indiana. He went on to earn an engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and has always yearned to be his own boss.

Amy was born and raised in Fort Wayne. She went on to earn a masters degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis and has been inflicting pain on (ie: helping) people of all ages since 2001.

Their paths crossed in 2004 and, being consummate risk takers, they decided to start a life together in Oregon.They spent countless weekends exploring the mountains, rivers, and beaches of Oregon. They purchased a house and remodeled almost every square inch, built a huge garden, learned to keep bees and tended to three urban chickens.

They gained a deep appreciation for locally grown food, farmers' markets and locally crafted beer. In 2012, baby Eloise was born and, as often happens, life was forever changed.

In the simplest of terms, we want our daughter to be a farm kid. So, in April of 2013, we packed up our belongings and moved back to our home state of Indiana. Hence, the name of our farm, Hoosier Roots Farm. In May of 2013 we actually bought the farm, 35 acres and a small home in Bedford, Indiana. We want our daughter to know where her food comes from and be part of a diverse, responsible and local food system. Our mission is to grow healthy plants and animals in a sustainable and transparent manner while informing and supporting our local community.  Our ultimate goal is for the farm to provide enough income to sustain our household expenses so we can quit our day jobs and get our hands dirty on a full time basis. Stay tuned for the rest of our unconventional story....

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What can you accomplish in the "less-busy" months that will help you in the very busy months?

What systems are currently in place for dealing with problems and tasks on the farm and what do you need to work on?

What aren't you doing to market you farm and what steps can you take to increase sales?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP033: Most successful farm marketing tool with Eric Gorman of White Silo Winery

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The most successful farm marketing tool in my arsenal is my e-mail list. Each week when I need to sell chickens I send out a letter to my list and within 24 hours I sell out. Now if you substitute "chickens" for vegetables, honey, beef, or whatever product you sell you will find similar results. Today's farm podcast episode features a friend of mine who is part owner of the Winery where I hold my CSA pick-ups. Eric Gorman is the son of the original owner Ralph Gorman who I featured in last week's farm podcast. Eric has brought some great marketing efforts to the Winery to increase traffic and get people in the door.

One of those marketing tactics was developing an e-mail list. In the interview he tells us how large his list has gotten over the last few years, how many people open his e-mails on average, and who is on his e-mail list.

Eric realized early on that the best business is repeat business. In order to get customers coming back you have to be in fairly regular communication with them. In our digital age there is no better way to do this than via e-mail.

This is an absolute "must hear" farm podcast episode. I am so happy to share it with you, and I know you will get a lot of useful information out of it.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Developing an e-mail list is the most powerful marketing tool you can use on your farm

  • You do not need a large e-mail list to increase profits

  • Diversifying your marketing helps you to reach more people (social media, e-mail, website, print, etc...)

  • Making decisions is better than doing nothing at all (not as simple as it sounds)

  • How Eric sold over 1000 vouchers for a farm picnic in one day

Interview with Eric Gorman of White Silo Winery, Sherman, CT

Eric is one of the hardest working people I know, and I know a lot of hard working people. Balancing two full time jobs he is always running somewhere. With all of that he still finds time to enjoy the sports that he loves. After all life is about balance and you need to take at least a little time away from work. Also, this gives Eric and I something else to talk about besides farming, namely bicycling.

The business expertise that Eric brings to the table at the winery is evident in the wonderful events held at the winery and the creative marketing strategies implemented to make sure the guest lists are full.

I have found at the Winery that both Eric and Ralph (and definitely Ralph's partner Marianne) match a strong work ethic with a strong sense of kindness and generosity. Eric offers up his e-mail on the show to anyone who has a question about his winery or about agricultural business in general.

It was a real pleasure interviewing both Eric and Ralph and I want to thank them again for letting me hold my CSA pick-ups at their winery this season.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Get Started Today For Only $1! - AWeber Communications

Pick up your copy of "Stress Free Chicken Tractor Plans" the eBook right here!

Add to Cart

Take aways:

It is never too late to start an e-mail list. Do you already have one?

What are you doing to collect e-mail addresses?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

Increase farm profits by starting a farm e-mail list

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Email Marketing $19/Month!

I can attribute the majority of the chickens I have sold this year to one thing, my e-mail list. No bull! Yeah my farm website gets decent traffic, I am active on Facebook, but as the saying goes "The money is in the list". I created this post to honestly share my numbers. Honestly, you'll be surprised.

How I started my farm e-mail list:

I started the e-mail list in a few ways. The first was to put up an opt-in form on my farm website. As I drove traffic to the website visitors had a way to send me their name and e-mail address. I got traffic from people searching for chicken, other farmers referring people to me, and sites like LocalHarvest.org.

The second way I got people to sign up for my e-mail, which proved to be quite effective, was to put out a sign-up sheet at the farmers' market and at agricultural events that I went to. I created a simple sheet in Microsoft Word with spaces for people's names and e-mail addresses that I put out on my table. Then I would verbally encourage people to sign p for "news about chicken". After the event I would go home and put them all in manually. It was a little bit of a pain, but it has paid off.

Other than those two things I collect e-mail addresses at my CSA for people who just stop by. I carry business cards and let people know that they can sign up on my website.

(Click here to learn how to start your own farm website without having to learn any complex code) 

Disclaimer: Some of the links to on this page are Affiliate links. That means I earn a tiny commission from them by recommending you. There is no additional cost to you. Aweber just like to award people for recommending them. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

What are my numbers?

Ready to see the reality?

farm e-mail list stats

That's right, I only currently have 147 subscribers. Not 147,000, just 147. Truth is, that is all I needed this year. I have a 45 member Chicken CSA. So minus those people we're at 102 more people. I usually have between 8-15 extra chickens for sale each week. When I send an e-mail out to my list to pre-sell my chickens I sell out each week.

My average chicken goes for around $25. Multiply that times 15 and the list pays for itself pretty quick. That and it gets people to the CSA pick-up who might not come every week. As I start to grow and sell more farm products I can cross promote.

If I needed to sell more birds I would more actively promote my list and get more names on it. But for now this is working quite well. And yeah, some people unsubscribed, that's fine. You only want people on your list that are going to buy. The larger the list the more you have to pay, so it is better to keep it pretty narrowly targeted.

Does everyone open my farm e-mails?

NOPE! According to a study done by Silverpop.com, the average open rate for e-mails is around 20%. Mine averages 50-60%. So of 147 people that's an average of 74(ish) people who see my e-mail each week. With that, I either sell every single chicken, or I am left with a maximum of 1 or 2 for the freezer or my own consumption.

e-mail list open rate

 

 What do my farm e-mails look like?

There are some farms that I know who do a beautiful job of sending out pretty complex e-mails. In the middle of the season I find that hard to do. In general if you give people too much information they run the chance of getting lost. My only goal was/is to sell chickens. So that is what my e-mails focus on.

I create them so they will look good whether they are viewed as an HTML e-mail or as just plain text. Basically, fancy or non-fancy. The e-mail editor with my e-mail provider, Aweber.com, is super-easy to use and get your e-mails out. There are templates you can use that are already designed for you and it's mostly drag and drop.

Here's what one of my e-mails looks like.

farm e-mail list message

 

That is an actual message I sent to my e-mail list. It scrolls down a little to show some more pictures but you get the point. Really simple, to the point, and with some links to recipes online. I also write out recipes and include other farm news. Mostly my e-mails are about what I have for sale. Now that I am selling vegetables each week I add a list of what was harvested so people can plan recipes of their own.

How do you get started? Free or paid?

When it comes to my business I don't mess around. Well, besides singing to my chickens. There are free options out there that you can use. MailChimp is a decent one. The thing is with various free e-mail list service providers, they don't have a good track record of e-mails getting opened.

What do I mean by that?

When you send out an e-mail from you list provider (free MailChimp) it is more likely to be seen as "spam" by the recipients inbox. That means the e-mail doesn't get opened, and no chickens (or whatever) are sold.

Aweber has a great open rate. They have good customer service, fair prices, and very easy to use software to create your e-mails and manage your lists. I know this because that is who I use to manage my e-mail list.

Seriously, the majority of the money I have made before during and after I signed up all my CSA members was through my e-mail list with Aweber. I cannot say enough good things.

aweber farm e-mail list sign up

farm e-mail newsletter

A little video help:

Aweber has put together some videos to help you get started. I will paste them in here so you don't have to go looking. The first is a video of some testimonials from clients that they have. Keep in mind as you are watching what an e-mail list could mean for you.

Get Started Today For Only $1! - AWeber Communications

Send Your First Email Newsletter Today - AWeber Communications

Thank You!

I sincerely hope this blog post helps you. I will go into further detail about my e-mails and my list this winter but I wanted to get this up so you could see how much it has helped me.

The important thing to remember is that it is never too late to start, and you don't need a million people on your list.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions about e-mails lists or farm marketing in general I respond quickest on Facebook.

Cheers!

Disclaimer: Some of the links to on this page are Affiliate links. That means I earn a tiny commission from them by recommending you. There is no additional cost to you. Aweber just likes to award people for recommending them. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't use it personally, I am not trying to sell you anything. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

GFP032: How to start a winery and farm with Ralph Gorman of White Silo Winery

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In order to keep on top of market trends, grow your business, and keep paying the bills you have to be willing and able to adapt to what the market is calling for. That doesn't mean if you are a poultry farmer you need to start raising vegetables, but perhaps you can do something different with your chickens than you are already doing. That is exactly what I am thinking as I look to the future.

The wonderful thing about me doing these interviews is that I personally learn so much when I am doing them. While I would consider myself an expert and I certainly have a lot to share, there is still always so much more to learn. The only time you have it wrong is when you think you know it all.

Businesses change all the time. You need to keep your mind open to see what changes are coming and how you can adapt your agricultural business to ensure that you can still afford to follow your passions for years to come.

Today's guest shares his story of how his business has evolved over the years to become more efficient and more profitable. Ralph is always looking to the future while learning from the past.

Right click here to download the MP3 to your desktop

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Information you cannot find anywhere else on starting a pick-your-own farm!

  • How a passion for gardening turned into a farm & winery

  • How value added products can benefit your farm business

  • The possibilities a commercial kitchen can open up for your farm to create more products

  • Just how labor intensive are grapes?

Interview with Ralph Gorman of White Silo Winery, Sherman, CT

(This is John) I met Ralph by chance by showing up at his door one day and introducing myself as the guy who was going to raise chickens locally that year. Well after introductions we became friends, both with a passion for what we do. Ralph is a wealth of knowledge as well as analytical thinking.

The great thing about Ralph is that he has tried a lot of things to make his farm business profitable. He'll always tell you he's working on it and that it's not perfect yet, even after over a decade in the business.

White Silo Farm is a small specialty winery. Their wine is produced and bottled on premises from farm grown fruit.

Experience the charm of an earlier era by touring the old barn where the winery is located. Visit the fermentation, bottling, and corking rooms where the classical art of wine making has been preserved. Walk the fields or relax in one of our outdoor gardens. Guests are welcome to bring lunches. If you prefer, they also make gourmet box lunches and cheese plates. Advance notice is required for box lunches

Twenty-six years ago their family purchased a portion the spectacular Upland Pastures dairy farm. Their intention was to continue the farming tradition and preserve the land for generations to come. They planted our first crop of raspberries, then blackberries and rhubarb. For the next fifteen years they operated as a pick your own berry farm. In 1990 we opened our winery. The 1800?s dairy barn was renovated and converted to our wine tasting room and production area. In 2010 we planted our first acre of grape vines. They expect to harvest our first small crop of grapes in the fall of 2012. (which they did just before the interview)

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What value added products can you create from stuff you are already growing?

How can you stay ready to adapt to suit the needs of your market?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP031: Having a good farm family makes for a good family farm with Mrs. FoodCyclist

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I have been highlighting the farms and people that have helped me get a start with my farm this year. After all, I have a lot to thank them for. As I listened back through some of the episodes recently I noticed a glaring omission. Kate!

My wife, Kate, is the reason I am able to do what I am able to do. Even as I write this she is watching our daughter Mabel so I have some time at the computer. She's an incredible person, and this relationship would be nothing without her.

Whether it is your wife, your partner, your co-workers, your volunteers, your CSA members, or your friends, there are a lot of relationships that surround a farm. Maintaining and working at those relationships will be the key to your success.

I have said it many times, you cannot farm alone. Well, you can, it just stinks. You are going to want people around you, and if you want to be productive and successful there are certain things you have to do to keep them happy, as well as keep yourself happy.

On today's episode Kate and I talk about some of the things we do to help keep our relationship healthy. After almost 10 years of being together, 3 of them married, we have put our relationship through just about every test you can imagine. We have come through all of them stronger and closer and we now share that with our daughter.

Today's farm podcast is from the heart, with a practical message. I hope you enjoy and thank you for listening.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • The benefits of good communication

  • How the company you keep defines you

  • More back-story on the FoodCyclist family

  • The difficulties with decision making and following your gut

  • Best practices for best relationships

Interview with Kate Suscovich:

My family has been the most important element of starting my farm. My wife Kate the most important and influential of all. I run decisions, ideas, thoughts, concerns, pretty much everything by her. Our relationship has developed and grown a lot over the years and we are happy that we are now growing our family and a new generation of farmer.

Kate holds a Masters of Education and work at a school in town. She is an amazing mother, fantastic support for me, and a great friend to anyone she meets.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What can you be doing to better communicate at home and at work (if those two places are not the same)?

Is there someone in life that causes drama, frustration, or unrest? Can you start to phase them out of your life in exchange for someone that is going to enrich your life?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP030: Farm manager for a non-profit organization with Joe Listro of Sullivan Farm, New Milford, CT

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Farming is not something that anyone should have to do alone. I have tried it, it's not great. I strongly feel that the more people you can involve with you farm the happier you will be, also more successful.

You don't always get to choose the people who work with you on your farm. That's often a great thing. When you work as a farm manager under a board of directors that can go either way.  They can either be your best friends, or huge pains in the behinds. In the case of Sullivan Farm, Joe tells us in the interview that he loves working with his board of directors because they bring a diverse skill set to the (farm) table.

In the beginning of the episode I talk about a very important part of farming. That important part is working with people. There are SO many people interested in agriculture these days and not all of them want to get their hands dirty. I mean, it is really hard to find people who want to process chickens with me. Even if they do not want to learn how to properly scald and pluck a pastured chicken, they may be able to help you farm out in other ways.

Whether it is accounting, marketing, grant writing, sign painting or whatever, everyone has something to offer. Your job is to keep their fire burning and find a place where you have a weakness to fill with their strengths. Do not "poo poo" someone's offer of help just because they don't want to play in the dirt with your or they don't know how to fix a tractor. There are too many things to get done, and those things are too diverse in nature.

Oh, and don't feel like you're using people if you accept volunteers. People volunteer all the time at all manner of things. As a farmer we work longer hours than most, we make less money than most, and we face more hardships than most. People are starting to see that, and they are starting to pitch in to make it a little easier. The "system" is kind of built against small farmers, but that doesn't mean the other people living within that system aren't willing to help.

Again, your job, take care of your volunteers. Just because they are not asking for pay doesn't meant you shouldn't give them something. If they are coming for the day, buy them lunch. If it's hot outside provide Gatorade or an ice cream. Think of it this way, if you were to hire someone for the you would at least have to pay them minimum wage. In CT that's $8.25 an hour. For an 8 hour day that's $66. If you buy that person an $8 lunch they still saved you$58. The point is, be willing to accept volunteers, but please take care of them and don't abuse their kindness.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Joe's very interesting start in agriculture

  • How to tackle a farm job when you have never done it before

  • How to work with a board of directors

  • Ways to market your farm online

  • How big should you e-mail list be?

  • How to increase farm visibility to drive more traffic to your farm stand

  • Even non-profits have to think like for-profits

  • The most important thing to have as a farmer

  • Finding little victories on the farm

Interview with Joe Listro of Sullivan Farm:

Connecticut native, Joe has worked on a variety of farms after his time at the University of Maine.  Joe has been planning and working on the variety of vegetables in the fields, managing and teaching the college and high school workers, apprentice, and interns and all other odds and ends on the farm for the past two seasons.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Take aways:

How are you leveraging other people's passions to help grow your agricultural business?

What nice things have you done for your volunteers/workers to thank them?

How are you keeping your "team" motivated?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP029: Farm Education with Diane Swanson of the Pratt Nature Center

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Education is crucial on the farm, especially as consumers are becoming more aware of what is in their food. Questions are being raised as to whether what we are eating is healthy or not. The public is eager to know just who their farmer is. It is up to you to feed that need, provide the answers your (potential) customers are looking for, and become "their farmer".

On my farm this year I have done, and continue to do a whole lot of education. It is pretty hard to sell someone a whole chicken when they don't know what to do with it once they get it. I not only provide my customers with information on where the chickens come from, how they were raised, and how they meet their end, I also give them advice on what to with with a whole bird once they get it.

Sharing all of this information has helped me not only get customers, but keep them happy. Some of the avenues I use to keep my members in the loop are:

There is another form of farm education that is equally, if not more important. That is simply showing kids how things are done on the farm. The biggest shock to me when I started my investigation of our food system was how ignorant I was. There was this whole other way that I had never really been privy to.

You have the power to effect a generation with your farm. You can give kids that glimpse into the life of a farmer that will give them a deeper appreciation for their food, might encourage them to live healthier, and will have a trickle up (down and all around) effect as they grow up. Who knows, one day they might grow up to start a farm of their own and a podcast to go with it.

My guest today runs a successful Nature Center that helps educate about agriculture and its' effect on the world. The real success if the education the kids and adults are receiving when they visit the Pratt Nature Center. However, seeing as this is the Growing Farms Podcast I asked Diane all about how she got started and how she gets all those kids to attend.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How the Pratt Center got started and what you can learn from that

  • How to attract 6,000-7,000 kids a year to your farm

  • How to give people achievable goals and why

  • What the best type of farm marketing is

  • Blogging to bring people to the farm

  • Social Media and connecting with your customers

  • The importance of collaboration

  • Three things you get from nature every day

Interview with Diane Swanson of the Pratt Nature Center

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Diane Swanson joined the Pratt Nature Center as the Program Director in June 2010 and was named the Director in December 2010 and Executive Director in January 2012.  For over 20 years, Diane has been working with the youth of New Milford.

Diane credits her parents for her love of nature.  Her parents, residents of New York City, provided her the opportunity to connect with nature by spending summers and weekends in the New Milford area.  She learned to enjoy nature by digging in the dirt, climbing trees, swimming, building forts and catching frogs.

Diane is looking forward to re-connecting the children, the families and the community with nature and helping them reap the social, emotional and academic benefits that nature provides.

Diane received her  B.A. in Elementary Education from Concordia College, Bronxville, NY in 1990.

The Pratt Nature Center

The Pratt Nature Center is a 201-acre wildlife preserve and environmental education center in Litchfield County, CT. The land is diverse - with a mountain, meadows, woods, wildlife, gardens, farm animals, a stream, a pond, and wetlands, providing wonderful opportunities for outdoor fun, discovery and adventure!

Pratt Nature Center offers hiking, bird-watching, community garden plots and nature education for all ages including programs tailor-made for the classroom or scout troop as well as for family or community enjoyment and learning

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Take aways:

What are you doing to educate your customers? Are you on Social Media? Do you have a website?

How could you benefit from opening up your farm (more) to visitors to allow for teachable moments?

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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 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.