5 Ways To Market Your Farm and Products – Ag Matters

Opportunity may be knocking for some CNY famers as the public becomes more concerned about where their food comes from and how it's produced.  To take advantage of the opportunity, marketing your farm and it's products becomes increasingly important. Cornell Cooperative Extension has 5 tips on conncectin gwith consumers.

Telling your story is the first step to a successful farmer marketing campaign. Farmers can share their stories online, in print and in person.

Websites offer information, e-commerce, or a combination of both. Building a website for your farm doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how. Free online website building programs like WordPress and Weebly are easy to use.

Social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr… the list goes on and on. Don’t feel pressure to establish an online presence for your farm on every social media outlet. Pick the outlet(s) that appeal to your target customers.

Blogs offer a behind the scene look at farm life. They are a great way to provide additional information with your farm products. Raise pastured beef? Blog about the sustainable practice of pasture rotation. Sell tomatoes? Blog about your grandmother’s pasta sauce and share the recipe.

Email communicates with customers wherever they are. There are email marketing services with templates to help you create visually pleasing and effect content.

Print Flyers, brochures, cards and coupons encourage customers to remember your farm and make future purchases.

All of these marketing techniques can be very important and beneficial to your business. However, networking may be the most essential part of any farms success. Meet potential customers one on one by creating your own open houses or visiting hours and becoming involved in local events like Open Farm Day.

Get more information on marketing your products at Farm and Dairy.com

SOURCE:  Cornell Cooperative Extension Katherine Brosnan