Farmer Spotlight: Sacred Roots Maple - 1 Year Later
Last year, we were happy to welcome Sacred Roots Maple to our Farm Advisory Network. A Maple Farm located in West Chazy, New York, Ashley and Ben Clark manage 140 acres of maple trees. From collecting the sap to making the syrup and producing other specialty items like maple cream, melts, sugar, and even a scrub, the entire process occurs on their land.
Recently, we sat down with Ashely on the Direct Farm Podcast to learn more about their year, how they’ve grown their business, and their plans to expand their already lucrative shipping operation.
Building a Connection and Loyalty Across Channels
Sacred Roots Maple has found that the best way to connect with buyers is through telling a story. Ashley forms relationships with customers through personalized notes and engages them on social media. She uses the three E’s— educate, entertain, and eCommerce to ensure she’s sharing a balanced mix of content, including educating people on how they can use their products. “Maple syrup doesn’t just have to go on a pancake. I try to show the nutritional value, share how we use our syrup at our dinner table, and how our customers can use it too!”
Ashley has prioritized building out her social media strategy over the past year, knowing that over 70% of Americans use a mix of social platforms every day. Also aware that creating meaningful posts can take time, Ashley came up with a quick and time-saving way to ensure she’s posting regularly and keeping followers engaged with the Sacred Roots brand. “I set up a schedule to post three times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I try to keep a rhythm to it — Mondays, I’ll feature us on the Farm, and Wednesdays, I’ll post a recipe. Things come up in life, and I don’t always feel creative. That’s why it’s good to have a plan I can revisit that helps me stay on top of it.”
Ashley has found that the key to her success has been consistent and regular posts. Looking to other Farmers and Brands that inspire her, Ashley keeps her content fresh, engages her community, and builds a Farm brand to drive long-term success for Sacred Roots Maple.
Building a Thriving Maple Shipping Business
Maple syrup is a great product to ship nationwide - it’s unique to the northeast, has a long shelf-life, and can be packaged in a sturdy container. Shipping as a fulfillment option has contributed to Ashley and Ben’s success as they’re able to access customers that are not only in New York but all across the country.
“We ship through Barn2Door and leverage the integration with Shippo! Maple is really heavy, so shipping isn’t cheap, but we find the best types of boxes to use to keep costs low and get things out the door quickly.”
Due to the lack of face-to-face interaction and a spread-out customer base, Ashley has implemented other ways to drive brand loyalty. “We add a postcard that includes a brief story about our Farm. Then on the back, we write a quick note to the customer - even if it’s just a ‘thank you for your order, enjoy’. Even with something so small, we’re putting a personal touch in the box that our customers appreciate.”
Read: The Importance of Owning your Customer Base for Long-Term Success
Watch: Best Practices for Implementing Profitable and Convenient Shipping Options Your Buyers Crave
Simplifying Products and Operations
Knowing time is precious for every Farmer, Ashley shared how streamlining their processes made growing their business easier: “Before we went with Barn2Door, we were collecting orders through email, handwritten letters, and text. Now on Barn2Door, everything is in one spot. It makes things so much easier and saves us a ton of time. Even people that may not be the best online have been able to figure out how to order – because it’s so easy! We’re very happy and will not be turning back. If your goal as a Farmer is to grow and increase sales, you have to move in the direction of simplicity and keeping things in one space – Barn2Door has done this for us.”
Goals for 2022
While looking ahead, Ashely and Ben hope to bring back in-person events, including their Maple Open House, where members of the local community gather on their Farm, try their products, and learn more about the maple experience.
As for growing their operations, Ashley and Ben are looking towards Subscriptions to delight buyers and secure recurring revenue. “We’ve had customers asking for Subscriptions, and I’m seeing a pattern of specific customers ordering the same thing over and over. Having a Subscription option would be convenient for our buyers and streamline our processes even more!”
At Barn2Door, we are honored to serve Farmers like Ashely and Ben, who are committed to producing high-quality specialty products, educating the community on the maple process, and bringing a convenient ordering experience to customers across the country.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution for Farmers to grow and manage their business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.