How to Better Market Your Farm By Charlotte Smith

PAUL, Oregon

1. Focus On  Relationships. Focus on becoming  your customer’s farmer! Try to get your  customers talking, and find out how  your products can help solve a problem  they might have. This approach will  increase their loyalty to you, and you  will gain a customer for life. 
2. Define Your Dream Customer.  Think of your favorite customer. What  makes her unique? What qualities  does she have that make her an ideal  customer? Focus on those customers.  When you think about marketing, focus  on attracting that specific kind of cus tomer. 
3. Utilize Email. Start using an  email service provider (MailChimp  is an excellent service, and is FREE  for under 2,000 subscribers). Start  collecting email addresses, and obtain  consent for sending monthly, if not  weekly, email communication about  what’s happening on your farm. This is  where you write to your ideal custom er! Social media is not enough because  you do not control what information  your followers see. If you start col lecting emails and build a list, you will  have direct access to those customers. 
4. Be Consistent. Develop a time line for when you’re sending emails. If  it is 12 times a year, stick with it! 
5. Plan Ahead. If you plan on send ing 12 emails a year, think about what  holidays, seasons, and farm events  occur during those months and plan  your communication around that. 
6. Put Yourself Out There. Talk  yourself up! You are an excellent farm er, and you sell exceptional products.  Be available when your customers  stop by the farm and talk to them, find  out how your products are making an  impact, and show your appreciation  for customer loyalty. A great idea is to  host “Open Farm Hours” once a week.  Setting up hours ahead of time and  making yourself available allows them  to have access to you while setting  healthy boundaries for yourself so you  don’t burn out. A little schmoozing goes a long way. ■ 

Charlotte Smith has 3 Cow Marketing and is a member of Farm to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. This  excerpt is from Farm Rights News.  The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense  Fund protects access to real whole foods from small sustainable farms by  providing free legal support to members. Www.farmtoconsumer.org