GFP057: On Farm Events for Marketing and Fun

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Having people come visit your farm can simultaneously be very stressful and the most fun you've had all year. With how much transparency is playing a part in small farm marketing these days, on farm events are a great way to get your customers (or potential customers) involved in the farm. This farm podcast is about our first annual Hop Harvest Festival at Camps Road Farm. What we did to plan it, how we pulled it off, and what we plan to do differently next year. We had great success this year inviting over 50 people to the farm to take part in our hop harvest, hang out and socialize, eat some great farm food, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. The attendees ran the gamut from long-time dedicated CSA members to people who had just heard about the farm and wanted to come and check it out. Across the board good times were had by all.

Our Hop Harvest Event was more to save our behinds on labor than it was to get people to the farm to sell them stuff. In that case mission accomplished. The "money earned" was the money we saved on labor. It was also great marketing for us in terms of getting people involved and actual press coverage.

We're definitely going to plan more events like this in the future. Some we'll sell tickets or "seats" to classes and workshops, and some we'll have people on as volunteers to help us get stuff done on farm.  I actually have a good one coming up that is going to be great for the farm.

How I topped my best Farmers' Market day for 100th the effort:

In the coming weeks we are having a fleet of school children come to the farm to get the farm experience. We have built a relationship with a couple of the local schools and mutually came up with the idea to get the kids involved in local agriculture.

We were happy to host the kids on farm and the schools insisted that we give the a number, per kid, of what we would charge. We asked around, mulled it over, and gave them a number. They responded right away that it was a reasonable price and we're moving forward. Here's the breakdown:

  • 3 groups of kids in one day

  • 45 kids in each session

  • $12.50 per kid

  • Grand total of: $1687.50

Now I've had better Farmers' Markets than that sure, but with months of work leading up to it. There isn't that much we have to prepare on farm that we don't already do to have 135 school kids come visit. We keep the farm beautiful and safe, we have working and clean bathrooms, and there's always plenty of things to look at, talk about, and get involved in. So NET dollars, we are going to blow our best market sales out of the water. That being said, we are going to invest the majority of that into purchasing supplies for hosting big groups like this. I'm very interested in looking into farm events as a serious part of our farm business plan.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • What it takes to host an on farm event.

  • How we planned and executed our first harvest festival.

  • What we would change in the future to have a better experience for ourselves and our guests.

Interview with Barry Labendz of Kent Falls Brewing Company

Picture of Barry hold a lamb: Check!

Barry is one of the best “go-to” guys on the planet. As co-brewery manager Barry has proven an invaluable resource to the farm as the brewery takes time to go through the licensing process.

Barry has been surrounded by small local businesses his entire life. His grandparents moved to the United States in 1947 and started a small bakery in Lake Hiawatha, NJ, to support their young family. Barry’s father has owned and operated Merit Financial, a small mortgage bank, just down the road from his parents’ still-standing bakery.

After graduating from Muhlenberg College in 2004 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Business Administration, he moved to New York City and began his own career in mortgage banking.  Soon Barry would open and manage a branch of another company in downtown Manhattan. By the end of 2007, with the credit crunch tightening, he decided to exit the mortgage industry. Barry took this time to travel, reassess his priorities and explore what would be next for him.

While traveling, Barry became enthralled with how local environment, cuisine and history shapes a region’s beer styles and traditions. Barry has always enjoyed culinary creativity, whether baking with his grandparents as a child, or hosting dinner parties as an adult. These ideas led Barry to first consider opening a brewery.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Take aways:

What does your farm have to offer for people coming to visit?

Would adding in events be a feasible and viable part of your agricultural venture?

Farm quote of the episode:

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.

Groucho Marx

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP056: Hiring Farm Workers

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The hiring of farm workers can be a really tricky process. How do you know you're going to hire the right person? What's the process like if you've never done it before? That's what we're talking about (and more) in today's podcast episode. I have had several changes with staff on farm lately. People moving on, moving up, moving sideways, moving West. I need to fill some spots to ensure that all the work gets done that needs to get done. I have had a pretty successful time hiring new employees, even on a temporary basis.

For general farm labor I look for a couple of things:

  • Physically able to do the hard work required on farm

  • Willingness to take direction and work as part of a team

  • Good attitude and flexibility to handle diversified tasks

  • Earnest desire to make the world a better place

Those are pretty hard and fast rules to figure out in the interview process (for me). I've been burned before when someone doesn't hit those points. Note that I didn't necessarily say anything about farm experience or experience with an particular agricultural enterprise. If you know what you are doing on your farm there's a safe bet that you can teach the right person just about any part of it.

I had a lot of luck with searching out local farm help (which solves the housing question) by putting an ad up on Craigslist. I was pretty specific about what I wanted in the ad. Here's the exact text that I included:

Diversified farm specializing in poultry seeks part time farm hands Camps Road Farm in Kent, CT

Job requires: - ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs (feed bags) - comfort working with chickens - work in all types of weather - work well as part of a team or by yourself - punctuality

About the job: We are looking for motivated individuals looking for some extra work throughout the summer and fall with potential for the future. Typical tasks are gathering and washing eggs, putting out feed for chickens, and other poultry-related chores. We also have an apple orchard, hop yard, and some vegetable production that have big projects this fall, but we're mainly looking for pastured poultry help.

This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to come a couple hours a day to collect and wash eggs.

To apply: All applicants must have appropriate documentation for working in the US. Please respond to this e-mail with some information about yourself while requesting application.

Hablamos un poco de espanol en la granja.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • A simple process for finding farm labor

  • What it is like to take over a farm someone else started

  • Moving an existing farm to a new piece of land

  • How leveraging your network of customers can help you find farm land

Interview with Ruth Blackwell of Mud Creek Farm

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Ruthie grew up in Cabot, Vermont, surrounded by dairy farms.  When she was a kid, her parents grew pansies and sold them wholesale to farm stands.  As soon as she was old enough, they had her and her brother out in the field transplanting, boxing, and watering.  They also planted an enormous garden, and she remembers her and her brother being told to “go graze” when they asked for a snack; they would eat dirty carrots and freshly shelled peas for hours.

Once Ruth started working, she had a million different jobs.   She always loved working with her hands and being creative, and she went to art school.  But after floating around doing different things, she went to New Zealand and WWOOFed (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) for half a year, and it reminded  her how much she likes the dirt.  When she came home, her dad and his partner decided to turn the old homestead into a farm again, but vegetables this time.  She moved back to a little house next door and helped get things off the ground, then migrated to the Rochester area, where she worked at PeaceworkFarm for four years.  She fell in love with the CSA model.  She loves knowing the people she's feeding and having that direct connection to the community around her.

In 2013, she started working at Mud Creek as Farmer Erin’s assistant manager.  She learned a whole lot from her, and is proud and humbled that she was taught to take over the farm.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

If you had to hire someone tomorrow what questions would you ask them to figure out if they would "cut it" on your farm?

What have you learned from past hiring experiences that will help you going forward with new hires?

Farm quote of the episode:

I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.

Larry Bossidy

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP055: Getting over the summer hump with good farm management

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It will never cease to amaze me the amount of things that farmers will take on in a season. There are many factors that play into how that happens, but at the end of the day it is how you deal with it that defines you.

One of the biggest factors that plays into crushing responsibility:

This factor is often over-looked. That factor is your own decisions in the winter that lead to insanity in the summer. The hitch with farming is that most operations are simple or inexpensive to start on a certain scale. The problems start when the 1,000 variables come into play as you reach the scale you have to be at to make a profit. It's very easy to sit down with a spreadsheet to say "I'm going to do this, and this is how much I am going to make in order to keep my farm dream alive." How can I write this sentence, because I am INCREDIBLY guilty of this fault myself. Now that I am into the summer I am regretting some of the decisions I made this winter that are causing some serious stress this summer. The beautiful thing is that I can admit that, and that I am willing to learn from my mistakes and miss-steps. The best thing you can do in any area in life is to take note of all your successes and failures and learn a lesson from each one. I know over the last 2 years I have learned an incredible amount about myself, my farm, and my future. Right click here to download the MP3

Three elements of good management:

1. Organization

Write it down! I have some of my farms information in my head and some written down. I keep my tasks organized primarily through my trusty notebook and our staff dry-erase board. I have been carrying a small notebook in my pocket that has proven to be very helpful in organizing tasks. Also making sure nothing gets over looked. If I see something on farm that needs to be done I do my best to write it down, that way when I sit down with the farm team later I know what needs to get done that day that we may not have already discussed. Getting things written down has been great for keeping me organized. Whether it's in a notebook or on a computer, get it in writing!

2. Prioritization

Episode 50 talked about this. It is importantnot only to create the list of things to do, but to properly prioritize it. Task can break down into the different variable that effect them. Whether or not other people are involved, whether you have to buy something or set it up, or even if it's something that you can live without but it would be nice to have. Every task is going to have its' different level of urgency. It takes time and practice to know what is going to require what. I am definitely still learning.

3. Delegation

This is crucial for getting anything done. Part of writing down the tasks that you have to accomplish is that you can share that list with others. Even people you have known for a long time will surprise you will what they will choose to volunteer for. You have to make sure you ask. Human beings need direction. We love it. It takes the stress of the decision making off of our plates, and at the end of the day if it doesn’t work out, it is someone else’s fault. Now, if you’re the person calling the shots make sure to be clear, concise, and simple simple simple. If you have something complicated make sure you are there to walk people through it.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Powerful tools for good farm management

  • Some dos and don'ts of getting the job done

  • Lessons learned from a budding farm entrepreneur (farmepreneur?)

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Visual farm update:

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Quote of the episode:

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” Norman Vincent Peale

Take aways:

How do you plan to overcome your next big obstacle?

What experiences have you had in the past that you can draw from to make better decisions going forward?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP054: Being part of the food fight

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Every farmers' journey through life will be as uniquely theirs as their farm will be. Today's podcast episode shares a great story of how a vegetable farm was started in Missouri not just by one woman, but by a community of people working to support that one woman. I found out very early on that it is not the individual that succeeds, but the group. I could not be where I am today, and I know I couldn't go where I am headed without the support of those people around me.

Sometimes that support means they will tell you not to do something, like the recent NY Times article stating "Don't let your children grow up to be farmers."

I think that article raises some good points, but is mis-titled. We should not let our children grow up to be farmers that farm like we do today. In this instance I'm not talking about organic or conventional, small or large scale. I am talking about farming within a system built against the farmer where we are faced with often insurmountable tasks on top of the challenge of farming.

At its' very base level farming provides people with the basic elements that people need for survival. Food. Even as a tech-friendly guy it baffles me that more time and money is spent on iPhones than learning and investing in what we eat. How is something so necessary so often swept aside.

It is our job as small farmers, who are intimately connected to our communities, to help educate and empower others so that they will help fight the food fight for our team.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to plan for success in your farm business

  • What role community plays in starting your farm

  • Tips and tricks for record keeping

  • Getting your organic certification

  • What it means to be part of the food fight

Interview with Liz Graznak of Happy Hollow Farm

Happy Hollow Farm is nestled among the rolling hills along the Missouri River. The primary growing fields border the Little Splice Creek bottom and thus benefit from beautiful silt loam soils that are rich in organic matter. The farming techniques used on this farm are a combination of highly managed cover cropping, crop rotations, the application of compost, mulch and small quantities of minerals and nutrients. Liz's goal is to give back more to the soil than she take.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast:

Take aways:

How are you contributing toward making our world a better place through food?

What do you think our biggest obstacle is? How do you think we'll overcome it?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP053: Introducing New Farm Products

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"The riches are in the niches." Or so I've been told. The problem is often that there is a lot of consumer educating involved with introducing a niche product onto the market. What do you do when no one knows how to use what you have to offer, but you know it's going to be a good business? One of the answers that I have found is to try everything. And I mean everything to get the information in front of your customers. If you are in multiple forms of media you will be able to reach people in the way that best fits their learning style.

To date I've tried (and had success with):

  • Traditional media (newspaper)

  • Hanging fliers

  • Farm website

  • YouTube

  • Facebook

  • E-mail newsletter

I had/have plans to try other media as well, but quite frankly, it's July on a farm and I don't have time for it. Instead of spreading myself too thin my plan is to concentrate on those areas, measure my results as best I can, and see what happens.

Maybe in the future I will try Google Ads, Facebook Ads, taking an ad in the paper, getting on radio, getting on tv, etc... But right now I don't see it happening any time soon. (Quick aside, yes I have experience getting on Radio and TV, I'll cover that in another episode.)

What can you do now?

Pick one area that you are not already focusing enough attention on from the list above and put more effort into it.

As farmers we're used to hard work. There is so much to do on the farm that we often lose sight of the big picture stuff including marketing our products. I know I am guilty of it. There are times where I definitely like the "outside work" better than the "inside work".

However, I have noticed a drop in sales lately that I am working to fix. My marketing flagged and I am paying for it, literally. My freezers are filling with chickens and I need to get them sold. I will be revisiting my marketing and making sure I'm giving it the attention it deserves so that I can get all my products sold and I can sleep a little easier.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Tips for introducing a new product to market

  • How to narrow down what you're growing to find what works best

  • Dealing with inconsistency and how that can be a benefit

  • The power of believing in what you do

  • The benefit of keeping organized

  • How to keep your cell phone safe on the farm

Interview with Jacob Cowgill of Prairie Heritage Farm, Montana

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Prairie Heritage Farm is a certified organic, diversified farm near Great Falls, Montana, just outside Power, on the short grass prairie where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains.

They grow fresh vegetables, heritage turkeys, ancient and heritage grains (Prairie Farro being their favorite), lamb and kiddos. They sell most of what they grow through Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, farm shares in the Great Falls area.

The farm is owned and operated by Jacob and Courtney Cowgill, two central Montanans returning to their roots. Jacob grew up on Red Butte Lane, near Sand Coulee and Courtney spent her childhood on a farm between Dutton and Brady. They both left Central Montana as young adults, for school and careers but came back as soon as they possibly could.

They wanted to find a way to make a life in Central Montana but also wanted to give back to the communities that raised them-- to be part of sustaining and reinvigorating the culture and economy of rural Montana.

Items mentioned in this podcast include:

Visual farm update:

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Today's quote:

"We overcome this dilemma by first forming a temporary holistic goal and starting toward that, much as a military pilot might head generally toward the action before knowing the precise destination. To wait on the ground for perfect intelligence or to burn up fuel circling randomly would waste his chances, his resources, or both. Like the pilot, as you obtain more information and a clearer picture, you can refine your holistic goal so that by the time you know the target, you are well on your way without having wasted time or fuel." - Allan Savory in Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making

Take aways:

Have you been fighting an uphill battle to get a new farm product to market? What are you doing to educate your consumer?

Are you delivering your message in places where people are there and ready to hear it?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP052: Using Video for your Farm Marketing

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The most common misconception about video marketing is that it is hard. That doesn't have to be true at all. I recorded, edited, and published my latest farm video right from my cell phone. Quite honestly, that blows my mind, and I'm a geek. Let's take a look at the three biggest fears that people have when it comes to video marketing.

3 Fears of Video Marketing

1. I will look like a fool on camera.

So? If you are yourself, you're honest, and you have a good message you will not look like a fool. When I think back to my beginning videos I cringe. I have done some really embarrassing stuff in my day. The good thing is, if it's terrible, you can delete it! If it's not half bad then you need to post it before you over-think it.

Take a second to make sure your hair isn't insane (unless that's what you're going for), make sure your surroundings are at least a little orderly (at least what's in frame), and speak with confidence.

2. I have no idea how to work a video camera.

Learning a piece of "video equipment" is no different then learning to use any other piece of farm equipment. All you have to possess is the earnest desire to learn and the knowledge that this new skill will help your business. Through the owners manual, the internet, and some young tech geek you will be shooting tons of video in no time.

3. I can't edit the video once I have shot it.

Again, I refer to #2. Earnest desire to learn, and the knowledge that this will help your business. For every person out there who wants to learn something there is a teacher. Just start asking people. You can find a pro video editor in one of your kids, in a friend, or even in an actual professional who wants to trade for some veggies.

Once you've conquered those fears just upload it to YouTube, figure out how to embed it on your website, and make sure to share it with your customers. If this still scares you that is ok, write me a note in the comments section asking me to create a tutorial on video creation and editing and I will make it happen.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Getting started on Youtube

  • Creating video to illustrate a point or farming technique

  • Using video to educate

  • Why simple videos are often more effective

  • The elements of an effective video

  • What elements of your online marketing benefit your offline store

  • How Christie got to speak for TEDX

  • What it means to be “on” all the time

  • What is a “Content Management System”

  • What’s the best practice for Search Engine Optimization?

  • Let the perfection go!

Interview with Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honey Bees:

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christy hemenway

Just what did bees do before beekeepers?

Searching for the answer to what seemed like it should have been a simple question, Christy Hemenway launched her own investigation into what was really behind the growing problems with honeybees. She soon came to the conclusion that with honeybees, “less is more,” in other words, less human manipulation is better for the honeybee.

This led Christy to found Gold Star Honeybees – to advance a low-tech, natural beekeeping system known as the top bar hive. The most important feature of a top bar hive is that it allows the bees to make their own natural beeswax honeycomb. Because for bees, ”It’s all about the wax.”

Gold Star’s top bar hive beekeeping equipment is all natural, non-toxic, clean and green, and supports the making of natural beeswax - beeswax made BY bees, FOR bees!

At TEDxDirigo in 2011, Christy highlighted the important connection between honeybees, pesticide-free food, and people in her TED Talk – “Making the Connection – Honeybees, Food and YOU.” The inter-relatedness of bees, human health, the health of the planet and in fact, all of nature suddenly becomes very clear. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/TedxDirigoTalk

Christy Hemenway is the author of The Thinking Beekeeper – A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives. Published in 2013 by New Society Publishers – this book contains the practical how-to information you need to begin keeping bees in this natural method. http://www.thinkingbeekeeper.com/

Christy advocates and agitates for MORE organic food, LESS industrial agriculture, and of course, for BETTER beekeeping – natural and sustainable. It’s a case of understanding that instead of one beekeeper industrially managing 50,000 beehives, and lots of trucks and treatments, shouldn’t it really be 50,000 beekeepers each tending a few hives of their own in their own backyard garden?

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gold star honey bees

Gold Star Honeybees supports top bar beekeepers with education. A Gold Star Honeybees Weekend Intensive offers a bee’s eye view of the reasons that top bar hives make sense – for bees, for beekeepers, and for the planet. Learn where to site a hive, how to inspect and manage it, what to do about “cross-comb,” and how to conduct the “dual harvest” that top bar hives are famous for. This comprehensive weekend class inspires people to be confident natural beekeepers.

If you are interested in a shorter workshop: The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives offers a quick overview of the “how-to” and “why-to” of stewarding bees in top bar hives. This workshop is ideal for those just getting into, or beginning to learn about, natural beekeeping.

Classes are offered nationally, and we’d be happy to bring these opportunities to your area. Call for information about hosting a live Weekend Intensive or The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives where you live! 207-449-1121.

Christy encourages people to think outside the box and reminds us, in the words of John Muir:

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Visual Farm Update

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Today's quote:

Video Marketing solidifies your online presence whilst building deep and meaningful relationships with your customers. It adds a personal touch to your brand whilst increasing your conversions!” – Lilach Bullock

Take aways:

What common questions do you get about your farm that can be cleared up with a simple video?

What is one thing you wish your customers knew about you, your farm, or your products? Would a video help them learn?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP051: Starting a farm, is it as stressful as everyone says?

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"Farming is hard." I hear it over and over again. But what does it mean? Farming is going to mean a million things to a million different people. There are an infinite number of scenarios that can play out when it comes to starting and running a farm. Now having interviewed dozens of other farmers on how they got their start in agriculture I can tell you one thing, it's hard, and it's worth it.

Oh sure, there will be times when you want to throw your hands p and walk away. Many of those times you should, then come back to whatever you were doing with a fresh mind and a better attitude.

There may come a day when I am too over-whelmed by what is going on with the farm and a year may come that beats me down to the point where I find a new occupation. That day is not today, nor is this year the year.

The best I can do with Farm Marketing Solutions is to give you my perspective on what is stressing me out and how I am dealing with it. I found that regardless of how many things go poorly, (and they will, it's part of learning) you have to concentrate on the positive things in life.

As a new format for the matching blog post in addition to the podcast I want to share some photos from around the farm to give you visual perspective to go with the audio.

Right click here to download the MP3

Items mentioned in this farm podcast:

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Take aways:

What are you thankful for? How does that effect the decisions that you make?

What is one small thing you can do right now to make yourself a little happier?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP050: Prioritizing and organizing your farm to do list

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The list of things to do is ever expanding on the farm. There is always more to do, and even simple tasks become complicated if left to long. The worst is to repeat a past mistake because you had forgotten about it, or you have remembered it wrong. I have been working for years to find a system that works for me in terms of organizing and record keeping. Am I done? Heck no! I have a long way to go yet, but I have learned some good things along the way. In today's farm podcast episode I share many of those strategies that I have used and the ones that I still am using today.

Life is about balance. I don't have to tell you is you tend toward doing everything in the "analog" world, keeping a notebook, writing on the free monthly calendar with the beautiful natures scenes on that you got from church or the volunteer fire department fundraiser. Or if you tend towards the "digital" world where everything happens on your smart phone, tablet, or desktop computer. What I can do is point you to a few creative ways to use those systems that have been working for me.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Different strategies for organizing tasks on your farm

  • How record keeping keeps you from making the same mistakes over and over

  • Pointers for the Luddites and the tech geeks in all of us

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Quote of the episode:

"The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them." - Carlos Ghosn

Take aways:

How are you keeping organized so you can prioritize your tasks?

Are you keeping records so you know what happened when you're faced with same situation in the future?

Share your answers in the comments section below.

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP049: Being able to pivot your farm business

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Agility in your agricultural business can be the difference between coming back for another growing season, or putting the farm to rest. That agility starts with listening. Your customers will tell you what they want you to produce. It is then up to you to decide whether you want to listen, and if that will work for both you and your business. I had no idea that I would end up where I am today. If you told me 10 years ago that I would be a chicken farmer running a 50 acre farm, hosting a podcast, and selling eBooks on the side, I would have told you that you were crazy.

When I first got mixed up with agriculture I thought I was going to be an heirloom vegetable farmer. Then I tried vegetable farming. When I got into vegetables I realized I liked them, but I didn't love them. Not the way I do chickens. I also found that there were way more vegetable farms than poultry farms. I listened to the market, started a poultry farm, and the farm continues to grow in popularity.

I have learned, through some very hard lessons, to watch for and embrace change. You may have a plan, but life has another one, and there's no way you are going to know all the details until they're happening to you. Who knows where I will be in another 10 years? All I know is that I am excited for whatever comes my way.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • What is a service as a business?

  • Different ways to make money in agriculture

  • How to leverage your skills, passion, and knowledge

  • What flexibility can bring to you

  • What you get from listening to your customers

  • How to get over impostor syndrome

  • How to grow your business and give yourself more time

Interview with Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honey Bees:

Just what did bees do before beekeepers?

Searching for the answer to what seemed like it should have been a simple question, Christy Hemenway launched her own investigation into what was really behind the growing problems with honeybees. She soon came to the conclusion that with honeybees, "less is more," in other words, less human manipulation is better for the honeybee.

This led Christy to found Gold Star Honeybees - to advance a low-tech, natural beekeeping system known as the top bar hive. The most important feature of a top bar hive is that it allows the bees to make their own natural beeswax honeycomb. Because for bees, "It's all about the wax."

Gold Star's top bar hive beekeeping equipment is all natural, non-toxic, clean and green, and supports the making of natural beeswax - beeswax made BY bees, FOR bees!

At TEDxDirigo in 2011, Christy highlighted the important connection between honeybees, pesticide-free food, and people in her TED Talk - "Making the Connection – Honeybees, Food and YOU." The inter-relatedness of bees, human health, the health of the planet and in fact, all of nature suddenly becomes very clear. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/TedxDirigoTalk

Christy Hemenway is the author of The Thinking Beekeeper – A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives. Published in 2013 by New Society Publishers – this book contains the practical how-to information you need to begin keeping bees in this natural method. http://www.thinkingbeekeeper.com/

Christy advocates and agitates for MORE organic food, LESS industrial agriculture, and of course, for BETTER beekeeping – natural and sustainable. It's a case of understanding that instead of one beekeeper industrially managing 50,000 beehives, and lots of trucks and treatments, shouldn't it really be 50,000 beekeepers each tending a few hives of their own in their own backyard garden?

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Gold Star Honeybees supports top bar beekeepers with education. A Gold Star Honeybees Weekend Intensive offers a bee’s eye view of the reasons that top bar hives make sense - for bees, for beekeepers, and for the planet. Learn where to site a hive, how to inspect and manage it, what to do about "cross-comb,” and how to conduct the "dual harvest” that top bar hives are famous for. This comprehensive weekend class inspires people to be confident natural beekeepers.

If you are interested in a shorter workshop: The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives offers a quick overview of the "how-to" and "why-to" of stewarding bees in top bar hives. This workshop is ideal for those just getting into, or beginning to learn about, natural beekeeping.

Classes are offered nationally, and we'd be happy to bring these opportunities to your area. Call for information about hosting a live Weekend Intensive or The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives where you live! 207-449-1121.

Christy encourages people to think outside the box and reminds us, in the words of John Muir:

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world."

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Are you listening to your customers? What is something they have been asking for that you don't yet provide?

Are you ready to adapt and change with the times/economy/whims of the public? How are you prepared?

Share your answers in the comments section below.

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP048: Sustainable farming is good for business

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Sustainable farming is the path I have chosen for my career in agriculture. When you think about it, it's kind of a no-brainer. It's right there in the name, "sustainable". That means I get to keep going. I get to keep doing what I love because it is sustainable. That word sustainable has given me pause lately. What exactly does it mean to be sustainable? What does that mean on a big scale for the world at large? What does that mean on a small scale for me, my family, and my farm? I have been giving it thought while moving chicken coops, talking with the other farmers who work with me, and while working on this podcast episode.

I have come to a conclusion, one that will be shaped and developed in time. True sustainability is born from good community building. I do not believe in being completely self-sustainable. You will always rely on outside inputs of some kind. That does not have to be a bad thing. Even if I used no fossil fuels on the farm, grew everything I needed to live and feed my livestock, and produced enough solar energy to run my podcasting equipment I would still need money to pay for taxes and the things that I absolutely cannot produce here. That requires a community of people willing to support my effort of self-sustainability.

Camps Road Farm, the farm that I manage has a ways to go before I will consider it "very sustainable". Right now I have to buy in grain to feed my chickens, I run a tractor  that uses diesel, and there are a other areas that I wish to improve upon and plan to in time (I just don't want to list them all and give you the wrong idea about my farm). While it's not perfect now, I know there's a goal that I am working towards and I make decisions every day that effect the long term outcome of the farm and its' impact on the world.

I'll give you the brewery we're starting as an example. I have a 1.4 acre hop yard on farm to service the brewery that we are also starting on the farm. That brewery is working with a local grain grower to supply grains. Those grains used for brewing will then be used as chicken feed. The manure from the chickens will go either directly onto the pasture where they live, or will be composted to feed the hops, which in turn are used in making beer.

There are three businesses in that example that benefit from supporting each other. Because (officially certified or not) we are all growing according to the organic methods so the earth benefits as well. The brewery grains will help me cut costs to make my business more viable, the brewery has great marketing from being part of a farm, and the grain farmer has consistent business from a production brewery. I love it!

At best, all we can do is strive toward our best interpretation on what it means to be sustainable. For me that is being a part of a community that is mutually supportive of each other's efforts. I work to create healthy soil, to create healthy food, and results in healthy people who then have the strength to go out and do good in the world.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Who put "organic" and "agriculture" together originally

  • How big organic agriculture's market share has grown in the last decade

  • Why, at some point you just need to make things happen!

  • The benefits of being a good listener

  • What the Rodale Institute has done for sustainable agriculture

  • The longest running field study in agriculture

  • How organic ag can "feed the world" just as well if not better than chemical or conventional ag

Interview with Coach Mark Smallwood, Executive Director at Rodale Institute

Coach’s professional experience has been dedicated to environmental sustainability, efficiency and conservation. Since joining Rodale Institute in December 2010, he has brought heritage livestock back to Rodale Institute’s 333-acre farm, expanded and enhanced Rodale Institute’s research efforts, as well as launched “Your 2 Cents,” a national campaign to support and promote new organic farmers.

Prior to joining Rodale Institute, Coach served as the Mid-Atlantic Green Mission Specialist and Local Forager at Whole Foods, where he was a 2010 National Award Winner for “Best Whole Foods Market Spokesperson.” While at Whole Foods, Coach initiated a composting and recycling program throughout the Mid-Atlantic region – an effort that resulted in an 80% diversion of waste from landfills. In recognition for his sustainability efforts, Coach was chosen as a messenger for Al Gore’s Climate Project presenting to over 15,000 people on the effects of Global Warming. Last, but certainly not least, as a long-time organic farmer and biodynamic gardener, Coach has raised chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, and driven a team of oxen. Given his array of experiences, Coach is uniquely suited to lead Rodale Institute.

 Items mentioned in the farm podcast include:

Take aways:

How do your views shape the type of business you choose to work in?

What does "truly sustainable" mean to you?

Write you answers in the comment section below.

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP047: Creating a marketing plan is easier than you think

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Everything goes smoother when you have a plan. There have been so many unplanned surprises on the farm this year that I am glad my marketing hasn't thrown me too many curve balls. I took the time initially to lay out what I needed to do to market my farm, and now I am executing that plan. I will admit that when I first sat down to create a marketing plan, I found the task to be a little daunting. My marketing plan got a little involved. That is in part because marketing takes a significant amount of effort, and in part because I wanted to focus on it for my How to Start A CSA project.

Once I got everything down on paper it felt good to have a plan of action. Since then I have found it invaluable as far as keeping me focused and on track. When the work on farm wears me down or seems overwhelming the last thing I want to do is to think about how I am going to sell my farm products to people. The only thing I can think about is playing with my daughter and having a beer before bed.

That being said, even on the tough days I have been making an effort to do something to market my farm every day and stick to my marketing plan.

Come to find out, there's more than one way to write a marketing plan. It doesn't have to be scary, it doesn't have to be long, it just has to exist and hit some important point. I brought today's guest on the show to share her expertise on creating a marketing plan specific to your farm.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to create a one page marketing plan

  • What elements should be included in a good marketing plan

  • What each of those elements are and how to define them

  • What to do with your marketing plan once you have created it

  • What your plan can do for you

  • How to make the most out of a wholesale account

Interview with Myrna Greenfield of Good Egg Marketing

Good Egg Marketing is a Massachusetts-based business that specializes in promoting good food and good causes.  Good Egg was hatched by Myrna Greenfield, a seasoned marketer with a passion for sharing good food, helping people, and making marketing fun.

A “good egg” is a phrase that is typically used to describe a “good person,” someone who likes to help others.

A good egg is also an egg that is safe to eat and tastes good. And any egg that deserves to be called good should also be humanely and sustainably produced. Good Egg Marketing aspires to be all of these things: helpful, safe, tasty (tasteful), humane and sustainable.

While Good Egg Marketing is particularly devoted to working with businesses and organizations that produce, provide or promote delicious, healthy, sustainable food for all, it offers services to anyone who is a good egg.

Good Egg clients are based in Massachusetts and nationally, and include farms and food enterprises, small businesses, nonprofits, and consultants. Founder and “Top Egg” Myrna Greenfield works with associates in graphic design, web development, video production, and social media to create effective, affordable marketing campaigns.

Greenfield was raised in the Chicago area and is now a proud resident of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.  She holds an MBA from Simmons School of Management.

Click to view Myrna's Sample Marketing Plan

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What have you been doing to market you farm?

Do you have a marketing plan? What direction does it point you in?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

GFP046: Diversifying your marketing and alpaca farming

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It is good business practice to get the most out of any effort you put into your business. That definitely applies to farming. Diversity is the name of the game on small farms these days, but that doesn't necessarily have to mean a diversity of farming operations. Barbara Ronchetti of Island Alpaca Company on Martha's Vineyard shares great insight on having just one type of agricultural operation, in her case alpaca, and getting the most bang for your buck.

While I am working toward a diverse farm I have a main area of focus right now and that is my Chicken & Egg CSA. For those CSAs I am implementing a diverse array of marketing strategies to get my name out there and close more sales.

I am:

  • Updating and interacting on my farm website

  • Interacting on Social media

  • Hanging fliers with tabs to rip off

  • Creating brochures

  • Going to schools

  • Planning events

  • and more...

It takes creativity to try all of these things. The answers to your problems are not always easy to find. I know we as farmers will always thrive in the face of adversity. Now we must thrive and embrace diversity. Remember that different customers appreciate their products or their marketing in different ways. Starting with one group at a time direct your farm marketing to them, then move on to the next group once you have established yourself with those other customers already. Be careful not to take on too much too soon.

There are a lot of "you should do this" and "you must do this" pieces of advice coming from me and in the "marketing advice" world in general. When you boil all of it down it comes down to doing what you are comfortable with (so that you will keep doing it) and what is working (because that's how you are successful).

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How to start an alpaca farm

  • What are all the different ways you can use alpaca wool

  • How quality relationships will help grow your business

  • Tips on marketing you farm products and CSA

  • A lot about alpaca farming

Interview with Barbara Ronchetti of Island Alpaca Company

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Photo: Peter Simon (petersimon.com)

Island Alpaca Company of Martha's Vineyard began in 2004 with the purchase of 19 acres of land and an antique post-and-beam barn that once stood in Export PA. Over the next two years, the barn was assembled, pastures were cleared, and fencing installed. The original purchase of eight alpacas in 2004 had grown to a starter herd of 31, which moved into the barn in 2006. Today, Island Alpaca has a select herd of 80 colorful Huacaya alpaca, one Suri alpaca, and one llama.

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Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What else can you do to sell your farm products?

What other products can you develop from what you are already producing?

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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 leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

How to Start a CSA Days 15 through 21

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The more I dig the more I notice an ebb and flow with every kind of marketing. There is one constant however. Relationship marketing. The relationships you form throughout life and throughout the life of you farm are going to prove to you while life is worth living and why farming is a great career. In addition to a host of varied topics I cover a lot of relationship marketing this week. It is really starting to pay off as those shares start to come in and the season is starting to warm up. I cannot wait to see where it goes.

I use Facebook a lot in my marketing. Even with the recent revelations (as you'll see in a later video) where Facebook has been doing some dirty things with how it makes money, I still find it a good way to connect with my customers. This video is geared toward people who have or have thought about using Facebook. There is a certain combination of content that works best for us farmers and I give some examples besides my own.

Following through applies in so many areas of life. From baseball, to golf, to farming, you need follow through. What does that mean? Following through with farm marketing means tracking your results, staying in touch with your audience, and in this case I went back to check on my fliers and see how they were doing and if they were attracting any business.

I have now scheduled workshops at local schools, a nature center, and more. Getting in front of people, not just to sell mind you, is important as a step to making friends and establishing relationships in your community. The more good you put out into the world the more that will come back to you.

I mentioned a little earlier that I use Facebook a lot. Well I recently found this video, Facebook Fraud, and I've been doing some digging. It turns out that Facebook has been doing some pretty sketchy stuff. Even with that there are a lot of benefits from being on Facebook. This only means that you shouldn't invest in a certain type of marketing. You're being honest, open, and establishing relationships so you have nothing to worry about!

My farm website has been critical in my farm marketing so farm. I love when people are prepped with knowledge about myself and my farm so that we can cut the small talk and dig in a little deeper. This helped recently as a newspaper reporter contacted me and kept saying, "Don't worry, I know. I already read your website." It was a great feeling.

I have been in Home Depot, out hanging up fliers, or out with my family and I always wear a farm t-shirt. You never know when or where it will come in handy. Even if you run out of business cards you can have them take a picture of your logo.

We keep crop records, plan grazing rotation, and do budgets. Why not do the same for marketing. I only want to plan this once, so I am going to be busy tracking my progress so that I cna replicate the good stuff in the future, and cut out the bad stuff.

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.

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.