Phil of Hopewell Farms moved onto 10 acres of land in Gainesville, Georgia in 2019. Inspired by “Folks, This Ain’t Normal” by Joel Salatin, he decided to leave his commercial banking job to raise meat for his community. Once he uncovered that the other 33 surrounding acres would be sold, he decided to buy that land and begin learning to raise cattle.

Not every Farm chooses to sell at the Farmers’ Markets. However, if that is an avenue you want to utilize for local sales and meet new buyers, it is important to determine which markets will be worth your investment. There are a myriad of factors to consider, such as the popularity of a certain Farmers’ Market, the consistency of foot traffic, and the accommodations offered to local Farms.

Quickbooks Pro Advisor, Taylor Bridges, encourages Farms to use marketing tools to help their brand succeed within their community. She says marketing can be a useful tool for your Farm business to expand your reach, and offers several tax advantages. Tangible and intangible Farm Marketing efforts, can both be written off as an operating expense (lowering your taxable Farm income).

Ahead of your initial launch and prior to each season, it is important to review your Farm store to ensure you have implemented best practices that will attract Buyers and be simple to maintain. Keep your product inventory limited to make it easy for customers to shop, with convenient fulfillments to access your goods. Make your Farm shopping experience consistent, so Buyers know what to expect, trust making a purchase from you and are encouraged to continue shopping with you.

To give Farmers a nose to tail checklist on minimizing waste and selling all parts of the cow. In many cases Farmers can move more products than they realize, simply by packaging, bundling, re-naming and branding ‘unpopular’ or less familiar items. This guide should put Farmers back in the driver’s seat when it comes to maximizing profit(s) per animal.

The USDA FSIS has worked on a proposed salmonella framework that would implement rules and regulations in place for producers to test and seek to eradicate the presence of salmonella in their poultry products. If implemented, this proposal would affect poultry producers with added costs, potential onsite inspections, and the burden of additional equipment and infrastructure.

Each year on the Farm can be full of changes and challenges. It is crucial to prepare for what may lie ahead in the coming seasons. As an independent Farmer, you must raise and harvest quality products, and market, sell and fulfill Buyer orders to build a robust business. Successful Farmers and industry experts have shared their predictions for what is to come in 2025.

Farms that offer their products for pick up provide Buyers with more convenient fulfillment options. Many Farms located outside of metropolitan areas may have a high concentration of Buyers in certain neighborhoods. To ensure your pick-ups are streamlined and convenient, you can offer pick-ups in various locations, such as someone’s home or a local business.

Farm partnerships give your business the opportunity to offer local Buyers complementary products in a single purchase experience - making your Farm store more attractive for customers. Add value to your own products and expand your wallet share with premium bundle boxes, specialty add-ons or seasonal product additions to your store. Local partnerships allow you to build loyalty within the community and increase your margins, while expanding your reach to new audiences.

A Point-of-Sale (POS) makes capturing sales easy and convenient for your Farm and Buyers. The device allows you to take multiple payment options, sync your online and in-person Sales and collect tips on transactions. While Farm POS is important at Farmers Markets, there are many different occasions where the device can streamline your checkout process and attract more Sales. Try a POS built for Farmers at different venues for increased profits and added ease to each transaction.

Life is busy on the Farm, but it is still important to learn from others as your business evolves. Farm podcasts make it much easier for Farmers to digest information as they work, learning best practices, tactics and gaining inspiration from others, while doing chores . Listen to other successful Farms and industry experts as they discuss how to build a profitable Farm business.

At Barn2Door, we share content each week to inspire, educate and share the stories of Farmers across the country. Find tactics, tips and best practices to implement into your Farm business today, and learn from industry experts and 6-figure Farmers who have built thriving businesses. These free resources share information that will be helpful to your Farm business.

Many Farmers choose to charge for quarter, half and whole beef based on hanging weight because it is more accurate when determining their underlying cost-basis. However, the concept of hanging weight is not understood by Buyers and introduces uncertainty (reducing conversion) . Understanding hanging weight prices are critical for your Farm to cover butchering costs, then price your products for Buyers based to preserve a healthy profit margin.

What does Hanging Weight mean? The “Hanging Weight" is the weight of a cow after the initial kill of the animal, with the carcass remaining, after slaughter, processing, and removal of organs, head, blood, and skin. This is the effective weight of a carcass on the hook at the processing facility - commonly referred to as the Hanging Weight.

Your loyal Buyers often determine the strength and consistency of your Farm sales. You want to attract local Buyers that are willing to pay a premium for sustainably-raised products, and will consistently place orders. Successful Farms across the country have become a staple in their community’s shopping routines. Follow these tips to find who your ideal retail Buyers are in your community, and how to effectively target them through marketing and packaging.

Barn2Door offers Academy classes hosted by successful independent Farmers, industry experts and team members to provide best practices, insights and advice for Farm businesses. To make the most of each session, all virtual classes are live and interactive to ensure your questions are addressed.

Eggs and poultry are some of the most consumed products in the country. Farmers can build a sustainable operation selling these products directly to their community. It is crucial for your Farm to build a consistent, loyal base of Buyers who want sustainably raised poultry products. 

Jared Luhman was full-time Farming with his dad when he married Valerie in 2018. The family raised bulls and wanted to move to direct sales. In 2019, the couple saw Grass Fed Cattle Company for sale online, and decided to buy it. The Farm was 8 years old, and they found it helpful that systems were already put in place to start their direct sales operation. They signed on with Barn2Door to handle sales, and have created a successful Farm business where they can serve local Buyers while raising their kids. Valerie shared her tips for balancing life on the Farm as a family. Listen to her podcast episode:

Offering a Subscription bundle box from your Farm - often referred to as a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) -  can help you attract recurring orders, increase cash flow and build Buyer loyalty for your entire season. It is important to create a system for your Subscriptions that is streamlined and diminishes stress instead of creating more complexity. Farmer’s Choice CSA boxes eliminate the chaos of Buyers choosing each individual item included in their box, and puts the power back into the Farmer’s hands to assemble complementary products to meet Buyer expectations. Your Farm can greatly simplify its operations, and reduce labor costs with a Farmer’s Choice CSA model to effectively scale and manage your program long-term.

Farmers Markets can be a crucial avenue for many Farms to build their brand, meet new Buyers and sell their products. For other Farmers, some may see Markets as time-consuming, costly, and a lot of work with little return. 

It is important to ask yourself if Farmers Markets are profitable and worthwhile, or something to skip altogether. Setting aside your personal bias, be sure to ask yourself these 3 questions to determine if attending a local Farmers Market is profitable for your business.