Market Farming

["RDH" <rdhopkins AT americanpasturage.com>]

Jo's site is fine for meats, but not so popular for produce and fruits.  We
do get referrals from Local Harvest as well as Jo's site which brings our
shoppers (looking for meat and other items) to a direct link to Homestead
Foods.  Our site traffic runs between 4000 and 5000 per year.  Michael
Pollan caused a spike in April of over 1600 in one month.

I did not set up for direct marketing.  Consumers want face to face contact
with their growers, they don't want to point and click for their food.  I
only offer a way for the buyers to locate the sellers.

When we receive calls from other states, I first try and locate a local
grower for them to save them the cost of the shipping and to increase
support for local grown if possible.  Still, we have people from all corners
ordering our beef, veal, and lamb.  The internet sales volume isn't high,
but we can't produce enough to satisfy the local market anyway.  I'm glad
when I can find a local grower that satisfies a customers needs.  Obviously
the Homestead Foods subscribers get first offer on any referrals.

American Pasturage doesn't own the Homestead Foods project.  I own the URL
personally and have only used American Pasturage web resources to host the
site.  When I get time to rework the color scheme it will have a more stand
alone look.  I don't do web sites, that is my wife's profession.  I have to
get in line just like the rest of her customers and I don't pay too well.
:-)

BTW, I have a dozen copies of Jo's book, WHY GRASS FED IS BEST, that I loan
out to customers at the farmer's market.  I have only one outstanding after
several months of doing this.  She thought it was a great idea, but was
unsure that it would work.  It helps to sell grass fed meat to the
skeptical.  I use this as a leader to help her sell copies of the OMEGA DIET
also.

Rick H.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Williams [mailto:mrfarm AT frontiernet.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 10:38 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [market-farming] RE: new terminology


RDH wrote:
> It does seem that the most obvious points get missed on this list
> occasionally.  The Homestead Foods project is only to connect
> consumers and
> growers with an easily identified logo, not to replace or
> redefine the term
> organic.  The only certification is that they are a family owned farm.

But that is self evident when you drive by and see the signs.

For those who want to get connected via the internet our best connection for
our farm is through Jo Robinsons's eatwild.com site. I am listed for free
because we got in early, and may be in the latest book for all I know as she
wrote me and asked if I wanted to be included but that was a few years ago
and we were not ready yet and I suggested she wait for the next edition.
Now they do charge $5 to get listed or make a change to a listing.

Surely you are familiar with Local Harvest? We are listed on there and so
far there is no charge for that but I guess they plan to charge later on if
they can make it work. I doubt that we would pay unless we actually knew
customers were coming from that source. So far I do not believe that we have
had any customers from that site.

And our listing on hard copy and 24/7 internet via with Wisconsin State Farm
Bureau is included in our membership at no additional charge. I don't think
we have had customers from that either, but it is targeted to other farmers.

It is possible that your company could over time become yet another direct
market site, but there is a lot of competition. And you would have to have a
spectacular web site that would do something a lot better than the
competition.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com


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