How to Combat Food Security With Farm Subscriptions
Right now, Americans are looking for food security. With less food on the shelves and inflationary concerns, buyers are concerned with how they will feed themselves (and their families). What’s the solution? Local Farm Subscriptions.
As customers are increasingly busy, they expect convenient access to your Farm products. Without the ease of a point-and-click purchase experience, they’ll find alternatives that are better suited to their needs. As Americans have an average of nine (9) Subscriptions to the products they enjoy frequently (e.g., Netflix, Spotify), customers want to lock in prices and consistent access to healthy local Food.
Successful Farmers are easing food scarcity concerns with Farm Subscriptions. With consistent access to your products, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, Farm Subscriptions give buyers certainty they can satiate their hunger and provide peace of mind with reliable access to fresh, local Food. In turn, Farmers lock in recurring revenue and consistent cash flow they can count on monthly.
Here’s how Farms are using Subscriptions to give buyers peace of mind:
At Barn2Door, we understand that Farm Subscriptions are not necessarily your prototypical Subscription (e.g., Netflix). Barn2Door offers support for multiple Subscription types so that Farmers can tailor their product offerings based on availability and harvest schedules:
Seasonal/Term-Based Subscriptions: Think of your typical CSA, these Subscriptions align with a specific harvest season or growing times. Terms are arranged for a set amount of time, typically 3-24 weeks or 1-4 months. Common examples are Produce CSAs, Flowers, and fish.
Rolling Subscriptions: These Subscriptions are regularly recurring, with no specific term associated (no seasonality, no particular month). These are meant for products that can “roll” from season to season and are set for a longer period of time (3, 6, 9, or 12 months). Common examples are a herdshare (beef, poultry, or dairy) or a produce CSA that continues from season to season.
Ongoing Subscriptions: These Subscriptions are perfect for products that are available year-round and are products that your customers need and consistently. Typical Ongoing Subscriptions include Dairy, Eggs, Poultry, Pork, and Beef. If you farm in a region with year-round sun, maintain high-tunnels, or are a freight-farm, then Ongoing Subscriptions for Produce is a great option.
Subscriptions should be built with your customers in mind and the seasonality of your products. Knowing what Subscription works best is essential to running a strong Farm business that provides the security your customers need.
Provide Convenient Access to Your Subscriptions
Subscriptions should also provide buyers with flexibility and be convenient to access. There are many ways to lock in customer commitments and provide ways to “modify” Subscription terms - proving your Farm to be reliable and trustworthy.
There are several nuances offered by Barn2Door, enabling Farmers to attract more subscribers. Here’s how Farms on Barn2Door are winning with Subscriptions:
Pre-Orders: Pre-Orders are a Farm's secret weapon to bankroll revenue going into the season and guarantee products will be moved. Customers love securing Farm-fresh products months in advance, reserving access to high-demand items or products with short growing seasons. With Pre-Orders, you can generate upfront demand for your products and guarantee customers will have reliable access to fresh Farm foods.
Late Enrollment: Strict cutoff dates to sign up for a Subscription can be a big bummer for people who discover your Subscription after the term has begun. With Late Enrollment, Farmers allow customers to join a Subscription even after it’s started (i.e., join 4 weeks into a 20-week Seasonal Subscription). Buyers can subscribe to your products anytime, and you’ll move more inventory items mid-season.
Here’s how Farmers on Barn2Door delight customers with busy schedules and flexible terms that doesn’t take hours to manage:
Buyer Skip: Americans are busy, and whether it’s planned or unprompted, giving them the option to skip a delivery gives customers peace of mind knowing the products won’t go to waste on their doorstep (and with Late Enrollment, the spot is bound to be filled!).
Buyer Cancel: Life can be unpredictable, which is why many Farmers give their customers the option to cancel their Subscription - which is typical for any Subscription service. Providing the ability to cancel without any penalties is important to instill trust in your Brand.
Read: 5 Things Farmers Are Doing To Lock In Recurring Sales
Read: How to Package Subscriptions and Bundle Boxes
Listen: Impacting Packaging and Choice Subscriptions with Little River Farms
In unpredictable times, your Farm can offer peace of mind for many in your community. With reliable access to high-quality foods, buyers won’t need to worry about the lack of food on the shelves or in their family's stomachs. Subscriptions are your key to success in building a loyal customer base and driving consistent Farm revenue.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.