From Fields to Finances: The 'Business' Side of Farming
Alex Russell of Chucktown Acres developed a successful Farm Brand online. His work includes harvesting Farm products, but Alex has also experienced the “business” side of the industry. He must have Buyers to sell to, through various avenues, and support his family in the process.
Alex knows Farming is a business, with finances, scheduling, and marketing. After the physical work is done, the computer work begins. Alex shared the details of the business side of Farming, and his tips, on our recent podcast episode.
Listen to our episode with Alex here:
Streamlined Operations
Any business includes behind-the-scenes operations, ensuring the success of the company. Farms are no different. With taxes, butcher schedules, fulfillments, and packaging, Farms go beyond simply harvesting product. Many activities occur for the business to access customers and fulfill sales.
Time-Saving Integrations
Businesses must run payroll, file taxes, and maintain budgets. These tasks may be dispiriting to independent Farmers, who endure physical labor daily. Instead of spending hours on Farm finances, Farmers need integrations to simplify the process.
Alex shared that integrations are not only time-saving, but they also make these tasks digestible, and manageable. Barn2Door partners with Quickbooks, an accounting solution to track sales data and manage finance information for your Farm. Selling direct makes the Farmer the boss over all operations, including finances. It is important to have a solution that will simplify the process, so time is not wasted.
Barn2Door’s Mailchimp integration includes newsletter templates, contact management, and marketing analytics, in a practical layout (even for those who have never sent marketing emails). Email marketing has proven to be successful for many Farmers. 90% of consumers prefer to receive updates from businesses through an email newsletter.
It can be time-consuming to group Buyers into lists, write out dozens of emails, and understand optimized send times. Mailchimp helps your Farm access more Buyers by eliminating stress.
Automated Features
Integrations save the headache of difficult tasks, automated features limit the time spent on back-end duties. When fulfilling Farm orders, you should be able to streamline the process, managing multiple transactions simultaneously.
Don't waste your time on the manual things that shouldn't matter.
- Farmer Alex
Barn2Door offers automated features that allow Farmers to fulfill multiple orders for a given time in one sitting. Pick and Pack Lists have become a favorite feature for many of our most successful Farmers, including Alex. Orders are handled through your online Farm store, so the information stored for those purchases can be automatically accessed. That information can then be exported into a Spreadsheet or PDF for a simplified pick and pack experience.
Labels are also automated through your online store. These labels may include the Buyer’s name, address, and fulfillment type. Simplify delivery and pick-up days by printing all the labels for a given time period. This will organize orders and ensure accurate fulfillments.
Convenient Purchase Options
Fulfillment options are a crucial part of Farm sales, but may not be top-of-mind for all Farmers. Understanding the packaging, frequency, and avenues in which Buyers prefer Farm purchases can secure more sales.
Sell Farm Products Online
Offering products online is convenient for Buyers to shop. They can access your inventory, Bundle and Subscription options, and pricing, without leaving their home. Marketing an online store may also be easier than physical store fronts, allowing you to share a link anywhere, to any Buyer.
Direct sales give Farmers the opportunity to sell on their own schedule, on their own terms. Convenient purchase options will entice Buyers, and keep information in one area, so you are not tracking orders in multiple places.
Barn2Door’s POS enables your in-person Farm sales to integrate with your online store, with real-time inventory sync and management in one place. Barn2Door’s onboarding process ensures comfort in the transition for Farmers unfamiliar with direct sales.
Multiple Fulfillment Options
Before Buyers purchase your Farm products, you must provide fulfillment options. Not every Farm has time to deliver multiple days a week. Alex completes deliveries once a week, but only recommends that frequency to Farmers who are close to large towns, and a dependable driver.
Using Pick and Pack Lists, Alex is able to maintain a schedule for fulfillments that are convenient for the Farm, and the Buyers. He directs Buyers to his online store, so all purchase information is stored in a centralized location. This enables Chucktown Acres to have an efficient process for managing multiple order types.
Subscriptions to Ensure Sales
Alex recommends all Farmers offer subscriptions to Buyers, to maintain cash flow in the Off-Season, and secure purchase commitments. The Farm struggled in the past with confidence in their sales, especially in the winter months. Now, Alex knows his subscriptions will provide payments even when there are no products to sell.
Subscriptions become the most successful sales for the majority of Farms. Alex shared, “[Subscriptions] have been a game changer for us. About 80% of our Sales come through our CSAs.” Offering a Farmer’s Choice box allows Alex to sell a variety of products, without managing multiple unique orders. It is not only about growing the products, but packaging them for success.
Authentic Marketing
Social Media
Alex was never on social media prior to running his Farm. He has seen the necessity of marketing to Buyers - new and old - through consistent posts. He remains top-of-mind for Buyers, sharing his Farm products, operations, and updates. Alex has a passion for educating his audience on sustainable agriculture.
The Chucktown Acres Instagram finds success with sharing content educating viewers on sustainable agriculture. His Buyers and other Farms alike want to know why they should support sustainable agriculture and the dangers of the mainstream food industry.
Rather than share his product selection for a given season, Alex is transparent in regenerative Farming efforts, which has shown to be successful on his social media (attracting new Buyers). Every Farm and audience is different, sharing valuable content with your followers will ensure engagement and appreciation.
Email Newsletters
Email newsletters are a personal invite to know your Farm. Keeping in constant communication let’s Buyers know you exist. Without consistent updates, delivered to Buyers’ inboxes, your Farm may be forgotten. Through word-of-mouth and market sign-ups, Alex has grown his email list.
Newsletters may share content from sales to family updates. Alex shares educational content in his newsletters, as he does with his social posts. He knows that Buyers want to feed their kids healthy foods, and be educated on the process of regenerative Farming. Being transparent with Buyers will make them more confident in your Farm.
Remaining Top-of-Mind
Consistent posting and communication with Buyers is imperative. If you do not market to Buyers in your area, another Farm will. Create a relationship with customers to maintain value for your business in their eyes.
Having a schedule for 1-3+ posts a week on socials, and 1 email per week, will help your Farm remain consistent with Buyers. Scheduling in advance can save time, and using the Off-Season to plan for the coming months will be beneficial.
Remain top-of-mind, updating Buyers with product selection, sales, and Farm events, to foster a relationship, encouraging returning customers. If Buyers forget about your Farm, they will not remember to make purchases. Encourage sales year-round with continued communication.
Conclusion
Farming is a demanding job, with physically exhausting tasks. However, work does not always take place in the field. There are many behind-the-scenes tasks, from the computer to the phone. You may get into the industry to grow product, but you must know what to expect from the ‘Business' side of Farming.
Alex offers advice for marketing, fulfillment, and organization. He knows that once he leaves the Farm, there is still much work to be done. Maintaining a schedule and updating Buyers will help your Farm increase sales and save-time. Using automations and software Built for Farmers will bring your small Farm business to the next level.
Barn2Door is proud to offer software and services to help your Farm succeed. To learn more about streamlining Farm business operations and reaching more Buyers, watch this 5-min video.