Farmer Spotlight: Orem Farms - 1 Year Later
Orem Farms is a fourth-generation Farm located in central Indiana where Jared and Joelle Orem raise pasture beef and offer custom hay baling. Last year, when Joelle became a Barn2Door Farm Advisor, we sat down with her to learn more about the Farm and the tactics she and Jared implemented to successfully sell direct online.
We recently caught up with Joelle on the Direct Farm Podcast to hear how Orem Farms has grown and how Jared and Joelle manage their business selling direct with Barn2Door.
Gaining Legitimacy with an Online Presence
Since the last time we spoke, Joelle noted the level of legitimacy that Orem Farms has gained by having an online e-commerce presence. “A specific area that we've seen growth is our presence in the community. I think our move to e-commerce with Barn2Door has created a more solidified reputation for our Farm.” By offering their products online and having a storefront to point potential customers to from their social media and website, Orem Farms has generated more orders, saving time with a streamlined system.
“Previously, we were using a little payment processor and collecting orders through Facebook messenger. Because we have such a strong online presence, it's now creating a solid reputation for our customers. As a result, we’ve been approached by several other companies and businesses wanting to partner with us or restaurants wanting us to supply them.” In addition to growing business operations, Orem Farms has also begun to venture into sponsorship opportunities within their community.
Read: Billboard To Nowhere: Why Farmers Should Have a Webstore Before a Website
Targeting Local Customers with Community Sponsorships
Orem Farms will officially sponsor a small area of a play cafe in their hometown. Play cafes are coffee shops with a designated play area for kids so that parents can enjoy coffee with others or get some work done while the kids play. The decision to sponsor this specific play cafe was purposeful by Joelle and her husband. “We tried to look at: where are our customers going and where are they taking their kids? Because we mostly sell to families, and they have families to feed, it's been a successful way to reach new customers.” Due to the cafe’s location, this initial partnership has allowed Orem Farms to get the brand in front of their target audience.
Listen: How to Build Relationships with your Customers with Valarie from Grassfed Cattle Co
Establishing Brand Consistency on All Channels
With a clear dedication to their Farm brand and messaging, Joelle has continued to work on how she approaches the Orem Farms brand through social media and email marketing. “Something that's really changed is gaining the confidence to show our faces more. In the beginning, we felt like we needed a big, professional look where it seemed like we had teams of people working on our Farm. However, through our conversations with customers, we've learned that they find value in knowing who's behind the scenes doing the work and the names of the people raising their food.”
While giving their customers an authentic look into Orem Farms, Joelle was open about how she’s struggled with certain aspects of maintaining their social media presence. “We were pushing out what we thought our customers wanted to see or hear. Sometimes I would create content that I thought was great, but it doesn't perform well.” Joelle shared that her main takeaway was to be adaptable and pay attention to what’s working: “being able to step back and read the insights to see what's performing well will help your content and your business too.”
Read: How to Build a Strong Brand Presence for Your Farm
Watch: 5 Metrics Every Farmer Needs to Know, Cade and Meet, Barn2Door
Teaching Alongside Barn2Door
As a Farm Advisor to Barn2Door, Joelle teaches two Academy courses with members from the Barn2Door team. One focuses on social media, and the other the email marketing tool, Mailchimp. “We give you a good framework that will help Farmers weave key messages together - staying consistent with the brand while not forgetting to ask for the sale.”
Joelle has witnessed many Farmers commit to improving their marketing strategies, which (to her) is the best part. “The beauty of the Academy is that a lot of the Farmers are in different stages of how they market their Farms. We have a lot of beginners who might’ve just started their Facebook profile or Instagram account, to Farmers who have more experience but just want the tools to get better.” The variance of skill levels and backgrounds makes each course collaborative and, at times, student-led: “what's nice is that it’s a live class. It's not just a recorded webinar, so we dive deep and answer many specific questions that people have. Often, our Farmers will begin working with each other. It's really beautiful because of the level of collaboration that takes place.”
While Joelle may be biased as an instructor, she encourages Farmers to attend different Academy courses to improve their skills, learn some new tactics, and build their Farm brand: “Farmers should sign up for Barn2Door Academy! You are rarely in a [virtual] room full of other Farmers from all over the country. I’ve learned so much from the people on the other side of the United States that have attended. The ability to connect with others and talk with Farmers about how they’re finding success is extremely valuable.”
Applying the Curriculum to Her Own Business
While teaching the Academy, Joelle continues to try new approaches to her social media and email marketing plans to save time and make managing the Orem Farms brand easier. Joelle admitted that remembering to post on Facebook and take Instagram-worthy pictures is hard after long work days on the Farm. However, using a tactic called “batching” saves her time and guarantees an easy way to create content.
“The biggest trick for me is batching. So, if you're going to incorporate photos in your posts or emails, spend an afternoon while out in the pastures, taking some photos. Then split them up and sprinkle them throughout the rest of the year.” Joelle uses strategies like these to stay ahead of posting to social media and making it easy to stay top of mind, engaging customers all year long!
Tractor Heels: A Commitment to Women in Farming
Along with the Orem Farms brand, Joelle also developed her own Instagram brand called Tractor Heels, which focuses on the community of businesswomen in farming. “I find that a lot of women in the small-Farm industry take on this role as a business owner automatically. These women try to balance raising babies, managing meetings, establishing their online presence - dipping their toe into the professional world, but also putting their boots on to help with the cattle.” Joelle’s goal with Tractor Heels is to cultivate a professional network of women and give them the support and resources they need to be successful. In the year ahead, Joelle hopes to continue growing this network and reaching more women in the farming community who face the same challenges as her.
What’s Next for Orem Farms
As Orem Farms heads into the Autumn season, Joelle already has a lot planned for the coming year. The Farm is looking to add to their product offerings and potentially add a new breed to their cattle herd. Joelle’s primary goal is to continue to adapt to customers' demands and strengthen the loyalty of existing customers.
We’re honored to work with Farmers like Joelle and Jared - who are constantly pushing the envelope, supporting their local community, and are committed to helping others succeed. At Barn2Door, we’ve helped 1000’s of Farmers across America grow and manage direct sales. If you’re curious how we can support your Farm to increase sales, access more customers, and save time, watch this 5-minute video.