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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions

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  • From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions
  • Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 13:10:13 -0400

I started collecting e-mail addresses of my farmstand customers last year,
with the thought of doing a newsletter. An astonishing percentage of my
customers don't have a computer (mostly older people). Many who do have a
computer wanted me to snail mail them the newsletter anyway. I haven't
done a newsletter yet, partly because of the work and expense of copying
and mailing them.

What I do, though, is advertise on all the free "where to find local food"
websites, and I have gotten a couple calls through them.. I also have
business cards and a brochure with pictures of the farm. I have a large
board with pictures and little blubs about the farm, but I had trouble
with the wind blowing it around last year at the Farmers' Market...with
just a table, there was nothing to fasten it to.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Peasant Farmer
Tioga County, PA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Huntley" <simon.huntley AT gmail.com>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 12:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions


> I've been following this discussion on educating consumers with
interest.
>
> As an interested party and as someone who has helped run a market farm
for
> two years (and make marketing decisions for that farm), I would like to
> extol the virtues of having a farm website to educate your customers.
One
> member in the discussion said that she doesn't have time to grow food
AND to
> educate customers, but I would like to agree with another person and say
> that as an owner of small business you don't have the luxury of allowing
> other people do your marketing -- if you believe in your product, it
should
> be a joyful experience to share your story and why you are passionate
with
> your customers.
>
> So, as for the website -- get a website or make a website, spend some
time
> during the winter adding content that tells the story of your farm and
why
> your products are special, and throughout the season while you are busy
> farming, your website will be speaking for you. Obviously I am saying
this
> as an interested party, because I developed a service that provides
websites
> to farms -- so I believe in the power of technology to tell your story
for
> "experience-based" farms like yours.
>
> It is just as valid to build your own website or go through another
service,
> but I provide a website on your own domain (www.yourfarm.com) for about
> $20/month, depending on options. This is a fully-managed option that
does
> not require any technical skill. You just login to a control panel in
any
> browser and you can add news, products, recipes, photos, and more.
That's my
> plug...
>
> But as someone who has worked markets and helped put a vegetable
operation
> in the black -- Tell Your Story all the time, get a website and make it
> vibrant and interesting, get to know your customers and never let go of
> them! Give people a reason to go out of their way to buy from your farm
> because it is very easy to just go to the local supermarket and get
> everything they need in one place.
>
> --
> Simon Huntley
> Lead Developer, Small Farm Central
> info AT smallfarmcentral.com
> http://www.smallfarmcentral
>


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