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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Road's End Farm website

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: Chris Reid <chriscreid AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Road's End Farm website
  • Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 12:26:43 -0700 (PDT)



Rivka wrote:

We're finally  ready (we hope) to make this public; and would like to know
what you 
think.

I reply:
Rivka,

Always love your informative posts and generous info sharing.

Re: website --

Love the main photo!  Very inviting!

Would make sure that in directions, you say what state you are in  (I mean
New York, not inebriated) and where you are near so people don't get you
confused with some other farm or location.  Yes, map is good idea.

I used to volunteer for a theatre that had people erroneously make 
reservations thru their website, intending to book a show at another  theatre 
by the same name in a similarly named town the next state over.  Who knew? 

Plus, these days with the I Phone, it is hard to know when people stuck in a
traffic jam might decide to go off-highway  for a jaunt to find a market
instead of sitting in traffic for hours.  (Jane and Michael Stern?)

Interesting that you sorted out the produce by family name.  Are you selling
to chefs?  Foodies might be looking for new ideas - could you sort by color,
or by intended use?  If not, a second list that suggests what foods make
great choices  for salads, grilling, pies, or soups might be useful?.  Or a
picture beside Solanaceae that has eggplants/peppers/tomatoes showing, so it
clicks for the reader what the word means.

I agree that pictures of the produce  are likely to help sell and distinguish
the varieties you sell.  As you see here, I say a lot -- but in these days of
people reading your website on their phone, it may be a good idea to hone and
hone and hone to economical text, and use snippets of text with pictures to
entice and tell the story. 

I would love to see more about your life on the farm and how these foods are
produced.  I think that's part of the excitement -- people want to be part of
something that is done by real people they can meet and talk to, not a
machine or an anonymous worker halfway around the world.  this is the story
that goes with the food you sell and personalizes it/makes it local,
neighborly, and a source of connection.

I think conveying your passion creates a connection with your customers that
keeps them related to you and checking back for more:  why you love a
particular bean or tomato, or how some peas grow even when it's snowing or
something.  Give people a reason to want your peas, even if it is just the
image that the peas didn't come from south america - they  came through the
same late snowfall that the customer did.

Also possible to emphasize and heighten awareness of  the seasons and what
season is here, coming, or will be back next year.  Otherwise customers
accustomed to global grocery shopping  will wonder why you don't have
tomatoes in April.

As they say, food for thought.

By the way, it's a little expensive but I do like the Emerite pole bean.

Best regards,

Chris Reid
Connecticut







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